While it may seem intimidating, planning your end-of-season party doesn't have to be a chore. In fact, party planning is now a breeze. There are literally hundreds of companies just waiting to help you celebrate; or you can simply celebrate the old-fashioned way. To begin your end-of-season jubilation, you simply need to follow a few easy steps.
Choose your party squad.
Your child’s sport is focused on teamwork, right? Then, take advantage of this fact, and create your own “party squad” to help with the organization.
There are plenty of parents that would be happy to give you a helping hand. You simply need to ask. Just choose between one to three people to help run things smoothly. By choosing a small number, you'll make decision planning easier.
Choose your location.
You are your party squad now need to decide whether to celebrate at a “party place”, or celebrate the old-fashioned way. If you would like to go out, great choices include a local pizza parlor, ice cream shop, or burger joint. Other popular choices include activity-based parties, such as a nearby batting cage, miniature golf course, arcade or bowling alley. But make sure the establishment has room to seat all your attendees.
Our team’s favorite party spot is a teammate’s backyard. His family generously donated use of their huge backyard, swimming pool, swing set, and barbecue. Each family brought food (potluck-style), and we had an incredibly good time. Remind your families to bring their soccer chairs!
Call your establishments.
Once you've settled on a party place, call them to verify the price and date information. Some locations may have limited availability. Others may simply be out of your price range. Then make a list of your favorite options, and select two or three dates, just incase some team members have a prior commitment.
Decide on a date.
Once you've picked several dates, run them by the coach. Your coach will know when the trophies are delivered, and he or she may even want to make a speech. You’ll definitely want to ensure that your coach will be able to attend.
If the date works well with your coach, it's time to run it by the rest of the team. Remember, it's very difficult to find a date that works for everyone. The secret is to find out which date does NOT work for invitees. Then choose the date that fits the majority.
Prepare the invitations.
While you don't need written invitations, you do need to figure out who you will invite. Are you only inviting the team members? Or are their parents welcome? What about younger (or older) siblings and grandparents?
It’s tempting to invite everyone (that makes for a great party!), but things can quickly get out of hand. Before extending the invitations, consider how the number of guests will affect your party plans. You may be limited by the facilities that you have. Perhaps your “backyard” can only accommodate a certain number of people. If you have an off-site party, how will the number of guests affect the price? Will siblings need to make a financial contribution, too?
Monitor the money.
Now that you've made the major decisions, it's time for the unpopular one: how much should everyone contribute? Ask each team member to contribute enough to cover the cost of the party and the coach's gift. Even if the cost seems high, it’s better to ask upfront than to ask for additional funds later.
If siblings will be attending, work out a separate additional fee for them. For example, you may state, “Each player is asked to donate $20 for the party to cover 2 games of laser tag, refreshments, and the coach’s gift. Siblings are welcome to attend, however, an additional fee of $15 per sibling is needed to cover party costs.” This way, team members are only paying for the actually attendees.
Make sure that you collect the money beforehand. You don't want to personally get stuck with the bill.
Gifting the coach.
Traditionally, the team offers a small gift to thank the coach for his or her time. After all, the coach has donated hours upon hours for practice, games, planning, and meeting with the other coaches. While you don’t see much of this behind-the-scenes work, I assure you that your coach has put a lot of work into the team.
A small gift is just a special way to say thank you. During your shopping spree, remember that your coach is probably a volunteer, and would really appreciate any thoughtful gift. In fact, a heartfelt spoken "thank you" means more than you can imagine. One year, our coach received a handwritten thank-you note from one of the team parents. To this day, that thank-you note is one of his most treasured possessions.
Gifts can range form small trinkets to gift cards and handmade photo albums. It's not the price that matters---it's the thought. Your coach will love anything that you offer.
Review the refreshments.
Now that you have arranged for the party place, it’s time to determine the types of refreshments that will be available. Of course, this will depend upon the arrangements that you have already made. If you have scheduled the party at a burger joint or pizza parlor, then the refreshments have already been arranged. However, if you are doing a backyard barbecue, you will want to arrange some sort of potluck menu. Usually, people are asked to bring their own meat (burgers, hot dogs, etc.), a dish to share (garden salad, watermelon, etc.), and an extra (napkins, cola, etc.).
During this phase, make sure to ask if anyone has food allergies. Team members and siblings may be allergic to peanuts, nuts, etc.
Consider the extras.
Find out if your establishment provides the "extras" that make a party special. If not, ask each team member to bring a small item. Extras include the food, drinks, paper or plastic products, balloons, etc.
Remember the cake!
What's a party without a cake? Celebrate your season with a team cake. The kids will love to see their team's name in print! And it will make a great picture for the photo album. (Also, remember the extras for the cake: knife, forks, and small plates.)
Have fun!
Now that’s you’ve done all the hard work, it’s time to relax. Parties are for celebrating! So pat yourself on the back, and enjoy yourself. And don' t forget to stay in touch with your sports friends. You might see them again next season!
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