Athletic Awards and Trophies Pricing and Costs

Athletic awards and trophies are a milestone, but can also be a major expense

By Paul Hirsch
The only thing better than winning is recognition, and athletic trophies and athletic plaques are a memento of victory and a symbol of recognition. The trick is to honor the player and the team while still keeping an eye on athletic awards and trophies pricing and costs.

Whether you're handing out basketball trophies, soccer certificates or football awards, you want to tip your cap to the achievement without breaking the bank. An easy way to cut costs is to eliminate participation trophies given to every player on every team just for making it through the season. With athletic trophy prices on the rise, perhaps only championship teams and top players should receive sports awards. Consider the following when researching athletic awards and trophies pricing and costs.

1. Find a local trophy shop to service your entire league to get a volume discount on athletic trophy prices.

2. Set a precedent that a sports trophy is for achievement and not just for attendance.

3. Read about award philosophies from experts to make sure your athletic award program is achieving the objectives of your sports organization.

 

Buy athletic trophies locally and online

The two most efficient approaches to football trophies, baseball plaques, and other sports awards is to find an online outlet without any brick and mortar overhead or a local shop that will cut you a volume discount for all your business or is willing to become a sponsor and make his or her discount the sponsorship fee.
Try: Awards for Anything is set up as a one-stop online shopping venue for any award for any accomplishment, including sports. They claim to ship in 24 hours, and shipping is free. A great example of a local shop is Award Mart in Phoenix, AZ. The locals love it and it has a great service history. A review of the Yellow Pages and some word-of-mouth among other sports league administrators should help you find the equivalent in your town.

Take a philosophical stance on your sports award philosophy

The fastest way to save money on sports awards is to limit their issuance to those who earn them, not just for those who make it to the games or whose parents paid for participation on a team. Eliminating league-wide participation awards can cut your trophy budget significantly.
Try: The Council on Contemporary Families posted an excellent article on the budget (and other) implications of eliminating participation awards. If you must offer participation awards, you can at least offer some that don't tax your budget. Jones Awards specializes in very inexpensive participation awards.

Seek out less expensive alternatives to athletic plaques and athletic trophies

There is no rule that says an athletic award must be a metal and wood trophy or plaque. There are alternatives to the sports trophy or athletic plaque. Many are much less expensive.
Try: Trophy Central offers medal awards that cost far less than trophies and plaques. For what could be the least-expensive possible solution, you can visit Microsoft online and use one of their award templates to make certificates for your entire league. That kind of savings might win you the company team trophy as most valuable saver!

 

  • Save costs on awards as well as awards ceremonies by combining an end-of-season athletic game with the reward ceremony event. Ask participants to contribute - bringing a covered dish or drinks and make every aspect of the athletic event a team activity