I am wondering if anyone has some good ideas for prizes, for top swimmers in the club...I am looking for something other than T-shirts & trophies...everyone is very tired of those.
They must be under $20., at least most of them.
Is anyone buying some innovative products? Share your ideas...
I'm more runner than swimmer, so take this fwiw...
Prizes I've enjoyed: gift certificates (they don't have to be for large amounts...I got a $20 gift certificate for a restaurant in a run once, and on another occasion, a $10 gift certificate to a sporting goods store--both age group awards); also those string backpack type bags, coffee cups, beer glasses, a tech fabric running shirt, and the chance to pick from a table full of freebie merchandise prizes--again, all a.g. awards.
An award story I'm fond of: Browning Ross (who passed away several years ago) directed a lot of southern NJ area races. A former Olympic steeple chaser, he owned a sporting goods store, and after a race would set up a table full of goodies from that store. Then he'd call names from first place to last so that everyone got prizes. Soimetimes he'd run low and would race off to a grocery store for bags of cookies and the like. Or dive into his trunk for whatever he might find there... a stray magazine, shoelaces.... It was a lot of fun, because you never knew what you might get... and it didn't even need to cost much... even just a buck or two... everyone had something to take home even if it was a package of Oreos. I think that was the cool thing about Browning Ross's races--that element of fun and surprise...
Former Member
Movie passes pre-paid; restaurant coupons; health food store coupons; sporting good stores certificates, $20 toward a massage; $10 toward a pedicure (we always like our feet and legs rubbed); latest moisturizers and soaps; good beach towels, chamois, and the list goes on.....hope this helps. Oh, and maybe some hydration products that are now new on the market for them to try out; many are under $12.
donna
Former Member
Swim caps or chamois with the team name/logo on them might be nice.
Former Member
(1) USMS luggage tags and decals (get them from the USMS National Office, see this page: www.usms.org/.../natoffice.php)
(2) USMS swim caps and license plate frames from Kast-A-Way (www.kastawayswimwear.com/dept.asp
(3) If your state doesn't require a front license plate, check out the "swimmer" license plates on the ISHOF site: http://ishof.org/, click on "ISHOF E-store" at the top of the page
(4) Land's End sells awesome beach towels for under $18.00. http://www.landsend.com/, click on "Home and Travel", then on "beach towels", then on the vertical rugby stripe towel
Anna Lea
Last fall, my sister and I did a 10k (the Gobbler Hobbler) and my sister came home with a 13 lb frozen turkey!!!
Ok, some less logistically complicated ideas:
Flipper keychains with the meet/team logo on it, mousepads with the meet/logo on them, travel CD cases, mesh equipment bags, baseball caps or visors, ski caps.
I think runner girl's chamois suggestion was great. Or you could try to get one of those Discovery Trekking wicking swim towels that people are raving about (I think the smallest size is less than $20, and they offer bulk discounts - there is a recent thread on the forums about these towels).
And, you say that people are tired of t-shirts, but I will tell you that rarely are people ever not delighted to get a technical t-shirt... one made out of Dri-fit, Cool-max, etc.
Good luck! Post again when you decide what you're going to do!
Every year at the Associaten Championships, OMS gives a participation award to all swimmers. Pam, the head of this until recently, was great at coming up with ideas. One year it was a pen (I still use that pen), then a chamios towel with the logo on it, a mouse pad, luggage tag. I think this year it's a log book for swims.
Alison
You can try customized kickboards, water bottles, cloisonnée pin.
Former Member
Maryland Masters gave out awesome drawstring bags, with a mesh compartment and a front pocket too as a anniversary gift at their meet this winter...those were really nice.
Former Member
An award story I'm fond of: Browning Ross (who passed away several years ago) directed a lot of southern NJ area races. A former Olympic steeple chaser, he owned a sporting goods store, and after a race would set up a table full of goodies from that store. Then he'd call names from first place to last so that everyone got prizes.
There's a software company out in Redmond, WA that does this at their training events. To encourage people to fill out the evaluation forms they draw about five of them at the end, and people come up to pick their prizes.
A nice thing about this is that people get to pick their own prizes (if they come in first;) ). Target has stopwatches under 20 bucks, then there are those underwater slates like scuba divers use. I've been thinking about getting one of those myself to keep track of workouts. Paper gets soaked at the Y even if it's in a plastic sleeve.
Former Member
Beach towels with a club logo or special message print
Starbucks gift certificates
Gift certificates to stores for DVDs/CDs other toys
