The little league and travel ball season is winding down, the banquet is on the calendar, and every team parent is asking the same question: what do we actually do to send this season off right? Skip the generic participation trophies. Hand out funny, honest "awards" instead, the kind that actually make people laugh at the banquet table, and pair each one with a shirt the winner will genuinely wear. Below are 7 awards worth stealing for your team, plus what to get the coach who survived it all.
In this article
- Why give funny awards instead of another trophy
- The 7 awards every team should hand out
- How to actually run this at the banquet
- What to get the coach as a thank-you
- FAQ
Why Give Funny Awards Instead of Another Trophy?
Every kid on the team already has a shelf of plastic trophies nobody looks at twice. A funny, specific "award" does something a trophy can't: it tells an inside joke about the season everyone actually lived through. The kid who dove for a foul ball into the snack table. The dad who "coached" from the fence at full volume. The mom who kept the whole dugout fed and caffeinated. Naming that stuff out loud is the part people actually remember, and it turns a 15-minute banquet into the highlight of the summer.
The 7 Awards Every Little League or Travel Ball Team Should Hand Out
1. Loudest Coach Award
Every team has one. The coach whose voice carries from the third base line to the parking lot. This is the easiest award of the night to hand out, and the gift practically names itself.
For the coach who never once used his indoor voice, on or off the field. Soft Gildan Softstyle cotton, unisex fit.
2. Self-Appointed Umpire of the Season
Every dugout fence has one parent who has never missed a single blown call, whether they were asked or not. Give this one with love, because deep down the whole team agrees with the calls anyway.
Our top-selling shirt for a reason. Perfect for the parent who calls balls and strikes better than the guy actually being paid to.
3. Most Likely to Run on Coffee Alone
6 a.m. weekend tournaments do not run themselves, and neither does the parent who shows up to every single one with a thermos the size of a bat bag. This award goes to whoever kept the whole family functional on caffeine and willpower.
A love letter to the 6 a.m. lineup and the coffee that made it possible. Comfy enough for the bleachers, honest enough for the group chat.
4. Ultimate Baseball Mom of the Year
Snack schedule wrangler, uniform launderer, unofficial team therapist. If your team has a mom who did all three without ever missing a game, this is her award.
A season's worth of bleacher sunburns and folding chairs, worn with pride. One of our most-loved shirts all year long.
5. Most Improved Sunflower Seed Spitter
No shirt required for this one, just bragging rights and a small bag of seeds wrapped in ribbon. Distance, accuracy, or sheer volume, judge's choice.
6. Best Dugout Nap (Little League Division Only)
For the 8-year-old who somehow slept through an entire inning sitting straight up on the bench. Every rec league has one, and everyone knows exactly who it is.
7. Team MVP: Most Valuable Parent
Not the kid, the grown-up. The one who drove the extra carpool, brought the extra chair, and never once complained about a rain delay. Every team has a parent who quietly holds the whole season together, and they deserve the last award of the night.
The shirt that started it all. A season-ending gift for the parent who kept everyone else's season running.
How Do You Actually Run This at the Banquet?
Keep it short and keep it simple. Here is a format that works for almost any league:
- Assign awards ahead of time. Ask two or three parents to nominate winners privately so nobody feels put on the spot in the moment.
- Read each award like a mini roast. One or two sentences about why that person earned it, keep it kind, keep it funny.
- Hand over the gift on the spot. A shirt they can wear to the very next game or practice lands better than something that sits in a drawer.
- Save the coach for last. They put in more hours than anyone else on the team. Give them the send-off.
What Should I Get My Kid's Baseball Coach as a Thank-You Gift?
Most little league and travel ball coaches are volunteers who gave up entire weekends for months. A funny, wearable thank-you tends to land better than a gift card, because it says the team actually paid attention to who they are. A shirt that calls out their signature move, whether that is coaching loudly from the third base box or somehow staying calm through every single call, works every time. Pair it with a card signed by the whole team and you have a gift that costs less than $30 and gets remembered for years.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are good end-of-season gifts for a little league team?
A mix of something practical (sunflower seeds, a team photo, a signed ball) and something wearable that references an inside joke from the season works best. Funny, specific shirts tend to outlast generic trophies because kids and parents actually wear them again.
How much should you spend on a baseball coach gift?
There is no set rule, but most team parents land between $20 and $40 per coach, often split across the team so no single family covers the full cost. A $29.99 shirt fits comfortably in that range and reads as thoughtful rather than obligatory.
What do you say at a little league end-of-season banquet?
Keep remarks short, specific, and funny. Reference actual moments from the season instead of generic praise. A quick "funny awards" segment, like the ones above, gives you built-in material and keeps the whole room engaged.
Are Pitch Please shirts true to size?
Yes. All Pitch Please shirts are printed on Gildan Softstyle 100% ring-spun cotton with a unisex fit, so sizing runs true to standard adult unisex sizing. Check the size chart on each product page before ordering for a banquet gift.
Send the Season Off Right
Funny, comfy, made for the dugout. Shop the full Pitch Please lineup for your team's banquet.
Shop All Shirts →Every shirt is $29.99, Gildan Softstyle, unisex fit.