Little league in my area will finish at the end of June and I’m already trying to come up with something original as a gift for the team coach and manager. I really try to come up with something unique instead of the “here’s your $25 gift certificate, thanks” that befalls most coaches. I gave up years ago putting this to a vote with the team parents; it’s like a herding cats and in the end - nobody chips in. The cost doesn’t bother me. I just want these people to know that all they have done is appreciated…time away from their families, missed dinners, leaving work early, getting yelled at by parents when their son doesn’t get to play second, etc. They’re all volunteers and they really do a lot for the kids - above and beyond baseball; they are mentors to many.
In the past few years:
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[/ul]I have taken pictures of each team member and had a caricaturist draw a group picture with all the kids signing their names - mounted/framed.
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[/ul]Had Varsity jackets with the team name and “Coach XX” on the chest made.
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[/ul]Purchased super cozy stadium blankets with the team name and included a bucket with popcorn, candy and the movie “Field of Dreams”. (I know that was probably pretty sappy but I tried).
But I’m stumped this year. Really stumped.
If you’ve ever been a coach, a team mom - or just involved in baseball…a personal shopper; heck I don’t know. ANYBODY.
I coach. I do it because I enjoy the game and I enjoy helping kids learn to play it. The coaches I played for when I was a kid did it for similar reasons. It is rewarding in and of itself. This whole thing of giving gifts to everyone your kid comes in contact with is new and unnecessary. Want to be original? Don’t give a gift, but say thanks. I suspect that will be appreciated much more than anything you could give.
I coach soccer for all 3 of my kids. At the end of the season I’m often given gift certificates, t-shirts or soccer balls and always a note that everyone has signed that says, “Thanks, Coach!”. Those are all great gifts and I appreciate every one of them. Time, effort, thought and certainly some money went into them.
But the one thing I enjoy the most is a hand written, sincere note that says they enjoyed the season and playing on my team. Those mean more to me than anything else. Never underestimate the power of a sincere “thank you”.
My advice would be for you to get the coach the t-shirt or gift certificate or whatever from the rest of team. But if you really want to show him how much you appreciate his efforts, you and your (son/daughter) should write a short note with a sincere thank you and tell him just what you said here; that you appreciate his time and effort and, if possible, how much you enjoyed having them as coach. No gift certificate or blanket or bucket of popcorn can possibly compare to something like that.
I coach high school track/cross country. Like cmosdes, the coaches receive gift cards from the kids plus a card with notes of thanks from the athletes.
What will really show a coach how much you appreciate their work is to pitch in(if you can) when parents are needed to assist in some way. We always scramble to find enough volunteers to run the track meets.
I used to coach kid’s cricket (it’s like the rest of the world’s baseball) and my most treasured end of year gifts were the secretly taken signed team photos and the beat up old signed bat that I got one year. Anything else would have been too much.
I am a teacher, not a coach, and while I concur that the best gift is a sincere written thank you, the second best gift is anything that seems to show they know me a little bit as an individual, not an institution. Working with kids can be weirdly lonely–they listen to you on topic, but they always seem to be totally oblivious to you as a personality. The few times I have gotten gifts that reflected someone had really noticed me, not just my job, I have been touched.
Thanks for your thoughts. I’ve never been a coach so it was great to hear your suggestions.
I’m hoping parents will help to encourage some thank you letters…sometimes it takes 3 phone calls to parents reminding them to show up for their duties down at the field. Not all of them…and always the same ones over and over.
I think it is a wonderful idea. Again, many thanks!
I’ve been a little league baseball coach for about 5 years. I guess that explains why I have not posted here since 8/4/04, and had to have my login info emailed and reset. Thanks for inspiring me to post on the Dope again!
My wife, who is usually my team mom, found out about a great organization and started using it for coaches’ gifts every season. Coaches Curing Kids’ Cancer accepts donations and provides a certificate and a choice of gifts such as a t-shirt or cap for the coach. We usually have the kids sign the t-shirt at the team party.