Can you believe it’s that time of the year already? It only feels like yesterday when the season started and now you, and thousands of other clubs, are preparing for your end-of-season awards.
Whether you are organising a presentation evening for an adult team or a fun-filled day for juniors, it is important that the correct planning and preparation have taken place. That means agreeing on a time, date, venue, and – of course – trophies and awards to present.
Yes, we are a little bit biased by saying that organising your team’s end-of-season trophies and awards is important, but would your players be happy without seeing their efforts at the end of a long season go unrecognised? Of course, they wouldn’t, and neither should you. That is why awards such as player of the year are hugely popular because of their significance.
Player of The Year Awards
Many clubs keep a roll of honour, particularly at senior level, of the deserving recipients of the coveted player of the year award. An annual trophy is presented at the presentation, complete with the names of previous years’ winners engraved on the trophy, along with a smaller keepsake for the worthy winner to take away with them.
Even the most historic and prestigious of sports clubs keep a record of their player of the year winners, adding each new recipient to its roll of honour. It is a time-honoured tradition and one on which players will be able to look back in years to come, seeing their names listed among the best to have worn the shirt.
For junior players, the player of the year award is something that is always looked forward to with great anticipation. This is the big award of the end-of-season party. Often, variants of the award will be up for grabs, with coach’s player, parents’ player, and players’ player of the season awards all featuring.
When to Organise Your End-of-Season Awards For?
Ideally, you will want to make sure that as many people can attend as possible, so this should be arranged for a time and date that allows for plenty of notice. Try and keep it to a day where members of the team would usually expect to be with the team, such as the same time as your usual training night or matchday. This way, there should be less disruption and clashes in schedules – at least in theory!
Depending on the size of the squad, you may be able to put forward a series of dates and see which date works best for everyone. In an ideal world, everyone will be available but there are likely to be at least one or two that simply won’t be able to attend.
If some are unable to attend, then make sure that they still receive their trophies and any other keepsakes that those attending will come away with. After all, they have also contributed to your success this season.
Venue
Deciding on a venue for an end-of-season awards presentation can be an interesting discussion. Again, this can come down to the age of your squad. If you are arranging on behalf of an adult team, you may book out a function room (unless your club has the capability of providing one) where awards can be presented, and everyone can enjoy some food and drink as part of the evening.
In the case of junior teams, it is more likely that arranging your end-of-season awards in conjunction with a social event will be more beneficial. Youngsters are more likely to want to go somewhere with an activity, such as bowling or footgolf, where they can go and have fun with their friends before coming together for the trophy presentation itself.
Making sure your venue/activity is age appropriate is key to having an end-of-season awards presentation to remember (for the right reasons). It also serves as a terrific team bonding experience where everyone can get together without the day being specifically about your sport.
Sponsors
When it comes to financing your end-of-season awards, seeking out sponsorship for your presentation is one way to go. Coaches/club officials can either ask potential sponsors to pay for the cost of the presentation in full or just the cost of the trophies.
If you can secure sponsorship for your end-of-season awards, sponsors (if a local business) will generally like to see their names included on the engraving of the trophy and be included on any social posts about the presentation. The bigger the social reach your club/team has to offer, the more attractive it will be for potential sponsors. Make sure to include everything you can offer and detail the value of that to your potential sponsor.
Keep Speeches Short
If you are the coach of the team that you are organising an end-of-season presentation for, make sure to keep any speech you are giving short and to the point. You have had your time to speak to your players throughout the season at training and on matchdays.
Say a few words, thank everyone for their commitment and effort and swiftly move on to handing out the trophies. In the nicest possible way, no one wants to listen to a long speech, especially if you are fighting to keep the attention of youngsters.
These are just some of the things for you to consider for your team’s end-of-season presentation and whatever you decide for your awards, make sure to order your trophies from Fen Regis Trophies where all orders of £75 or more qualify for free engraving.
By Aaron Gratton
