Coaches gift ideas?

[littlele]

Need the ever informative and helpful Disers help on this one...

In the past we have done gc's for dinner and a movie, but am looking for something different this year for DD10's soccer coach (husband/wife team).

Help!

 

[penn19]

This will be interesting to me because we just got an email from the coaches wife today stating that she wants to collect $7 from each kid to buy a gift for her husband. My husband has been coaching for a long time, and I have never asked for money for a gift for him. If you want to buy him a gift feel free, but I won't ask.
I understand that coaches give of their time etc.....but I don't like feeling pressured to give. And the coaches wife is VERY pushy.

 

[Evans Family]

My DH coaches both of my DS's. When I have ever been the team mom I DO NOT collect for a gift. If the parents want to collect that is one thing, but I do not feel comfortable collecting for my DH.

On the flip side....a GC is the best way to go. The other really cool gift is a picture of the team matted and framed (do it yourself) and have the kid's sign the mat.

 

[amamax2]

As a team mom, I have done different things, but one that the coach just loved was a scrapbook - it was done very simply with paper in the team colors. I put in a couple pages of team/game pictures, then had a page for each child where they wrote a thank you note to the coach. I asked each parent for a picture of their child from the season to put on their page. ALmost all the supplies I had already, but did collect $2 per family for the album and some stickers (used Michaal's coupon). No one minded such a little amount and everyone loved the idea of having their child thank the coach.

 

[luckey-lasvegas]

For DD's softball coach we had a copy of the team picture scaned and printed on a t-shirt, then all of the girls signed it with a fabric marker. They also printed the teams name and year above and below the picture.

 

[Grendalynn]

I have coached several sports in the Middle School for over 10 years.... Some years/seasons I was given things, some years/seasons I received nothings. I do not expect anything from the kids. I do it becasue I love sports, kids and all that fun stuff. However, of the things I have received, I liked the GCs and Team sweat shirts the most. Here are other things I have received over the years: Team pictures, Team sweatshirts, plants Softball season), gift certificates, Life is Good bag, Life is Good coffe mug, Cards made and/or signed from the kids, One year when I was preggo - I was given a baby book and GC for the baby.

Some teams have more than one coach. Its important not to leave anyone out. A head coach may receive more or somethinga little bigger than an assitant coach or whatever the case may be... In evitibly - its the thought that counts....

On the flip side of the flip side: Having children of my own who participate in sports, I always get things for their coaches. Its a hard job and sometimes (often times) a volunteer position. I feel its important to show the coach apprectation for their time and hard work. We have contributed anywhere from $3 to $5 for a group GC fro the team, We have done a $25 ourselves, a bag of gourmet cookies from the local bakery, and also pitched in toward a team sweatshirt and thank you card. Its all a matter is what is affordable and works for you and your team. If nothing else, a hand written card form the parents and/or child is always special. Just my 2 cents....

 

[Coll0610]

One of my coworkers coaches football, and in the place of honor on his desk is the framed picture of his team with all the kids' signatures on the mat. He just glows if anyone mentions it. It obviously meant a lot to him.

 

[bradleysnana]

This is an excellent way to honor your coaches and provide money for life saving treatements for children's cancer. The chairman is Lee Corso. Here is a link: www.curingkidscancer.org

Please let me know if you have any questions. This is an excellent organization. For $50, the coach will receive a t-shirt, certificate and letter. For just a few dollars more, you can receive the same items for additional coaches. We frame the certificate with a mat and have all the kids sign the mat. I can send you pictures if you are interested.

This is an excellent organzation. I can personally vouch for it. They also do teacher's gifts.

 

[TxRabbit]

My DH has coached DSs soccer numerous times. The team asked me for ideas on what DH would like. I gave several suggestions. They took one and ran with it.

I had suggested a gear bag. Coaches always have STUFF that they have to bring to practice, balls, practice jerseys, cones, paperwork, ball pump, etc etc. They found a big duffle in the team color and had embrodery work done on it. There is a soccer ball with the team name below it and all the team member names going around it. DH LOVES that bag. Haven't a clue how much it was.

