Trophies2Go Blog

At Trophies2Go, a common question we get  from new team parents and coaches is what engraving to put on their kids’ participation trophies.  Here are some general pointers on what’s commonly engraved on sports trophies.

The Basics

Three different engraving layouts on our 3 common metal plate colors - gold with gold letters, black with gold letters, and black with silver letters.

1. Engraving is free.  First and most important, engraving is included in the price of your trophy.  You can put as few or as many characters of text as you want and it’s still free.  Some teams even add a logo.

2. Max of 3 lines of text. Most  plates for basic trophies are around 1” tall by 2.5” wide.  Our engraver Paul can fit three lines of text in that space.

3. Fonts.  Depending on the amount of text, Paul uses the best looking font to fill the space.  Customers do not choose the fonts.  However, if you would like to see how the engraving looks before going to production, request a Proof.  It’s free for orders over $50.  Paul will email you the engraving layout so you can see how it looks and approve it before the etching begins.

What Should I Put On My Awards?

Here are the most common pieces of information that are engraved on sports trophies:

Line 1: Team Name (and Year if you are only using 2 lines of engraving)

Line 2: Player’s Name - This can be first and last name, or first name with last initial.

Line 3: League Name, Award (such as MVP), or Year (this line of text is optional)

What Layout Choices Do I Have?

We commonly see 3 different types of layouts for engraving on trophies.

Layout #1:  2 Lines of Engraving  - Team Name and Year on line 1, Player's Name on line 2

Layout #2:  2 Lines of Engraving with Curve - same as above, except the top line is curved

Layout #3:  3 Lines of Engraving - This has more variety.  One line usually has the player's name, another line the team name, and the third line the year or league name, for example.

I hope these examples help you determine the best engraving for your sports trophy.  With so many choices, you're sure to find the perfect award with a special message for your favorite player!

Cheers!

Jessica

How do we give back to the community?  Each quarter, our staff chooses a charity to support through our 'Awards for A Cause' program.  This quarter, we have chosen the College Success Foundation as the program recipient.

What is the College Success Foundation?

The College Success Foundation helps students dreams come true!

For more than 13 years, the College Success Foundation (CSF) has been a leader in improving college access and completion for thousands of underrepresented students throughout Washington State and in Washington, D.C.

In 2000, CSF was founded in Issaquah, Washington by Bob Craves and Ann Ramsay-Jenkins to provide college scholarships and mentoring to low-income, high-potential students.  CSF provides the unique integrated system of supports and scholarships to inspire under-served, low-income students to finish high school, graduate from college and succeed in life.

CSF is headquartered in Washington State and includes its subsidiaries, Washington State Mentors and College Success Foundation – District of Columbia. Through its work, the foundation provides pathways for eligible students to succeed in college, and in so doing improves their economic future.  Find out more and like the CSF Facebook page!

Trophies2Go will make a donation to the College Success Foundation based on selected product purchases.  To see the trophies and awards that will benefit the charity go to our 'Awards for a Cause' page.   Thank you customers for supporting worthwhile charities in our community by purchasing 'Awards for a Cause' products!

Cheers!
Jessica

It’s time for Spring!  Daffodils are blooming, birdsong fills the air, and longer days are ahead.  Springtime not only brings new trends in fashion and home décor, but also in the awards industry.  Three weeks ago, I attended our annual trade show in Las Vegas and scoped out the hottest new awards for 2014.  So what are the must-have top trends for spring?

Trend #1: Bamboo

It’s the hottest wood in awards!  Sustainable and renewable, bamboo's hard surface and pretty honey color make the perfect material for plaques, picture frames, cutting boards, and even travel mugs!  Beautiful when laser engraved, bamboo awards and gifts are easily personalized.  Great to look at and good for the earth, these awards are a win-win!

Trend #2: Mixed Media Pieces

Many new awards combine more than one type of material together in exciting new combinations.  One of our suppliers, Victory, combines acrylic with sustainable bamboo (See Trend #1), displayed in an iron stand.

