Custom Soccer Medals for School Leagues: Team, MVP & Participation Awards

Which awards are easiest to mix up?

The runner-up and Best Player medals were both 65 mm. The champions and Best Player medals were both gold. The cup on the champions’ medal and the kicking figure on the individual award gave the teacher a way to tell those two apart even with the ribbons gathered in one hand. The smaller participation medal kept the league’s soccer motif so every player could take home a reminder of the same event.

Personalized soccer medals when the MVP is chosen after the final

The original layout put the school, event, date, team and placing on the back. In the revised design, the placement medals carried the event name, award, date and school. The Best Player design reserved space for the player’s name and jersey number. The 50 mm participation medal carried a short commemorative inscription.

For an engraving proof, put the longest candidate name and its jersey number into the 65 mm layout and print it at actual size. Can you read the name on one line? Is it clear which number belongs to that player?

Give the supplier two dates: when the school can confirm the winner’s name and when the player will receive the medal. These lead to two different arrangements.

• Presentation at the final whistle. Have the event and “Best Player” wording ready, with a smooth area left for engraving. The player can wear the medal for the team photo and return it later for their name and number. If the player should take the medal home that day, another option is to reserve a space for an engraved nameplate sent afterward. Check the plate’s position, thickness and attachment on a sample before choosing this option.
• Presentation at a later school assembly. Prepare the medal with the engraving area in advance. Once the final is over, have the school confirm the spelling and jersey number together. Ask the supplier to work back from the assembly date, allowing time for laser engraving, checking and delivery.

Count what each player receives, then compare tooling costs

“One champion team” is a result. To order the medals, the PE department needs the number of people on that team who will receive one. Count awards that a player can earn together, too. The school planned one participation medal for every player. A champion team member named Best Player would count toward three medals: participation, champion and the individual award.

Start with three columns. For team placements, list each award bracket, placing and number of recipients, including substitutes and coaches if school rules cover them. For individual awards, say whether there is one winner for the whole league or one per bracket. For participation, count every eligible player and list spares separately.

Check how registration divisions translate into award brackets. For example, the US Youth Soccer national championships policy combines Under 18 and Under 19 into a single competition bracket. If two school years play together, ask the organizer whether they will award one set of team placements or a set for each year. US Youth Soccer policy, Rule 101, Section 3 (PDF)

On the quotation, put the one-time tooling charge and quantity for each design on the same line. Divide that charge by the quantity to see the tooling cost per medal. A participation design can spread the charge across the roster. A dedicated MVP design needed for just a few players carries a larger share per piece. This school’s series had five front designs in four diameters. Even the two 65 mm medals had different artwork. Ask the factory to assess the front and reverse artwork when quoting the tooling.

If the budget is tight, ask for two alternatives:

• Share the front design across the team placements. Use the same diameter and front relief for first, second and third place. Distinguish them by their gold, silver and bronze finishes and the placing on the back. This leaves room in the budget for a dedicated MVP face if the school accepts a common diameter for the team awards.
• Reserve unengraved MVP medals for future leagues. Keep the event emblem on the shared medal and engrave the year, name and number later. Before ordering extras, check that the event name and logo will still be in use for the next few competitions.

Put all five medals on ribbons and try a handover

Start with the 50 mm participation medal and the 70 mm champions’ medal. Fit each with its intended ribbon. Check whether the ribbon passes through the slot smoothly or bunches to one side when folded back. Hang both medals: does the ribbon obscure the smaller face, and does the larger medal hang straight? If the school wants a single ribbon width for all five, try a length of that ribbon on every design.

Now lay the five medals face up. Ask a teacher who did not work on the design to pick out the runner-up, Best Player and champion awards, in that order. If they pause between two medals, put those faces side by side for the next artwork review.

Pack in presentation order if it helps the staff at the ceremony. A team pack labeled “Grade 8 · Runners-up · [quantity]” tells a teacher which team it goes to. Keep individual awards separate and match each named medal to its jersey number. Participation medals can be grouped by class or team.

Copy a school soccer medal order brief

School league medal questions