Celebrating our children's athletic accomplishments plays a big part in motivating them to keep pushing on, striving for better, and improving their game. It is no small feat to score the winning goal in a soccer match or stick a perfect tumbling pass, and these achievements should be recognized. Of course, not every success warrants a huge party for the whole team, but we need to regularly let our kids know that we are proud of their hard work on the field or in the gym and that their efforts are not going unnoticed. Plus, when your kids are grown and spending eight hours a day behind a desk, you–and they–will want to remember what their bodies were once capable of.
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Here are six ways to help commemorate and celebrate your kids' atheltic accomplishments–both big and small.
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Capture Great Images
A picture is certainly worth a thousand words when it comes to sports. If you have a DSLR camera, you're probably already pretty good at taking photos, just remember to adjust your settings for a quicker shutter speed–same goes if you're snapping shots with a newer smart phone. Of course those phone pics aren't going to be quite as good, so it's worth it to download a great phot editing app like VSCO Cam, which not only has different filters to choose from, but also offers tons of advanced editing features.
Curate Your Favorite Photos
If your child is involved in one or more sports every season, chances are you're running out of storage space for all of the photo albums you've filled. The solution? Take your albums online. Smugmug.com offers personalized photo album Web sites for a small monthly fee, which allow for unlimited uploads, easy organizing, viewing and sharing. Plus, you can feel secure knowing all of your photos are safely backed up. And how special will your little athlete feel with his very own Web site?
Choose a Treat
After each game, match or competition allow your child to choose a special treat–win or lose. This could be anything from a new book or toy to a trip to the bakery or ice cream shop with a teammate. The idea is that you're proud of your child's effort and by recognizing that he will be encouraged, despite the outcome of the game.
Plan a Surprise
In high school, once things to start to get a bit more serious, it's fun to make a big deal out of winning a game against a long-time rival or winning a state championship–something the whole school will be proud of. You could fill your child's locker or car with balloons or confetti and signs to show her and the rest of the team how proud you are. It might be a little embarassing, but she'll like it anyway.
Display Those Medals
Detach your child's medals from the ribbons and arrange them neatly into photo frames to be displayed in your home–a den or family room would be the perfect spot. These medal collages take up very little space, look impressive and can be added to year after year, showcasing your child's accomplishments long term.
Honor Those Trophies
Trophies can pile up quickly and tend to all wind up stuffed in a closet or box if you don't have a system for storing and displaying. Try dedicating one room or even a corner in your house for them, and display them in an eye-appealing manner that honors your child and the events that meant the most to them. I love these trophy shelves backed with photos from the season or the events themselves.
