Banquets are a time of reminiscing, laughing, eating and occasional tears. The majority of sports teams have a dinner at a banquet hall and get a chance to dress up.
The golfers took a trip to SkyZone, a place full of trampolines. They jumped around for a generous two hours. “In the last fifteen minutes of jumping around, the seniors decided to play the underclassmen [in a game of dodgeball] with the help of the coaches. In the end, the seniors and coaches were victorious,” Senior Aaron McSorley said. After such physical activity, the team sat down in the building for a pizza party and Coach Aaron Fitzpatrick handed out awards. When the festivities were over, the athletes departed from the trampolines and food with a formal goodbye.
Like the golfers, cross country runners don’t hold a formal get together. Instead, they take a group trip to a fun-filled destination. Last season, the team drove all the way to Splash Lagoon on a two day trip. They were provided with food and a place to sleep. Unlike other sports, these athletes don’t receive special awards. This season, the team decided to go to Sandcastle, and this trip will have to wait until the summer of 2014.
The boys’ and girls’ soccer teams have a combined banquet. This event was held at the Franzee’s-Javy’s restaurant in Economy. The teams arrived looking their best and ready to eat a full dinner. When the athletes were done conversing with friends and consuming their dinner, the coaches gave short speeches reminiscing about the season. Some complimentary words were said, and it was then the seniors’ turn to speak. Once the speeches were finished, the coaches took the room once again to reward the athletes for their hard work. Pictures were taken, hugs were given and the teams went home full of food and memories.
The volleyball banquet was held at Harmony Ridge, a small country club-like setting. Similar to others, the girls began with eating a hearty dinner. They ate foods like salad, chicken, a type of pasta and cheesecake. The coaches gave heart-wrenching speeches. The seniors were upset because it was their last high school volleyball season, but they enjoyed the event. “[The best part was] seeing the team members coming together one last time and getting along because it was a rough season,” Senior Mackenzie Keller said. Coaches Kathy Ames and Kristen Schneider bestowed awards to the girls and soon after, the event was over.
The football banquet is annually held in February at Franzee’s-Javy’s. Although the event will still be in February, the destination is unknown. The cheerleaders are also a part of this banquet. The coaches typically give out awards and speak about the previous season. Coaches mostly are the only ones to speak, but others are welcome to do so. The team eats dinner and converses with one another, and then the awards are given out.