Banquet!

I do love the end of season banquet!  It really serves three purposes, acknowledge the help of the volunteers, acknowledge the work of the players, and serves as a wrap up for the season.  Volunteers put a lot of work into the season and it's really good to acknowledge that work. Some put an exceptional amount of work, so do something special for them.  For the players, have a certificate for them, call them up individually, and say some stuff about them.  This can include how long they've been with the team, what position they played, how much the scored or any special awards they won. For the newer players, make it fun for them and encouraging.  Here are something's to consider:

Make it a meal!  People love to site and talk over food.  It's more work, but worth it.

Having a slide show from the season works really well.  Again, a lot of work, but the kids really like it.

Schedule the banquet at the start of the season.  That time of year can get very busy.

Assign the coordination of the banquet to someone as a volunteer position.

We do a Most Valuabe Player (MVP), MVP Offense, MVP Defense, and Most Improved Player.  We give out simple trophies for these.

Be generous with awards, spread the wealth around.  Some may be given out at the banquet, others at other times of the year.

If you have photos from the season, make up a simple season picture book.  Can be printed out on regular paper.  The kids love to pass these around and sign them for each other.

For seniors, have a frame of pictures for them. Or some other senior gift. They need special recognition, especially those that have been with the program for awhile.

Bottom line: the season needs a specific end point that encourages the players and acknowledges the work of those that run the program, and a banquet is a perfect way to do that.