Anonymous wrote:Paper plate awards would be so much more meaningful if a coach/other person designed it, [*wrote] a note on the back, and delivered it privately. This whole “we must share all publicly” never ends well, either due to boredom, embarrassment, sheer team size, lack of originality, people being left out, favoritism, etc. How nice it would be for a child to go to their door/mailbox and find a handwritten paper plate with a note from someone in authority about the child? And how nice for people to collect anecdotes throughout the season so they could write something meaningful to each child? Take it out of the banquet and make it more personalized.
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Our team’s paper plate awards are frustrating. About 35 paper plate awards for 230+swimmers and 15 coaches. That’s only three plates per coach. Then the paper plate awards usually go to board members kids over and over again, who are also highlighted in most of the social media posts. Then a slide show which also highlights the board members kids and their besties. It’s sad and pathetic, and could be so much better.
Seen this too, but include the team reps' and team officials' kids.
Anonymous wrote:Our team’s paper plate awards are frustrating. About 35 paper plate awards for 230+swimmers and 15 coaches. That’s only three plates per coach. Then the paper plate awards usually go to board members kids over and over again, who are also highlighted in most of the social media posts. Then a slide show which also highlights the board members kids and their besties. It’s sad and pathetic, and could be so much better.
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I think it’s weird that some people think that their kids shouldn’t have to be disappointed sometimes. Every year my kids hope to get a paper plate award, and every year 2/3 of my kids get one and the same child (who isn’t as magnetic as the other two) does not. She is usually disappointed, especially when she was 7 and her 5 year old sister got one. But, truly, that’s ok. She is wonderful at other things, and we celebrate her wins (which are different) when they happen.
I don’t think it’s the swim team’s job to make sure kids aren’t disappointed. But our team has achievement, sportsmanship, spirit and most improved awards. As well as the silly paper plate awards. When our team had 250 kids, most kids got just the participation trophies, and that’s fine.
Celebrating other peoples’ wins while being disappointed yourself is such a life skill. Not to mention that you can’t choose to pursue things for the accolades, because they are totally out of your control.
I am not sure what I think about this.
I agree with the general concept of what you are saying if it's sort of concrete achievement-based things. There are winners and losers and sometimes you don't get picked and all that. But you're basically saying your one kid doesn't have as outgoing of a personality and doesn't get noticed. I do think a good culture in any activity finds a way to notice all different types of personalities.
Totally- she actually does get recognized for other things (primarily her swimming and being a great little kid coach now that she's older) but she just wasn't the kid that was socializing with everyone, or cheering a ton. She is much more outgoing and social now, but it took a lot of years for her to feel comfortable in big groups. So I get your concern, for sure, but I think it was fine the way it happened. Me interfering, or going to the team reps/coach would not have changed anything, if that makes sense.
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I think it’s weird that some people think that their kids shouldn’t have to be disappointed sometimes. Every year my kids hope to get a paper plate award, and every year 2/3 of my kids get one and the same child (who isn’t as magnetic as the other two) does not. She is usually disappointed, especially when she was 7 and her 5 year old sister got one. But, truly, that’s ok. She is wonderful at other things, and we celebrate her wins (which are different) when they happen.
I don’t think it’s the swim team’s job to make sure kids aren’t disappointed. But our team has achievement, sportsmanship, spirit and most improved awards. As well as the silly paper plate awards. When our team had 250 kids, most kids got just the participation trophies, and that’s fine.
Celebrating other peoples’ wins while being disappointed yourself is such a life skill. Not to mention that you can’t choose to pursue things for the accolades, because they are totally out of your control.
I am not sure what I think about this.
I agree with the general concept of what you are saying if it's sort of concrete achievement-based things. There are winners and losers and sometimes you don't get picked and all that. But you're basically saying your one kid doesn't have as outgoing of a personality and doesn't get noticed. I do think a good culture in any activity finds a way to notice all different types of personalities.
