Ya Gotta Be Schmittin Me - Look Mommy, another medal!

By Dan Schmitt | My kids started playing Tee Ball around the age of five. I still can remember the smiles on their faces the first time they were given a medal for playing baseball. The fact that every kid on the team got a participation medal didn’t bother my children in the least. They were so very proud of their medals which they displayed on the bookshelf at home, so every visitor was sure to see their accomplishments.     My kids continued playing baseball and other sports, and they continued receiving participation medals. Around the age of eight, they came to realize that those end-of-season awards didn’t really mean anything, given every kid on the teams got one just for showing up. When receiving their medals, smiles were replaced by eye rolls that screamed, “Where’s the nearest trash can!”