 

[Swmr359]

I'm a swim coach; every year one ofd the moms secretly goes around and gets money from the team. She then puts it on a gift card for us or if she has heard us talking about something we have been wanting to buy she buys it.
Another idea would be a gas card.

 

[mjkacmom]

This will be interesting to me because we just got an email from the coaches wife today stating that she wants to collect $7 from each kid to buy a gift for her husband. My husband has been coaching for a long time, and I have never asked for money for a gift for him. If you want to buy him a gift feel free, but I won't ask.
I understand that coaches give of their time etc.....but I don't like feeling pressured to give. And the coaches wife is VERY pushy.

DH has been coaching my kids' soccer team for years. One year, the team mom asked me to chip in $5 for the gift. I thought that was weird, since I'm a SAHM, and DH would then be chipping in for his gift. He loves to receive gc's.

 

[dawson5]

I have coached several sports in the Middle School for over 10 years.... Some years/seasons I was given things, some years/seasons I received nothings. I do not expect anything from the kids. I do it becasue I love sports, kids and all that fun stuff. However, of the things I have received, I liked the GCs and Team sweat shirts the most. Here are other things I have received over the years: Team pictures, Team sweatshirts, plants Softball season), gift certificates, Life is Good bag, Life is Good coffe mug, Cards made and/or signed from the kids, One year when I was preggo - I was given a baby book and GC for the baby.

Some teams have more than one coach. Its important not to leave anyone out. A head coach may receive more or somethinga little bigger than an assitant coach or whatever the case may be... In evitibly - its the thought that counts....

On the flip side of the flip side: Having children of my own who participate in sports, I always get things for their coaches. Its a hard job and sometimes (often times) a volunteer position. I feel its important to show the coach apprectation for their time and hard work. We have contributed anywhere from $3 to $5 for a group GC fro the team, We have done a $25 ourselves, a bag of gourmet cookies from the local bakery, and also pitched in toward a team sweatshirt and thank you card. Its all a matter is what is affordable and works for you and your team. If nothing else, a hand written card form the parents and/or child is always special. Just my 2 cents....

I have a question for you. I collected for the coaches gifts for baseball for one of my sons. We had three official coaches. The head coach's middle son helped with the team but was never listed as a coach. I bought cards for the kids to sign and his brother said "oh is this one for <his brother's name>?" I didn't know what to say/do. You said not to leave anyone out but I went by the roster and info supplied.

As for the gifts, our coaches lately have been the all star coaches. We tend to gift them gift cards for sporting goods store, ice cream and movies. Things we think they can do while traveling with the ball team. I have never asked the wives of the coaches for contributions toward the gift but I've always had the kids sign, all the kids.

I like that idea of a scrapbook, I'll keep that in mind for next year. I wish I would have done something like that this year for the youngest son's team. He moved up a level and some of these boys he'll never get to play with again and he was particularly close with one coach. He was a great coach, one of those positive ones, very encouraging.

 

[Darcy03231]

DS plays rec basketball. At the end of the season I get both the Coach and the Assistant Coach gas gift cards. They're always appreciated and you can get them in whatever denomination you want.

 

[leight]

DH is starting his 3rd season coaching dd9's soccer team. We always ask for a team mom/dad to help since I work f/t (get home after 8pm) and am not at any of the practices during the week to help organize the snack and volunteer rotations. In the past we've always bought g/cards for the team mom & assistant coach from us and paid for a celebration for the team themselves. Both times DH was gifted with a gift card which is our preference although he would love the scrapbook idea too. He wanted to do a 'nicer' get together last season- which turned out to be a fiasco trying to get everyone to show up at a restaurant (we paid for the team's meals). This time we'll bring pizza to the last game and hand out the trophies- gifts there. I appreciate anything that is done to make DH feel good about his efforts (our daughter is a lackadaisical player at best) so if someone asked me what to get dh- I would suggest a note telling him what they liked about his coaching and being on his team.

