Pentucket recently held the first fall sports banquet, with the new style being put into action. This was a monumental moment in Pentucket history, and if you’ve read our most recent article, you would understand the anticipation of athletes, coaches, parents, and administrators leading up to the event. 

Now that the night is over and everyone has had the chance to provide feedback, let’s see how the students and administrators feel that it went!

What Did the Athletes Think?

As you may know, going into the banquet athletes were generally upset about the new style and were not looking forward to attending. Most of the fall athletes felt the new banquet would ruin the night and that it would not be nearly as fun as the banquets they were used to.

However, many athletes are much more satisfied than they had expected. Junior Cami Chisolm stated, “My opinion [on the new banquet] did change. At first, I did not think it was going to work out at all and I was very skeptical about it. But, after it went smoothly and I saw everything happen I ended up liking the new banquet.” 

Similarly, another junior noted, “I think that being together and seeing your friends from different sports is nice. I think that the banquet was fun being with everyone from all sports and being able to talk with different people.”

Sophomore Aiden Reade also added, “I liked how we were able to break out and keep the same idea of the original banquet, and how we all ate together and could go to the other teams and talk.” 

Senior Lily McIntyre agreed. “We were able to do all of our traditions that we have done in previous years.” And she even added, “I liked the awards ceremony in the gym as well as the individual team breakout rooms.” 

Preserving the sentimental feelings of the old banquet was a big concern of many going into the banquet, so it is great that many felt this accommodation was made.

On the other hand, there were also many athletes who felt as though the night lost its sentimental feelings and was more chaotic than in previous years. 

One junior said, “I feel as though the banquets have turned from a personal, fun team experience, to a rushed process, making it hard for each team to enjoy [the banquet] as they used to.”

A sophomore also noted, “There was no special team bonding like in the other banquets,” despite the administration’s goal to keep as much of the prior banquet style intact.

Although he has positive feedback, sophomore Aidan Reade also agreed that the process was rushed and felt frustrated. “It was so chaotic since I had no clue where my team was in the gym.” Yet even with this criticism he also noted, “After, I think the banquet ran smoothly, it was definitely a lot better than it seemed at first.”

Another concern that the athletes did not feel was resolved was the size of the classrooms. A junior said, “I felt so claustrophobic [in the breakout room]. Some people had to sit on the floor during the video to see and I couldn’t see the video at all.”

Junior Jayden Pabst agreed with this stating; “I thought the space was very crowded and all together very loud with everyone talking. I just like the concept of having a big room where teammates, family members, and friends have a space to enjoy themselves instead of a cramped little room.”

The feedback from the athletes was mixed between good and bad, but overall everyone seemed to be happier with how the banquet went than they originally expected.

What Did Administrators Think?

When interviewing Pentucket Principal Ms. Erhardt, she explained that the feedback she received was mostly positive. On the night of the banquet, many parents came up to her and expressed how much they loved the format and being all together. Many parents also felt that the banquet was quicker than in previous years, which they appreciated. 

She states, “I loved seeing everybody together and cheering for the kids who got Varsity Letters. This sense of community was something so great to see.” 

The main point that she received in criticism was the food being cold. “While that’s something out of my control, I will certainly give feedback to the caterer.”    

She also received a few criticisms about the space in a PAA meeting after the banquet. Some parents noted that it felt cramped or squished, which is a problem that Ms. Erhardt and the administrators completely acknowledge. They are considering other spaces in the school, however, nothing is always perfect. “Everyone agreed we did the absolute best we could. Having lived through it once now, we can make all of the tweaks.”

What to Expect for Future Banquets?

As far as the upcoming banquets in the winter and spring, a few things will be different compared to the fall banquet. 

One of the major differences is the number of athletes who will be attending. “The fall banquet is the biggest banquet of the year,” Ms. Erhardt notes. “The winter banquet has three less teams, and 120 less kids, so thinking through all of the things we can fix for the fall banquet will make the other two banquets much easier.” 

Ms. Erhardt also wants to put floor coverings down in the gym to help solve the limited seating problem in the gym. “We can have student-athletes sit on the floor, and then all of the parents can sit in the stands. Then we will have more room for everyone to fit.”

The food situation could be different as well. Ms. Erhardt will be talking to the caterer about keeping the food hot, and also about possibly switching up the menu. 

“We are also going to try to get some kids to do some community service after school to help us with the chairs.” Setting up for the banquet was a big job and took a ton of time for the administration, so going forward, any students who are willing to help set up will receive some community service hours.

In general, Ms. Erhardt and the administration will be working hard to take in all feedback and make improvements for the next banquets. 

Conclusion

The new sports banquet will not be the same as the previous years, but the athletes and parents do feel that the new style went relatively smoothly. The hard work of the administration was shown and appreciated by the attendees, making it a memorable night for everyone involved.  

Both athletes and parents are excited to see how the banquets will go this coming winter and spring now that we have an idea of what to expect and how it will go.