When I was young I played soccer and everyone got a cheap little gold-painted plastic trophy at the end of the season. Nobody cared about those though. We cared about winning the games. But who knows, maybe saving those little plastic pieces of shit on a shelf somewhere in the house and watching them accumulate year after year gave us a different sense of accomplishment. Each trophy represented a season you played. I would have much rather sat inside and played nintendo instead. But I'm much better off for having gone outside and tried to do something hard and so were the fat losers we beat every year. I think that's what the participation trophy is about. Even a loser has accomplished something more than someone who didn't compete. Now if they stop keeping score, or declare 'both teams winners' regardless of the outcome. Well I would have a problem with that.