What is an insert medal?

An insert medal is a medal designed with a recessed center area that holds a decorative insert. The insert can feature a stock insert sports medal design or, depending on the product, a custom printed insert medal design featuring your logo, mascot, event name, artwork or other information.

Insert medals are popular because they combine the appearance and weight of a traditional metal medal with much of the flexibility of a custom award. Instead of manufacturing a completely new medal, an existing medal design is personalized through the center insert. This can make custom insert medals an economical choice for schools, sports leagues, tournaments, races and other organizations.

Additional personalization may include your choice of neck ribbon and an engraved back tag containing the recipient's name, event, placement, date or other information. For many events, insert medals provide an excellent balance between affordability and customization.

Can award medals be personalized?

Yes. Many award medals can be personalized in several ways, depending on the medal style. One of the most common options is an engraved plate or tag attached to the back of the medal. Engraving can include information such as the recipient's name, event, placement, team, division, achievement or date.

Some medal styles can also be personalized on the front. Custom insert medals, for example, can feature a custom full-color logo, mascot, event design or other artwork. Other insert medals may have a standard proprietary design or stock art where the text can be personalized. In this instance no custom design or art is required because it's already provided. Fully custom medals provide even greater design flexibility and can be created specifically for a tournament, race, school, organization or championship.

Neck ribbons provide another way to customize the presentation. Choosing stock ribbon colors that coordinate with a school, team or organization can give even an economical stock medal a more personalized appearance.

Are medals a good alternative to trophies?

Yes. Medals are often less expensive, easier to distribute and easier for recipients to keep than traditional trophies. Popular award medal wall display racks make displaying medals attractive without taking up countertop space like trophies do. They have a far less chance of breaking and getting damaged during shipments compared to trophies. Shipping medals usually costs less because the box sizes is smaller, and requires less packaging. They are especially popular for tournaments, races, school events and competitions involving large numbers of participants. Medals can also be personalized or branded with corporate or organizational logos, making them suitable for both participation and achievement awards.

How do I choose the right award medal?

Choosing the right award medal depends on several factors, including the type of event, number of recipients, budget and level of personalization you want. For large tournaments, leagues, school events and competitions, stock sports medals are an economical choice and are available for a wide variety of sports, activities and achievements.

If you want to incorporate a team logo, school mascot, event name or custom artwork, insert medals provide additional design flexibility while still using an affordable, pre-manufactured medal. For championships, races, tournaments and other special events where you want the award to be unique, fully custom medals offer even greater creative possibilities and can be designed specifically for your organization or event.

You should also consider medal size and finish, neck ribbon colors, engraving and how the medal will be presented. Gold, silver and bronze finishes or different neckband colors can distinguish placement, while custom ribbons and personalized engraving can identify the recipient, event, division, achievement or date. By balancing appearance, personalization, quantity and budget, you can select an award medal that fits both the importance of the accomplishment and the overall style of your event.

What size award medal should I choose?

Award medals are available in a variety of sizes, with many traditional sports and achievement medals measuring approximately 1½ to 3 inches in diameter. Smaller medals can be an economical choice for participation awards and large events, while larger medals tend to create a more substantial presentation and are often selected for championships, tournaments and special competitions. Some sports such as weightlifting and bodybuilding tend to lean towards bigger and bolder medals ranging from 4-6 inches! In the past few years super extreme oversized large medallions referred to as champ chains or turnover chain medallions have had considerable popularity. These are usually ordered in smaller quantities due to their higher costs. Acrylic medals and wood award medals are often made larger than traditional metal medals and can often range in size from 3-5 inches.

Size is only one factor to consider. The medal's thickness, weight, design, finish and neck ribbon can all affect its overall appearance. If the medal will include a custom insert, logo or detailed artwork, a larger medal may also provide more space for the design. When comparing medal sizes, consider the age of the recipients, importance of the event, budget and how prominent you want the finished award to appear.

What are participation medals and when should they be used?

Participation medals recognize individuals for taking part in an event, completing a season or reaching a particular goal rather than finishing in a specific place. They are especially popular for youth sports, school activities, recreational leagues, races, tournaments and other events where recognizing effort and involvement is an important part of the program.

