{"id":3550,"date":"2026-10-21T22:38:50","date_gmt":"2026-10-21T14:38:50","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.stevegedon.com\/blog\/?p=3550"},"modified":"2026-10-21T22:38:50","modified_gmt":"2026-10-21T14:38:50","slug":"what-are-the-criteria-for-awarding-medals-438b-abefcd","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.stevegedon.com\/blog\/2026\/10\/21\/what-are-the-criteria-for-awarding-medals-438b-abefcd\/","title":{"rendered":"What are the criteria for awarding medals?"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you\u2019re anything like the thousands of schools, sports leagues, and community groups I work with as a medal supplier, you\u2019ve probably stared at a blank order form at some point, wondering: how do you actually decide who gets a medal, and what makes one medal feel meaningful instead of just a cheap trinket? I\u2019ve been on the frontlines of this for years\u2014printing, cutting, and shipping medals that make kids cry happy tears, small league players feel seen, and volunteer groups get the recognition they deserve. And let me tell you, it\u2019s not as simple as just \u201chanding out something shiny.\u201d After countless conversations with coaches, event organizers, and even the kids (yes, I ask the teens too), I\u2019ve narrowed down the real, practical criteria that actually make a medal matter. Let\u2019s break it down, no stuffy jargon, just straight talk from someone who\u2019s been in the medal game long enough to know what works. Medals<\/a><\/p>\n

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First, and I can\u2019t stress this enough, clarity of purpose is non-negotiable. A medal shouldn\u2019t just exist\u2014every single one has to tie directly to a specific achievement, not just \u201cparticipation\u201d for everyone. Let\u2019s be real: if you show up to a rec league soccer game and every kid gets the same medal with no note about what they did well, it loses all its weight. Last year, a middle school cross country coach hit me up for 50 medals, and he sent over a quick note: \u201c10 top finishers get gold, 10 middle get silver, but we also have a \u2018Most Improved\u2019 and \u2018Best Sportsmanship\u2019 for the other 30.\u201d That\u2019s the kind of purpose that makes a medal feel earned. I\u2019ve seen too many groups fall into the trap of \u201ceveryone gets a medal\u201d and then wonder why the kids only glance at it for two seconds. Wait, hold on\u2014participation medals aren\u2019t bad, but they need a tweak. If you\u2019re doing a participation medal, tie it to something specific: \u201cCompleted All 8 Practices\u201d or \u201cRaised $200 for the Team Fundraiser.\u201d A kid who shows up for every practice even when they\u2019re tired will hold onto that way longer than a generic \u201cparticipant\u201d medal. That clarity doesn\u2019t just make the recipient feel seen\u2014it also makes the event organizer\u2019s job way easier, because they don\u2019t have to argue about who deserves what.<\/p>\n

Next, alignment with competition structure. You can\u2019t hand out a 1st place medal for a 10-person tournament the same way you would for a 100-person state championship. That sounds like common sense, but I get so many requests from people who mix this up. For a local 5K with 50 runners, top 3 medals make total sense\u2014maybe throw in a \u201cFastest Walker\u201d and \u201cBest Costume\u201d medal too, but you don\u2019t need 20 gold medals when only 3 people finished in the top tier. On the flip side, a state-level track meet with 5,000 participants needs consistent tiers: 1st, 2nd, 3rd for each event, maybe a 4th place ribbon (we sell those too, fyi) to make sure even the semi-finalists get recognition. I once had a 12-person bowling league order 12 medals thinking \u201ceveryone gets gold,\u201d and when I called to check, the organizer admitted they didn\u2019t want anyone to feel left out. I talked them into splitting it: top 3 get gold, top 3 get silver, top 3 get bronze, and the last 3 get custom \u201cTeam Spirit\u201d medals. That worked way better\u2014everyone had something to feel proud of, and no one\u2019s medal felt like a consolation prize. It\u2019s about matching the number of medals to how competitive the event is, not just checking a box.<\/p>\n

