| Author |
 Topic  |
|
|
C. MORTON
1051 Posts |
 Posted - 01/02/2010 : 08:55:48
|
| I am wondering why if teams are playing in tournament or interested in playing why some tournament host don't list those teams..It would be much easier for teams looking for a good tournament to click on the tournament and see who's playing. Most you have to go to 2 or 3 different sites and still nothing is listed..BPA was bad about this last year..Not knowing who or if amyone is even playing...It's gotten to be fly by the seat of your pants and we will see next week where we are playing..Some host do a GREAT job of letting you know who is comming or interested others need to step up.. |
|
|
baseballpapa
1520 Posts |
Posted - 01/02/2010 : 11:58:59
|
Triple Crown is very good about letting you know who is coming and who might be coming. I believe they list the teams that have already paid entry fees in caps and the one's that commit in lower case and when they pay they change their team name to caps.
Some of you might say it is not important but the very first thing any team should do before entering a tournament is to make sure that the competition is strong enough to make you better.
USSSA does a good job once the tournament starts but is lagging way behind in letting you know who is coming. I agree and sincerely ask that all the TD's keep us as informed as possible. |
 |
|
|
rock44melnix
110 Posts |
Posted - 01/02/2010 : 13:59:09
|
| C Morton - great post. I for one look for intently at who is coming to a tournament when deciding to sign up or not. I avoid altogether a tournament where that info is not listed or at the very least shared if I inquire with the TD. |
|
|
|
teddy41
421 Posts |
Posted - 01/02/2010 : 14:03:16
|
they should list only if teams are paid, problem is teams say they are coming and dont. Or some do not want to list good teams in fear it will chase others away.
The other problem is directors sometimes are not honest and list teams who are not coming just to draw others in. |
|
|
|
Alter-Ego
802 Posts |
Posted - 01/02/2010 : 17:25:17
|
Questions:
1) Which is worse, not listing teams or listing all teams that say they were coming?
2) Which is worse from a TD's perspective, not listing teams or listing that you only have 2 or 3 teams? How much does listing only 2 or 3 teams turn teams off to look at other tournaments?
3) Is it bad for teams to tell multiple TD's they are coming, and cancelling with all but one a week before the tournament starts?
4) How soon before the tournament starts should a TD require payment, to ensure the brackets are ready to be created in enough time for thems to make their plans?
5) If a team pulls out, after the brackets are put out, should they get all of their money back? (Schedules are developed and affect teams, field maintenance, umpires schedules, etc. By a team dropping out they cause schedules to be shuffled and affects lots of people, not just the one team.) |
|
|
|
bmoser
1633 Posts |
Posted - 01/02/2010 : 19:49:17
|
After reading this entire string, I like Triple Crown's method the best of putting teams expressing interest in lower case, and paid teams in caps. I think USSSA in our area has been listing only teams who paid.
|
|
|
|
C. MORTON
1051 Posts |
Posted - 01/02/2010 : 22:08:43
|
quote:
Originally posted by Alter-Ego
Questions:
1) Which is worse, not listing teams or listing all teams that say they were coming?
2) Which is worse from a TD's perspective, not listing teams or listing that you only have 2 or 3 teams? How much does listing only 2 or 3 teams turn teams off to look at other tournaments?
3) Is it bad for teams to tell multiple TD's they are coming, and cancelling with all but one a week before the tournament starts?
4) How soon before the tournament starts should a TD require payment, to ensure the brackets are ready to be created in enough time for thems to make their plans?
5) If a team pulls out, after the brackets are put out, should they get all of their money back? (Schedules are developed and affect teams, field maintenance, umpires schedules, etc. By a team dropping out they cause schedules to be shuffled and affects lots of people, not just the one team.)
1.) Not listing teams..Who is going to play in a tourney that possiably has no teams of they don't know who is playing..
2.) No one wants to sign up for a tournament with only 2 or 3 teams, but at least we would know in advance that it isn't going to make..
3.) It's not a good practice but with the way torunaments are run and many teams not know if a tourny is going to make, better to be safe than sorry and not have anywhere to play..
4.) Now thats a tough one..If a team is signed up in a couple tournaments and one tourny has 4 and another they are in has 8 which one would most go with?? They drop out the first tournament and it's down to 3 teams.. Some TD make up teams to try and draw teams in to play..even heard of one telling someone that ANOTHER toury was cancelled so they would play in his!!!
