Competitions are over and tryouts have begun, but before you get too far into preparing for the season ahead, make sure you celebrate all of the hard work you put into this past year!

An end of season awards banquet is the cherry on top of every great season. It's a time to celebrate your challenges and triumphs, and to recognize the standout athletes on every team. 

Express Cheer 2017 Banquet was a success. Thank you to all of our teams that made the 16-17 season amazing! pic.twitter.com/4zd8lovV9L

— Express Cheer (@expresscheer) May 22, 2017

Whether you're a coach or captain, you can get creative with your awards and recognitions. Here are a few end of season awards to help show your squad how much you appreciate their hard work and dedication!

Senior Celebration!

Your seniors have put in countless hours of practice, sweat and tears to make their team great, so applaud their dedication! Recognize all the graduating Seniors and thank them for their years of hard work.

one last amazing celebration for our 2017 seniors who attended the bhs senior all sports banquet today! we miss you all & good luck ?? pic.twitter.com/gvA2TvK909

— Baldwin HS Cheer (@BaldwinHSCheer) May 21, 2017

Rookie of the Year

Being a first-year on any team is no easy task. Give this award to a newbie who really shined and showed incredible potential to be a leader in years to come.

A+ Attitude Award

Practices can be tough and times can be hard and what matters most is when you can rise up during adversity. Recognize an athlete who always kept a positive outlook on life and made the tough times better.

Tonight's cheer banquet was a success! I got the Best Attitude and Role Model award! I'm so blessed and thankful? pic.twitter.com/yLQw554ksy

— SarBear✨ (@SarBear_wash) April 23, 2016

Most Improved

Cheerleading skills are always evolving and athletes must stay on their toes and training to keep up. Recognize a teammate who's put in extra time and practice to improve their skills.

Congratulations to Mackenzie on being voted Most Improved for our end of season WCU Cheer Awards! ???#wcuramcheer #togetherwearegolden pic.twitter.com/FPlrnYTsn3

— WCU Cheerleading (@ram_cheer) May 11, 2017

One of a Kind, Genuine Heart award.

We've all been told at least once, 'There's no I in Team'. Give this award to an athlete that shows true heart in everything they do and goes above and beyond to help out their teammates.

Go beyond the gifts

End of season banquets typically involve gifts like t-shirts, backpacks or blankets. Turn your gifts into awards by saying something special about each individual on the team and include a word or phrase that embodies that athlete's role on the squad. This will ensure that every athlete feels appreciated. Have fun with it and get creative!

2016-2017 Cheer Banquet! Lot of work - but so worth it for these Hill Cheerleaders!!! pic.twitter.com/vVABlm49ol

— Shepherd Hill Cheer (@shrhshillcheer) May 10, 2017

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