4 Tips to selecting awards for your sports team
If you’re a coach, manager or athlete, you know how important motivation is. To thrive in sports, you need encouragement and recognition for every milestone you conquer.
Therefore, when it comes to awarding a sports team, it’s imperative that you pick something practical and motivational for the players.
Since motivation is a critical factor in the performance of players and athletes, a coach should always applaud the efforts of their team. How do you do that?
- Let them know when they do a good job
- Deliver inspirational speeches before and after matches
- Don’t be too hard on the team when they lose. However, don’t celebrate failure either, point out what they should’ve done differently.
Remember, the values you instill in your team from early on stick with them and become part of the team’s spirit. You set the pace for the team.
When your team performs exceptionally, it is important to reward them, show appreciation and recognition for their efforts. Selecting awards can be tasking, especially when trying to please everyone. Remember, any gift should be meaningful.
Four tips for selecting awards for your team
- Find a timeless gift
The key to a meaningful prize for players is one that will stand the test of time. What this means is that the awards should still have relevance even after the players and athletes are grown up.
For instance, engrave the sports awards recognizing why to whom and when awarded.
- Choose unique prizes
Every other coach is giving cups, pens, balls and other equipment but it’s time to think outside the box. Don’t go for a generic award which your players will toss in a forgotten box as soon as they get home.
Instead, find something unique to your team, their spirit and range of personalities. An award that celebrates the team spirit will pack a better motivational
punch.
- Find out each player/athletes personal motivators
In a team, team spirit is essential for the success of the team. However, it’s vital to remember that each of the players is an individual with different motivators and weaknesses.
Once you embrace this, you’re in a better position to encourage each player. Moreover, what excites one player may not work for the other, personalize awards as well; that way, they’ll appreciate the awards more.
- Consider your team’s age group
The kind of motivation and practice you impart on a squad of young children differs from that
of teenagers and young adults. With this in mind, always consider the age and interests of the team when working on getting an award.
For instance, a golden cup is likely to garner more appreciation from teenagers and young adults than young children.
Important to note:
Always encourage and reward teamwork. Also, award small wins, no matter how small. The secret, however, is finding the perfect balance since too many awards might become too frequent and meaningless.
Furthermore, don’t give the same award twice, always find something different every season to maintain the excitement levels.
To wrap up
It is essential that you explain why you’re gifting your team. Understanding what they did right helps them maintain and improve as well as work on the areas they fall short. All a sports team award requires is for you to put some thought into it and accompany the award with inspiration.
