Thank you for thinking of appreciating Coach by getting a tennis coach gift at the end of the season. As a former and current coach, I can tell you that being recognized and appreciated is, well… appreciated.
You’d be surprised to know that this doesn’t happen at the end of every season. I volunteer to coach for more than 25 weeks of the year for my boy/girl twins, and while the true joy comes from seeing all of the kids have fun, grow, and gain experiences – it can be a grind at times.
So, let me first thank you for making this ‘thank you’ to your coach a special moment – it WILL make an impact.
That said, plenty of people scratch their heads when they consider what’s the best tennis coach gift idea for THEIR coach.
The next few minutes and 5 keys to consider could change the way you approach gifting in the future. We’ve done the research, conducted interviews, and we think we know exactly what your tennis coaches truly want.
Key #1: What’s the best tennis coach gift? Choice.
The best tennis coach gift, the only gift that your coach wants, is choice.
We know this because we have interviewed hundreds of coaches, not to mention teachers, nurses, first responders, camp counselors, and others on their gift preferences, and they consistently say the same thing – in two parts:
- They love being recognized with a personal note, in writing (digital or paper notes), with a message about how they made a unique impact, AND
- Having the choice of their gift.
These are what they really love. LOVE.
Over and over, tennis coaches tell us what they don’t want: tennis home decor, personalized tennis balls, a giant tennis ball, or a tennis-themed phone case. READ our fun and funny blog on the worst tennis coach gifts received. BTW, Teachers tell us they don’t want another scented candle or lotion, apple-related [anything], coffee mug, or hazelnut chocolate. These individuals remind us that coaches and teachers are almost always parents and spouses themselves with their own personal tastes and needs that are as varied as the days are long.
So, what’s the best tennis coach gift idea?
A gift card, but not just any gift card…
The ability to choose their gift card.
But wait, there is a catch…
Key #2: A group gift that includes the other parents is powerful and has lasting meaning.
The obvious thinking here is “more is better,” but that isn’t really the case. Your coach doesn’t care as much about the gift card amount, not really. Going back to Key #1… Being recognized with a personal note is the emphasis here.
Coach wants to read how they impacted and made a difference for the group. Tennis is both an individual sport and a team sport. So, if your coach is coaching a team, bringing the other parents together is a powerful statement to the coach. For your coach, impacting the lives of a cohort around a shared experience like tennis is an amazing effort. A personal note, hopefully with the player’s input, is what matters. The reason this is important is multifaceted and nuanced.
This shows that the children are talking about their experiences with their parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, or others. It means that tennis is more to the player than just time on the court. It is also a reflection of what the coach is teaching the tennis players.
If just one note is impactful, then a group of notes from other players is EXTREMELY meaningful.
Since coaches bond with the team and the players, seeing the messages from the group is what creates a collective emotion. This is exactly what coaches teach players in practice. The team wins and loses together.
A gift that is about the team, and from the team, mirrors how your coach thinks about the tennis season.
Now, you might be thinking… “Great, a group gift, who has time to organize that?” Not to worry: there’s an exact solution for that. Check out our group gifting solution here.
Key #3: How the appreciation is presented matters!
The worst feeling for a coach after the end of the season is just walking off the court, getting in the car, and driving home after the last match.
As an adult, I can tell you that thinking about not appreciating past coaches haunts me. I am thinking of all of my past coaches (there are dozens) and how I never really participated in appreciating them all with my parents. The post-season pizza parties, where trophies are handed out like when we were kids, are rare these days. (Rusty’s Pizza was our place of choice, Round Table was great, too).
So, before the last match ends, round up the parents and ask them to take a moment to pause and thank the coach. Do that silly “2, 4, 6, 8, who do we appreciate?…” cheer and shake hands with Coach or give her a hug. Ideally, hand her something (see Key #5 below) to be opened later.
Key #4: You are HELPING the other parents out.
Look, we get how busy life is. The end of tennis season seems to fall at the busiest time of year. (There are only about 5 days of the year that AREN’T busy, right??) By organizing a group gift, you, yourself, are a real hero!
Most parents these days think about a gift for Coach at the last minute or too late (i.e. during the final match). So, if you are reading this and you are EARLY — and by early, we mean the day before or even just a few hours before the end of the last match — there is something AMAZING you can do in the next few minutes: send a message to all of the other parents on the team and lend them a hand using Key #5.
Key #5: There is an easy group gift solution that ties all of this together.
The Appreciation Company was founded to solve gift-giving quandaries for busy parents – both the organizers and contributors.
The desire your coach has for true appreciation from their players and parents in a collective experience can be solved.
Here’s how it works:
- Organizing a group gift is as easy as a few clicks. Set up a group gift, assign Coach (and assistant coach) as the recipient(s), and invite other contributing parents.
- Send Coach a personalized note and contribute to a gift card balance.
- Coach can see all of those personalized notes as albums AND convert that balance into gift cards from merchants of her choosing (she makes the choice).
Simple, right?
By the way, there is no cost to organize an appreciation event. You can use The Appreciation Company to recognize coaches, teachers, instructors – anyone that leads a group experience.
Sign up in just a few clicks, and get to group-gifting — and sincerely appreciating! — your coaches with ease the way they want to be appreciated.
