Swim team moms - swim buddies???

[mlktwins]

For experienced swim team moms, I have another newbie swim question.

 

My boys just started on our neighborhood's competitive summer swim team. They were assigned swim buddies who's purpose is to encourage my boys and answer any questions my they may have. We have the sweetest brothers (ages 9 and 10) for our swim buddies (and their parents are really nice too). I feel really fortunate to have this family guide us our first year.

 

So...to my question :-). The brothers brought my boys a gift bag on their first meeting after practice and again for our first meet yesterday. Just little stuff - swim toys, Pokémon cards, candy, etc. Of course, they were a huge hit with my boys. My plan was to reciprocate the gift giving (because I want to) and one mom said to do a gift (gift card or whatever) at the end of the season. I didn't ask her about it -- that mom just offered the advice. I did ask another mom yesterday at the meet and she said they exchanged gifts during the season. If you have experience with this, would you please advise? I was planning to get each of the boys a gift card and a few small things at the end of the season. I was also hoping to make a little 8x10 collage of pics of each the brothers from the swim meets (if I can get enough good pics of each of them) and frame it for them. If I do smaller gift bags during the season, what does one get for a 9/10 year old boy? My boys will be 8 in 2 weeks and they are getting harder to buy for already :-).

 

TIA!!!!

If I do smaller gift bags during the season, what does one get for a 9/10 year old boy? My boys will be 8 in 2 weeks and they are getting harder to buy for already :-).

 

Food is always good for swimmers. I'd check with their mom to make sure they don't have food allergies, but small things of Gatorade or other sports drinks, trail mix, homemade cookies, etc. are usually a big hit. 10 year old boys aren't too old to play with pool toys, so things like splash bombs and the cloth pool frisbees would be good little gifts. If you are going to give pictures, it might be fun to print on them their best times for the season, or maybe how much time they've dropped in their best events.

[mlktwins]

 

 

Food is always good for swimmers. I'd check with their mom to make sure they don't have food allergies, but small things of Gatorade or other sports drinks, trail mix, homemade cookies, etc. are usually a big hit. 10 year old boys aren't too old to play with pool toys, so things like splash bombs and the cloth pool frisbees would be good little gifts. If you are going to give pictures, it might be fun to print on them their best times for the season, or maybe how much time they've dropped in their best events.

 

I will check on the food allergy! Great ideas -- thank you! Love the idea of doing something with their times on the collage! I'm already tracking that information so we can tell them what a great job they are doing too!

 

Another question then -- should I do a gift every meet (from now on) or maybe one every other meet and then something at the end? We have 5 meets plus our divisional meet left.

Another question then -- should I do a gift every meet (from now on) or maybe one every other meet and then something at the end? We have 5 meets plus our divisional meet left.

 

 

Can't help you here, this is cultural. We only do gift exchanges ("Secret Swimmer") the week before the last meet.

[In The Great White North]

Dd got earrings from her little buddy for Christmas last year but that was the only gift-giving occasion (obviously, not relevant for summer swim team). Our buddies are also olders (at least 13-14) with youngers, so there's a bigger age difference.

 

I agree with the pp, who said it is cultural. It will depend on the culture of your particular swim team. If the other team mom has been there a while, the gift card is probably standard.