Little League Baseball and Softball have over one million volunteers across the USA. Sports for kids couldn’t exist without the army of volunteers that support it. These volunteers help kids stay fit, develop good social skills, a sense of achievement, and sportsmanship.
Win or lose, your kids did play hard. Give them fun and silly sports awards to reward their hard work. Read on to learn how to celebrate their participation.
Special Awards
Every child who participates in sports deserves to have a sense of achievement. It’s not only the top medal winners who should experience the thrill of medal winning. Some kind of recognition helps motivation and self-esteem.
Winning a tournament or a league is great for the winners but there are many more participants who don’t win the big prize. With a little creativity and a sense of humor, the joy of winning can be spread little more widely. Try these ideas out.
Most Positive Player Award
There’s always one kid who keeps on trying when the odds are stacked against them. They can inspire other players and even the coaches. Positivity is a great trait to recognize and encourage in others.
Best Celebration Award
Scoring a touchdown, a basket or a home run are occasions for celebration. There are some exuberant celebrations that are worth remembering.
Make a point of reliving those touchdown celebrations with football medals at an end of the year awards ceremony. You can even re-enact the celebration too.
Bitter End Award
No game is over until the final whistle. Many games are won or lost in the last few moments. Players who keep on believing till the end are valuable to the team.
Recognize the player who keeps battling to the bitter end. They can snatch victory in the last moments or prevent a disaster. Even if they don’t win the game, their efforts mean the team can lose with pride.
Smartest Player Award
Some players turn up clean and tidy for every game and even for practice. Their pride in the appearance says something about their commitment. Perhaps this award is recognition for the pride shown by a parent but there’s no harm in recognizing that too.
Improver Award
They might not be the best player today. They might even be the weakest player on the team. The most improved player could be the best player in a year or two.
Sports awards that recognize improvement encourage everybody to keep striving to be the best they can be. That’s a great lesson for life. It’s also a way of spreading the rewards around a little.
Fittest Player Award
Most sports need a level of fitness. Skills and tactics depend on this. Even safety in sports is dependent on attaining fitness goals.
After kids stop playing sports, a habit of maintaining their fitness will stand them in good stead in later life. Recognizing a team member for their fitness helps others value keeping fit and is a great reward for the winner.
Hair Style of the Year Award
An award that keeps the fun in kids’ sports is one for the best hairstyle. This could be for a regular hairstyle or for a special occasion. Perhaps the whole team goes red for a key game.
Sportsmanship for Parents
Parents and volunteers set an example for the kids when it comes to sportsmanship. Kids are generally pretty perceptive too. Being the favorite parent or volunteer coach is about respecting players on all sides, respecting the rules and both winning and losing with dignity.
Most importantly sports awards recognize what’s important about kids sports. Fun, fitness and lessons for life.
Try these great ideas for finding a photographer for your awards ceremony.
