Why a Tournament?
Tournaments are one of the quickest and most enjoyable fashions to bring team bonding and camaraderie to a minor hockey team. It also brings value to coaches by pointing out strengths and weaknesses that need to be addressed. From a play perspective, the tournament provides the opportunity for a team to compete against opponents that they do not see on a regular basis.
Choosing a Tournament
Selecting the right number of tournaments for a team to enter is about timing, calibre and means of travel. Consultation with families throughout this process will be regular, since they are key participants and need to voice an opinion. It is wise for a team to consider that at least one of its tournaments will be out of town. This will allow everyone to have the opportunity to interact with people outside of their home town. Just the travelling abroad will be an enriching experience and will create valuable memories. Out of town trips are always a good way to create bonds between team mates, staff and parents. Coaches need to include tournament participation in their season plans.
Preparation
All tournament organizers will have a clear process for application, acceptance and registration. The first step for your team is to apply as early as possible for the tournaments you want to enter. It is a good idea to have an alternate tournament plan, should one not be accepted. Thus, if a team has decided to participate in four tournaments in the year, then it is a good idea to apply for at least six. However, make sure that you have the ability to decline when your entry is confirmed if you wish to get a refund.
The real work begins following your acceptance in the tournament.
The 10 Commandments of Effective Tournament Planning
- Create a budget (identify costs and create a fundraising strategy).
- Submit the registration fee to the tournament and follow-up with the Team Roster (TMS). Bring extra copies to the tournament.
- Identify and book accommodations and mode of transportation.
- Complete the Tournament Travel Itinerary Form (TMS ) and share with all participants. This should be accompanied by a copy of any relevant maps and tournament directions.
- Meet with players and parents to discuss requirements and expectations (tournament rules, team rules, packing checklist, curfews, behavior, etc.)
- Create and distribute a team schedule of events for tournament (meals, practice times, free time, etc.)
- Photocopy and pack players' cards, birth certificates and health cards.
- Confirm accommodations, modes of transportations and schedules.
- Bring a gift of appreciation to the tournament coordinator.
- Pay in a timely manner and always send a thank you note to the tournament organizers.
The Experience
Enjoy! Enjoy! Enjoy! Make the memories positive and long lasting. As a coach, player and family member, you represent your home town, your hockey team and your association. What you do and how you conduct yourself speaks loudly.
Feedback from the experience will provide valuable information for the betterment of the tournament, your team and the association. Coaches, managers, players and parents need to get together to discuss feelings and reactions to the tournament and help to complete the Tournament Report (TMS). This will be given to the organization to help them for the next year's planning.
FROM THE OUTSIDE
What's in it for the Organizers?
There are number of reasons why people put on a tournament. All hockey tournaments fall into 1 of 6 categories.
- For financial gain - These types of tournament are held so that funds can be raised for a cause such as a charity, community or profit.
- To honor someone - These tournaments are created as a tribute to a highly respected individual.
- To invite teams from abroad to play each other - Invitational tournaments are held to have teams play each other from various regions and countries.
- To enhance community festivities - Holiday tournaments are a good example of this. They are held in collaboration with a celebration such as Thanksgiving, Christmas or Easter.
- To decide on a champion - National and regional tournaments take the winning teams from their leagues and have them play against each other to determine an overall winner.
- To profile talent - These tournaments give the opportunity to players to demonstrate their skills to evaluators, coaches and recruiters. Their design takes players from different areas and put them on various teams.
Getting Involved
Planning, organizing, scheduling, communicating and coordinating are some of the major tasks to ensure a tournament's success. To get these done takes time and manpower. If you would like to be a part of minor hockey, working a tournament is a great way to get involved.
Some of the jobs include:
- Tournament registration desk person
- Game statistician and tabulator
- Gate and ticket salesperson
- Security
- Team chaperone
- Welcoming person
- Fundraising and sponsorship sales
- Game star selection
- Media relations
Whether you volunteer or not, tournaments are a great way to meet new and exciting people from all over the world. Contact the tournament convenor and tell him or her you are interested to help out.
Set-up
Tournament organizers must have a clear vision of what the tournament is about. Everything surrounding the event is based on that vision. The look and feel, the teams involved, the sponsors and the events throughout the tournament will all stem from the vision.
The 5 Secrets to Successful Tournament Organizing
1. Plan your work and work your plan
a) Make a list of all tasks needed to make the tournament a success.
b)
Create a list of roadblocks that could cause problems.
c)
Write down what you can do to overcome the problems or what to do if they
happen.
d) You now have a plan AND a back-up plan. Carry out the tasks on your plan. Effective planning means always having a back-up plan.
2. Sales & Marketing - offer a choice of 3 levels of sponsorships to companies
a) A premium or exclusive offering:
- limit it to a maximum of 4 sponsors
- Make it industry specific such as 1 beverage or 1 clothing company in the tournament
b) A value or package offering - provide multiple opportunities to give exposure to sponsors:
- tournament guide
- banners hanging during games
- a table to expose their products
- All star team name, etc.
c) Tournament exposure offering - sponsors choose only one of the following:
- hang a banner
- book ad
- giveaway to each team, etc.
3. Communication & Publicity
| a) |
Teams - Advise teams of how the tournament will benefit them. Provide |
| |
a clear step by step process to enhance their experience. |
| |
Congratulate and thank them on their decision. |
| b) |
Media - Invite local paper sports and community journalists to |
| |
participate in the game star selection and get featured stories. Extend |
| |
communication to papers from the visiting teams. |
| c) |
Sponsors - Follow up in writing to confirm what was discussed. |
| d) |
Fans - Provide daily updates of what took place during the tournament. |
| e) |
Help and Support - Meet with everyone helping out. Acknowledge |
| |
everyone and show appreciation. People want to feel needed and |
| |
important. |
4. Budget
| a) |
Identify costs |
| b) |
Identify the minimum revenue amount needed to break even |
| c) |
Identify quick and slow, high and low revenue opportunity. Put your major focus |
| |
on high and quick revenues. |
| d) |
Compare actual and budgeted amounts. |
| e) |
Keep track of all spend centrally. Do not allow many hands to touch the money. |
| f) |
Balance daily. |
| g) |
Reconcile at the end of the tournament. |
5. Ask for help
| a) |
Tell administration and management of your local leagues that you need help for |
| |
the tournament. |
| b) |
Post notes in local rinks, grocery stores and community centers of jobs |
| |
available. Be specific of what you need. |
| c) |
Interview potential candidates to get to know them before bringing them on |
| |
board. |
The Event
Tournaments are filled with emotions.
- Players and coaches come in with anticipation about the unknown.
- Parents feel a little overwhelmed and sometimes unsure of what to expect.
- Sponsors are anxious to win new business.
- Tournament staff feels a little nervous about how to make the event fun.
This mix of feelings can be handled quite easily through effective listening, compassion and the ability to manage expectations. Smile, have fun and enjoy. Tournaments are a great way to meet new people and share each others' experiences.
Learn more about TOURNAMENTS |
www.icehockeytournaments.com
This site provides Ice Hockey Tournaments links from all over North America and occasionally beyond. They also provide links to tournament results and charts showing the structure of minor hockey governing bodies, leagues, clubs and their relationship to each other.
www.hockeytournaments.com
This site contains listings for tournaments and services which have been submitted by the general public.
There are more Tournaments Links on The Hockey Source Links page.
The Hockey Source does not necessarily endorse all the information on the linked pages it provides.
Shop the SOURCE to find solutions to your hockey needs! |
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