5.) If you pull out after brackest are sent out to play else where then you lose your money..Teams would stop doing it or not pay..lol I think we as parents and coaches would like to know what the comp is before we play..No one wants to go to a tournament that they can't win or have a slim chance of winning..We want to get out money's worth and not be done after the first game on Sunday.. |
|
|
|
Alter-Ego
802 Posts |
Posted - 01/03/2010 : 11:47:17
|
I agrued several years ago, our our age group got a lot better at it, that teams need to have open communication with each other to know where everyone is going weekend to weekend. Don't rely on the tournaments to tell you.
We have even recruited some teams to come play in a tournament we were in so that it would be a stronger tournament. This website has been a good conduit for that as well, but I would suggest getting e-mail addresses for competing coaches.
Keep in mind, though that every once in a while a team needs a tournament "To work some stuff out." and may not want to play with the strongest comp. That does not mean they are running from the comp. Just need to work on some things. Now if they do it every weekend, that's a different story.
|
|
|
|
whits23
596 Posts |
Posted - 01/03/2010 : 12:20:35
|
when should directors tell you it aint going to make and give a full refund so you can go elsewhere, holding you and your money hostage is not a good thing either
and stop with the team gate fee's, when a team does a budget and allows for tournament cost and then have to try to come back to parents for gate fee's it makes it very uncomfortable. Some are getting as high as $295. |
|
|
|
whits23
596 Posts |
Posted - 01/03/2010 : 12:32:02
|
| My next topic may be tournament directors who answer emails and phone calls and do everything they can to help you register with their organizations and then disapear the minute you do and are never available after that. You may get my registration fee but you wont get my tournament fee's. |
|
|
|
gausssa
209 Posts |
Posted - 01/03/2010 : 13:53:25
|
| Being on both sides of the fence i never did like to see bogus teams listed on a directors site to try and draw. I always told a director, "don't put my team down if i don't tell you I'm coming". However, one of todays problems for "all" TD/ORGAN is teams "double booking". This is a major "no no" in USSSA and want be tolerated. TD and TEAMS must be honest with each other. I have stressed to our TD to not leave teams hanging if a age group is not going to make. This is also a major no no on our side AND a great way to ruin relationship. My methode works for me and that is to list teams comitted to coming and put a dead-line to secure spot and also list the teams PAID as they pay. This let's team know how the tournament is shaping up and who is really coming. I also never take a "maybe or soft comt. If you tell me your coming and the tournament makes then i expect you to be there. If a man is not good to his word, what good is he? Those are not the kind of teams i want anyway. May sound harsh but I honor what I say and i feel teams should to. Bottom line is this, be a accessable TD and communicate with people and things should work out fine between TD and Teams..... |
|
|
|
Rick Cosper
450 Posts |
Posted - 01/03/2010 : 18:35:00
|
There are several tournament directors out there that will list teams without them knowing it. I can promise you this practice will not be tolerated with Nations Baseball.
However, there are teams that will commit to two and sometimes three tournaments on the same weekend, which drive me and every tournament director crazy. There's a team in Henry County that has already done this and we're 6 or 7 weeks away from our 1st tournament of the year.
One of the great features on the Nations Baseball website site is teams can enter a tournament to hold their spot until one of our tournament directors contacts them to let them know the registration deadline. Once a team pays its entry fee our directors list them as paid on their Nations Baseball Tournament page.The best thing about teams registering on the Nations website is our system will not allow a team to register for more than one tournament per weekend. This doesn't keep teams from committing to one of our tournaments and another organizations tournament the same weekend but we'll weed those type teams out before to long. |
|
|
|
kingofthehill05
10 Posts |
Posted - 01/03/2010 : 21:49:59
|
TD,
I think all coaches respect your position concerning teams committing or de-committing......but it really seems that USSSA on the south end of town only has that problem.......Its a combination of the integrity of the coaches who run certain teams but the bigger problem with committing to a tournament in this area is the fact that you have 3-5 TD jockying for teams and really not concntrating and working together to pick weekends and put on a quality tournament sgood competitiono coaches really never know where to go for good competition. The fact still remains that these coaches are committing parents hard earned money to TD for a profit and when that is the case then the TDs are MORE obligated to provide a service and in the great US of A people have choices and a right to exercise those choices. Tony V from Triple Crown makes it very easy to commit or de-commit to his tournaments and gives other teams a chance to view whos comming and he will give courtesy calls to coaches when the tournament is coming up. If you cant play you cant play and he would never penalize kids for thier parents not being able make it to or financially commit to a tournament. WE the coaches, players and parents are supporting your tournaments and have MANY options remember that!!!!!!!! |
|
|
|
sward
369 Posts |
Posted - 01/04/2010 : 00:44:14
|
I run an organization with teams in all age groups and multiple teams in 11U. The one thing that drives me nuts is these teams that double up on their commitments. We saw several teams in 10U and 11U who did this. This ruins the entire experience for anyone who is involved (TDs, Coaches, parents). Here's my solution to this problem and I hope you TDs are listening:
You guys need to team up and come to terms over how you are going to handle these teams. They are playing you guys. They register with both Nations and USSSA for the same weekend. Then the week of, they pull out of the 'weeker' tournament. They can only do this bc you don't make them pay until the last minute. My solution: If all tournament organizations agreed to team up and require payment 10-14 days out, then these teams would have to commit. We could all plan better and get our schedules earlier. Everything would be more organized.
