End of year banquet....poor season.

Absolutely not about burning bridges.

I want to be as positive as possible, just not sure what to talk about.

The parents saw the games. I don't need to talk about those.

Wow. That would be a really classy move.

they had to have learned something though it all, even if it was the hard way. we always say that football teaches life lessons and that would be what I would focus on.

Been in similar situations; there are enough generic compliments to get through it; not to mention you can always just look in the stat book, bring up a couple good numbers for certain kids. I mean you actually won a couple games, some teams go fo 0-fer. Its a banquet just keep it positive.

Yeah, but what kind of example is that setting?

Duece

One thing to consider is reading the failures of Abraham Lincoln and then some how tie it into the fact that failing to win games doesn't mean that the players are failures, because there is the game of life still to be played.

Make sure to wait until the post season conference awards have been decided upon, so that you can show that there were some good players on the team.

Did the kids give up in games? If not, focus on that as a positive and point out that the kids learned to compete.

Perhaps you could ask certain parents to make some comments about their son's high school career. One year we had a parent read the "Jersey" poem, it is a poem about how a mother is sad to not be able to wash her son's jersey anymore.

Give out some awards, show a highlight video and then you are outta there.

But I would try to divide up the speaking time as much as possible.

Get a parent to lead the agenda.

Get a keynote speaker to set the tone for the evening.

Speak briefly about something yourself.

Ask a player or two, maybe even a parent to make some comments.

You talk about some stats and make a few comments on the season.

Have the assistants hand out awards.

Handout letters and bars yourself after talking about the requirements to letter.

Thank the kids and the parents for their support. (?)

Invite people to stay and watch a highlight vide0

If you don't have a "Black Lion" type of kid then you could always use the 212 degrees book as a basis for a final address to the team/parents/etc. Talk about in future, whoever the coach is, looking for a way to find the extra degree in everything you do in football and life. Base it around the books presentation that at 211 degrees water is just really hot and the instant it reaches 212 degrees it becomes steam and steam can power a locomotive. If I knew I was stepping out of a program, and out of the players lives, I would do everything I could to end on a positive note and to try one more time to better the players. Don't be afraid to point out areas where as a coach you failed to get the extra degree. Sometimes in a culture where the kids are quick to blame eachother and point fingers we have to lead by example and own up to our own shortcomings (we all have them...I screw up pretty frequently). Mabey there is a way to make a difference one last time.

True, but I was under the impression there were problems.