“Wait until they step in the real world.”

Runners to your marks-set-gun! All you hear is screaming adults a ll cheering on their teams and children. As all sprinters cross the finish line, we see the first guy, then second, then third. The results are eventually in and then we see the top three runners get their medals. Then soon after the fourth through eighth place get their ribbons. WHAT! I just got done watching the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro in Brazil. I didn’t see eight people get rewarded. I saw three people get medals.

There were three sprinters that received medals for their running. But I didn’t hear anyone expecting anything. The fourth through eighth place athletes just walked off the track. Why? How come no one was willing to protest the loss of the other athletes. It’s because the everyone gets a trophy is an illusion.

I can somewhat understand, somewhat if a six or seven year old gets a ribbon. But once that kid is closer to middle school, give it up. Through their elementary years, it is important to explain to them the concept of winning and losing. Why? Because it’s what life is all about. Don’t get me wrong, building confidence is important, but it should not come the cost of them expecting things to be handed to them.

Now in today’s society, high school teenagers, even college students as young adults want handouts for nothing. This comes in the form of not allowing students to fail. There are teachers not allowed to give students a grade below a certain letter. Meaning some high schools, for example, are not allowed to give students anything below a C. Some places even let students take the higher of the grades they received to be average into their GPA.

The downside of this trend is not building confidence, it’s actually more harmful. Young people coming from college have a whole new world they are entering than the coddled environment they’re used to living. And for the ones not going to college and coming straight from high school; they are really not ready. Wait until they realize there are no safe spaces and no trophies, and no coddling. Once reality set in then it will be too late. This is why I’m glad I was prepared at a young age.

Life is truly a competition that you must play to win. That doesn’t mean if you lose then all hope is lost. It simply means learn how to lose. Because it’s not how you lose, but how well you bounce back from a lose. All the greats had to some degree, adversity in their lives before becoming successful.