Varsity Volleyball Seniors Night: What To Expect

As a parent, my favorite event of the year is Senior Night for whichever sports or clubs my children are a part of. This one gets to me: the tears, the pride, that moment when each senior stands before their loved ones to remember the fantastic times they’ve had together. However, every year, there are a few parents or players that seem hesitant, and maybe not sure what to expect.

The Volleyball Varsity Seniors Night is the final home game of the season, representing a chance for all players to feel recognized for their dedication during the last game they’ll ever play on their home court. 

Like all senior events, Volleyball Varsity Senior’s Night is only going to be as special as you make it. Keep reading to see what to expect as a player, what to expect as a parent, and how to plan the best night possible. 

What To Expect as a Player?

As a player, the Volleyball Seniors Night is your final time playing volleyball on your home court. For what has likely been years, you’ve sacrificed free time, sweat, and blood to this team; now it’s your moment to shine. 

Either before the game, during halftime, or immediately after the game, you will stand before the crowd as the coach or a guest speaker reads a prepared speech in your honor. While you may dress up for this event, it’s more likely that you will experience this in your uniform. Double-check the dress code with your coach!

As for the game itself, play with the same tenacity that you usually would, knowing that your friends and loved ones are here to watch on this special night. Enjoy listening to the extra cheers as you play for your home team one more time. 

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What To Expect as a Parent?

It’s okay to feel a little emotional; your baby has grown up. On Senior’s Night, expect to either stand in the audience as your senior athlete is announced or to escort them onto the court to be recognized by the crowd. In some cases you or your athlete may be given something; a flower, balloons, or a gift basket. Be ready to receive it graciously and keep in mind your athlete may need you to carry it away if they’re not done playing for the night.

This is a special night and deserves to be treated as such. While no one expects formal wear, dress a little nicer than you usually would attend a high school volleyball game. I’d suggest what most people refer to as “church clothes.”  

At some point in the evening, your child will stand before the crowd as the coach recognizes their accomplishments. While some coaches prefer that the student stand alone to represent their step into adulthood, others prefer that parents escort their child onto the court. Check with your child’s coach in advance to see what they like.

What To Expect as a Coach?

Are you new to coaching? Communicate with your parents your vision of how you’d like your Senior Night to run. Don’t be shy to talk it through with coaches from other sports, they can probably offer some great ideas. There are ideas of different variations sprinkled throughout this article, but you have to choose what’s right for your team.

Remember that all your seniors need to play in this game. Regardless of their ability, this is their final game to play for their home team and they deserve that after sticking with your program to the end. Don’t be the coach that forgets, your players and the crowd will notice.

It’s not always possible, but if you can, you’d like this meeting to be an easy win for your team. Consider this early in the season as you’re negotiating your schedule and try to stick to it. If nothing else, at least choose an opponent that your team will be competitive with so they have a shot to end on a good note.

Many programs find it a good tradition to have the Juniors and their parents to be in charge of Senior Night. These players and parents have been with the program for a while and have seen how things can be done. They have the incentive to make it good since they can look forward to being the ones being honored next year.

Consider enlisting a guest speaker or announcer. Unless you’re very comfortable and gifted on a microphone in front of the crowd, having a special guest take on that role can really help the night go more smoothly. If you have a parent in the program that’s well-spoken and outgoing, or maybe an announcer from one of the other sports teams, they may be honored that you asked.

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Tips for Planning

To make sure that this night remains as special as possible, it’s essential to:

• Keep open communication
• Get involved
• Put aside differences
• Prepare biographies in advance
• Make this night a priority
• Invite everyone

Keep Open, Positive Communication 

Let’s be honest; we all get a little sensitive around senior events, especially when sports are involved. A missed message, an unpaid fee, pictures that weren’t turned in on time, or an unwritten speech can quickly turn into unnecessary drama. A breakdown of communication can turn what might otherwise have been a beautiful night into an evening of frustration and resentment. 

At the start of the season, it’s crucial to quickly find out how the coach prefers to communicate with their players. For some teams, it may be the team captain or the president of the volleyball boosters that communicates the coach’s vision and plans for all events. Since this event happens at the end of the senior year, you should be familiar with who is in charge of communication well ahead of Senior Night.

Get Involved

Senior Night can be overwhelming for everyone involved, but it doesn’t have to be! As the old saying goes, many hands make light work. Parents can play their part by getting involved in the decoration process, guaranteeing that the night goes off without a hitch.

Are you tech-savvy? Ask the coach if you can put together a photo slideshow to play during the game. A fan of Pinterest? Look up ideas for decorations that will encourage the players without distracting them. Do you live on Facebook? Advertise for the night. 

The bottom line is that this night has the potential to be as spectacular as you make it, and the coach can only do so much alone. So jump in and see what you can do to make this night extraordinary!

Put Aside Differences

Is it necessary to get along with everyone on the team? Absolutely not! Conflict is a necessary part of a competitive sport like volleyball, just as it’s a natural part of life.

However, on this night, for better or worse, your teammates are your friends. Every person on the team should be prepared to set aside any differences that might distract from the good feelings of the night.

Whatever petty arguments or minor disagreements you’ve gotten into over the heat of competition, it’s time to resolve. In five years, you won’t remember them anyway. This night, however, you will remember, so make sure it’s a great one! 

Prepare Biographies in Advance

During Volleyball Seniors Night, players are all given a chance to stand before their teammates, family, and friends to be recognized for their dedication to their sport. An essential part of this recognition frequently involves a biography written by the player for the event.

For your own sake, don’t wait until the last minute to complete this biography! While that idea seems intimidating, teams will often use a short questionnaire to help the seniors know what to write about themselves. The main idea is to communicate your accomplishments, your thanks to those who supported you, your favorite memories, and your future plans.

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Senior year is eventful, and it is entirely understandable to feel overwhelmed by the ever-growing list of all you are expected to do. However, pushing this biography to the end of your to-do list can cause an inconvenience to everyone involved in making this night special.  

If you are feeling stressed by what to say, ask your coach for help! If they’ve done this before, they’re likely well-accustomed to players who don’t know how to brag about their own accomplishments. Sometimes just talking your thoughts through with your fellow seniors will get your ideas rolling and help you feel more confident about your comments.

Make This Night a Priority

Again, your senior year of high school can feel like an absolute whirlwind. With pep rallies, dances, recruiting trips, and college prep– not to mention balancing jobs and homework–  it’s easy to feel that senior night will virtually take care of itself. Despite this instinct, you absolutely must make Volleyball Senior Night a priority!

True, this night frequently doesn’t require much from the seniors themselves, but that doesn’t make it any less significant. Players should remember: this is the last game of high school varsity volleyball they’ll ever play! Allow yourself to feel the emotions of that statement; you and your teammates should anticipate and look forward to this event.

Invite Everyone

The absolute best way to help your seniors feel supported on this night is to send out invitations. A simple phone call to the grandparents, aunts, and uncles goes a long way, but if you’d like to go the extra mile, order paper invitations! Personalized invitations can be as low as a dollar apiece, and the finished product makes for a beautiful keepsake. 

As for parents, they should make every effort possible to attend this event and to be early to lend a hand with last-minute details if needed. As your player is announced to receive their recognition, make sure they feel your support through the volume of cheers!  

Conclusion

Regardless of the level of planning involved, this night is guaranteed to be a special one; however, this doesn’t mean that planning wouldn’t be appreciated. Don’t forget that this is the last night your seniors will ever play on their home court. Get ready in advance to make this Volleyball Varsity Seniors Night one to remember!

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