Participation medals can range from economical stock sports medals to personalized insert medals and fully custom designs. Adding a neck ribbon in team or school colors, a custom event insert or personalized engraving can make even an affordable participation medal more memorable. For competitive events, participation medals can also be used alongside gold, silver and bronze medals or other awards presented to the top finishers.

Can I order award medals in bulk for a tournament, league or school?

Yes. Do to their affordability, award medals are well suited for bulk orders for sports leagues, tournaments, schools, races and other organizations that need to recognize a large number of participants. Stock medals are particularly economical for larger quantities because the medal designs have already been manufactured and are available for many different sports and activities. When shopping in bulk be sure to carefully read the specific medal's webpage to note any quantity discounts or special bulk pricing.

For organizations wanting more personalization, insert medals can provide a cost-effective way to add a custom logo, mascot or event design to a larger medal order. Depending on the medal, neck ribbon colors and individual engraving may also be selected. When planning a large order, consider the total number of recipients, different placements or divisions, ribbon requirements and personalization needs so the complete award program can be organized together.

What are the best medals for a 5K, fun run or running race?

The best medals for a 5K, fun run or other running events depend on the size of the race, budget and whether medals will recognize participation, finishing or placement. For community 5Ks, charity runs and school fun runs, running-themed medals are an economical choice when a large number of finishers or participants will receive awards. Stock designs featuring runners, running shoes and other race themes can provide an attractive award without the cost of creating a completely custom medal.

For events that want their own identity, custom insert medals can feature a race logo, event name, sponsor or custom artwork. Larger annual races may prefer fully custom medals designed specifically for the event.

Consider neck ribbon colors and engraving as well. A personalized medal identifying the race, distance, year or placement creates a lasting keepsake and can encourage runners to return and add another medal to their collection the following year.

What should I look for when choosing shooting competition medals?

Shooting medals should reflect the particular type of competition being recognized. Because shooting sports include rifle, pistol, trap, skeet, clay target and other disciplines, selecting a medal with artwork appropriate to the event makes the award more meaningful to competitors.

For clubs, leagues and tournaments, stock shooting medals provide an economical option for recognizing placement, division winners and individual accomplishments. Gold, silver and bronze finishes or various neckband colors can identify first-, second- and third-place finishers, while engraving can include the competition, class, division, score, placement or date.

Larger shooting events may prefer custom wood medals or fully custom medals incorporating a club logo, tournament name or event artwork. When several shooting disciplines are included in the same competition, different medal designs or personalized engraving can also help distinguish the individual events while maintaining a consistent overall awards program.

How do I choose medals for a gymnastics meet or competition?

Gymnastics meets often require a large number of medals because athletes may receive awards for individual apparatus events, all-around performance, placement and participation. For that reason, both appearance and cost per medal are important considerations when planning a gymnastics awards program.

Stock gymnastics medals are an economical choice for recreational programs, invitationals and large meets and can be used with gold, silver and bronze finishes to distinguish placement. Different neck ribbon colors can identify levels, teams or award categories, while back tag engraving can include the meet name, gymnast, event, level, placement or date.

For larger invitationals, championships and annual meets & tournaments, custom insert medals can incorporate the host gym's logo or meet artwork. Fully custom medals can create an even more distinctive award. Planning medal quantities by event, level and placement in advance can help simplify ordering for large gymnastics competitions.

What are the best medals for wrestling tournaments?

Wrestling tournaments can require a substantial number of awards because medals may be presented across teams, multiple weight classes, age groups, divisions and placements. Stock wrestling medals are an economical choice for large tournaments and invitationals where organizers need an attractive award while keeping the per-medal cost under control. Gold, silver and bronze finishes can identify top placements, while additional medal finishes, ribbons or engraving can be used for other places or divisions. Personalized engraving can include the tournament name, weight class, division, placement or date.

For conference championships, major invitationals and annual tournaments, custom insert medals allow organizers to incorporate a school, club or tournament logo. Fully custom medals offer another option for events that want to develop a recognizable championship award that wrestlers will associate with the tournament year after year.

What medals work best for swimming meets and competitions?

