Teams generally engage in out of state tournaments for two reasons, finding the right level of play and/or engaging in some true team bonding. The proper managing of out of state soccer tournaments is key to a successful weekend.
Teams that recently added players and are just getting together often benefit greatly from an out of state tournament as they have an opportunity to bond. Going out of town forces the players and the families to spend significant time together and really form those strong bonds that keep the core of a team together. Getting to know each other is vital to team chemistry and these out of town tournaments can really lead to long term cohesion of a team.
For teams that have been together for a long time and have reached the top levels of play in their area, out of state tournaments are often the only way to get a weekend of appropriate level competition. Regardless of why a team is heading out of town the logistics of the out of town tournament create some challenges for the coach and team manager. Parental support to these tournaments is more important than every. The following are some points to consider before attending the tournament.
Talking with the Tournament Director
If you don’t know much about the tournament, then I always recommend reaching out to the tournament director to get a feel for the tournament. Some tournament directors are really great and responsive, but others are not very helpful, don’t take it personal if they don’t respond. The tournament director usually has information about the level of play expected in the tournament, field locations and conditions, scheduling issues or assistance, etc. Sometimes the information does not turn out to be correct, so take it all with a grain of salt. If you are looking at some of the higher end or larger tournaments, their website will likely have most of the information you need and often the tournament director will not substantively engage with individual teams.
Registration
Most tournaments have gone completely online with registration and team documents. Updating your team’s Gotsoccer or Total Global Sports account prior to the registration will expedite your registration. Waiting until after the team is registered and then updating your roster often takes more work. The typical paperwork required includes:
- Your State’s Sanctioning Body out of state travel permission
- Uploaded Player Cards
- Uploaded Roster
- Player Cards
- Medical Releases
Equipment
Tournament support varies considerably and you will want to check with the tournament to see what they provide at the fields. Some tournaments provide shade, benches and water, some do not. You don’t want to end up in Arizona facing 100 degree heat without shade or benches, so ensure you ask. With out of town tournaments, there are a lot of moving parts, so ensure you remind the parents responsible for bringing the tent and benches.
Friday Games
Friday games are one of the most polarizing aspects of out of town tournaments. The tournaments love them as it allows them to bring in more teams, space out the games, use the same referees and potentially get an extra hotel night stay out of the out of town teams. Parents usually hate them as it means pulling a player out of school, missing work, traveling and trying to work at the same time, and a disruption to an otherwise normal schedule.
The players, generally they seem to like playing under the lights and they definitely like missing a day of school. For the coaches, often the Friday night game is the difference between being able to take 2 or 3 teams to the tournament. Friday night games mean less games on saturday and if the tournament is working with the coach to deconflict their schedules, it could be really good.
The Friday night games are a fact of life that you just have to deal with. So plan on a three day weekend and a Friday game. It gives the team a lot more time to bond on saturday!
Deconfliction of coaches schedules
Often coaches will try to take multiple teams to out of town tournaments. The positives associated with multiple teams include shared cost of the coach’s hotel, club bonding opportunities between the teams, and the ability to socialize with families that you may not regularly see. The downside is almost exclusively the coach’s schedule at the tournament. Most tournaments will try to deconflict schedules, but that is not always possible. Do your best to advocate for your team to ensure your coach can cover as many games as possible. Ensure you have a back up plan (assistant coach or parent with a license) in case there are conflicts.
Team Bonding
The most common team bonding activity at out of town tournaments is dining. Eating seems like a simple activity, unfortunately it is often an extremely challenging endeavor. Generally a saturday night dinner is a good way for the team together and for the parents to socialize as well. I recommend a restaurant that can accommodate the team in one area, you can put parents wherever. Try to get the parents to mingle as well, but most importantly the team needs to be together. It is important to get the team to the restaurant on time and get their food ordered. The players will get bored before the parents and you need to get them back to the hotel for a good night’s sleep to prepare for Sunday’s game(s).
Team Dinner
The logistics of a team dinner is no small event. It is too much for the coach or manager to handle leading up to the tournament and especially at the tournament. Designate one parent to lead this effort. They will need to find a venue, coordinate with the management, lock in a headcount, and get everyone to the dinner. Give this person some guidance on what the coach expects out of the dinner with regards to food for the players, time commitment to the event, participation, and the all important location.
Eating between games
Everyone has to eat. The tournament schedule will likely dictate what you can and can’t do between games. I would try to put a parent in charge of making some sort of plan for the eating between games. If the game times are tightly packed (Time and Parking) you may want to think about a parent making a run to get sandwiches or Smoothies/Acai bowls in between games while the players relax.
Often parents will want to go to a sports bar, pizza place, or brewhouse. These locations are great for the parents, they are filled with issues for game preparation. First, the food at these types of places is not ideally suited for the players between games. Second, these restaurants are not interested in getting you in and out, so from a timing perspective they often put you in a tough spot. Time is limited to get the players fed and back to the fields. Third, they are typically not set up to accommodate a large group without an advanced reservation; and herding all of the parents between games is very tough. Finally, they are often not conveniently located close to the game venue.
Bonding Event
Tailor the team bonding event to your team, as all teams are different and have different. needs. Remember, the number one reason you are playing in the tournament is soccer, so ensure the team bonding event does not interfere. Don’t schedule an event that will negatively impact the soccer play. Finding something that encourages bonding, keeps the players out of the sun and off their feet, and does not involve food can be hard. Obviously things like water parks and swimming are great activities, but they can impact the team’s performance on the field. We recently did an escape room for the girls and that was a big hit. The venue was inside, cool, and the players had to work together to solve a problem. It was a great event for the team, the only downside was the cost, about $30 per player.
Hotel Reservations for out of state tournaments
One of the most difficult parts of attending an out of state tournament is dealing with the hotel stay. Almost all tournaments are now “stay and play” tournaments. A stay and play tournament conditions your acceptance into the tournament on your team booking hotel reservations with their vendors. The tournament undoubtedly gets money back from the hotels as the prices are usually higher with the tournament than just booking them yourself. The stay and play model is not going away, so proper communication is key with the parents to get everyone in the same hotel.
Typically, the tournament has a number of hotel choices and pleasing all of the parents is impossible. Some families want to use their hotel points, others only stay at certain brands, some want a free breakfast, etc. I have found that talking with the coach and just finding a decent hotel that is close to the field and can accommodate the entire team is all you should worry about. The logistics of the hotel are tough enough, so just plant the flag close to the fields and go from there.
This is not something you want to handle as the manager, get a parent to lead the charge on the hotel reservations.
Field location
Unknown field locations and layouts create one more thing to cause friction tied to out of state tournaments. Parents, coaches and players are not familiar with the general area, specific fields and the parking. I have found that if you can be very clear with addresses and send out field maps ahead of time, this will help with the logistical issues.
Booking the team hotel close to your fields is always a good idea. For tournaments with a limited geographic footprint, the hotel booking is pretty simple. If you are playing in a very large tournament, or one that is spread out to different venues, hotel selection may be more difficult. Communication with the tournament director may help decide where to book the hotel, but not always. Schedules and venues are often changing right up to the last minute and you generally have to book your hotel in advance.
Conclusion
The tout of town tournaments take a little more work, but done correctly they are great events and the benefits are long lasting. Doing a little homework to select the right tournament is worth the effort.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.