How to Give a Sports Award Speech

Giving and receiving awards can be exciting for those involved, and in many athletic organizations sports awards ceremonies are held annually. It's typical that someone presenting an award to someone else will make a speech recognizing the recipient's achievements and noting why that person is receiving the award. Giving a good speech takes preparation but can definitely add to the occasion and also make the recipient appreciative of the time you took to write it.

Know the recipient. If you know the person beforehand, you might already know what subjects to avoid and what topics are safe. You might also know if he would prefer a comical speech or something more heartfelt. However, if you don't know the person you are presenting the award to, find out in advance enough about the person to write a speech that would be appropriate. Find out facts about the person that will make the speech entertaining without embarrassing him.

Greet the audience. Start by introducing yourself and briefly explain the award, the significance of it and why it is being awarded at that time. List the recipient's athletic achievements, including positive facts and any contributions he has made to his team or organization. Include a brief story about the person that would be relevant to the ceremony. Make it personal to engage the audience.

Keep it brief. People can get impatient when waiting to find out who the recipient is, and if they already know who it is, they can get bored with a long speech. The focus has to stay on the award, the recipient and his accomplishments. Preparing will allow you to time yourself and keep the speech at a reasonable length of time. Be energetic. Your excitement in presenting the award will be contagious and make the recipient feel good.