GAUSSSA-"This is a major "no no" in USSSA and wont be tolerated." I hope you stand by your word, bc it happened most weekends this past fall. |
|
|
|
C. MORTON
1051 Posts |
Posted - 01/04/2010 : 10:07:01
|
| Here is part of the problem like someone else said TD having so many torunaments on the same weekend..Last year we signed up to play in a STATE tournament, 2 days before the tournament we hadn't got a schedule, had some idea of who was playing but not for sure. We pulled out and found another place to play, because we couldn't get the TD to answer anything. He didn't answer so we wouldn't be able to ask who was playing and so he could find teams to play by Thursday so his tournament could make..There were 3 teams playing in a state tournament and instead of telling us that he said nothing.. The teams that were in the torunament weren't the same theams he had origanilly said had entered...Is it all about the MONEY or the PLAYERS..I know it seems like every year there is a new guy on the block trying to get a piece of the pie..Not a bad I dea if they are doing this for the PLAYERS and not their POCKETS!!!!!!!!!!!! |
|
|
|
10 BB
264 Posts |
Posted - 01/04/2010 : 10:28:17
|
| I believe Nations is doing it for the kids. They could put on a tournament for all age groups but no, they at Nations want to have a great tournament focused on two age groups and making it a great experience for those teams. I think they have decided to not allow the teams already in the Elite tournament on Memorial Day weekend to play in the Best in Ga. tournament March 27-28 to qualify for the Elite tournament. They wouldn't want teams to have to play teams already in the big show. |
|
|
|
Alter-Ego
802 Posts |
Posted - 01/04/2010 : 13:31:49
|
Ya'll are really making me laugh about this "Just for the money..." and "Money in their Pockets." statements. Nobody is getting rich over hosting tournaments.
I have an extreme amount of confidence that EVERY organization is started for the kids or more specifically to provide a better playing experience by the kids.
The problem is, the business part of it can get in the way. Surviving can put a conflict between what you would like to do and what you have to do to stay in business. If it were solely for the kids, it would all be free with TD's, Coaches, Umpires, etc being volunteers and fields being used at no cost. |
|
|
|
teddy41
421 Posts |
Posted - 01/04/2010 : 14:06:36
|
| Just this past fall ustba had 6 teams listed in one age group and by friday cancelled the age group due to no teams? so did they actually have them or not? ALso posting game times on web site at 11pm the night before a tournament is never a good thing |
|
|
|
nationalelitebaseball
64 Posts |
Posted - 01/04/2010 : 16:18:37
|
| As a new tournament organization and having been on both sides of the fence here, we, National Elite Sports, discussed this issue prior to our company openning. As a coach, I hated not knowing who was attending the tournament we were trying to attend. As other organization were started and existing organizations grew we started seeing "some" of them start listing teams that were going to attend. With our organization, this is a must...we have a policy of listing teams in Bold that are confirmed and paid, we list teams in small letters that are committed, but not paid. We then give those teams 10 days or if another team pays it bumps them down this list. If we have a particular age group that looks like it will not make, we have a policy to notify the coach 8 days prior to our start date and help them find another tournament and we also will give a full refund...If you look at our prices, we are not in this for the money. We are in this for the kids and the state of Ga baseball. Yes, we will make some money, but seroiusly, look at our prices at www.nationalelitebaseball.com and you will see. We are also adding more dates to come. The one thing NES will always do is communicate the TRUTH with the coaches. Thanks, NES. |
|
|
|
AllStar
762 Posts |
Posted - 01/04/2010 : 22:13:04
|
quote:
Originally posted by Alter-Ego
If it were solely for the kids, it would all be free with TD's, Coaches, Umpires, etc being volunteers and fields being used at no cost.
We've seen how popular volunteer coaches are on this board. |
|
|
| |
Topic |
|
Tournaments
