Three North Carolina Republicans are backing efforts to eliminate participation trophies in state-run youth sports leagues.
A GOP-backed bill filed Thursday would bar local government-operated youth sports or recreation groups from giving “awards to participants based solely on participation” and limit awards to “based on identified performance achievements.”
The bill was sponsored by North Carolina state Sens. Timothy D. Moffitt, Eddie D. Settle and Bobby Hanig.
The proposed ban requires the support of the state Senate, the House and the signature of North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper (D) to become law.
Hanig, in an interview with Charlotte’s WJZY, said the rationale for the bill “goes beyond sports.”
“What they don’t teach their children is to be prepared for life, to be prepared for failure,” said Hanig.
She added: “When kids grow up, they’re taught that it’s okay. You don’t have to be the best.”
The bill received criticism from Rep. Deb Butler (D) of the state of North Carolina, who emphasized in an interview with the Asheville Citizen Times that the bill affects children and “is not competitive athletics.”
“Competition is good, and recognizing who runs the fastest or throws the ball the farthest is good,” Butler told the paper.
“But why not in the world [we] want everyone to have a sense of community and belonging. It’s preposterous and a big waste of time.
Photo By Al Drago/CQ Roll Call via Getty Images
It is not the first time that one of the co-sponsors of the bill has weighed in on sports in the country.
Moffitt introduced a bill last month that would “ban or restrict” people from skateboarding on public streets and roads in North Carolina’s Polk County, WRAL noted.
HuffPost did not immediately hear from the offices of Moffitt, Settle and Hanig for comment on the proposed ban.