Pilot Team Awards?

I need help on this one. Do the Pilots have a team dinner or banquet after the season ends? Is it after the regular season or after the team is completely done for the season? Are there team awards, like MVP, Most Improved Player, Best Freshman, etc.? Are former team members invited? Is the MVP always a senior or can it be any class? Finally, is the event and awards published in the local papers?

I would really appreciate your knowledge on this. Thanks in advance to any and all!

The Athletic Department typically hold a banquet with the men's and women's teams together. Sometimes they hold it immediately after the regular season ends before playoffs begin, because if the teams have a good chance of going to the final four, then scheduling becomes a problem in December with kids dealing finals, going home, and what not; sometimes they do wait until January, it just depends on when they can ensure full availability of the team members, coaching staff, and athletic staff.

From what I understand and remember and have seen looking through old media guides, there are three awards given: Most Improved, Most Inspirational (I think they still do that one), and Most Valuable. Any player on the team can get any of the awards (I'm sure Sinc was MVP almost every year she played); additionally, the staff has shown in the past they will give one award to multiple players, if the situation merits it (as I said in the post regarding the seniors, in 1998 the MVP award was given to the entire senior class).

Former team members are not typically invited en masse; in the past, Alumni have shown up, I think at the request of the staff if the Alum or Alums have been a particular help during that season (ie: former players training with the team during the season). Friends and families are invited, and I think members of The Pilot Club are invited to attend as well (usually, there is a fee for these people to attend to cover the cost of their dinners) , but the event is not published in the paper for anyone to come; in years past, the award winners are sometimes published in the paper, and sometimes they aren't. I think it's kind of a toss up for The Oregonian if it's a slow news day.

Season ticket holders are invited as well... there is a small cost per person too. The past few years it has been held at the NW Natural Gas building downtown.

I'm not sure if it's covered in the O or any other paper, but usually there will always be a realase on PortlandPilots.com.

It's always a fun event - the coaches will usually say something about each player, talk about the season ahead, maybe talk about next season, thank all the fans, etc. They give out the awards and also give gifts to the seniors. They will show a highlight video. Usually one or two players speaks as well.

I think that about covers it...