Trend #3: Wine

When you are invited to a friend's house for dinner, what do you bring?  A bottle of wine, of course!  According to the Wine Institute, in 2012, the total wine consumed per resident in the US was 2.73 gallons.  Personalized wine products , such as engraved wine bottles, wine storage boxes, and wine tools, are a current trend this year.  With the popularity of wine, it's no surprise.

Trend #4:  Custom, Custom, Custom

Just like last year, unique, personalized pieces were everywhere in Vegas.  Awards with full color photos, 3-dimensional acrylic awards made out of logos, and crystal awards filled with custom designs were hot at the show.  Nothing says "wow" like one-of-a-kind!

Trend #5: Olympic Style Medals

With the recent Winter Olympics in Sochi, a new style of medal has come on the scene.  The neck drape remains flat, threading through the medal, instead of being clipped on with a ring. This more modern look was available for marathon racing medals and 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners.

Medals with a one-of-a-kind design and printed neck drapes are also all the rage (see Trend #3). Create your own personalized Olympic medals; if your group has a design in mind, we can make it a reality.

Mix things up with your awards this spring by picking a trendy piece! Just like with your wardrobe, adding one fun new item can really jazz up your awards program!

Cheers,
Jessica

If you can't go to Ireland, celebrating St. Patrick's Day is the next best thing!

Monday is St. Patrick’s Day, the luckiest day of the year!  Get your Irish on with games and laughter with friends, family or co-workers!

Tunes

Start things up with your favorite Irish songs.  While I was in college, my favorite hang out was an Irish pub called Kell’s.  Live music was a staple at Kells with lively sing-along drinking songs.  My favorites are The Rattlin’ Bog and Molly Malone (Cockles & Mussels) . Check out the renditions above to get in a Celtic mood!  You just gotta smile and tap a toe while listening to these sappy songs!

Awards

Host a "wear green to work"contest at the office or get the green beer flowing with an after hours game of beer pong!  Recognize your friends for being lucky to know you with these awesome awards!

Pot of Gold Award – It's at the end of the rainbow, guarded by a greedy Leprechaun!

Lucky Horseshoe – Forget 4-leaf clovers, horseshoes are the best symbols for good luck!

Flora Leaf Block -   Perfect for spring! Lovely crystal green leaves decorate the side of this clear optical crystal award.

Food

A kid-approved favorite!

The traditional Irish-inspired meal for St. Patrick’s Day is Corned Beef and Cabbage.  Other ideas include shepherd’s pie, Irish stew, and Irish soda bread.  Find great recipes to try at Allrecipes.com.

My favorite St. Patrick's Day treat is an American, kid-approved classic – green shamrock-shaped sugar cookies!  Yum!

Don’t forget to wear your green and enjoy St. Patrick’s Day!

Cheers,
Jessica

Last weekend I attended my 10-year-old daughter’s basketball game. I am so impressed with our team's two volunteer coaches.  Not only do they teach the girls drills, plays, and other skills for the game,  but they also show great sportsmanship as humble, calm leaders of the team.  Coach Bryce and Coach Michael are outstanding examples of positive parents in youth sports.

Take the Sports Parent Pledge!

The National Alliance for Youth Sports is encouraging parents to be role models for their kids through their Sports Parent Pledge.  New series like HBO’s Trophy Kids and Esquire’s Friday Night Tykes bring attention to the roles adults – and especially parents – play in youth sports. And while we do hear about the negative incidences each day in the news, there is a lot of good being done in sports, too, that we don’t hear about.

The Sports Parent Pledge gives parents the opportunity to ban together and make a statement that not all sports parents are like what’s depicted on TV and in the news, while also getting a six-part email series packed with useful information and resources they can use to enrich their families youth sports experience.

Since Trophies2Go is a sponsor of the National Alliance for Youth Sports, I encourage you to take their pledge, like their Facebook page or share your parent pledge on twitter @NAYS_edu.

As engaged, caring and involved parents, let’s take the pledge to keep youth sports positive!

Cheers,
Jessica