Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Mine does. My kids aren’t the popular ones though and never get one. Instead they anxiously sit there the whole time thinking that someone will call their name. It’s awful.

Ours are done for everyone -and- they are individually explained when they are handed out so that everyone gets the jokes.

It may be a joke to sone but they can be really hurtful.

We only do positive and encouraging. Often, if we just remove “best” or “most,” the award works well without singling someone out. Here are ideas:
Beautiful smile
Very encouraging teammate
Wonderful listener
Always likely to kick the hardest
Kindness award
Very supportive teammate
Courageously likely to try new events
Excellent attendance
Resiliency award
Awesome cannonball
Huge splashes when kicking
Likely to remember the drills
Tremendous demonstrator
Most likely to be on time
Funniest swim caps
Stylish
Loudest cheerleader
Incredibly helpful
Funny sense of humor
Confidence award
Future lifeguard
Positively competitive
Phenomenal team spirit
Earliest to practice
Terrific improvement
Fantastic laugh
Super distance swimmer
Excellent arm pulls
Likely to remember everything
Well organized

The part that always blows my mind at our pool is the artistic execution. The paper plates are colorful and cute and really well-drawn / cartooned. We have some really talented big kids, I guess!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I can't figure out how they could be all swimming related on a team where every kid gets an award. How could there be 100 different swimming related awards?

At our pool they are quite often more personal than that. Sometimes it’s inside joke or funny thing that the swimmer and coaches know about.

Maybe there’s a kid who always wants to get a donut at concessions and the coaches always have to tell him to wait until after this race. He might get the “NOW can I have a donut” award.

That may be a lame example but on our big team they aren’t 150 swim-related paper plates.

I am the person you are responding to. I was responding to the idea that somehow a non-swimming one is a bad idea.

My kids are pretty good swimmers, and theirs are always for something silly and non-swimming. I love that.

Anonymous wrote:I can't figure out how they could be all swimming related on a team where every kid gets an award. How could there be 100 different swimming related awards?

At our pool they are quite often more personal than that. Sometimes it’s inside joke or funny thing that the swimmer and coaches know about.

Maybe there’s a kid who always wants to get a donut at concessions and the coaches always have to tell him to wait until after this race. He might get the “NOW can I have a donut” award.

That may be a lame example but on our big team they aren’t 150 swim-related paper plates.

Anonymous wrote:I can't figure out how they could be all swimming related on a team where every kid gets an award. How could there be 100 different swimming related awards?

Ours aren’t. They are given for things such as “Sweet as Candy”, “Most Spirited”, “Fantastic Duo”.

I can't figure out how they could be all swimming related on a team where every kid gets an award. How could there be 100 different swimming related awards?

*grow from not frown

Our teams hangs them as decorations and they aren’t announced. Jr coaches only make them for kids who have rsvp’d to banquet (we make that know to encourage responses). They do carry a few extra plates in case of a snafu. The wall of plates looks extremely festive.

Also, teen coaches are learning how to do this job so plate awards should be reviewed by adults. We always have 1 or 2 that require redos. Once we explain why it could be misinterpreted, it’s a good learning experience for everyone. Kids make mistakes and the coaches frown from the experience. For everyone one of those, there are 10 plates that are thoughtful and more than the adults could come up with.

And, to the earlier poster who said some are non- swimming related, at our pool that is fine and isn’t a negative. We have a big team and some kids contribute in other ways besides swim or have notable qualities not directly related but can be celebrated nonetheless.

Anonymous wrote:Outs does them most years, the girls who do them are really obnoxious but they are the team rep's kids and friends so not much we can do about it.

Put on your grownup pants and say something.