> Back then they criticized me for not being involved in sports or at least chess club; they didn't give out trophies for computer programming at my school so I never received one.

This is why programs like the FIRST robotics competition (http://usfirst.org/) are so important: they give engineering/programming some of the competitiveness and glitz traditionally reserved for high school sports.

I drove my high school's robot for 3 years at FIRST competitions around the country -- way more exciting/educational/fun/memorable than playing for my school's soccer team (my other extracurricular).