What should Teams look for when choosing a Tournament

Davemy

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Communication from Tournament Staff or Director. How fast do they respond to emails, Post Scores, Schedules, Weather updates. Do they use Social Media, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Website.
Are they using Tourney Machine or something equivalent. (USSSA or USA Softball)
Is Tournament Staff easily found during the Tournament.

Please add to this thread and please do not name any Tournaments
 

Davemy

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Honesty of Tournament Director and Tournament?
How long has the Tournament been running? History and Reputation. Is it easy to research the Tournament? Do you personally know Teams that have played in the Tournament and given it a Thumbs up! Does the Tournament deliver what they are promising year after year? Be very careful of Tournaments that Promise, Promise, Promise everything under the sky! If it's a Charity Tournament do you ever hear after words what the donation total is? Who is in charge? What experience do they have?

The more research you do, the less chance you will be disappointed on Sunday night after the Tournament!
 

Davemy

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Type and Location of Tournament.
Is it a local Tournament or does it require overnight stays. Level of Teams that play in it? Have you looked at the previous years Tournament schedule? How many Games is the guarantee? Of coarse weather permitting? What is the Refund Policy? HAVE YOU READ THE RULES PAGE? Single or double elimination on Sunday?
Game Time limits? Sanctioned or non sanctioned. Qualifier? To where,what or when? Is it Stay to Play or have a Gate and Parking Fee's? Where are the Hotels? Do they have a website showing prices and locations? Do they post parking and Gate fees on their website? Are Campers allowed?
Showcase, Invitational, This term is way over used, be careful what a Tournament is promising! Is the Tournament in one complex or do they use multiple locations? Where are those locations? How far apart are the fields? Is the Tournament on Grass or Turf? Do they play on Baseball fields? Are the fields fenced in? Do they use Temp. fencing?
Is the Tournament classified as a Destination Tournament? What activities are near by?
 

Davemy

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COST OF TOURNAMENT? I have never heard any bitching about the cost of a tournament if they felt they got what was promised or delivered! It is brought up when weather comes into play. College Coaches are no where to be found! Fields are in terrible condition. What is the Tournaments reputation dealing with rain and unplayable fields? Do they have a reputation of pulling the plug right away? Do they have experience dealing with getting fields back up and running? Do they use town workers or volunteers or paid workers? Do they have the staff and equipment? Every Tournament says they have field dry materials! Does the Tournament Director keep you up to date? How often do they drag and line fields after each game? How often do they repair pitchers mounds and batter boxes? Do they water the fields to keep dust down?
 

BA824

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For me in order.

1. Competition. Want the best
2. Cost and format. As a paying customer best bang for my buck
3.(tie) Field conditions. Quality of fields
3.(tie) TD. Who is running tournament. Timely communication before and during tournament
 

Davemy

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For me in order.

1. Competition. Want the best
2. Cost and format. As a paying customer best bang for my buck
3.(tie) Field conditions. Quality of fields
3.(tie) TD. Who is running tournament. Timely communication before and during tournament

To be honest and hopefully not going to get beat up over my comment but I get frustrated when Competition is the main factor? Not saying you said this. Aren't their Tournaments with great competition but their run somewhat poorly? It's overlooked because we played good competition. Or we got to say we attended this tournament. For example we drove all over the place. We played at 10:00pm at night. There were 100 College Coaches at the Tournament but there were none at field 35 all day? lol
What is more important in Format? Length of games or how many games you get to play?
 
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BA824

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I’m not necessarily talking just about top showcases but I want to be somewhere where my team will be challenged and get better. A tournament can be very well run, great TD, awesome fields cost less but if it’s a B-C level tournament where we may run rule everyone I’m not going
 

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I’m not necessarily talking just about top showcases but I want to be somewhere where my team will be challenged and get better. A tournament can be very well run, great TD, awesome fields cost less but if it’s a B-C level tournament where we may run rule everyone I’m not going



I second this. For a lot of us coaches out there we want to challenge our Athletes and play the toughest competition. IMO it’s not about the best run tournament but the best challenge to push the athletes and see them overcome adversity. You are only as good as the competition you play. Please Correct me if I am wrong on that.

