IS BEING A ‘PARTICIPANT’ ENOUGH?

A few years back, I volunteered as a referee in a youth soccer tournament. Hundreds of kids ranging in age from 6 to 15 enjoyed 2 days of intense soccer games. Many more parents, grand parent, aunts, uncles and friends cheered for their favorite teams. On Sunday afternoon the top teams from each age group assembled at various fields through-out the community to battle thru the finals. At the end of the day, the organizers awarded all the players with a coupon for a free burger and drink at McDonalds and a bright yellow ribbon that stated they

had been a ‘Participant’. As I watched the faces of the multitude and listened to the comments of both adult and child alike, it was obvious that there was a significant divide. Some felt that the participant award meant that there were no winners and others believed that everyone was a winner.

Generally speaking, we see that the acceptance of the ‘all inclusive’ model is largely adjusted by the age of group being polled. The longer you have been alive, the stronger you believe that awarding personal achievement and strong teamwork nurtures the natural instinct to strive for improvement and rise above those competing around us. At the other end of the scale is the belief that everyone has equal value and that by focusing more energy on supporting those lagging behind we give them the same opportunity to succeed as everyone else. That awarding the ‘winners’ diminishes the achievements of those behind them.

I grew up in an era when the ‘all inclusive’ model was just starting to gain some momentum. In grade school, I can remember the winners at our track meet, were awarded 1st , 2nd , and 3rd place ribbons. In some events the awards went as deep as 5th or 6th. All others got the coveted Participant award. I also remember that at the end of the day, the field and sidewalks were littered with yellow ribbons. As I got older and became involved in community, provincial and eventually national competition the ubiquitous yellow ribbon quickly disappeared. As I look back, I begin to understand the difference. In school, it was important to get everyone involved. We didn’t know who was good at what until someone convinced them to try. To award a kid for giving something a try was a good thing. Those were not so much “competitions” as they were “Try-outs”. Handing out the BIG awards was also important as it gave a target, a reason to work a little harder than the guy next to you.

I look at my generation now and I see that most of us have found that place in society where we naturally fit. Some are doctors, some are grocery clerks. One of the kids I played football with in the park after school, is now one of Canada’s highest ranking leaders in our armed forces. Some of the kids I went to school with have slipped through the cracks and wound up in prison or worse. There is, for the most part, a very real correlation to the amount of ambition, drive, and determination that we had as kids and the place we found for ourselves in society. When we got out of school we understood that there were a finite number of jobs out there and that only the most determined, with the right skills and aptitude would get the most sought after positions. Just because you participated in school and graduated didn’t mean a thing. From now on Darwin was in back in charge.

The generation I see wandering the streets today are complaining that it is impossible to find work, the government isn’t doing enough to ensure the economic growth needed to provide good paying jobs for everyone. Those students moving through our education system today are indoctrinated at an early age that if you are having a hard time keeping up, put up your hand and we will slow things down so you can catch up. You see them now, after graduation, still putting up there hand and asking the world to slow down so they can catch up. I do not blame the guy with his hand up. I blame the guy that told him that society needs to be more accommodating. That we need to stop competing with each other. We all need to take a breath, stop and wait for others. What are the chances that you are going to step aside from a promotion because the guy in the cubicle next to deserves a chance to move up too? The same guy that always comes in a half hour after you and leaves a half hour before you. I understand the need to reduce the number of people falling behind. I also see that the competition for the jobs is getting tougher. I do not, however, believe that the answer is to produce a mediocre generation that feels that just because they participate in society they should get the same reward as everyone else.

A recent poll suggests that Canadians are pretty tolerant of our multiculturalism. Just over 20% of Canada’s residents are foreign born. One thing that sets most of them apart from Canadian born residents is the belief that nothing in life is free. If you want something you will have to work for it. There is resentment among Canadians that all these immigrants are taking jobs that could be filled by Canadians. Really? If you are more qualified than the applicant next to you, you will likely get the job. Ask our unemployed Canadians if they applied for the minimum wage position at the convenience store, or the night clerk position at the rural motel. In North East BC employers are screaming to find workers. The oil and gas industry is paying $60,000 to $70,000 per year for a laborer! Nearly every convenience store is staffed with immigrant workers. We still have a local unemployment rate of 6%. Most of those unemployed are Canadian born residents that won’t apply for the $14/hr job because his buddy is making $27/hr in the patch and he’s holding out for a good job. More and more foreign born residents are moving into the area. They are filling jobs that Canadian born residents could be filling, but they feel are beneath them.

Our youth are taught from the beginning that they are just as important as the person next to them. They are taught that just because you have a disability, physical or mental, you can contribute just as much as anyone else. They are taught that no matter who you are, where you come from and what your religious beliefs, no matter what gender, we are all equal and have equal opportunity to succeed. What they are NOT being told is that just because you are participating in society, does NOT mean that society is going to wait for you. You can be anything you want, but, you WILL have to work for it. You WILL have to compete with others that want the same thing. You WILL have to be better than the person next to you to win that job. Why are we leaving that out? Why are we misleading our youth? At the end of the day, no-one is calling them up to give them a Participant Ribbon. The last time I checked, my bank still doesn't accept yellow nylon as currency.