Help for team mom (not coach's wife) and end of the season gift.

[VAfamily1998]

Ok...so if someone is a team mom, but not the coach's wife--and they are collecting for an end of the year gift for the coach...obviously when approaching the other parents, they do not ask the coach's wife to chip in, right?

Ok, so what about end of the season gifts for the assistant coaches? In this case, there are 3 assistants + 1 head coach for a 17 player team--so nearly 1/4 of the players have a Dad who is a coach of some type.

Should I ask the head coaches wife for guidance on the assistant coaches gifts? Obviously I didn't ask for her assistance in coordinating/contributing to the gift for her own husband, just an hour or so ago I sent out an email asking for input on what type of gift we should give, then we could price it out and come up with the amount for each person to contribute...

In this league, the coach's wives are not allowed to be the team mom...I am the "official" team mom, but truth be told the coach's wife has been giving me a LOT of help and really taking over a lot of the duties that I normally would have done...so I really wasn't sure what the protocol in this situation would be.

So, I was probably a little too wordy, but my question is "Should I ask the head coach's wife for assistance (both in planning/coordinating, and financially) for the end of season gifts for assistant coaches.

Thanks for any insight!

 

[kacaju]

$50 gift card to the head coach
$25 to the 3 assistants
Ask $7.50 from each player, including the head coachs wife, since you are also getting gifts for his assistants also.

 

[VAfamily1998]

$50 gift card to the head coach
$25 to the 3 assistants
Ask $7.50 from each player, including the head coachs wife, since you are also getting gifts for his assistants also.

ugh...ok...
so maybe I went about this backwards then...

This is my first year with this particular league, and it seems so different. That's the type of gifts I'm used to (gift cards) with the other leagues/sports we've been in...
But here, there is a "team mom handbook" which suggested gifts more along the lines of "personalized jackets" and "engraved whistles"--it talks about an embroidery shop to get the names embroiderd on, etc. It did not mention anything simple like gift cards!

So, about an hour ago I just sent an email to all the families (except the coach's) telling them the type of stuff the book suggested, but if they had other ideas, I would love to hear suggestions. I was thinking I'd have to send out a separate email to the families, this time ommitting the assistant coaches, to ask about gifts for them...I was just debating whether or not to include the head coach's wife on that one...

This seems too complicated.

Thanks, though! I agree that your way is the way I would prefer to do it!

 

[luvsJack]

I would still do it the same way that the pp sort of suggested. Decide on an amount (usually a little more on the head coach) to be spent total and divide by the number of kids on the team.

If each coach has a kid on the team then each coach's family should give toward the gift too.

 

[kacaju]

But here, there is a "team mom handbook" which suggested gifts more along the lines of "personalized jackets" and "engraved whistles"--it talks about an embroidery shop to get the names embroiderd on, etc. It did not mention anything simple like gift cards!

WOW..My dh never got anything like those gifts!!

 

[TriMom]

I know that this is of no help whatsoever, but I would just like to roll my eyes at embroidered jackets and engraved whistles....

It may just be me, but I am so not into personalized stuff. I would rather see the money spent on an engraving or embroidery go into buying a higher quality item. Of course this may be the result of too many Christmas gifts from my Grandma from Lillian Vernon. The item of the year did have my name on it, but it completely disintegrated within 3 months. I really would have preferred a backpack that lasted an entire school year vs. the one that had my name on it, but broke 2 weeks after Christmas.

 

[daisyduck123]

My DH is the head coach for DS13's football team.

No, no one should ask you to chip in for anything. Just ask each family to contribute $ for the assistant coaches & get them each a gift card.

 

[VAfamily1998]

I know that this is of no help whatsoever, but I would just like to roll my eyes at embroidered jackets and engraved whistles....

It may just be me, but I am so not into personalized stuff. I would rather see the money spent on an engraving or embroidery go into buying a higher quality item. Of course this may be the result of too many Christmas gifts from my Grandma from Lillian Vernon. The item of the year did have my name on it, but it completely disintegrated within 3 months. I really would have preferred a backpack that lasted an entire school year vs. the one that had my name on it, but broke 2 weeks after Christmas.

I'm the same way! I'm just so not into personalized stuff.

I think a gift card to a nice restaurant would be a great gift--so they can take their families out to dinner to make up for all the time they've been spending out coaching!

 

[VAfamily1998]

My DH is the head coach for DS13's football team.

No, no one should ask you to chip in for anything. Just ask each family to contribute $ for the assistant coaches & get them each a gift card.

Thanks...
Yes, the only family that has responded so far suggested the jacket idea...I'm thinking of maybe figuring out the cost of the jacket +a gift card for head coach, then a small gift card for each asst. coach--divide by number of families (minus head coach)= amount I will ask each family to contribute. I didn't mention asst. coach gifts in the email I sent, but I think when I send my next email out I'll just mention it and give the amount each family should pay.
This is my last time volunteering to be team mom, I'm just not good at it!

Thanks to everyone who responded!

 

[golfgal]

I've coached for over 25 years...get gift cards...

I personally would not ask the families of the head/assistant coaches for money toward those gifts and go with smaller gift cards.

 

[piglet too]

We have 6 coaches for my son's football team. When I sent out an e-mail asking for $10 for coaches gifts, I did not include their families. Three of the coaches do not have sons on the team, so that made it an easy decision. (one of the wives gave me $$ anyway, said it was only fair to the other families)

As for gifts, I would go with gift cards to someplace they would like. I have one coach who loves Starbucks, another goes to Dunkin Donuts everyday, and then there is one who is a musician so I am getting him one for his favorite music store. They are all also getting a football that all the boys will sign and it will have the team name/year/record on it as well as "conference champs". No one coach is getting anything more than another, all 6 of them have worked hard for the boys.

 

[VAfamily1998]

They are all also getting a football that all the boys will sign and it will have the team name/year/record on it as well as "conference champs".

Yes, my Dh suggested a signed football as well!

And i didn't quote, but saw how you said (and golfgal too)about not asking any of the coaches...whoops, I've already sent the email to the asst. coach families! Gah!