From Bill's Blog: Merits of replacing bronze participation medals

[Akash Rastogi]

(These are my own opinions, not of my team's)

I know that whole "everyone's a winner" attitude in FIRST, but does anyone consider the participation medals for FRC (not FLL or maybe even FTC) as something of a "pity" medal in the loose sense of the word?

It may just be me and my little cynical outlook but I really just found out about participation medals this year, but before that its not like I thought of myself as a "loser" on a "losing team." I was taught by mentors who I love and experienced anything worth experiencing each of the years we didn't win anything and didn't receive a medal or recognition. I never felt anything when an opposing team's members received big shiny medallions and I walked away with what I wanted, my own sense of accomplishment. *

Is it just me coming from a veteran team who has a decent past? Or would I feel the same if I was from a brand new team or an old veteran with no interesting history, awards, medals, honors, recognition, wins, etc..? I honestly believe anyone who knows why they are in FIRST would choose the latter of the two.** Then again, have I not been in FIRST long enough to understand what it really means to be a part of it?

Basically, I guess what I'm trying to say is, if "you're all winners" is a fundamental ideal of FIRST, do kids (at the high school level) really need a symbolic reference to their experiences on a team, in the shape of a medal that is?

*One of my most precious moments from this year and probably for the rest of my life had nothing to do with my own team, it was hearing via webcast that a team I spent most of my time helping won the Chairman's Award at the Sacramento Regional. 1323, much love

**(And I do not say this and mean that medals for winners/finalists/chairman's winners would not be needed either, because after all, this IS A COMPETITION)