Kansas USSSA tournaments

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May 29, 2015
3,731
113
When people are unhappy it takes surprisingly little to set up a competitor. It just takes someone or a group of someones to be annoyed enough to be willing to put the work in.

USSSA, ASA, PGF, NSA, etc.. they are flags to organize under when you need them. There are teams to have a tournament - that is all you need to have options.

I’m sure people know this, but I felt it important to emphasize that Stay to Play (or whatever it is called) is NOT a function of the sanctioning bodies (USA, USSSA, PGF, etc.). It is a decision by the business (yes, BUSINESS) who puts on the tournament.
 

marriard

Not lost - just no idea where I am
Oct 2, 2011
4,312
113
Florida
Quite frankly I dont see why USSSA or anyone allows it under their sanction?

Because it is really none of their business.

And because there are many legitimate reasons to do stay-and-play
.

I have ZERO issue with people turning a reasonable profit when they run an event - it is really payment for the work that goes into it and without people stepping up it doesn't happen. And if they deliver what they promise and the value is there, I don't care how much profit they make. When you run a great tournament and you provide value for people's $$$, they don't care what it technically paid for.

And to be fair - the whole concept probably originally came about through some city requirements to show economical impact on having a tournament to justify use of fields. I have worked with several cities where it is still a requirement for access to the fields especially when I need ALL of them. I have have filled out way too many economic impact forms.

There is also a price point that teams will accept for entry into an event before they just wont enter and in many cases that # doesn't cover costs or make it worth running. Generating the extra fees cover this. People go 'just put it in the entry" but when you do that, they don't enter. Yes it is just perception, but this is from lengthy experience running these things.

- In large tournaments, stay-and-play often pays for needed umpire accommodations (double occupancy, cheapest rate, cheapest hotel - believe me).
- In some towns, it also sets aside room blocks and in a lot of cases prices are equal to a little less at the time of setting prices
- It forces teams and people to book early - because some people just can't seem to book on time without being forced to. I'd rather take the "It is $20 more than Expedia" complaint than the "It is $250 for a Day Inn" complaint from the people who try to book Wednesday night for Friday on a holiday weekend. Yes I have had calls that say "We can't get hotel rooms, we are not coming" on a Thursday evening.
- It forces teams to commit. Some people still think it is OK to enter 4 events on the same weekend and then choose one and cancel the other three on the Monday before the event.

Also hotel prices vary on a daily/hourly basis and sales happen. So yes if you stalk Expedia you probably will find a lower price on one day or at a different hotel or whatever.

That is not to say that there isn't a cash grab from some people or organizations. But those orgs are ripe for being steamrolled by someone motivated to do so and it is probably not the case as often as people think.
 
Jun 14, 2018
172
28
Because it is really none of their business.

And because there are many legitimate reasons to do stay-and-play.

I have ZERO issue with people turning a reasonable profit when they run an event - it is really payment for the work that goes into it and without people stepping up it doesn't happen. And if they deliver what they promise and the value is there, I don't care how much profit they make. When you run a great tournament and you provide value for people's $$$, they don't care what it technically paid for.

And to be fair - the whole concept probably originally came about through some city requirements to show economical impact on having a tournament to justify use of fields. I have worked with several cities where it is still a requirement for access to the fields especially when I need ALL of them. I have have filled out way too many economic impact forms.

There is also a price point that teams will accept for entry into an event before they just wont enter and in many cases that # doesn't cover costs or make it worth running. Generating the extra fees cover this. People go 'just put it in the entry" but when you do that, they don't enter. Yes it is just perception, but this is from lengthy experience running these things.

- In large tournaments, stay-and-play often pays for needed umpire accommodations (double occupancy, cheapest rate, cheapest hotel - believe me).
- In some towns, it also sets aside room blocks and in a lot of cases prices are equal to a little less at the time of setting prices
- It forces teams and people to book early - because some people just can't seem to book on time without being forced to. I'd rather take the "It is $20 more than Expedia" complaint than the "It is $250 for a Day Inn" complaint from the people who try to book Wednesday night for Friday on a holiday weekend. Yes I have had calls that say "We can't get hotel rooms, we are not coming" on a Thursday evening.
- It forces teams to commit. Some people still think it is OK to enter 4 events on the same weekend and then choose one and cancel the other three on the Monday before the event.

Also hotel prices vary on a daily/hourly basis and sales happen. So yes if you stalk Expedia you probably will find a lower price on one day or at a different hotel or whatever.

That is not to say that there isn't a cash grab from some people or organizations. But those orgs are ripe for being steamrolled by someone motivated to do so and it is probably not the case as often as people think.


In the limited time I have been doing research on putting on tournaments, I have found out that to get lower prices on the fields and certain guarantees on the fields they want people to stay inside their city limits. By doing that the host would be able to lower the cost on the tournament as well provide things that they wouldn't be able to otherwise.

I for one do not care how much money I make on these tournaments, which is one reason we have reached out to a few different non-profits to work with. I just want the young ladies and the families to walk away saying we will be back!

When it comes to the price point ordeal:eek:... I have talked to local club directors and they are throwing a fit about the $600-$700 entry fee with no gate fee. When you break it down to them that the tournaments they go to that have a gate fee it cost more per family then just paying the fee upfront. I do see why some host go the way of doing gate fees now and that would be due to some governing bodies taking a percentage of all entry fees.
 

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