Then there\u2019s the thing that most people overlook: the audience for the medal. Who is this medal for? A 10-year-old\u2019s soccer team? A senior volunteer at a food bank? A corporate sales team\u2019s top performers? That changes everything. Last month, a company reached out for medals for their 20-year employee milestone\u2014they didn\u2019t want something big and flashy, they wanted subtle, engraved medals that look professional enough to put on a desk. On the other end, a youth baseball league wanted bright, colorful medals with baseball graphics because the 8-year-olds go crazy for shiny, playful stuff. I always ask clients: who\u2019s receiving this? If it\u2019s kids, we go for bold colors and fun designs; if it\u2019s adults, especially for professional or volunteer roles, we lean into more understated, high-quality materials. Oh, and don\u2019t sleep on personalization\u2014engraving a kid\u2019s name, a coach\u2019s thank you, or a specific achievement makes the medal feel like it was made just for them, not a mass-produced thing. I had a mom order a medal for her son who got over his fear of swimming lessons, engraved with \u201cFirst Time Crossing the Pool\u201d instead of a swim team award\u2014she told me he keeps it on his nightstand and talks about it all the time. That\u2019s the magic of tailoring to the recipient.<\/p>\n

Material quality matters more than you think, too. I\u2019ve had people come to me before who try to go super cheap, ordering medals made from flimsy metal that tarnishes after a month, and they end up coming back 6 months later wanting replacements. Let\u2019s be real: a medal that falls apart after two weeks isn\u2019t an award\u2014it\u2019s trash. For most events, we use durable zinc alloy, which is affordable but tough\u2014perfect for youth sports, school events, local fundraisers. If you\u2019re doing something a bit more high-stakes, like a corporate award or a hall of fame induction, we offer gold, silver, and bronze plating that\u2019s long-lasting, and even full custom metalwork if you want something really special. I always advise clients to spend a little extra on quality materials\u2014because the medal is a reminder of that moment: a kid\u2019s first goal, a volunteer\u2019s 100th shift, a team\u2019s championship win. If it breaks, that memory starts to fade. I once had a high school order cheap medals for their state championship, and half of them chipped before the team even got their photo taken. They were so frustrated, and I ended up giving them a discount on a reorder because I know how important that moment is. Quality isn\u2019t a luxury\u2014it\u2019s part of the award itself.<\/p>\n

Another big one: inclusivity. This is something that\u2019s come up a lot more in the last few years, and it\u2019s such a key part of awarding medals the right way. Inclusivity means not just making sure no one is left out, but also recognizing different kinds of achievements. For example, in a track meet, don\u2019t just award the fastest runners\u2014recognize the person who never missed a practice, the one who helped carry equipment, the best sportsman who shook every opponent\u2019s hand. A local 4-H group I work with does this: they have medals for \u201cBest Gardener,\u201d \u201cMost Improved Livestock Handler,\u201d and even \u201cFriendliest Club Member,\u201d so every kid who works hard gets to feel like they won something. It also means avoiding stereotypes: for a girls\u2019 sports team, don\u2019t just go with pink medals (unless that\u2019s what they want)\u2014let the group pick the design. For athletes with disabilities, make sure the medals are accessible (we have options for medals with larger handles for easier gripping, too). I\u2019ve had a few groups come to me after realizing their old medal set left some kids out, and they wanted to add more non-competitive awards. It\u2019s not about making everyone a winner in the same way\u2014it\u2019s about making sure every achievement, big or small, gets recognized. That\u2019s how a medal becomes something someone values, not just a piece of metal.<\/p>\n

Wait, let\u2019s circle back to the \u201cnot just shiny\u201d part I mentioned earlier. The ceremony around the medal matters too, but that\u2019s not really a criteria for the medal itself\u2014until you think about it, the medal\u2019s design and wording should fit the vibe. If you\u2019re having a casual park soccer game, a big, bold medal with a fun slogan like \u201cTeam MVP\u201d is perfect. If you\u2019re hosting a formal dinner for a charity gala, a sleek, engraved medal with the charity\u2019s logo is way more appropriate. I also always tell clients to include a short line on the medal or a certificate that explains what it\u2019s for. A medal that just says \u201c1st Place\u201d is great, but if you add \u201c1st Place, 2023 Small Business 5K\u201d it\u2019s way more specific. Last year, a small business owner ordered medals for his employees who hit their annual goals, and he added a line that said \u201c10% Above Sales Target 2024\u201d\u2014his team loved it, because it was concrete, not just a vague \u201cEmployee of the Month.\u201d<\/p>\n