 

[Swimalie]

I'm a swim coach; every year one ofd the moms secretly goes around and gets money from the team. She then puts it on a gift card for us or if she has heard us talking about something we have been wanting to buy she buys it.
Another idea would be a gas card.

Where do you coach? I'm in Northern VA and swim for Curl - West.

For the original topic, I'm reading. I'm the team manager for my son's soccer team. This is my first year managing. I'm asking for $10 from each parent and am planning on getting a gift card but I'm reading this for suggestions.

 

[Darcy03231]

Where do you coach? I'm in Northern VA and swim for Curl - West.

For the original topic, I'm reading. I'm the team manager for my son's soccer team. This is my first year managing. I'm asking for $10 from each parent and am planning on getting a gift card but I'm reading this for suggestions.

This is just a suggestion, but given today's economy I wouldn't ask for a set dollar amount. Some people may be on such a tight budget that they just don't have it. I would let everyone know I'm collecting and ask that they contribute whatever they feel is appropriate. JMO

As I mentioned in a previous post my son plays rec basketball. Its put on by our town's Parks and Recreation department and is free to all residents. Everyone who signs up is put on a team and plays. Some of these children come from the poorest parts of our community and its the only way they can play organized sports. I doubt if their parent/guardian would be able to come up with an extra $10.

 

[littlele]

This is just a suggestion, but given today's economy I wouldn't ask for a set dollar amount. Some people may be on such a tight budget that they just don't have it. I would let everyone know I'm collecting and ask that they contribute whatever they feel is appropriate. JMO

As I mentioned in a previous post my son plays rec basketball. Its put on by our town's Parks and Recreation department and is free to all residents. Everyone who signs up is put on a team and plays. Some of these children come from the poorest parts of our community and its the only way they can play organized sports. I doubt if their parent/guardian would be able to come up with an extra $10.

I can understand this, but I've always just told the parents that they are welcome to go in with us or not. If they want to do there own thing, they are welcome to, but frankly they have always opted to just hand me the money and be done

We do the $10 per player thing too, btw.

 

[sallysue66]

This this summer when DD10's soccer coach of 3 years moved away, we wanted to do something special for him & his family. The assistant coach's wife asked for pics taken over the years and her neice compiled them into a "movie" with lines from movies dubbed in. There were shots of the coach and team in a huddle and the voice over was saying "I don't care how you do it JUST WIN". Another of him on the sidelines saying "I AM THE GREAT OZ". She also interviewed a couple of the kids saying things about the coach. It is priceless! We watched it at the end of their going away party and there was not a dry eye in the house.

BTW, the neice, Lauren, is a WDW lover herself who hopes to work for Disney/Pixar someday. Lauren, if you see this, THANKS AGAIN! I wouldn't take a million bucks for my DVD.

 

[Swmr359]

Where do you coach? I'm in Northern VA and swim for Curl - West.QUOTE]
It`s a summer team in Loudoun County

 

[Grendalynn]

I have a question for you. I collected for the coaches gifts for baseball for one of my sons. We had three official coaches. The head coach's middle son helped with the team but was never listed as a coach. I bought cards for the kids to sign and his brother said "oh is this one for <his brother's name>?" I didn't know what to say/do. You said not to leave anyone out but I went by the roster and info supplied.

As for the gifts, our coaches lately have been the all star coaches. We tend to gift them gift cards for sporting goods store, ice cream and movies. Things we think they can do while traveling with the ball team. I have never asked the wives of the coaches for contributions toward the gift but I've always had the kids sign, all the kids.

I like that idea of a scrapbook, I'll keep that in mind for next year. I wish I would have done something like that this year for the youngest son's team. He moved up a level and some of these boys he'll never get to play with again and he was particularly close with one coach. He was a great coach, one of those positive ones, very encouraging.

I think there is a difference between a "coach" and someone who helps out. Especially if its another kid or a peer/child. I think of coaches as adults... There are many parents who couls also fall into this catagory. If so, a card signed by the kids might suffice.... No matter what - the people who are there to help out do it bacuse they want to be there - not becuase they will/might get soemthing at the end of the season...