State Championship & Banquet Ideas

At the end of the regular season, many high school sports begin a state tournament process that sometimes consists of district, regional and state championship tournaments, leading to the crowning of an overall state champion for the season. Coaches must make decisions regarding how to participate in the state championships and how to mark the end of the season after the championship concludes. Most teams hold a banquet for participants, families and fans to celebrate the season that has ended, recognize players and look forward to the season to come.

  1. State Championship Planning

    • Coaches must decide which players to include on the state championship team and plan for the logistics of travel. Most coaches aren't able to take all team members to the state championships. The budget for travel, food and hotel rooms is not usually enough for the whole roster. Generally, coaches bring their varsity squad with a number of substitute players appropriate to their sport. Coaches sometimes choose to bring a small number of younger players to provide experience at the state championship meet for the years ahead.

    At the State Championships

    • If hotel stays are involved, coaches should carefully consider room assignments, because not all players will act in a mature way. At least one responsible senior player who can assert authority should be assigned to "chaperone" each room. Players also need advice on diet, sleep and activity levels to ensure top performance at competition. Players are generally inexperienced in providing for themselves or making good decisions without their parents present. If participants of different genders, such as cheerleaders and football players, travel with the team, reserve rooms in another part of the hotel to ease supervision by coaches. Try to ensure enough coaches travel with the team to supervise players in competition and during free time. If you're not able to bring enough coaches, parents may be recruited to help. Generally, remind players and yourself that the state championships are about competition, not extra activities. Avoid the temptation to put too much focus on outside "fun" such as attending movies or visiting attractions. Remember, students are responsible for observing all school rules while on trips; tell them they need to behave as if they are at school the entire time.

    Planning for the Banquet

    • Banquets should be seven to 10 days after the state tournament ends. For example, if the state tournament concludes on a Saturday, holding your banquet the second Wednesday afterward is a good time frame. The banquet's most important function is to provide recognition for the players. Plan to have at least one certificate or award for each player who completed the season. An extra step, such as investing in a very low-cost frame for certificates, can be a much-appreciated gesture by players and parents. Other ideas can work well: providing individual awards, like "highest scorer" or "most inspirational"; recognizing contributing parents; providing a "stat book" with information and pictures that highlight each player, and providing gifts for coaches' wives and other special contributors. The logistics of food and drink for the banquet are a less important focus. A few desserts, punch or soda, and disposable plates and utensils will suffice. Ask team members to bring one dessert each; some will not participate, but this should provide enough food for the group. Make sure to announce the banquet several weeks beforehand.

    Provide a Slideshow

    • A special way to highlight memories of the past season is to put together a slideshow of photos to project during the banquet. An ambitious parent or assistant coach can be tasked with this project. Make this assignment at the start of the season, and have her take pictures as well as collect them from other parents. This can be done most easily by email. Presentation software can make it easy to put together the presentation and to include music, and a computer and projector can usually be reserved through the school. Have the slideshow as people are eating. Have the dessert buffet to begin your banquet; then, while people eat, play the slide show.

    Look Forward to the Next Season

    • To conclude the banquet, announce team captains for the next season and speak for a few minutes about the upcoming season. Try to leave your audience with the feeling that the best is yet to come for your team. At this time, most coaches receive a gift of some kind from the team, usually presented by departing seniors. After the banquet, record any thoughts on changes to the banquet for the following year.