Gift for soccer coaches

15 years ago

We'd like to give Chloe's soccer coaches a little gift at the end of the season, which is coming up fast. Any ideas? Should it be from the whole team? I don't want people to feel that they have to spend much, but her coaches have been terrific.

Someone suggested bobblehead trophies to me, which sounded like such a fun idea, but I can't find anyone who will guarantee delivery in 10 days for a reasonable price. (Not that they should - we're the ones who didn't think about it in good time!)

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Comments (10)

socks
15 years ago
I am sure they would rather have a gift card for dinner out than a bobblehead trophy.
mary_c_gw
15 years ago
Please!! No bobblehead trophies, no coffee mugs, none of that stuff.

My best friend is a Spanish language teacher and la crosse coach in a private high school. Every year she gets "World's Best Coach" or "World's Best Teacher" mugs, wood or plastic apple ornaments, bobbleheads.

What do you expect coaches and teachers to do with all that stuff? My friend recently packed up a box of 30 mugs to take to Good Will. She gets on average 15/year.

A general gift card like American Express, which they can spend on what they need or want is the way to go. Get the group to go in on it.
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My son also participated in competitive sports starting at nine. His sport was track/field. He went on to become a 3 time Gold Medal Junior Olympian (plus one bronze). He attended a small, private high school & the principal & track coach convinced him to run high school track "for the sake of his school". He became team captain in his sophmore year & a couple of his indoor records still stand. He also coached Special Olympic track kids while still in high school. Coaches...OMG! On the competitive team they pushed so hard our son went down on the track & ended up in a cast from stress fractures when he was eleven. At age twelve, on the way to a meet in CA from CO, the coach stopped & had him run in Death Valley in July. He had to run behind the car for 3 miles. We'd taken the route from Las Vegas to LA because the kids all wanted to see Death Valley & Scotty's Castle. If I'd have known the coach would have DS run in that heat never would we have agreed to that route! DS ran the 4x800 relay for several years. Once, Dustin (3rd runner) dropped the baton trying to hand off to DS. The coach had Dustin carry the baton with him including the shower, school, in bed, everywhere for an entire week. He was ridiculed at school. They were 10 when that happened & preparing for the national Hershey's Track & Field event in Hershey, PA. That was the relay teams' first national qualification & they took a bronze. The coach also had the kids on a diet that was troublesome. It was just too much food even for growing boys running 20 miles +/week. We had frequent tummy issues & upchucking of meals. I honestly don't know if the competitive team or the high school team was the worst. There was lots of pressure from both. Punitive punishments were common & public. Overall though, DS hit the deck running after college graduation knowing & understanding rough competition. Now, he's a volunteer/parent soccer coach for my granddaughter. I haven't watched him coach but am told that he's like a pied piper for the kids. So, I'm guessing he learned a thing or three from his own days of having fiercely competitive coaches. I'll ask him about it over Christmas. It's also about time I took the boxes of medals so he can store them instead of us! /tricia
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carla35
15 years ago
We often get our coaches gift cards to Sports Authority or some other sports type store.
cate52
15 years ago
Please, please no trophies, mugs, etc. I was at our credit union yard sale and two teachers were selling all their stuff for the PTA donation.. After the first one or two... they just end up in a box in the garage. A gift card to a restaurant or just a gift card.. Always appreciated..
jannie
15 years ago
I agree, none of the World's Best stuff. My cousin, a retired teacher, has a room full of those tsotchkes .A restaurant gift cert or even a nice thank you letter would be appropriate.
suzieque
15 years ago
I agree - nothing such as "World's Best Coach" anything.

With respect to your question about whether it should be from everyone/the whole team, I prefer leaving it up to the individual. If I'm told what the group is doing and what I'm expected to participate in, it just doesn't feel right. How about doing something yourself and on your own, and leaving it up to the others to do their thing?takes
liljunkr
15 years ago
Gift certificates are the way to go. As for from the whole team or just Chloe? Well, have her ask her team mates if they want to go in on gifts for the coaches and let them help if they can. Try not to make it a set amount to participate get what you can afford with what you can collect and what you can add to the pot.
Times are hard and some kids might not have much to spare but a team effort means take what each can offer for the best possible result.
I don't recall how many coaches so if Gift certificates are to much on a tight budget then try to arrange a cookout to honor the coaches with every one bringing something to eat or drink and a short speech about a special time during the season or how much it meant to each player to have the opportunity to play and learn with the team and coaches.
Yes even a nice thank you letter/card would be appropriate.

LIL
sheilajoyce_gw
15 years ago
We liked to give our coaches dinner for two certificates at their favorite restaurant. We felt that the spouse as well as the coach had sacrificed during the season for the sake of our kids. Usually the team mom would take it on and collect from everyone who wanted to donate. When everyone donates, it is not all that expensive to do.
joann23456
Original Author
15 years ago
Okay, okay, no bobbleheads! A gift certificate it is.
socks
15 years ago
You got the hint!! LOL!

Gift for soccer coaches

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Gift for soccer coaches

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