Please, I Need Help

[Defense1st]

A few days ago an investor friend of mine offered me a large sum of $$$ to start a tournament series; so I thought I would try and get a wish list going of what people would like to see in a tournament series.

Try to make it a brainstorming type of list-- How about a name?
do you like trophies or medals or gifts?
should I include individual awards or just team awards?
player of the game trinkets (like Torhs did in the early games)?
Cash awards in the adult divisions?
AAU or USAHIL or both or neither? (for secondary insurance purposes only)
Rules: Narch, Torhs, AAU, 2 Hot, ECHO.........................
minimum age limits for adults?

3 periods? 2 halves? 4 quarters?
running or stop time?
roster rules?
block schedules for all locations or just on the east coast where people can't seem to live without them?

This is achance for all the die hards to have what they really want in a tournament series.

anything you all can think of that will make it the most enjoyable tournament from event ot event

The idea of this exercise is to come up with the best possible and most consistent tournament series for event to event.

I know what i like, but do you like it too?

I will take the best ideas I can use and put them together.

Feel free ot spread the word of this request and either PM if you want to remain anonymous or send me an email or call/text me your ideas as they come up (sometimes us old people forget things if we do not say them right away).

Phil Steur
[email protected]
859-321-0892

[Defense1st]

WOW!!! 36 views in 3 hours and no one has an opinion on what they like or dislike in a tournament series.

Let hear your voices.

[pez_hockey18]

i would say do medals, trophies just collect dust. or maybe plaques like echo does.

individual awards such as top goalie, top defense, top forward, mvp seem to be the standard and expected at most tournies

i prefer usa rules and they seem to be the most recognized, but if your use them as a base you can create your own regulations for ties, penalty minutes, ejections, fighting, etc

most adult cut off rules i have seen are a player can beno younger than 16, but my brother is 15 and has played goalie before for adult teams so it all depends on a situation.

i prefer 3 periods myself of 8-12 minutes, but most tournaments use a half system. so two periods between 12-18 minutes seem to be the average. it depends on the block time you will have per game. i like stopped clock, but once again most places only use stopped clock for the last period in the last few minutes and depends on goal differential. atleast last 2 minutes should be stopped for the last period unless there is a potential of a mercy. and id say 8 goal mercy rule as well.

and im from the east coast and dont like block schedules. but, most easterners do. scheduling could depend on location, and amount of teams. hockey is not about cramming in as many games as possible so that come finals you cant play at your potential, i advise no block scheduling.

roster rules should be set on who qualifies just like in aau. this prevents people stacking on ringers last minute. the east coast did have a problem with enough 18u qualifying tournaments it seemed so at jr. olympics 18u was an open division. it seemed to work out o.k. but i think qualifying could have made things more even across the board.

hope this helps.

[Defense1st]

Thank you!

[RichardGraham]

Hi Phil,

I'll tell you one thing I like at tournaments -- when I don't have to be there from 8 a.m. to midnight and beyond. Can you start small, let teams have a decent number of games (but not too many) and have an occasional gap in the action so that people at the event can get together in some fashion? I know that rink time is expensive, but I think a "Skate With the Players" might be a cool idea. There's more, but it's late and I'm tired.

Good luck with this!

[PGHhockey]

The most important things to do as far as getting teams to sign up are:

*Do something different. With a ton of tournament series and even more independent events out there - you really need to differentiate yourself from the competition. Why would a team decide to drop $XXX on your tournament when there's a proven NARCh qualifier 2 weeks after? Give them a reason.
*Sell, sell, sell. You can't just announce a tournament, post it on here, and make up some flyers to put at your home rink. Put in the extra effort to contact everyone you know and even those that you don't know.


As far as operations go:

*Get money up-front. I know it's hard. Getting someone to part with their money is like pulling teeth at times, but you need to. If you don't, you'll end up with no-shows at the last minute, and that'll wreck your event.
*Do what you say you're going to do in the ads, even if it ends up costing you more money. Following through on your word is huge in this market.
*Keep things on-time. Don't worry about spending a few extra bucks on rink time just to make sure you have some cushion in case something happens and you start to get behind.
*Hire the best refs possible. The refs are the #1 thing that can make or break a tournament experience for a team. Keep your staff as small as possible without overworking them. This will help lead to better game-to-game consistency. And have a meeting with the refs before the tournament to go over the little things.

