We’ve trained all season, we’ve worked hard, we’ve won (and sometimes lost) medals. Everyone sees the work that happens on the water or in the gym. We get rewarded for that work with the medals we earn at races. But what about all the other things that help make a good team the smooth, well-oiled machine that it is?

With all the negativity and “paddletics” we might encounter throughout the year, it is important to recognize those who make a positive difference in our sport! Tweet it!

Photo: Ed Nguyen

For many of us in the northern hemisphere our season has come to a close or is about to. This often means parties, celebrations, and honoring teammates who have gone above and beyond in many aspects of our sport. Some awards are standard and somewhat obvious, such as MVP (Most Valuable Paddler) or Most Improved.

However, often we’d like to honor those teammates who might not be eligible for MVP, but whose presence on the team make them an exceptionally valuable teammate. These awards can be difficult to think of, so I’ve compiled a list.

1. Most Spirited
2. Best Attitude
3. Best Practice Attendance Award
4. Energizer Bunny (Most Energy)
5. Most Heart For The Sport
6. Coach’s Award (most coachable, shows a lot of passion)
7. Mountain Mover (gets things DONE!)
8. Most Versatile
9. Commitment to Excellence
10. Commitment to Service
11. Behind the Scenes Award (for a teammate who does a lot of the work that no one even realizes)
12. Teamwork Award
13. Above & Beyond
14. Good Sport Award
15. Winning Spirit Award
16. Most Fun Paddler Award
17. Best Effort Award
18. Leadership Award
19. Role Model Award
20. Best Teammate Award
21. Communicator Award
22. Love of the Game Award
23. 110% Award
24. Best Team Supporter Award
25. Best Cheerer Award

Be creative with the titles of your awards! Make them unique to your team, if possible. One of my favorites that our team gives out is the “Broken Paddle” award given to the teammate who has “Extraordinary Positive Force” on the team. It is, quite literally, a broken wooden paddle that our teammate, Kevin, broke during a practice. Each year we add a name plate to it with the winner’s name. The recipient keeps the paddle for the year.

Another dilemma is what type of award to hand out. Should it be a plaque? A trophy? A certificate? A team photo? Or something else? For many years, my team was lucky enough to have Doug, a talented woodworker, on our team and he crafted gorgeous trophies and plaques for us. One year he made miniature replica dragon boats, another year he made beautiful paddles with a dragon on them to hang on the wall (see photo below).

An example of the awesome, handmade awards that my team gave out.

If, however, you aren’t lucky enough to have such crafty talent on your team, consider purchasing unique handmade gifts such as those found on etsy.com or similar sites. A quick search for items such as “handmade paddle jewelry” or even just “dragon boating” can yield a variety of potential awards from jewelry to wall hangings to t-shirts to replica paddles or boats. You might possibly find something that has a more personal touch than a simple trophy.

There are also “fun” awards that can be given out. One year, a teammate and I made silly awards such as “Most Likely to Capture the Team’s Every Move on Camera,” “Most Likely to Be Able to Fix Anything With Duct Tape,” “Team Foodie” (the one who always recommended new restaurants), and “Cruise Director” (the one who always planned the team’s social events). We even made silly “medals” to go with the awards. For example the “Foodie” award got a gold spray-painted fork hung on a ribbon to wear like a medal. The camera award was literally an old-school-style film camera also spray painted gold and hung on a ribbon for wearing.

Whichever way you decide to honor your teammates, your paddlers will appreciate being acknowledged for their hard work throughout the year. With all the negativity and “paddletics” we can encounter throughout the year, it is important to recognize those who make a positive difference in our sport!

ABOUT THE BLOGGER

Kristin Stickels is a three-time Team USA member of the US National Dragon Boat Racing Team. She is the coach of the Miami team Puff, the Florida Tarpons women's team and the local Breast Cancer Survivors' Team (SOS).

She is also an avid outrigger canoe paddler and raced through the Panama Canal on a native cayuco boat from the Atlantic to the Pacific.

Found out more about Hornet paddles at www.hornetwatersports.com