You did really well, you showed up. Congratulations, here’s a little trophy to honor your participation. While criticized as evidence of the recent Decline of Western Civilization, the 'participation trophy' has been a long-standing tradition, first cited in a news article in 1922. And in nearly a century since then -- whether competing in basketball, football, baseball, marbles, soap box derbies, speech-making, and yes, even FFA livestock shows -- players of all stripes have enjoyed the triumph of their presence with a little plastic trinket collecting dust on a shelf.

06.23.20