MVP Trophies and Awards for Teams, Leagues and Races

Short answer

An MVP trophy is the one individual award that sits above everything except the championship itself. Most teams and leagues give a season MVP at the banquet, and some add a smaller game, tournament or race-night MVP along the way. We make MVP awards in cut and printed acrylic, wood and metal, designed from your team, league or company logo so the MVP matches the rest of the set while standing a step above it. There is no minimum order, so a single MVP trophy is a normal job, and you approve a design proof before anything is produced.

First, second and third place awards on wood bases with printed acrylic faces and cut metal numerals

One award, chosen carefully

The MVP is the award people remember and the one parents photograph. It is also the one that causes arguments if the rest of the table is not thought through. A good MVP trophy looks like part of the season’s set, is clearly the top individual piece, and says exactly what it was for: which season, which team, which division.

For most teams the simplest route is a semi-custom award: your artwork printed on one of our stock bodies, such as the HD Series or the WB Series. The MVP uses the same artwork as the team awards, in the taller size. If the MVP should have a shape of its own, such as a player silhouette, a bike or the league crest, we cut it as a fully custom award.

If you are still deciding which awards to give at all, sports award categories lists them by type. This page is about the MVP piece itself.

The MVP awards we make most often

Season MVP

The banquet award. One per team or division, carrying the team name, the season and “Most Valuable Player.” Usually the tallest individual piece on the table.

Game or match MVP

A smaller piece handed out after a game or match. A medallion or a small acrylic award in the season design keeps the cost of giving one every week sensible.

Tournament MVP

For a weekend tournament, one MVP per age group or bracket, made without a name and presented on the field when the final ends.

Racing series MVP

Some series give an MVP or rider of the year to the racer who meant most to the season, which is not always the points champion. Cut to the shape of a bike, kart or car if you like.

Sales MVP

Companies borrow the term for the top performer of the quarter or year. A plaque or acrylic award with the company logo and the period it covers.

Perpetual MVP

One piece that stays with the club and gains a name plate every season, next to a keeper the player takes home.

Season MVP or game MVP: what is different

The two awards share a name but are ordered differently. A season MVP is known only at the end and gets engraved with a name. A game or race-night MVP is given many times, often by the coach or the announcer on the spot, so it is ordered in a batch with no names.

Season MVP compared with game, tournament and race MVP
	Season MVP	Game, tournament or race MVP
How many	One per team, division or class	One per game, bracket or race night, ordered as a batch
Name on it	Yes, once the winner is chosen	Usually no, or a blank plate filled in later
Size	The largest individual award in the set	Small: a medallion or short acrylic piece
When presented	At the banquet or season finale	Right after the game, match or main event
Typical material	Acrylic on a base, or a wood plaque	Medallion, small acrylic, or a pin

In racing, a “race MVP” is not a standard award, and most tracks call the nightly version something like driver of the night. If your series uses MVP at the banquet, define it in the program: points do not decide it, people do.

Sizing the MVP against the rest of the set

An MVP that is bigger than the championship trophy sends the wrong message. One that is the same size as the participation awards gets lost. The usual order on the table is: team or series champion largest, MVP next, other individual awards (most improved, best defensive player, hustle) a step smaller, and player keepsakes smallest.

Keep one design across the set and change only the size and the title line. It reads as one season.
If every player gets a trophy, make the MVP clearly taller rather than a different style. A different style can look like it came from a different event.
For a league with several divisions, every division MVP should be the same size. Nobody wants a smaller MVP because they played in the younger bracket.
Heights and plate sizes are covered in the trophy size and layout guide.

For the champion’s piece itself, see championship trophies. For the matching awards every player receives, see team awards.

What to engrave on an MVP trophy

Four things: the title, the name, the team or league, and the season. Add the division or age group for a league with more than one. Leave out statistics. They are accurate for a week and then become trivia nobody asked for.

Most Valuable Player
Jordan Ellis
Eastside Hawks 12U
2026 Season

Series MVP
Sam Ortega
Desert Valley Kart Club
2026

Sales MVP
Q3 2026
Pacific Region

If a coach wants a line of praise, keep it to one short sentence. More examples by occasion are in the plaque wording guide.

Player vote or coaches’ choice

Who picks the MVP matters more than the trophy. Coaches’ choice is normal for youth teams, because younger players tend to vote for their friends. Older and adult teams often use a player vote, sometimes with the coaches breaking ties. A racing series might poll officials or let racers vote at the last round. Whatever you choose, say how it was decided when the award is presented.

If your team gives an award chosen by the coach, that is usually called the coaches’ award, a different piece covered on coach awards. Banquet planning for the whole night, including how many awards to give, is on the end-of-season awards hub. To send us the artwork and award list, work back from the date the awards must be in hand and see how far in advance to order.

MVP Trophies FAQs

What do you write on an MVP trophy?

The title, the player’s name, the team or league, and the season. Add the division or age group if the league has more than one. A short line from the coach is optional.

Should the MVP trophy be bigger than the others?

Bigger than the other individual awards, smaller than the championship trophy. Keep the same design and change the size, so the set reads as one season.

Can you make game MVP awards we hand out every week?

Yes. Order them as a batch with no names, usually as medallions or small acrylic pieces in the season design, and keep them in the coach’s bag.

Can the MVP trophy have our team logo on it?

Yes. Every award is designed from your own logo and artwork and printed in full color. Acrylic can also be cut to the shape of the logo.

Is there a minimum order for one MVP trophy?

No. A single MVP trophy is a normal order, as is a full set for every division in a league.

Can we reorder the same MVP design next season?

Yes. The design is kept so it can be reordered with the new season and name, and the MVPs from every year match.

Racer in a helmet raising both arms as gold confetti falls under stage lights

SEASON MVP CHOSEN?

Send the logo and the award list

Tell us the team or league, how many MVPs you need and what else is on the awards table. We design the MVP with the rest of the set and send a proof for approval before anything is produced.

No minimum order applies, and finished awards ship anywhere in the US. Tell us the banquet date when you ask and we will check the current lead time against it.

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MVP Trophies