However I do think it’s important for a smooth tournament and decent fields. Communication is a plus. With Fastpitch rising to a Billion dollar industry you have TDs out there doing this full time so you are getting professionals running tournaments and as a coach we can make those judgements on which TDs tournaments to attend or not. Coaches talk and get the scoop. This year I can honestly say we had no issues with TDs or fields and played some good ball.

Dave I would love to attend Aunt Rosie’s as this is a tournament on my personal bucket list. I have heard nothing but good things.
 

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I second this. For a lot of us coaches out there we want to challenge our Athletes and play the toughest competition. IMO it’s not about the best run tournament but the best challenge to push the athletes and see them overcome adversity. You are only as good as the competition you play. Please Correct me if I am wrong on that.

However I do think it’s important for a smooth tournament and decent fields. Communication is a plus. With Fastpitch rising to a Billion dollar industry you have TDs out there doing this full time so you are getting professionals running tournaments and as a coach we can make those judgements on which TDs tournaments to attend or not. Coaches talk and get the scoop. This year I can honestly say we had no issues with TDs or fields and played some good ball.

Dave I would love to attend Aunt Rosie’s as this is a tournament on my personal bucket list. I have heard nothing but good things.

Jeff thank you for the Bucket list comment! I am always torn between cost vs quality? I have been told by more than a few Coaches that our competition is good. Now there are of coarse better quality team/showcase Tournaments out there! It's a fine balancing act between being a destination tournament or a showcase or a whatever you want to call your tournament. I guess I am trying to be all things to all people which doesn't probably work for some coaches. If I raise the price $300.00 per Tournament I would weed out some teams and pickup others. I know we figured out how to run a quality tournament.
 

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Jeff thank you for the Bucket list comment! I am always torn between cost vs quality? I have been told by more than a few Coaches that our competition is good. Now there are of coarse better quality team/showcase Tournaments out there! It's a fine balancing act between being a destination tournament or a showcase or a whatever you want to call your tournament. I guess I am trying to be all things to all people which doesn't probably work for some coaches. If I raise the price $300.00 per Tournament I would weed out some teams and pickup others. I know we figured out how to run a quality tournament.


Personally I really don’t look at the price to much. I look at the competition from past seasons and competition signing up current season. The price is the price. Like I said this is a Multi Billion dollar industry now. It’s a business and some Directors are charging X and raising prices because they know teams will pay. It’s tough to deny a tournament at Berliner Park in Columbus Due to ALL turf fields now. This year a couple delays but NO rain outs. Other areas that used to pull strong competition now struggle to pull the competition due to Berliner cornering the market in Central and surrounding areas of Ohio.
Aunt Rosie’s is definitely a Destination Tournament/ Competition for me. Plus I have heard nothing but good about how well you run the tournament.
 

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Personally I would rather play a 7GG against top talent (no trophies). I HATE time limit games. You get into coaches playing the clock. (I am guilty of this...A lot) I would rather play a 70min time limit plus one inning. Or 60-65min plus one inning after timer is up. This takes the clock out of the equation and teams can play ball. Of course 7 innings would be fantastic every game but that will never happen because it’s about money. Not all Directors but most.
 

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Adding one more to my list is time limits. Wish tournaments would base on how many teams they take on being able to give 1:30 time limits. Let’s play full games.

And for the record Dave I have played Aunt Rosie’s and you check all the boxes. Great job
 

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Adding one more to my list is time limits. Wish tournaments would base on how many teams they take on being able to give 1:30 time limits. Let’s play full games.

