tournament directors/rain outs

default

Member

• Jul 28, 2010

• #1

mostof the tournaments are not first year tourneys. The TDs should know what to expect from rain delays or possible cancellation. But usually what is put into the tournament package about rain is general wordind(TD has the right to change or cancel games due to weather outside their control). Can't TDs specifiy exactly what they will do to get the fields ready? How many workers, equipment used, materials on hand. They take a bashing because they don't specify a game plan in the rain out section. A little more information in the package about this would help the teams involved understand what will be done. And what to expect.

 

default

Member

• Jul 28, 2010

• #2

Good thread. I've wondered the same things and would be interested to see some responses, just so I get a better understanding on how that works.

 

default

Member

• Jul 29, 2010

• #3

Well this is from someone who has ran or helped run tournaments for years. You can't put a specific plan down because you don't know what will happen. What happens if you lose one round of games vs. two rounds, half day, all day, etc. is all different. You would be giving the coaches a War and Peace novel if you tried to cover all possibilities in writing. Our policy is "do everything you can that is in your control to resume as soon as possible" I would say this is almost every TDs policy. Walk a mile in a TDs shoes and you'll see it's not all fun games.

 

default

Member

• Jul 29, 2010

• #4

my thread is not about games. read again. It's about being prepared. It's about getting fields ready to play again. Tell me(teams) in writing what you are going to do. what is your workforce. The real solid tournaments have an army of people to get the fields ready. Not two men and a rake. If i know how a TD was going to approach the rain situation, then games got cancelled.Well than i could live with it that everything possible had been done. More often than not, Not having to pay for alot of workers is the way to go.

 

default

Member

• Jul 29, 2010

• #5

At most parks the TD is dependent upon the park staff. With money short everywhere most parks are not adequately staffed to care for a large complex after a heavy rain. A one or two diamond complex, okay, maybe a small staff can get it ready, but not a large tourney. It's not possible to cover every scenario.

 

default

Member

• Jul 29, 2010

• #6

18over. Great reply. Would like to see that in the tournament rain out policy. Again, don't the teams have a right to know, how bad rain may affect the tournament.

 

default

Member

• Jul 29, 2010

• #7

It has always appeared to me that most TD's schedule tournaments and pray that it doesn't rain. The original post was stating that there should be contigency plans for "what if?" - and I agree.

Plan A; complete rain out. Plan B; After Day 1, Plan C; Mid way through Day 2, etc...

Just don't Wing It, and hope for the best.

 

default

Member

• Jul 29, 2010

• #8

Ohio Wave 14U said:

Well this is from someone who has ran or helped run tournaments for years. You can't put a specific plan down because you don't know what will happen. What happens if you lose one round of games vs. two rounds, half day, all day, etc. is all different. You would be giving the coaches a War and Peace novel if you tried to cover all possibilities in writing. Our policy is "do everything you can that is in your control to resume as soon as possible" I would say this is almost every TDs policy. Walk a mile in a TDs shoes and you'll see it's not all fun games.

Click to expand...

War and Peace... I agree... With all the scenerios.... it would be a book.

I think coaches and parents should actually watch the locations.. look at past events... and see how things was handled .

Biggest thing to me, is that coaches and parents should look deeper and see what locations have a track record of getting back up and running after a rain and go to tournaments at their locations.

 

default

Member

• Jul 29, 2010

• #9

But the tds could post who will be maintaining the fields, volunteers vs city crews. this will also give you a clue about what kind of response to bad weather will be available

 

default

Member

• Jul 29, 2010

• #10

The volunteer workers should be easy to get. Make it a requirement that each team must make at least 2 people available to help with fields in the event of rain. (Those teams that don't are the first to get dropped from the schedule.) Use the "regular" workers to supervise what the volunteers do. A handful of people with a few brooms, rakes and leaf blowers can get a lot done in a short period of time and NOT damage anything. (The brooms, rakes, and leaf blowers can come from the volunteers too.)

How hard is it to find a handful of small parks in the area that might be used in emergencies? Most of these parks sit empty, especially on Sunday. Just have to know who to call to make arrangements well ahead of time. It's not uncommon for a storm to dump on one location and barely leave a drop 10 miles away. I can think of at least a dozen fields around here within 10-12 miles scattered around and I live in a rural area. (Not quite the middle of nowhere but certainly the edge of nowhere.)

Yes, a pain in the butt to have to move 4 teams here and 4 teams there, but I suspect the teams won't mind much if they are playing. A lot of the who/where/when could be worked out ahead of time by writing said novel for TD eyes only.

 

default

Member

• Jul 29, 2010

• #11

It sounds like there needs to be some sort of tournament database, if one doesn't exist already. I'm new to all of this, but many of you have had multi-years experience with multiple sanctions, tournaments, etc. so that making a database may not take too long. It can include things such as parking fee, outside food, toilet facilities, etc. as well as the "cooperativeness" of the TD, field crew type (volunteer vs. city), number of delayed/cancelled games, etc.

I will be a head coach next year and I already know which tournaments I will not participate in based on this years' events - tournaments cancelled at last minute, change in schedules unannounced or poorly communicated, etc. This means we will probably travel much further, adding cost to our parents, but it will ensure that we will actually play the games that we are scheduled to play.

 

default

Member

• Jul 31, 2010

• #12

on the money 18over! also, most don't realize, TD's have a financial commitment under contracts that they have to pay rentals regardless of what happens, so they try to have "the show must go on" attitude as much as possible. Also large tournments in NWO use multiple complex, and it varies a ton how much each gets rain, and how each drains and as you stated, how much staff and expertise they have in getting them going.

18over said:

At most parks the TD is dependent upon the park staff. With
money short everywhere most parks are not adequately staffed to care for a large complex after a heavy rain. A one or two diamond complex, okay, maybe a small staff can get it ready, but not a large tourney. It's not possible to cover every scenario.

Click to expand...

 

default

Member

• Jul 31, 2010

• #13

I feel just keeping informormed as it happens. I directed a tourney, I am not going to have three times the work force that I need because I think it is going to rain, or stock up on field dry that you may not use. I have been to a couple tourneys that have a number to call for updated information, I think that is sufficant enough. So lets get a revised book stating if you get 1 to three inches of rain we will do this. Now, if it is three plus inches of rain in one hour then we go to plan "B". We do not know what mother nature is going to hand us on a given day or hour. A couple days ago it was pouring at my dd friends house and we did not get a drop three miles away.