734-266-1815
10am To 5pm Weekdays
Closed Saturday and Sunday
32635 Ford Rd Garden City, MI 48135
10am To 5pm Weekdays
Closed Saturday and Sunday
32635 Ford Rd Garden City, MI 48135
Kids these days must think social media is the coolest thing on earth. We don’t disagree. In fact, we have our fun across different social media platforms as well, may it be Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and even Pinterest. As you can see, we get pretty excited by sharing links and pictures to people who can appreciate the same things we like. This is why we believe that trophies are even better.
1. A Trophy Means “You’re Awesome, and I Mean It”:
While getting likes on Facebook or Instagram can be a source of affirmation and validation, nothing beats seeing your name engraved on a trophy, which you can display in your room or anywhere in your house. A Facebook post can easily be forgotten, what with a thousand other pictures and videos being shared by the minute. But a trophy is always special because it can never be forgotten, overshadowed or overlooked. It will always have a place in your home—a place meant to celebrate just you or your team.
Now, doesn’t this make validation more sincere and real? It’s so easy to hit “Like” without even thinking about it. Meanwhile, a trophy is always thoughtful and heartfelt.
2. You Can Hold A Trophy
Yes, you can hold it up, hug it, pass it around, do whatever you like. The important thing is that it is a tangible representation of your hard work and shining achievement. Trophies are solid objects that remind you that it wasn’t easy getting to this spot, therefore your reward has to be something concrete, something you can hold and take home with you. It’s so easy to get caught up in all the images and information online that we just miss the point of valuing things. If it’s so easy for you to share and reblog things online, how much effort and enthusiasm really go into the activity?
A “Like” or “Share” is good for fleeting moments and temporary feelings. A trophy is for all those golden moments you wish to remember for the rest of your life.
3. Trophies Don’t Fight For Attention, They Attract It
Whenever anyone spots a trophy from far away, curiosity naturally lures them toward it. We want to know what the trophy was for, who won it, and in what year. In a way, people are magnetized by trophies because we all want to learn about a personal triumph, a success story, or celebrate a local baseball team victory. We don’t even think about it, we just do.
It can be difficult to attract this type of genuine attention in social media because you have to compete with so many stories and so many other pictures. Your victory can easily drown into the flood of so much shared content. And so, your story might as well just be forgotten. Competitions are best left in stadiums, courts and arenas. You shouldn’t have to be battling for attention for your achievements as well.
4. And Guess What, You Can Pass It On!
A trophy makes a great gift to your own children or other loved ones when the opportunity presents itself. Let’s say you’re an adult who has lived a good life, one with plenty trophy-worthy moments growing up. Pass on your legacy to your children and see their eyes light up when you hand them a shiny trophy with your name embossed. Nothing beats that kind of affirmation. And you can only do that through the act of giving something real and tangible.
And you know what makes a good Facebook post? A picture of your brand new trophy! After all, it’s not a mutually exclusive kind of thing. You can celebrate your victorious moments in any way you see fit. With social media and trophies, medals, plaques or what-have-you, you simply get the best of all worlds.
If you think you have an event, tournament or occasion that you wish to immortalize in a trophy or name plate, contact us today and we’ll be more than happy to deliver what you need. If you want to know more about our selection of customizable quality products, you can visit our home page. Learn how Great Lakes Trophies & Engraving is celebrating our 20th anniversary this year!
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While baseball may be “America’s pastime,” football is still the most popular sport in the country. NFL games are the most attended of any sports league in the world – with an annual revenue higher than the 2013 gross domestic product (GDP) of 75 countries. The sport is sure to be carried on for generations to come, especially with over a million high school football players nationwide.
Michigan is no exception! Public Policy Polling reports that while the MLB’s Tigers are the state’s favorite pro team, they only beat the NFL’s Lions “by a narrow margin”: 29% to 27% (Red wings get 20%, and the Pistons only 6%). They can only get more popular as the Lions are having a stellar season to date.
That being said, whether your son wants to eventually go pro or just play football for fun, he’ll reap a wide variety of benefits from the sport. Physical fitness is, of course, the most obvious, but there are many other important benefits as well.
As we mentioned in a previous blog post, Sue Castle of PBS Sports said that youth sports “has the power to combat everything from racism to low self-image, to the high-school drop-out rate.” Children who participate in team sports have been found to be less likely to go to prison, join a gang, skip class, have disciplinary problems in school, drop out, or become dependent on welfare.
At the same time, they were more likely to have higher grades, graduate, and become directors, managers, or business and political leaders. They are also more likely to participate in social and charitable programs. In fact, 95% of Fortune 500 executives participated in high school athletics, compared to only 47% who were members of the National Honor Society.
Of course, the parents, coaches, and leagues involved in each young person’s sports have significant roles in guiding youth athletes down the right path. As with everything else, moderation is often key.
Starting them early can make them better, faster, but never push them too hard. This is especially important early on, but you generally just want to be supportive throughout. Too often, parents can become overly competitive, and this can turn the child’s sport into a negative experience.
One of the most hotly debated topics is whether all players – including the losing teams – should also get trophies anyway. There are extremists on both sides, with one saying that winning should not be emphasized in youth sports, and the other saying that winning is the only point. Again, reason falls somewhere in between.
Lisa Lagrou, founder of OaklandCountyMom.com wrote on Click On Detroit the “strange” practice of her children’s different sports leagues, where all teams are given the same trophies and awards no matter the ranking. She also relayed the experience of her friend’s daughter who didn’t get the “Most Outstanding Player Award” that she deserved simply because “she won it last year.”
Jeffrey S. Rhoads, author of The Joy of Youth Sports, wrote: “A child’s motivation to play sports arises from both internal and external rewards.” External rewards, such as trophies and recognition, motivate a young athlete to train harder and perform better, but focusing too much on these can easily discourage athletes when they lose.
This is one of the reasons some leagues decided to just give all participants the same prizes, win or lose. That way, the ones who fall behind everyone else don’t feel bad and give up. However, this also takes away the motivation to excel and try for the top spot. As Lagrou pointed out, “How is a trophy even special any more if everyone receives the same one?”
A good compromise is to give all players something for trying, but to reserve the best prizes for the top performers to motivate others to try harder. For example, magnificent trophies of differing sizes for the top teams, and maybe fun football player bobbleheads for the losing teams.
Great Lakes Trophies & Engraving is a premier supplier of Michigan football trophies, medals, plaques, and other awards. Since 1995, we have served the local community of Garden City and surrounding areas with a wide variety of quality awards for any need. Browse our catalog or customize your own award on our website today!
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