Nationals star Bryce Harper's advice to Little Leaguers: It's not OK to lose

Bryce Harper fails to pick up his participation trophy after scoring a run against the Pittsburgh Pirates earlier this season. Photograph: Charles LeClaire/USA Today Sports

It’s perhaps just as well that Bryce Harper plays for one of Major League Baseball’s best teams because, judging from a pep talk he gave to Little League players on Saturday, he really doesn’t like losing.

The 2015 National League MVP spoke to a group of budding young players in Washington DC and made his philosophy clear. “As much as they might tell you, ‘It’s OK you guys lost today,’ no Johnny. No participation trophies, OK? First place only, alright,” the Washington Nationals outfielder said to the crowd.

.@Bharper3407 says NO PARTICIPATION TROPHIES! pic.twitter.com/GrGq7oPXJo

— Scott Abraham (@ScottABC7) May 27, 2017

The words were met with laughter and Harper kept the mood light but there is little doubt the 24-year-old follows his own advice. In 2015, he got into a fight with one of his own team-mates during a loss to the Philadelphia Phillies, an incident he later shrugged off. “He apologized, so whatever,” Harper said. “I really don’t care. ... It’s like brothers fighting. That’s what happens.”

Harper is widely considered one of the best young players in baseball and a potential Hall of Famer. The Nationals lead the NL East and Harper has hit 15 home runs this season, the second-highest total in the major leagues.

I came home to find out that my boys received two trophies for nothing, participation trophies! 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. I'm sorry I'm not sorry for believing that everything in life should be earned and 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. #harrisonfamilyvalues

A post shared by James Harrison (@jhharrison92) on Aug 15, 2015 at 10:09am PDT

Harper is not the first US athlete to take a stand against participation trophies. In 2015, the Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker James Harrison took away his children’s trophies. In an Instagram post on the subject Harrison said: “Everything in life should be earned and 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 has won the Super Bowl twice.