We just finished up the spring youth baseball season here. One of the team members invited us all out to swim yesterday, and the boys (and a gaggle of 4-year-old sisters) had a blast! I asked what I could bring, realized the food was well taken care of and decided instead to focus my efforts on a little something for the coaches who have spent so much time and effort over these last few months working with the boys.
I thought about what would be meaningful to the coaches and wanted something each player could leave his mark on. I debated between a frame and a miniature wooden bat they could all sign. I went on a scouting trip to Michael’s and scored some small 9×9 shadowbox frames in the graduation section. They had a small opening in the center for a photo and a wide matte that all the boys could sign. Our team was the Reds this year, so I used my cutter to make a replica of the team logo and mounted it in the center. If you don’t have access to a cutter (or have a really complicated team logo), I think a logo patch would also look pretty awesome. I used some dimensional glue dots to make the logo stand out a little.
We grabbed each kiddo on the sly at batting practice before the last game on Saturday and had them sign with their name and number. I think they turned out pretty cool. Both coaches will have boys playing ball for many years (they were both exceptional players), and I hope they will look back on their little 6- and 7-year-old signatures and remember 2012 ball fondly.
We wrapped them up Reds-style and presented them to each coach after the boys got their trophies. I think everyone was really pleased with the way they turned out!
We had SUCH a fantastic experience this year. I wish we could stay with this team and coaches every season, but if we don’t I guess I can use this idea again next season. 
