Most valuable player facts for kids
In team sports, a most valuable player (MVP) award is a special honor. It's given to a player whose individual performance is the best in a whole league, a specific competition, or on their own team. The award celebrates how much one player's efforts help their team succeed. It highlights their amazing skills and how they stand out among other players.
The term "MVP" can mean different things depending on the situation. A 'League MVP' is the best player in an entire league. A 'Team MVP' is the most valuable player on a specific team. In many sports, MVP awards are also given for a single game, like a championship match. This is often called a "player of the match" award. For example, a 'Finals MVP' award goes to the best player in a championship series.
Some famous athletes have won many MVP awards. Wayne Gretzky, a hockey legend, won the MVP award a record nine times. Eight of those wins were in a row! Barry Bonds won the MVP award seven times in Major League Baseball. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar won the NBA MVP six times, and Michael Jordan won it five times. Peyton Manning won the NFL MVP five times. Other NFL players like Jim Brown, Johnny Unitas, Brett Favre, Tom Brady, and Aaron Rodgers have also won multiple MVP awards.
It's important to know that the MVP isn't always on the winning team. Sometimes, a player can be the most valuable even if their team doesn't make the playoffs or win the championship. For example, in 1969, Jerry West won the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award even though his team lost the finals. In 1971, Chuck Howley won the Super Bowl Most Valuable Player Award despite his team losing Super Bowl V. In baseball, Bobby Richardson won the 1960 World Series MVP award, but his team lost the World Series. These examples show that being the MVP is about individual excellence, not just team wins.
The term "MVP" is most common in the United States and Canada. In many other countries, people use "player of the year" for a whole season and "player of the match" for single games. In Australia, Australian rules football clubs use "best and fairest". Rugby league uses "player of the year," like the Dally M Medal.
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How MVP Awards Started
The first MVP award in North American sports began in professional baseball in the early 1900s. In 1911, a group of sportswriters decided to find the "most important and useful players." These players received The Chalmers Award, named after a car company. The first winners were Ty Cobb and Frank Schulte. This award stopped in 1955. The MVP award we know today in Major League Baseball started in 1931.
How MVPs Are Chosen
MVP awards are usually given out after a careful process. First, a large group of players is narrowed down to a few nominees, called finalists. Then, the winner is chosen based on their performance during the regular season. This choice is often made by a vote. The voters are usually other players, members of the media, or coaches. The exact way this happens changes from league to league. Some sports that give MVP awards include baseball, basketball, football, ice hockey, and soccer.
Baseball MVP Selection
In MLB, voting for the MVP happens before the playoffs. But the winners are not announced until after the World Series. Sportswriters vote for the MVP. They decide what "most valuable" means to them. The most recent winner of the American League MVP award is Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Basketball MVP Selection
In the NBA, the way the MVP is chosen has changed over time. For many years, the players themselves voted. Since 1980, a group of broadcasters and sportswriters vote for the MVP. Each person on the panel votes for their top five players. A first-place vote gives a player 10 points, second place gets 7 points, and so on. The player with the most points wins. The most recent winner of the award is Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets.
American Football MVP Selection
In the NFL, 50 sportswriters vote for the MVP at the end of the regular season. The results are kept secret until the day before the Super Bowl. These sportswriters are experts who follow the NFL closely. The most recent winner of the award is Lamar Jackson of the Baltimore Ravens.
Ice Hockey MVP Selection
In the NHL, members of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association vote for the MVP at the end of the regular season. Each voter ranks their top five players, giving points from 10 down to 1. Three finalists are announced, and the trophy is given out at the NHL Awards ceremony after the playoffs. The most recent winner of the award is Nathan Mackinnon of the Colorado Avalanche.
Lacrosse MVP Selection
In the PLL, players and coaches vote in the first round to choose nominees for the MVP award. Then, media, PLL staff, and a special advisory board vote on the nominees to pick the winners. The winners are announced at an Awards Ceremony at the end of the season. The most recent winner of the award is Jeff Teat of the New York Atlas.
In the NLL, media members vote for the MVP award. They rank their top five choices, using a point system similar to the NHL. The top three players with the most points become finalists. The finalist with the most points wins. If there's a tie, they look at who got the most first-place votes. The most recent winner of the award is Connor Fields of the Rochester Knighthawks.
Soccer MVP Selection
In association football (soccer), the MVP award is often called "Player of the Season." In the FIFA World Cup, the award for the best player is called the Golden Ball. This is chosen by a special group from FIFA. The most recent winner of the Golden Ball was Lionel Messi of Argentina at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
In the Premier League, the Player of the Season is chosen by a panel. This panel includes people from football organizations, the media, and fans. The winner is announced in May. The most recent winner of the award is Phil Foden of Manchester City F.C..
Examples of MVP Awards
- Major League Baseball's American and National Leagues, AL and NL Championship Series, and World Series; also All-Star Game
- Nippon Professional Baseball
- National Football League regular season and Super Bowl; also Pro Bowl
- Hart Memorial Trophy and Lester B. Pearson/Ted Lindsay Award (National Hockey League regular season) and Conn Smythe Trophy (playoffs); the All-Star Game also has an MVP
- National Basketball Association regular season and Finals; also NBA All-Star Game
- Woman National Basketball Association regular season and Finals
- EuroLeague MVP
- Major League Soccer regular season and MLS Cup; also MLS All-Star Game
- FIVB Tournaments (volleyball)
- Canadian Football League regular season, East Division, West Division, and Grey Cup; also "Most Valuable Canadian" awards for the regular season and Grey Cup
- College football's Heisman Trophy
- NCAA basketball tournament; there are also various awards for the player(s) selected as player of the year
- Indian Premier League (cricket)
- National Basketball League regular season and Grand Final (Australia)
- Leigh Matthews Trophy, given by the AFL Players Association to the AFL's most valuable player (different from the Brownlow Medal, which is for the fairest and best)
- Philippine Basketball Association regular season, PBA Finals; also PBA All-Star Game
- European League of Football for their regular season and Championship Game
See also
In Spanish: MVP para niños
- Athlete of the Year
- Most Outstanding Player (disambiguation)
