Sports trophies are a culmination of effort and achievement – but does the design match the triumph?
‘Modern’ trophies
For an athlete, a spot on the podium is often the pinnacle of their career. Each win represents a different set of challenges overcome, and with it comes an awe-inspiring story of adversity, growth, and talent. It’s a story the standard trophy fails to reflect.
Despite being symbolic of victory, most trophies awarded seem to be an afterthought, selected from a catalogue of mass-produced designs. The lack of customised trophies and awards minimises the gesture and appears thoughtless.
Why design a bespoke award?
The thrill of winning will wear off eventually, and it will be time to move on to the next challenge. But the sight of the physical award – whether it be on the mantle or in a special cabinet – should cause excitement. And that’s just what customised trophies and awards do.
Here are a few more benefits to having custom-made sporting awards:
1. They reflect the dedication of the athlete
An athlete spends their whole life preparing for a tournament, race, or a match. Their efforts can be briefly summarised, sometimes in a mere thirty seconds. When they’re handed their prize, a custom-shaped trophy goes beyond just an award – receiving it feels like receiving a gift; recognition of the effort the athlete applied and the time they sacrificed. It acknowledges that their win was more than just a moment in time, but instead a moment in history.
2. The story behind the award
Every accolade should have a story — one personal to the athlete, and one for the world to know. A uniquely designed award has the potential for worldwide recognition.
The 2024 Paris Olympic medals perfectly illustrate deliberate award design, with a piece of Iron taken from the Eiffel Tower and set into the centre. This was not only a salute to the hosting city but also served as a tribute to a unique part of each athlete’s career.
At Upstream Trophies, our ‘material passport’ authors a part of the award’s unique story by providing the origin and sustainability of its components.
3. Trailblazing trophy design
Awarding bodies can lead the way when it comes to presenting custom-shaped trophies that are not just awards, but works of art. A bespoke award, carefully designed, would not just embellish the athlete but reflect their glory.
This opportunity to stand out from the status quo can provide the sporting institution or awarding body a platform to be seen above the rest.
4. Reflective of the sport
Despite being the genre that calls for the most awards, sporting trophies often leave more to be desired, with not much differentiation between the trophies we once won in little leagues.
As athletes grow and hone in on their chosen sport, so should the award. The journey to becoming a sprint champion is different from that of a marathon champion. A bespoke award can tell these unique stories.
5. Quality and craftsmanship
By working with trophy and award designers to create your vision, you’ll receive an unmatched level of quality from people who understand the storytelling behind an achievement.
Each of our custom trophies, plaques, and awards is beautifully crafted from discarded materials, which are then broken down and repurposed into a (re)new material.
By keeping production in the Netherlands, we can maintain control and guarantee quality, working closely with clients to ensure full transparency and design impact.
Key takeaways on trophy customisation
The opportunity to disrupt and modernise the sports industry through customised trophies and awards is more prominent than ever with the growth of competitive sports.
Being awarded best in class has become a bigger challenge. More athletes competing for the same title, more accessibility in sports that were once elusive.
The game has changed. It’s time for the award to change, too.
