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Team Parties are a great way to celebrate a team's season and to socialize. However, the "team pizza party" has become cliche. Learn ways to make your team party fresh!
How many team pizza parties can a parent attend? I have three sports-minded boys, (playing soccer, football, baseball, basketball and hockey), and I have personally attended many more of the pizza/pop/video arcade variety than I would care to admit!
So, in an effort to create diversity, a memorable ending to the sports seasons, and to relieve the coach from planning everything, I have begun to offer my help in organizing these celebrations. We've hosted team parties in all 4 seasons for the various sports, and in the next few paragraphs, you'll find some great ideas for your own team. Parties can be held at parks, houses or restaurants. Just remember to keep it easy-going and fun --- the players are kids after all, and the team parties should be for them!
Parents vs. Players Team Party
This outdoor team party is best held immediately following the last game of the season, assuming that the field is not being used for another game. The highlight of this party is a parent/child game in whatever sport the team plays.
Provide soft drinks and bottled water in coolers.
Pizza should be delivered to the field (get a head count earlier in the week, and have the pizza order placed ahead of time)
Players' families can bring desserts (cookies, brownies, cupcakes) to share
Provide trash cans or trash bags to collect the litter
Have equipment for the appropriate parents vs kids game (i.e. softball, baseball, soccer, flag/touch football)
Make sure that the parents know to dress appropriately for the designated activity
Plan on 40 minutes for the game. The pizzas can be delivered during the game, and the non-playing parents can set up the food.
Ideally, food should be set up on available picnic tables. Otherwise, improvise tables with boards placed across saw horses, lawn chairs or trash containers. Minimally, the food can be spread out on tarps or picnic blankets secured to the ground with weights or stakes.
Following the game and the meal, the coaches can distribute awards and give their speeches. All can help with clean-up, and then the party is over.
Total party time is 60-90 minutes.
Restaurant Team Party
This team party can be held in most types of casual, fast-food and family-based restaurants, and should last about 60 minutes.
Plan ahead with the restaurant. Have tables set aside prior to arrival. Team players should sit together; family members should sit at other tables.
Prepare a low-key activity for the players to do at their tables while they're waiting (i.e. theme-based crossword puzzle, Play-Do, colored pencils and paper for drawing, decks of cards)
Agenda should be as follows (assuming a 6pm start time):
6:00 pm - meet at restaurant; get seating arrangements settled; team representative (i.e. party planner) communicates with restaurant; gets drinks distributed to tables
6:10 pm - meal is served
6:40 pm - coach gives speech and distributes awards; team gifts for coaches
7:00 pm - party concludes
Pre-order the menu.
Pizza is a no-brainer -- use the restaurant's advice regarding how much to order. Cheese pizza is the usual favorite, although pepperoni and sausage are popular too.
Sandwich Shop (deli or subs) works well, too. Have basic sandwiches pre-ordered (turkey, roast beef, ham, possibly Italian sub) without condiments. These should be served on the side for the guests to customize their own sandwiches. A variety of chips, and a salad (fruit, tossed, potato or pasta) can also be offered.
Most fast food restaurants are also easy alternatives. The key here is to keep things simple. For instance, at McDonald's, only order hamburgers, cheeseburgers and fries. These three items will satisfy most tastes. If a kid has a food allergy or another special request, the parent can handle this separately.
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© Text and photo by Janice Benoit, [June, 2006]. All rights reserved. Any unauthorized use will constitute an infringement of copyright.
The copyright of the article Ideas for Team Parties in Entertaining is owned by Janice Benoit. Permission to republish Ideas for Team Parties in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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