Completely agree with you, and also on board for the millennial debate.
One of my biggest pet peeves when talking about "the entitled generation" is that talk about trophies and awards. Participation awards don't remove incentive or provide unnecessary praise. They're keepsakes and reminders for the positive experience. Earned awards are still given for above-average excellence, statistics/records also serve to that effect. Plus, most of these are for little league exhibition-style games - the players that care about succeeding and winning join tournament and travel teams.