Totally- she actually does get recognized for other things (primarily her swimming and being a great little kid coach now that she's older) but she just wasn't the kid that was socializing with everyone, or cheering a ton. She is much more outgoing and social now, but it took a lot of years for her to feel comfortable in big groups. So I get your concern, for sure, but I think it was fine the way it happened. Me interfering, or going to the team reps/coach would not have changed anything, if that makes sense.
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I think it’s weird that some people think that their kids shouldn’t have to be disappointed sometimes. Every year my kids hope to get a paper plate award, and every year 2/3 of my kids get one and the same child (who isn’t as magnetic as the other two) does not. She is usually disappointed, especially when she was 7 and her 5 year old sister got one. But, truly, that’s ok. She is wonderful at other things, and we celebrate her wins (which are different) when they happen.
I don’t think it’s the swim team’s job to make sure kids aren’t disappointed. But our team has achievement, sportsmanship, spirit and most improved awards. As well as the silly paper plate awards. When our team had 250 kids, most kids got just the participation trophies, and that’s fine.
Celebrating other peoples’ wins while being disappointed yourself is such a life skill. Not to mention that you can’t choose to pursue things for the accolades, because they are totally out of your control.
I am not sure what I think about this.
I agree with the general concept of what you are saying if it's sort of concrete achievement-based things. There are winners and losers and sometimes you don't get picked and all that. But you're basically saying your one kid doesn't have as outgoing of a personality and doesn't get noticed. I do think a good culture in any activity finds a way to notice all different types of personalities.
Anonymous wrote:I think it’s weird that some people think that their kids shouldn’t have to be disappointed sometimes. Every year my kids hope to get a paper plate award, and every year 2/3 of my kids get one and the same child (who isn’t as magnetic as the other two) does not. She is usually disappointed, especially when she was 7 and her 5 year old sister got one. But, truly, that’s ok. She is wonderful at other things, and we celebrate her wins (which are different) when they happen.
I don’t think it’s the swim team’s job to make sure kids aren’t disappointed. But our team has achievement, sportsmanship, spirit and most improved awards. As well as the silly paper plate awards. When our team had 250 kids, most kids got just the participation trophies, and that’s fine.
Celebrating other peoples’ wins while being disappointed yourself is such a life skill. Not to mention that you can’t choose to pursue things for the accolades, because they are totally out of your control.
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I think it’s weird that some people think that their kids shouldn’t have to be disappointed sometimes. Every year my kids hope to get a paper plate award, and every year 2/3 of my kids get one and the same child (who isn’t as magnetic as the other two) does not. She is usually disappointed, especially when she was 7 and her 5 year old sister got one. But, truly, that’s ok. She is wonderful at other things, and we celebrate her wins (which are different) when they happen.
I don’t think it’s the swim team’s job to make sure kids aren’t disappointed. But our team has achievement, sportsmanship, spirit and most improved awards. As well as the silly paper plate awards. When our team had 250 kids, most kids got just the participation trophies, and that’s fine.
Celebrating other peoples’ wins while being disappointed yourself is such a life skill. Not to mention that you can’t choose to pursue things for the accolades, because they are totally out of your control.
+1,000,000 very well said.
Anonymous wrote:I think it’s weird that some people think that their kids shouldn’t have to be disappointed sometimes. Every year my kids hope to get a paper plate award, and every year 2/3 of my kids get one and the same child (who isn’t as magnetic as the other two) does not. She is usually disappointed, especially when she was 7 and her 5 year old sister got one. But, truly, that’s ok. She is wonderful at other things, and we celebrate her wins (which are different) when they happen.
I don’t think it’s the swim team’s job to make sure kids aren’t disappointed. But our team has achievement, sportsmanship, spirit and most improved awards. As well as the silly paper plate awards. When our team had 250 kids, most kids got just the participation trophies, and that’s fine.
Celebrating other peoples’ wins while being disappointed yourself is such a life skill. Not to mention that you can’t choose to pursue things for the accolades, because they are totally out of your control.