What would Armando do?

Armando Galarraga

Ask any parent, coach or league organizer about why youth soccer is good for the kids and the community and they will invariably cite that it builds character, a strong sense of personal responsibility, leadership and teamwork. Then go to a game and what you most likely will see is a pack of babies, arguing over a referee’s call. And that’s just from the parent’s touchline.

Before you start hating on me, I’ve been there as well. I’d like to think that most of the time I exhibited behavior I would like my two kids to display. But I can remember some times where I displayed less than perfect sportsmanship. Whatever you think going forward, let’s at least be honest with ourselves.

When the kids are young, it is easy to say things like, “The score doesn’t matter” and “It’s not whether you win or lose, but how you played the game.” And as they get older, this gets lost somewhere along the line and the only things that really matters are who won and who scored. If a team lost, it wasn’t that they were outplayed, but that the referee blew the call.

And sometimes it happens. It probably happens a lot, but the human element is all part of the game. Soccer, baseball, football, etc are all human sports participated in by human beings for human beings. When they step on the field, each player, referee, umpire accepts that each may make a mistake. If we require perfect, we would all be playing video games instead where the referees/umpires have pixel-perfect vision.

Some fans say, “It’s just a game” whereas others will say “It’s a business” as if being a business somehow makes the element of human error inexcusable. They argue on that we need instant replay to overrule the referee/umpire to set the record straight and tell what really happened. The player was robbed and that isn’t fair, they argue.

Life isn’t fair. Sometimes people make mistakes. Sometimes, those mistakes cost people money or recognition. But isn’t teaching kids how to deal with frustration with grace and dignity part of why we all promote sport?

Instant reply can tell whether someone called the play correctly, but it can’t see right or wrong. It can’t judge sportsmanship or grace under pressure. It can’t recall an infantile temper-tantrum over a play that was called incorrectly. It can’t establish character and human dignity. It can only prove somebody right and someone else wrong.

Instead of lamenting the lack of instant reply in soccer, Armando Galarraga gave every coach and every parent a greater tool than the high-speed camera ever could to judge whether a play was good or bad. Quite simply ask, “what would Armando do?”

And then do that.

Get ready to pig out on BBQ and soccer this weekend

Mark Peebles checks the smoker in his Englewood restaurant.

The adidas Warrior Soccer Classic soccer tournament, one of the largest youth soccer tournaments in the United States, will see a new food vendor in 2010.

Oink-A-Doodle-Moo, a bar-b-que restaurant in Englewood is testing the waters so to speak, and will be at Thomas Cloud Park in Huber Heights, near Dayton, Ohio, for the event on Memorial Day Weekend.

“This is another avenue to get exposure,” said Mark Peebles, Oink-A-Doodle-Moo’s president and founder. “We like being part of the community and supporting youth sports teams.”

This is the second youth soccer tournament that Oink-A-Doodle-Moo will be at tempting tourney attendees with items from is savory menu. And if Peebles has his way, the passion emanating from Carol Maas, Director of the adidas Warrior Soccer Classic, and Gerard McLean of TourneyCentral will lead to other forays at youth soccer tournaments in the Dayton, Ohio area.

“I didn’t grow up playing soccer, but when I see Gerard and Carol and see their passion, it gets you excited to be associated with something like this,” Peebles said.

Plus, being at an event where participants and attendees come from literally all over the USA is beneficial for business.

“We are gaining exposure in the local area, but because we have a franchise plan set up we are able to possibly recruit people from other cities as well,” Peebles said.

Oink-A-Doodle-Moo conservatively estimates it will sell in excess of 200 pounds of meat, and go through a dozen or more gallons of sauce.

Cool soccer tournament photo of the day

I was a little torn over which photo was the coolest, so I posted all three. They were taken at the MidAmerica Cup College Showcase going on in Peoria, IL this weekend and they were taken by Todd Taylor. If you want to buy some, visit here. I think he will be posting up more from the other games, so check them out as well.

Is your soccer tournament using Twitter?

We here at TourneyCentral have been encouraging soccer tournaments to get on board and use Twitter for their communications, scores reporting, etc. In fact, all of our soccer tournament websites are integrated with Twitter and will automatically post your front page news and scores updates in real time. All you need do is set up a Twitter account and enter the information in your Web Site Maintenance>Variables

This morning we saw a support question come over to one of the tournaments from a coach:

With the forecast being for rain/storms, how best can we learn about cancellations/postponements? Website? Email mailing list? Twitter (this would be great)? Phone call to certain phone#?

