DeAngelo Williams doesn’t have time for your “Participation Ribbons.”
The Pittsburgh Steelers running back took to Instagram this week to post a lengthy smackdown on awards given out just for participating. He went on to explain why he chose to return a participation ribbon given to his daughter during a recent track event, saying that such awards lead to kids being entitled and not working hard enough.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BFUsw2ji_gX/
https://www.instagram.com/p/BFUs_p7i_g7/
Williams says “the entitlement age” is among us and that participation ribbons are at least partially to blame because of it. It’s been hotly debated in recent years whether or not kids should be rewarded just for taking part in various competitions. Often times the reasoning behind these participation ribbons is so that kids who aren’t athletic or talented enough to actually win don’t get their feelings hurt or feel bad about themselves, but is it the right message to be sending? Does it help them in the long run?
Regardless of where you stand on the issue, Williams’ hard-line stance against participation ribbons apparently helped provide some motivation for his young daughter.