Those are just a few things...

As far as the questions you posted, I really don't think much of that matters. None of those things will differentiate you from the competition enough to sell your tournament.

[HockeyFan1989]

I think you would seriously get a lot of adult teams interested, if their was some money on the line. However, you'd have to be 18 or older to legally recieve cash from winning a tournament, so you'd have to check ID's to make sure everyone is of age, playing in the adult division. What I would do, is the winning team would recieve double the amount of the tournament fee, and the runner up would recieve half the amount of the tournament fee. So if the tournament fee was $400 you'd be giving out $1000. It may seem like your not gaining much off that division, but I feel that a lot of teams would be interested in playing in something like this.

Also one thing that I would definitly do... Make the Atom (8 and Under) division FREE entry! Their is definitly a lack of 8 and under tournament teams, this isn't really going to help you much, but it will definitly help the sport which could eventually lead to helping you. These kids and their parents would be able to experience the nature of a tournament, hopefully a good well organized tournament, for free.

Something that all kids like, is a skills competition/all-star game. At the regionals I would do a skills competition for each division up to adult. Get some sponsors to either fund you the money for some prizes or some sponsors who can give you prizes themselves (sticks, gloves, etc.) and charge like $20 a player and $10 a goalie, since it seems like sometimes their is a lack of goalie's in these things.

The way you market the tournament is key. If you are going have a large sum of money, than I would make large banners such as narch does, and give them to every rink you are going to have a regional tournament in that year, to hang up, months before the tournament. Just so local players can see that it's coming and than word will spread around. It's going to be hard to gain respect right away with tournaments out their such as NARCh, Torhs, and AAU, so you really want to make sure that everything runs smoothly and well organized.

Good luck hope to hear more on this soon!

[quick_dry]

pick a standard international ruleset and follow it, introduce as few quirks as possible. Little house rules suck because they'll always turn up to bite the players at the most awkward time, and those sorts of surprises leave a bad taste in peoples mouth.

[Defense1st]

Thank you all for your helpful suggestions.

Richard, I would really like to hear more of what you think also since you have been around this game for many years; same for Adam Stio and others.

[rhhof]

Hey Phil - Great to see you on here again...hope all is well

As far as my opinion, I would think something for the kids is the most important way to go...If I was ever going to do a tourney series it would be to reward as many of the younger teams, maybe up to squirt or peewee and have one division but break it down for playoffs if you have 5 or more teams and have two championship games...Offering cash to the older divisions is always a perk - you dont need shirts or medals for that level lol - Scheduling your nationals after or before the others will ensure the top teams to attend and try to win, thats always good for the kids to see too...

Give away prizes and t-shirts or something completely different - Im sure we can all concede currently that NARCh is the #1 (been around the longest too) and TORHS is a close second....all others are more regional then anything else, but successful and all give medals and have nationals - obviously player of the game awards or more individual awards....once in a while someone isn't noticed, like a defender or goalie and they should be recognized with something

I wouldnt extend game times - you need to offer something more to be appealing - everyone does something to keep the games in about a 40minute slot...weekends are only so long - perhaps shortening games and offering more games...I'd have to look at the time slots

I have never worked with AAU, and have done a lot with USAIL - I would look to see what both offers and as a business to go with what is more appealing for it.

Select the appropriate people to work with in the industry to be your directors and officials - customer service is important

Perhaps bring the regionals and nationals to new areas...

Honestly I'd like to hear what you think too Phil - I guess we should get in touch and speak further...

Cheers

--Adam
[email protected]

[Defense1st]

Thank you Adam. Feel free to call me anytime. 859-321-0892

[Alvare71]

A good set of refs, and without a doubt a front man......and last but not least a well organized tournament Director..........and a Pro division......but not per tournament.....a points related tournament...........with medals but a grand finale...........$25,000 grand prize........now thats PRO........and then the talent will sneak ot of the wood work.



Ok, I didnt want to give out my Idea, but I cant let Roller hockey suffer anymore........Ok boys here it is....

We unite with Arena Football series in a series.........same team name, same color........

Indoor soccer or Lacrosse to................TWO for ONE.........yes corney, but a very reachable goal.....