This would be great! Twitter is a really cool tool to communicate out to followers your local fields, local vendor deals, etc; all without having to set up complex SMS servers and verify cell numbers and email addresses. The user controls how s/he wants to receive your tweets (email, SMS) or if at all.

Our Advice: Get a Twitter account for your soccer tournament. Really, now. Do it. Then, set it up on your TourneyCentral website. By this time next year, you’ll either be in the game with Social Media or playing catch-up.

A few trends we’re seeing at soccer tournaments

As we watch the questions that come in from guest teams and track trending patterns from team applications, we’re noticing a few trends forming that we think soccer tournament directors should be aware of. Some of the behaviors are based on the economy and some just based on cultural shifts overall. All will affect the way you manage and market your soccer tournament.

Late applications
With the expectation of online registration, many teams are waiting until the last week or so to apply to the tournament, especially those that require full payment up front with the application. While this affects planning and can create anxiety not knowing which teams are coming, quality soccer tournaments need not worry as your tournament has been on the team’s calendar.

Early bird discounts don’t work but perhaps scheduling preferences or coaching conflict resolution guarantees for teams that apply early might be more of an incentive.

Also, if you have a high percentage of teams that travel in, check your hotel reservations. Teams may not necessarily apply early, but many will book rooms early.

No early morning Saturdays
To save money, teams are trying not to stay at hotels on Friday night, instead opting to drive in that morning. Most wait until they have been accepted and send an email, saying “oh, by the way, we need a late Saturday start….” We have no resolution for this as most tournaments have to play two games per team on Saturday to fit in a third round and championship games on Sunday. State associations have rules against playing more than two games per day and the math just doesn’t work. You can’t create more fields and you can’t make more daylight. Moreover, the coach and parents should recognize the dangers of playing a team that is not well-rested. You may want to point that out to him/her or even deny them admission due to increased liability for the tournament.

Multiple team coaches, no conflicts
A few years back, it used to be that only a handful of coaches had multiple teams. Now, it seems every club is doing this. Many teams will wait until you have accepted them and THEN tell you their coach is coaching multiple teams. (Many of these coaches also are requesting all their games start later on Saturday, a double whammy.) Again, the math just doesn’t work.

Our advice: You need teams to hold a tournament, but you can’t have teams dictate the terms under which they will play. Spell out the terms of acceptance UP FRONT on your application form by telling the teams the tournament starts at 8:00am on Saturday and finishes after the last championship game is played on Sunday. If they can not commit to being available for the entire time, they need to apply elsewhere.

Also, coaches conflicts are theirs to resolve, not the tournament’s. While most tournaments will do what they can to avoid conflicts, the sheer number of coaches with multiple teams almost guarantees somebody will be unhappy.

You may also want to establish “convenience fees” for teams requesting special treatment. For example, no coaching conflicts; $300/team. Late Saturday start; $450/team. Publish these early, confirm on application with an email.

Remember, the teams are applying into YOUR soccer tournament because the tournament is a good fit for their team, not the other way around. If your product does not meet their expectations, there are enough soccer tournaments now that will — for a while until they can no longer accommodate the demands. Just make sure your tournament maintains its high standards you worked hard to achieve and all teams play by the same set of rules.

Where is my money going? Why controlling the money for your soccer tournament is key to success

Often, we have requests from soccer tournament directors to set up their Web site so that the team fees go to this mailing address, the credit cards go to another, the t-shirt orders go off to yet another address and the pre-orders for the college showcase books go to another. While delegating different functions to different people is key to running an effective soccer tournament, delegating control of the money is not.

You don’t have to go very far to find a story about the trusted soccer club volunteer who was caught siphoning off the top. A soccer tournament pulls in a lot of cash. A lot of cash also goes out to pay referees, field fees, vendors, etc. For many organizations, acts of embezzlement can be the death of their club or tournament. And the less likely you think it will happen to you, the more at risk you place yourself.

When teams need you to research a lost check or provide a refund, they like to know that their funds are in the hands of you, the tournament director. They NEED to know there is a system of control in place.

