Football Awards Ideas

Giving an award to your football players when the team wins a game, has a good practice or shows improvement in a certain area is a good way to keep players motivated and reward them for hard work. Because some players may already have a trophy or will probably get several in the future, try some unique and creative football award ideas.

  1. Good Times

    • Bring in a former football star to sign autographs.

      Take the team to an amusement park or water park -- where discounts are often available for large groups -- and let the kids have a blast riding roller coasters or sliding down a water slide. See if you can get a former or current college or professional hometown hero football star to talk to or practice with the kids and sign autographs. Give T-shirts with the team picture on them or humorous certificates to each player, such as Best Hair or Loudest Laugh.

    Sweet Treat

    • Candy bars are a good award for young players.

      An inexpensive idea, and a great one for a little kids' football team, is using candy bars. Give a Butterfingers to the Best Award, Mounds to the Marvelous Award and Caramellos for Quality Award. Use the team name: Pass out Wildcat Whatchamacallits, Bulldogs Butterfingers, Mohicans Mr. Goodbars, Eagle Almond Joys, Warriors Wonka Bars and Tigers Take 5s. Reward a specific skill: Give a Best Blitz Baby Ruth, Touchdown Twix, Passing Payday, Scrambling Symphonys, Snap Snickers and Hand Off Hersheys.

    Basket Case

    • Gift baskets are always a good idea; you can pack them full of items. Fill a football award gift basket with any of the following items: a hoodie, thermos, items with his team or favorite pro team's logo, socks or kerchiefs in team colors, a beach towel with a football on it, a football-shaped magnet or key chain and a funny, historical or educational book about football. Fill the bottom of a basket with shredded basket filler, add the gifts, wrap it all with a sheet of clear cellophane and tie-close it with ribbon in team colors.

    Yummy Eats

    • Take the team to a favorite restaurant for dinner, or to an ice cream shop for a cool reward on a hot day. Surprise the players with a fish fry or barbecue; ask team parents to help cook or cover costs. Before an early morning practice, buy chicken biscuits and sausage biscuits for the players. Get out your grill; buy hot dogs, buns, condiments, potato chips and soda and serve players a hot dog lunch. Buy bread, condiments, cold cuts, lettuce, tomato, potato chips and soda for a sandwich lunch.