Now, I know what you\u2019re thinking: this is all well and good, but how do I actually put this into practice when I\u2019m planning an event? Let me give you a quick, no-nonsense checklist I use with all my clients, so you don\u2019t have to overthink it. First, define exactly what achievement you\u2019re recognizing\u2014no vague stuff. Second, match the number and tiers of medals to how many participants you have (no 5 gold medals for 10 people, that\u2019s just confusing). Third, think about who\u2019s getting it\u2014kids, adults, volunteers, athletes? Tailor the design and material to that. Fourth, prioritize durability\u2014don\u2019t buy the cheapest option, it\u2019ll cost you more later. Fifth, add in non-competitive awards where it makes sense to be inclusive.<\/p>\n

Look, I\u2019ve been doing this for over a decade, and I\u2019ve seen it all. I\u2019ve seen a 7-year-old hold up their first \u201cMost Improved\u201d medal and cry because they finally made a friend on the team. I\u2019ve seen a volunteer who\u2019s been working at a food bank for 30 years carry their medal home like it\u2019s a championship trophy. I\u2019ve also seen an organizer mess up the criteria\u2014hand out 30 gold medals for a 15-person tournament, and watch half the winners leave disappointed. That\u2019s why these criteria matter: they turn a piece of metal into something that matters. If you\u2019re planning an event and need medals that check all these boxes, or even if you just have questions about what would work best, don\u2019t overcomplicate it. Hit me up, tell me what you\u2019re working on, and I\u2019ll walk you through it. I\u2019m not here to push the most expensive medal\u2014 I\u2019m here to help you pick something that makes your recipients feel proud, which is what medals are actually for in the first place.<\/p>\n

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When you\u2019re picking medals, it\u2019s easy to get caught up in the glitter and the flashy designs, but the best medals are the ones that honor the work that went into them. That clarity, that alignment with your event, that thought for the person receiving it\u2014those are the things that make a medal worth keeping. I\u2019ve learned that the hard way, through a hundred small conversations and a few dozen orders that went sideways. So skip the guesswork, and let\u2019s make sure your next set of medals is one that someone will keep for years. If you\u2019re ready to start, reach out to me to chat through your needs, no pressure, no stuffy sales pitch, just straight talk about what works.<\/p>\n

Aluminium Nameplates<\/a> References<\/p>\n

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  1. Medal Manufacturers Association. (2022). Best Practices for Event Recognition Awards.<\/li>\n
  2. Youth Sports Coaching Alliance. (2023). Inclusive Award Criteria for Youth Athletics.<\/li>\n
  3. Corporate Recognition Council. (2021). Balancing Quality and Affordability in Custom Awards.<\/li>\n
  4. Community Engagement Journal. (2022). The Impact of Personalized Recognition on Volunteer Retention.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
    \n

    Hangzhou Ruijia Technology Co., Ltd.<\/a>
    Hangzhou Ruijia Technology Co., Ltd. is one of the leading medals manufacturers and suppliers in China. We offer a wide range of products with superior quality. Welcome to wholesale bulk discount medals in stock here and get free sample from our factory. Customized orders are welcome.
    Address: No. 325 Jiuhe Road, Shangcheng District, Hangzhou City, Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang, CN
    E-mail: info@oembadges.com
    WebSite:     https:\/\/www.oembadges.com\/<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    If you\u2019re anything like the thousands of schools, sports leagues, and community groups I work with … What are the criteria for awarding medals?<\/span>Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":959,"featured_media":3550,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[3513],"class_list":["post-3550","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-industry","tag-medals-43e2-aca9d9"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.stevegedon.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3550","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.stevegedon.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.stevegedon.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.stevegedon.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/959"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.stevegedon.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3550"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/www.stevegedon.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3550\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.stevegedon.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3550"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.stevegedon.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3550"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.stevegedon.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3550"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.stevegedon.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3550"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}