And for the record Dave I have played Aunt Rosie’s and you check all the boxes. Great job


BA you think the format would be a good one to try and play? 65mins plus one extra inning no time limit? Thoughts
 

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IMO, There are some areas that will pertain to every type of event or tournament. There will also be differences depending on team goals, division of play and the age of the teams.
For me the main areas were:
1. Honesty from TD along with timely accurate communication. It is sad when TDs advertise a team list without committed teams with a specific format for it then when you get there the event format changes, number of teams drops or the level of play from those teams is not competitive.
2. Proper playing fields and this goes for the 10U and under as well. I hate to see the game played on baseball fields or mens slowpitch without 200' fencing. I seen fields with pitching mounds directly behind the circle or 3 pitching plates along with the super wide infield and outfield for A and above baseball and it changes the game....This includes a safe and adequate area for teams to warm up....
3. An opportunity to play 7 innings or at least 90 min and finish an inning. The 60/70 finish the inning and 80/90 min drop dead games struggle to get 6 innings in most cases.
4. Qualified umpires. They do not need to be the best of the best but at least have some hustle and know the rules.
5. Clean and adequate restrooms for players and fans..
6.. Fair scheduling. We had many events where the schedule was so out of whack. causing teams to be at a park for 10/12 hours to play 3 games or back to back to back. We even played in a Fall State one year with 5 straight games at 16u because they wanted to get it done in one day because of a Sunday mens event. lucky for us we had 14 players.
7. Area for teams to set up grills pop ups etc.
8. Value...Does the tournament provide the bang for the buck...

Some areas that differ:
1. Schedule...There is a big difference in adult 18+ and girls play under 18. It is amazing how many TDs want to run and adult event along with a girls event and struggle to understand the difference in the level / speed of play, and that these ladies are generally supporting the play themselves so dragging out the event for three days to play 4/5 games actually discurrages teams from coming out. I also never liked teams 12 and under playing pass 9:pm then having scheduled games in the early am.
2. College showcase events...: Way too many of these IMO and most are really nothing more than a fundraiser with little to no college coach interest. Put on quality showcases playing real games in front of College coaches...
3. Qualifiers... do not bunch up A/B teams in the same qualifying event. Place teams where they belong and offer A/B opportunities.
I am sure I missed several areas.
 

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BA you think the format would be a good one to try and play? 65mins plus one extra inning no time limit? Thoughts

The plus one format definitely takes away stalling and playing the clock in last inning but not sure at 65 gives you any more chance to play 7 innings. Maybe 75/80 minutes finish inning plus one.

TDs need to schedule start times 1:45 apart at the least to give longer games. Means taking less teams and less profit but as long as you are making money don’t be greedy. The by product would probably be more tournaments to accommodate the teams which I believe will be good. With so many teams out there maybe we can separate tournaments by A, B, C teams and everyone play at their level and have great competitive tournaments everywhere
 

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The one thing that I have found over the years in a 90 minute finishing the inning game there is so much that happens in the last 15 minutes or so.


Dave if we are in a game and it’s a 90min finish the inning game and we are down a run with under 5mins left I am going to play the clock. Step off bags, bunt while out of the box or whatever we gotta do to get another inning. Same as the defense, they start working the clock. If we are up with 2 outs and bottom of the inning the defense will try to quick pitch or whatever to get out of the inning while we on offense will have our girls call time, step out take extra swings maybe go down to 3rd and talk to the coach or even tie a shoe. It’s Busch league but we all do it because of time limits. If a coach says they have never worked the clock I call Bullshit.
 

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Time limits games need to go away or do the plus one inning w no time limits after the timer is up. So a format of 70-80mins plus one inning. Then the clock is out of the equation and it’s up to the Athletes to execute.
 

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I feel the tournament director should divide classes as well but again we are back to money and that will never happen.

I think its more of the TDs just do not want to mess with actual divisions of play.
Fastpitch Softball has more teams than I can remember so it is not from a lack of A and B level teams. I will say over the years there are a lot of B level programs that "the coach sanctioned A" for recruiting or just to say we are an A team...That also muddles up field of teams available. Its no fun for players or families to go get beat up on every week and...it does not make teams better on either side...
 

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