Little things matter

Tournaments

I was at a tournament over the weekend. For each of the age groups, there were two flights -blue and white. I walked past the scores posting boards and the obvious leapt right out at me. One board that held the blue flight scores was blue; the other was, you guessed it, white.

It was a simple thing, but an incredibly obvious solution to getting the right people to the right board quickly. Instead of all the score sheets posted together, the tournament thought about how teams perceived scores reporting and made it easier for THEM. A little thing that made a big difference.

Do the wave

Tournaments

Recently, I went to a Cleveland Indians and Texas Rangers baseball game in Dallas. My brother Mike and I have a tradition of traveling to an away series involving the Cleveland Indians. This year we chose Texas.

At the Saturday night game, we were enjoying the usual aspects of a ball game: ball park food, cold beers, new friends and great action on the field. Then came the wave! This is when I noticed something that applies to so many aspects of life and business. The wave was building steam in left field traveling through center field then making its way to our section on the first base line. We were getting ready, couldn’t wait for it to get to us!! There were a bunch of kids that were equally excited. The moment of truth came as the wave approached our section. My brother and I rose from our seats, threw our hands in the air yelling and screaming cheering our favorite team, the Cleveland Indians. The group of kids behind us cheered the Rangers with the same emotion.

Then I looked and there was a family in front of us that sat the whole time. Two of them, put their hands in the air reluctantly. The others didn’t move at all. As the game progressed the wave started two more times. We started building excitement in our section, joking with everyone, singing during the inning breaks and making new friends. The wave a started a third and final time. This time the family in front of us stood up with the same enthusiasm as the rest of the section, yelling and screaming for the Rangers.

Event planning and management starts with enthusiasm. It is contagious! Entertaining personalities, events, and atmospheres are welcoming! Everyone likes to smile and be a part of a festive, joyous environment. Does your tournament do the wave with emotion or from your seats? This can make all the difference in the world of recruiting and retaining teams, volunteers, refeerees, sponsors and venues. A positive buzz of energy will develop around your event by taking this approach. As a result, you will have less turnover, letdowns and negative situations because people will be vested. Start doing the wave with emotion as you plan for your tournament this year!

Real-time scoring takes on a room-service flavor

DDN News

20060902johnDAYTON – Rain is sprinkling the soccer players outside this weekend, but that may be ok with John Buntemeyer, the general manager for The Dayton Marriott. In addition to a pool, Sharkey’s and other on-site entertainment, he now has real-time scoring broadcasted to all the in-room televisions.

“Real-time is the new expectation,” Buntemeyer, 51, explains. “It used to be that if teams found out the scores of the games after the tournament, that was fast enough. Now, they want to know immediately after the games. If you’re not real-time, you’re just late.”

Buntemeyer is a man of vision and sees the video capabilities well beyond soccer. He sees a day when corporate meetings broadcast pre and post-seminar videos on in-room televisions. Highlight videos from cheerleading competitions and other sporting events can be delivered as well to the in-room televisions.

“We tested the concept at last year’s Mead CUSA Cup with just one tv in the lobby and went hotel-wide with the Warrior Classic on Memorial Day weekend. This is just the start of things,” says Buntemeyer.

You can catch the Mead CUSA Cup scores real-time on the Marriott television in the lobby or at home on www.cusasoccer1.com all weekend long.

PHOTO: Buntemeyer shows off the real-time scoring on the television in the Dayton Marriott lobby. He is also raffling a Harley Davidson motorcycle for Children’s Miracle Center – Dayton and proudly wears a t-shirt promoting the charity. The raffle drawing is tonight at 10:00pm at Sharkey’s

The face behind the face of the Mead CUSA Cup

DDN News

20060901jeffMIAMISBURG – What do you do with a parent who knows almost nothing about soccer, wants to volunteer and has great graphic arts skill? You put him to work designing your t-shirt, program and signage.

Jeff Stapleton, 46, and a partner at Graphica, is not shy about admitting his ignorance of the game. “It took me until my son starting playing U19 to finally figure out the off-sides rule,” Jeff says candidly. But, he still loved the game and knew he could contribute his skills to making the tournament better.

According to Stapleton, the consistent graphic look of the event – from the signage on the highway to the shirts, the program and even the name badges worn by the volunteers – all set the Mead CUSA Cup soccer tournament apart. “It connects all the participants to the same event,” he adds. As the tournament continues to grow by attracting teams from various states, it becomes apparent that the branding efforts are effective.

Stapleton has been designing a unique logo each year for the Mead CUSA Cup since 1996. Because his kids have grown beyond the club, 2006 will be his last year as he turns over the reigns to someone new. He plans on spending more time with his wife and daughter, who also volunteer in various other areas of sport and the arts.

Will he miss it? “I don’t know yet.” But Stapleton is looking forward to some time off.

PHOTO: Stapleton glances through the 2006 Mead CUSA Cup program book.

Scoring big with the Mead CUSA Cup

DDN News

20080830mccarterCENTERVILLE – Don’t call Cheryl McCarter the day after Labor Day. She will be taking a vacation day from work, unplugging her phone and spending the day in bed. But don’t think of her as a slacker; it is a well-deserved rest.

McCarter, 26, is the scheduler behind the 413 team, 723 game schedule, spanning three venues over three days this coming weekend at the 27th annual Mead/Cusa Cup Soccer Tournament. With over one hundred teams with coaches’ conflicts ranging from multiple teams to volunteer requirements, putting a schedule together that meets everyone’s needs is no small job.

“I have six or seven days to take all the application information, seeding and ranking information and make a schedule,” says McCarter in an upbeat tone. “I have to take several vacation days and work until three or four in the morning just to get it done on time.”

But the end result is worth the extra effort McCarter puts in. She has gotten many compliments from guest teams and they keep coming back every year.

McCarter grew up in Iowa and moved to the Dayton area in 2000 for a job. She has played soccer since she was five years old and has coached boys and girls from U9 to U17. She is currently coaching a Boys U12 CUSA team.

“I try to give back as much or more than I take from the sport,” McCarter says, with a slight giggle. “I got into this by volunteering for a two-hour field marshal shift four years ago. Who knew it would turn into a full-time thing?” But, in spite of the work involved, McCarter seems to be enjoying herself.

During the tournament, you can find McCarter entering scores and supervising the standings and team advancement from her headquarters in “the barn” at the Ankeney Complex in Beavercreek. You can follow the scores online throughout the weekend at www.cusasoccer1.com.

PHOTO: McCarter takes a break during lunch to help a coach with his scheduling needs.