All posts by Gerard McLean

QR Codes come to soccer tournaments

News

TourneyCentral implemented an integration of QR Codes for youth soccer tournaments that lead directly to the web application version of the scores, sponsor DEALS and tournament news. The web app is cross-platform and can be used on any smart phone that has a web browser such as Android, iPhone, HTC and other full-screen smart phone. TourneyCentral is the first and only soccer tournament software provider to integrate QR codes for youth soccer tournaments.

“QR codes are basically speed-dial for smart phones,” says Gerard McLean, President of TourneyCentral. “Soccer fans just need to point and click on the code with a web-enabled smart phone to load the mobile site. Once loaded, they can look up scores, DEALS and the latest tournament news.”

The first soccer tournament to be outfitted with a QR code is the CUSA Cup in Centerville, Ohio over Labor Day weekend, September 3-5, 2011. The website is at http://www.cusacup.com The QR code is displayed on the sidebar of every page on the website. The CUSA Cup tournament is also printing the QR code on the cover of their program as well as displaying at on the scoring boards at each of their four sites.

“We’re excited about leading the technology for soccer tournaments,” says Dan Monahan, tournament director for the CUSA Cup, “… especially the tools that allow our families to be more mobile and access the tournament information quickly where they are. Being mobile helps us deliver a larger audience of ready customers to the advertisers and sponsors who support our soccer tournament.”

In addition to the QR codes to support the mobile strategy, the CUSA Cup has also established a twitter account and Facebook page. Both can be found on their website immediately above the QR code on the left sidebar. TourneyCentral has supported social media for the past year and actively advises soccer tournament directors on how to integrate the platforms for their soccer tournament.

All soccer tournaments in the TourneyCentral family will be outfited with their own QR code within the next month.

TourneyCentral mobile web app screen shots

Screen shots from the TourneyCentral mobile web app

ABOUT TOURNEYCENTRAL
TourneyCentral is the only fully integrated, event-focused online solution for youth soccer tournaments. Since 1999, TourneyCentral has been producing web sites that provide youth soccer tournaments with end-to-end integrated experience management for guest teams, from marketing through scoring. In addition, advertising tools provide tournaments with an increased opportunity for advertising and sponsorship revenue as a result of significantly increased traffic to the web site. For more information, visit www.tourneycentral.com.

TourneyCentral is owned by Rivershark Inc., based in Ohio. Companion and marketing partner properties consist of The Touchline, a blog and iTunes podcast for tournament directors, MyTournamentSpace, a photo-sharing site linked directly into the tournament game schedule and www.ticoscore.com, a single-source database and ranking system for soccer tournaments.

TourneyCentral will be attending the NSCAA Conference in Kansas City, MO in January 2011.

Contact for more information
Gerard McLean
gmclean [at] rivershark.com
937-836-6255

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Marketing your first-year soccer tournament

Tournaments, ,

Whenever we sign a soccer tournament that is just launching, we get asked a lot about how to get a lot of traffic to the web site that converts into team applications. While each soccer tournament event is slightly different, here is some of the collective advice we usually give out.

Offline marketing
First year tournaments are really difficult. There is usually a lot of offline hustle with the club coaches, within the league and at the state association level. Your club name will probably be the best thing to help you. Can you send out an email from the club list list? Also, make sure everyone in your club knows the website for your tournament. Every coach, every volunteer, every parent. Nothing says “dead lead” like someone from the club who does not know the web address.

Complete website
Make sure your TourneyCentral website is as complete as possible. That means your about page, rules, hotel policies, front page news, frequently asked questions are all full. It is a lot of work, but considering you only have about three seconds before a team will decide to click off your page or explore more, it is worth the investment.
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Our TourneyCentral video

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Grandma and grandpa want to see their grandson Billy play in his first away soccer tournament. How will they find the right field and times Billy plays?

Fortunately, Billy's coach applied to a TourneyCentral soccer tournament so finding all this information was easy.
Billy's grandma went to the website, clicked on Schedules, found Billy's team name and got his schedule in seconds.

Our second video.. released July 30, 2012

Marcy has just been named her club's soccer tournament director. She searches for the best solution to help her manage all the tasks that go along with hosting a soccer tournament.

Warrior Classic soccer tournament celebrates 25th year

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HUBER HEIGHTS – What do the numbers 8 million, 500, 25, and five have in common? They are all milestone numbers for the 25th annual adidas Warrior Classic, and the Warrior Soccer Club.

When first conceptualized three decades ago, tournament co-director Carol Maas said that about 50-60 teams were expected and 162 participated in the event.

“They came from all over,” she said.

Maas, who is now in her 25th year helping to oversee what is arguably the Dayton region’s premier youth soccer tournament, if not its premier youth sporting event, sees her participation with the adidas Warrior Classic as a true “labor of love.”

Asked if she has issues dealing with the complexities of managing the event Maas responded, “Some days yes, most days not.”
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