Our Advice: Use one mailing address for ALL funds, from the team fees to the shirt pre-order to everything that the soccer tournament takes in. If you can send the money to a lock box at your local bank, that is even better. A PO Box is good, but checks should never be sent to someone’s home, especially when that person has a day job and their mail could potentially sit in an unattended mail box for hours.

Be transparent. Always have at least two people knowing about each transaction at all times.

An honest person would never object to tight controls in place. In fact, a prudent person would never want to handle or transport checks or cash alone or even at all.

Take control of the money. Always.

March 18, 2010 Update: Soccer America’s YouthSoccerInsider just published an article that is a must-read for all soccer tournament directors.

Tell me which teams have applied and I will apply to your soccer tournament if I like them

We are seeing more and more requests from coaches for the soccer tournament to give them the list of teams that have already applied for them to “evaluate” whether or not the tournament would be a good fit for their team. This has us scratching our heads a bit.

Nobody likes to pay money to compete in a tournament only to get stuck in a division with top level teams or, in my opinion, stuck with teams that offer no competition. I get that. But I don’t get is why the guest team coach feels the need to evaluate the teams that have applied prior to applying to a tournament.

Perhaps it is an erosion of trust between soccer tournaments and soccer coaches. Perhaps it is an increased need for the coach to “control” every aspect of the game. Perhaps it is increased pressure from the parents on the coach to place their team in tournaments where they can be “competitive” (whatever that ultimately means.)

Chris Brogan, who is a bit of a guru in the Social Media space, wrote a book called Trust Agents. It deals primarily with trust in online social media spaces like Twitter, Facebook, etc. but it touches a bit on how trust is becoming a currency. As tournaments are becoming more sophisticated, they will need to learn also on how to deal in a trust economy. It’s a quick, easy read.

Our advice: Always be giving guest teams a reason to trust you. Post your schedule from last year and encourage them to take a look at the teams that applied and analyze the point spreads. Every TourneyCentral soccer tournament is a 365/24/7 event that has last year’s schedule available until the application deadline. Use that to your advantage.

Take a really hard, objective look at your seeding. Do your club teams seems to walk away with the trophies every year? Why? Do you have an opinion that your club teams should be able to win your own tournament? Why? Given the choice between bringing in competitive teams for your club teams to play and getting better versus winning a trophy by seeding your teams lower, which is more valuable for the long-term growth of your club? Your tournament? Do guest teams walk off grumbling about how “the fix is in” for the club teams to win? If so, change that.

Trust is everything and will only become more valuable. If teams don’t trust you to place them correctly in your tournament, they will eventually go elsewhere. When they trust you, they’ll quit asking and let your history and reputation speak for itself.

No scheduling conflicts and late Sat games

With the recession pulling into it’s second (or third) year, we’re seeing a lot of teams request a late Saturday morning start so they don’t have to book rooms into a hotel for Friday night. As you can imagine, accommodating this request puts a serious strain on the scheduling as most of the time, the start times are determined by the number of fields and the number of daylight hours available. While you can sometimes squeak out another field somewhere, tacking another hour of sunlight on the end of a day is impossible.

So what to do? You don’t want to turn away a team if you don’t have to, but re-writing the laws of nature to fit an economic reality is just not going to happen. When most teams are now asking for a late Saturday start, it become mathematically impossible to grant the request.

Our advice: Publish a cut off date for late Saturday start requests. Instead of trying an Early Bird discount or other pricing scheme to get teams to apply early, have a date or volume cut off. Perhaps only the first two teams for each age group can request a late Saturday start. Once those requests are used up, there are no more. And, while you are at it, do the same for multiple-team coaches. It rewards the teams with special requests to apply early without compromising the price and value of your tournament.

Be sure to promote visibly and keep track of the number of requests. Reward the requester handsomely and make it crystal clear that the reason you are honoring (or denying) the request is because they applied and paid early (or not.) Once you start doing this, competition for special considerations next year will be fierce.

How to run your soccer tournament like a pro

At some point, you may need to break your soccer tournament free from the “mom and pop” pack, ditch the volunteer economics and fundraiser-based budgets and start running it like a “real company.” You will most likely be looking to do business with other companies that are “real companies” with employees, voicemail systems, receptionists, conference rooms and offices. And, these offices won’t resemble anything like a dining room table piled high with soccer gear.

