Pittsburgh Steelers' James Harrison Gives Back Sons' Participation Trophies
James Harrison says he wants his sons to "earn a real trophy."
— -- Pittsburgh Steelers’ star James Harrison is one of the toughest linebackers in the NFL, known for his explosive play.
And when it comes to tackling parenthood, the veteran player is proving he is just as fierce.
Harrison, 37, revealed on Instagram this weekend that he had taken back the trophies his two young sons received for just participating in sports.
"While I am very proud of my boys for everything they do and will encourage them till the day I die, these trophies will be given back until they EARN a real trophy,” Harrison captioned a photo of his sons’ student-athlete trophies. “I’m not about to raise two boys to be men by making them believe that they are entitled to something just because they tried their best. Cause sometimes your best is not enough, and that should drive you to want to do better...not cry and whine until somebody gives you something to shut u up and keep you happy.”
Harrison ended his post with the hashtag #harrisonfamilyvalues.
While most commenters agreed with Harrison’s post, writing comments such as, “Kids today don’t know what the reward for hard work is,” others disagreed.
“You’re their dad and it’s your decision, but I couldn’t disagree more,” one commenter wrote
Harrison, a two-time Super Bowl champion and five-time Pro Bowl player, frequently posts photos and videos of his own workouts on his Instagram page, along with photos of himself with his sons.
A parenting expert says the responses to Harrison’s post show there is no one solution for how to handle praise and children.
“For some children participation is a struggle, so getting a participation trophy is important,” said Robyn Silverman, a child development specialist. “For other children, they simply need to learn sometimes you win and sometimes you lose.”
Among “Good Morning America” viewers, an online survey found that 70 percent of respondents believe participation trophies are not a good idea for kids, while just 30 percent believe they are a good idea.