Swimming medals can be used to recognize individual events, relays, overall placement, championships and participation. Because swim meets often include numerous events, age groups and divisions, organizers may need a large quantity of medals and should consider both cost and ease of identifying different awards. Stock swimming award medals are an economical choice for schools, swim clubs and large meets. Gold, silver and bronze finishes can distinguish placements, while engraving can identify the event, swimmer, age group, distance, placement or meet date.

For invitationals and championship meets, custom insert medals can feature a swim club logo, school mascot or meet design. Coordinating neck ribbon colors with the host school or swim club can add another level of personalization. For annual meets, a consistent medal style can also help establish an event identity while allowing the year and other details to change.

Where can I find medals for unusual or less common sports and activities?

Finding award medals for popular sports such as baseball, basketball and soccer is usually easy, but medals for less common sports and activities can be more difficult to locate. JustAwardMedals.com offers award medal designs for a wide variety of traditional and specialty activities, including badminton, bocce ball, croquet, fishing, cooking competitions, table tennis, fencing, curling, shooting sports and other unique events.

When a stock medal isn't available for a particular activity, custom insert medals provide another option. A custom printed insert can feature event artwork, a club logo or graphics related to almost any sport, hobby or competition. Fully custom medals offer even greater design flexibility for organizations wanting an award created specifically for their event. Ideas and examples can often be found in JustAwardMedal's Photo Gallery.

This makes it possible to provide participants with an award that actually represents the activity they competed in rather than settling for a generic medal simply because the sport or event is less common.

What are good medals and awards for a chili cook-off, BBQ or cooking competition?

Cooking competitions are a great fit for themed award medals because they can recognize winners while adding to the fun and personality of the event. Chili cook-off medals, BBQ awards and cooking medals can be used for first, second and third-place winners as well as categories such as People's Choice, Best Chili, Best BBQ, Best Ribs, Best Sauce, Best Dessert or Grand Champion.

Stock cooking-themed medals are an economical choice for community events, company picnics, fairs, festivals, restaurants, clubs and fundraising competitions. Gold, silver and bronze finishes or varying colored neckbands can distinguish placement, while personalized engraving can identify the competition, award category, winner or date. Many insert medals have stock proprietary designs where customers can personize the text.

For annual cook-offs and larger competitions, custom insert medals can feature an event logo, sponsor, organization name or custom artwork. BBQ, baking and chili competitions can also combine medals with plaques, trophies or other awards, using medals for category winners and larger awards for overall champions.

What awards work well for bocce ball, croquet and other yard game tournaments?

Medals are an excellent choice for bocce ball, croquet, kubb, cornhole, badminton, horseshoes and other yard game tournaments, especially when organizers need awards for multiple players, teams or events. Award medals can be budget friendly and great conversation pieces. These types of competitions are popular at family reunions, company picnics, community festivals, senior communities, clubs, resorts, fundraisers and backyard tournaments, but finding awards that actually represent the activity can sometimes be difficult.

Sport-specific cornhole award medals, bocce medals and croquet medals provide a more meaningful award than a generic participation or place medal. Gold, silver and bronze finishes can recognize first-, second- and third-place winners, while engraving can identify the tournament, team, event, placement or date.

For tournaments featuring several yard games, organizers can use different themed medals for each competition while coordinating the awards with matching neck ribbons. Custom insert medals are another option for less common games and can feature tournament artwork, a company or club logo, event name or a design created specifically for the competition.

What medals are appropriate for fishing tournaments and fishing competitions?

Fishing medals can recognize anglers in tournaments, fishing derbies, youth fishing events, club competitions and community fishing contests. Awards can be presented for overall placement as well as categories such as largest fish, total weight, biggest bass, most fish caught, youth division or other accomplishments established by the tournament. Stock fishing award medals provide an affordable option when multiple awards are needed and can be paired with gold, silver and bronze finishes for different placements. Personalized engraving can identify the angler, fishing tournament, award category, placement or date, making the medal a lasting reminder of the event.

For larger fishing tournaments, clubs and annual competitions, custom award medals can incorporate a tournament logo, fishing club emblem, sponsor or event artwork. Fully custom medals are another option for organizations wanting a distinctive award designed specifically for their tournament or fishing event.