All posts by Chris Dammann

Make your maps readable on the web

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Simple, readable maps go a long way toward getting your teams where they need to go with a minimum of confusion. On a soccer tournament web site, a readable layout with clearly marked field numbers is a must.

The graphic below shows an example of an unfriendly versus friendly layout.

Web-Unfriendly

soccer field map before

Web-Friendly

soccer field after

Most of the time, your maps will come from a parks department or a graphic designer who has designed them to be great for printing in a program, but almost entirely unreadable on a web site. Make sure to specify that you need the maps to work across ALL media — online and in print. If need be, be ready to re-work them with large field numbers however you can if your graphics people can’t. Even if that means white sticky dots and a Sharpie.

Keep your field maps simple and readable. Big field numbers first, secondary information only if there is room. You can always have more detailed maps posted at the fields.

Up Front Communication Key in Running Youth Soccer Tournaments

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There is no getting around it, running a youth soccer tournament is a lot of work. Even the most organized tournament directors with the best clubs and best software tools take on a huge responsibility. In the end, the hard work is balanced out by the rewards of seeing kids enjoying the game and putting a nice amount of money in the club’s accounts and the local economy. Everybody wants to be considered successful. When it comes to success, an old saying comes to mind, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” A well thought out and executed communication plan, starting at the time of registration and acceptance, can help save headaches later, when you should be concentrating on something else.

Never assume that coaches who are accepted into your soccer tournament automatically know what the next step is. It is as simple as this: tell them what to do and when to do it. Starting with your acceptance letter, include a timeline or checklist of any items that need to be completed prior to the tourney. Be clear about the dates and if there is any further information or payment needed. Make sure that you also comply by sticking to stated dates.

Anticipate questions and make sure that your tournament website includes the answers. Push as much of the information and communication needs onto your website as possible. It is helpful if your soccer tournament website is more than just a static recruiting tool. A complete, end-to-end soccer tournament management system, like those offered by TourneyCentral, is well worth the investment. Cheap and free systems always have limitations which are more costly in the end.

This may seem like a lot of upfront work, but you’ll be thankful as your tournament dates get closer. It brings to mind another old saying, “You can pay me now, or you can pay me later.”

Grand Rapids Crew Spring Classic on Tap in April

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The Grand Rapids Crew Juniors 2nd Annual Crew Spring Classic soccer tournament will be held on April 15-17th, 2011 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The tournament is open to U08-U10, U11-U12, and U13 youth teams. Based on the success of last year’s first annual Crew Spring Classic, interest from youth soccer teams around the region is high and space is limited. Registration for the event closes on March 28, 2011.

The main site for the Crew Classic is the state-of-the-art MVP Fieldhouse. There is an additional site in Kentwood, only a ten-minute drive from the main site. Because weather is always a concern in April, all games will be played on turf to maintain field conditions and limit delays. Staying on the turf limits the number of openings so make sure to register soon and be as detailed as possible on your team application. Fees run between $475 and $525 per team.

Use Travelling Teams, the exclusive hotel partner for the Crew Spring Classic, to book your hotel rooms. Travelling Teams offers great rates at a variety of hotels all located near MVP. MVP is located on 28th Street in Grand Rapids, which offers many attractions, restaurants, and two malls to keep you entertained between games.

The Grand Rapids Crew Juniors are looking forward to hosting your team in 2011. Information on registration, travel, lodging, scheduling, scores and things to do when you are in town are included on the tournament website.

Economic Impact of Youth Soccer Tournaments

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Most people would say that bringing hundreds of youth soccer teams and their families to your town for a weekend youth soccer tournament would be good for the local economy.

But how good is it?

Knowing the answer to that question could really make things easier for tournament directors who are trying to schedule fields, get sponsors and generally drum up support from the local business community.

Using an integrated, online solution for marketing, scheduling and managing your soccer tournament could provide some of the answers. One example is the Tournament PulsePoint™ tool standard with every TourneyCentral site.

The tool is available to TourneyCentral tournament directors as one of several administrative modules that take the mystery out of running a tournament. Tournament PulsePoint™ uses numbers from the U.S. Soccer Foundation Economic Impact model, economic impact from the National Association of Sport Commissions and marketing data from the U.S. Census Bureau to provide overall economic impact and other marketing data based on the numbers of teams in your tournament and where they come from.

All of the information can be seen on a dashboard style screen including a map with pin marks on the locations of the teams in your tourney.

Youth soccer tournaments mean business; big business for your organization and for hotels, stores and restaurants in your town. The tools are now available to help you manage and market your soccer tournament like the serious business that it is.

Soccer Tournaments Mean Business on LinkedIn

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Soccer Tournaments Mean Business

Most youth soccer tournaments are run by volunteers who generously dedicate huge chunks of their time, talent and sometimes even their own money because they love the game and love to see kids get a chance to compete on a high level. But a youth soccer tournament represents big business to the clubs that sponsor them and to the business community in host cities.

There is a new resource for directors of these events and all others who want to share their knowledge or perhaps pick up a thing or two. If you have not already done so, join the Soccer Tournaments Mean Business Group on LinkedIn and start to share thoughts and network with other like-minded, dedicated soccer folks.

Social media is picking up momentum as a means of communication for business professionals in all walks of life. LinkedIn is the recognized leader for people who would rather separate their business interests from their other social networking activity on Facebook and Twitter.

Sharing ideas and making contacts with tournament directors from around the world can put your event on the forefront of using the latest and best tools, software and procedures that will make your event more attractive to youth soccer teams and to the sponsors who want their name and business attached to a winner.

The group was started by TourneyCentral, a provider of integrated online solution for youth soccer tournaments, but is open to everyone in the youth soccer tournament world who wants to dial up the professionalism of their event.