“Trophy; noun: A cup or other decorative object awarded as a reward for victory or success” (Oxford Dictionary). Not long ago, one or more well-meaning people made a decision that would have a huge impact on today's generation of children. They decided that we should give all the children a trophy for simply participating. It became an unwritten rule that it was “wrong” to celebrate victory because it would hurt the feelings of the losers. Nowadays, an undefeated team in a youth sport will receive a trophy, but so will all the kids who came in last place and didn't win a single game. Society has spent so much time worrying about or hurting our children's self-esteem that it has missed the mark in teaching them difficult but necessary life lessons. Participation trophies and accolades are almost a given, as children are constantly guaranteed to be the winners, which has become a heated debate between parents and coaches. The “no winners, no losers” culture we are creating for this generation of children has life-long negative consequences in school and the workplace; however, it was not always this way. Trophies were once rare possessions – prized sterling silver or gold cups used only on deserved special occasions. During the 1960s, trophies began to be mass produced by the millions. They were advertised in catalogs for coaches and teachers and sold in sporting goods stores. It is now estimated that “the sale of trophies and awards is now a $3 billion-a-year industry in the United States and Canada” (Merryman). Not only are trophy sales extremely high, but youth associations are also giving them away like crazy. “In Southern California, a regional chapter of the American Youth Soccer Organization has...... middle of article ......n/drupalm/research>.Gratton, Lynda. “The three paradoxes of Generation Y”. Forbes. Forbes Magazine. June 6, 2013. the web. May 12, 2014. .Merryman, Ashley. “Losing is good for you.” The New York Times. The New York Times. September 24, 2013. The web. May 11, 2014. "Definition of trophy in English:." trophy: definition of trophy in the Oxford (American English) Dictionary (United States). Oxford University Press, nd Web. May 13, 2014. Weisman, Aly. “15 people who failed before becoming famous.” Business internal. Business Insider, Inc. October 29, 2012. Web. May 12 2014. .