Here are some quick tips in dealing with “real companies.”

1. Soccer is most likely not their passion. 
Chances are, soccer is not their passion. While it is always best to work with companies who understand soccer and know the game, that should not be enough of a criterion to do business with them. Nor should the lack of soccer smarts be a criterion to exclude them. You are seeking out professional services and you will be better served if they understand their business and you remain the soccer expert. Unless, of course, you are seeking soccer marketing services; then, soccer better be their passion.

2. Prepare to pay market rates. 
True professionals know the value of their goods and services and are less inclined to bargain that value away. While you may attempt to persuade the company to support your local club, league or soccer tournament with a sponsorship, advertisement or discount, only a few will likely oblige. If you pay less than market rates, you will most likely only get the value of goods or services you pay for, which may not be enough to get what you really need.

3. Prepare to do business during business hours. 
When dealing with a “real company,” chances are they will not be there to discuss the changes you need done to your web site, brochure or accounting program at 11:00 a.m. on a Sunday morning like your volunteer was. Also, lunch hour does not qualify as business hours, even though it is in the middle of the day. Be prepared to discuss your project, take phone calls and do meetings during business hours. And, if you can’t, make sure someone in your soccer tournament with authority can. There are a few things more annoying to professionals than constant project delays due to the client’s inability to meet or give approvals in a timely fashion.

4. Pay your invoices on time and in full. 
Among the many things that keep “real companies” from doing business with volunteer-based management groups is the fear that getting invoices paid on time and in full will be an issue. Being a 501c(3) does not give you a pass on paying on time. Nor does the excuse that your treasurer is out of the country on vacation and can’t be reached qualify as a legitimate explanation. If you take no other advice from this article, take this point to heart.

5. It’s not personal. 
A “real company” cares about providing the very best service that they can. After all, it is their reputation on the line as well. Sometimes, they will tell you things that you may not want to hear, but you need to know to bring your tournament to the next level. Value that, even if their comments sound like a stinging insult. It’s not personal.

So, get out there and do business with “real companies,” but expect to be treated like you are also a “real company.”

Gerard McLean is President/CEO of Rivershark Inc., a “real company” that develops database-driven web-based applications like jo bbank engines, membership databases, etc. for trade groups and the retail services industry. Rivershark also owns www.TourneyCentral.com, which provides soccer tournament services to soccer clubs. While most soccer tournaments are not yet “real businesses,” he claims it is a lot of fun. And since he is the boss, they keep doing it. McLean is convinced that soccer tournaments will eventually become “real business” and wants to be part of that when it happens.

Are you using unemployment data to guide your soccer tournament marketing?

The average soccer tournament pulls teams from 3-5 states, including adjoining states and the home state. For many, their home state is the largest draw, followed by a primary state. With the recession in full swing, it may be affecting your ability to draw teams from states that have traditionally sent lots of teams but now has a high unemployment rate.

For example, the average competitive tournament in Ohio typically pulls a large contingent of teams from Michigan. But if you take a quick look at some unemployment statistics, it should not come as a shock that convincing teams that normally came down without question is getting harder to do. In addition, you may have to resort to discounting for multiple teams, juggle the schedule to work around a hotel minimum stay; all effective short-term tactics, but long-term strangulation for your tournament brand.

A better approach may be a more well-rounded, distributed marketing plan where one state’s financial plight does not adversely affect your tournament planning. In short, spread your marketing dollars around to states one over; those that may be in a better financial position to attend. You’ll get some fresh blood in your tournament and you will be less dependent on the unemployment rate.

The time to start marketing to other states in before you need teams from financially healthy states. Hoping and praying the teams from distressed states will still come is not a marketing plan.

Parents will always spend money on their kids, but there are limits. Many are cutting the number of tournaments and only putting one or two travel events on the calendar. Make sure yours is in the mix by making sure they know you are there.

The economy will recover eventually and when it does, your marketing efforts will continue to pay back as newer teams who could not afford it during the recession try your soccer tournament out. And, as sure as the recovery is coming, so too is another recession. Be ready by always marketing smart.

Watch the trends. Sometimes being a great soccer program is just not enough.