Running/Organizing a Tournament

Howdy all - my local youth baseball/softball group had an idea in past years to organize/run a 12U softball tournament near the end of June for area teams/community programs to participate in. They haven't taken up the task, and so I am contemplating it for my 16U team to do as a fundraiser.

I'm curious if anyone has ever done anything like this and, if so, what suggestions you may have. This is SOLELY in the infancy stage - just an idea kicking around. My local rec. field has 3 fields available - a 4th could be found about a 2 minute drive away (it's in a "triangle" field bordered by 3 roads - no dugouts, roadside parking where foul balls would cause trouble, etc.) The rec. field has bathroom facilities, a playground, and a concession stand, and would be usable from 9am to dusk.

I'm looking at information like cost per team, format of tournament (likely pool play depending on # of teams/fields available, then single elimination playoffs or something appropriate), cheap field insurance, trophies, etc. Basically ANYTHING that would be associated with an undertaking like this. Any help/ideas would be wonderful to have going through this thought process.

If you are talking rec teams you should be able to get by with 1 umpire per game.

Assuming the fields are free or cheap after the umpires there isn't a ton of cost. You will need to chalk the fields between games so you'll need several bags. You need volunteers to keep the fields dragged between games.

If you play games starting at 8 you can get in 8 on each field assuming it's not dark before 8:30 or so. If you do 3 pool games you need to have 1.5 fields-games per team so if you did 30 you could have up to 20 teams assuming they are all in the same division. It doesn't change much if you have multiple as long as you have even teams. If you have odd teams you need to add an extra game as team will play 4. If you go single elimination on Sunday figure number of teams -number of division for games. So if you have 20 teams in one division you need 19 games.

You should be able to figure how much a game costs (basically the umpire costs) add in a little for chalk,etc. Multiply that by 4 (4 games per team) and that's you variable cost per team. Anything you charge per team over that cost is pretty much profit assuming fields don't cost.

If you hire the local umpires they will keep the games on schedule,etc.

If you fields are in good shape to start it's a ton of work. If they are not it's a mega ton of work. If you have any ATV's or similar to drag fields it makes it easy. You need hoses to water fields often.

You should be able to make a good amount on snack bar if you run it right.

We have the boring 4 fields and a 5th field 2 minutes a way. In same parking lot.

There is a standing building with a bathrooms DD and all girls love this.

They sell hot dogs so I love ithis.

Dirt and fences. 10 minutes away another 4 not as nice. No hot dogs anot not so good bathroom.

IMO too much work to do it.

We also have some more softball fields around. 20 minutes away we have a bunch.

See my responses below to the first reply:

canyonjoe said:

If you are talking rec teams you should be able to get by with 1 umpire per game.

This would be for essentially little league teams. Some area communities call it "youth baseball/softball", some call it "youth commission" and go by the 10U/12U designation, etc.

Assuming the fields are free or cheap after the umpires there isn't a ton of cost. You will need to chalk the fields between games so you'll need several bags. You need volunteers to keep the fields dragged between games.

Fields are free, but I would need insurance coverage, and the insurance for my team won't likely cover a tournament. Umpire costs I would need to look into. Chalk from a nearby sporting goods shop is around $6-7/bag for a 50-lb bag.

If you play games starting at 8 you can get in 8 on each field assuming it's not dark before 8:30 or so. If you do 3 pool games you need to have 1.5 fields-games per team so if you did 30 you could have up to 20 teams assuming they are all in the same division. It doesn't change much if you have multiple as long as you have even teams. If you have odd teams you need to add an extra game as team will play 4. If you go single elimination on Sunday figure number of teams -number of division for games. So if you have 20 teams in one division you need 19 games.

A lot will depend on who signs up, etc. With having only 3 fields (4 if people were okay with packing up/traveling each game), it would limit how many teams I could feasibly have to keep everyone happy. I was figuring if I had like 8-10 sign up, then at least I have fewer teams just sitting around waiting between games.

You should be able to figure how much a game costs (basically the umpire costs) add in a little for chalk,etc. Multiply that by 4 (4 games per team) and that's you variable cost per team. Anything you charge per team over that cost is pretty much profit assuming fields don't cost. If you hire the local umpires they will keep the games on schedule,etc.

This will be the ultimate deciding factor. If I can find out what insurance costs would be for the day, umpire cost per game, and chalk costs, then I can calculate a price per team. I wasn't sure if there was a "standard" price ($150, $200, or higher - this isn't any sort of qualifying tournament for anything, more like a "fun wind down the season" tournament).

If you fields are in good shape to start it's a ton of work. If they are not it's a mega ton of work. If you have any ATV's or similar to drag fields it makes it easy. You need hoses to water fields often.

We have plenty of rakes/squeegies/things of that nature in our concession stand to use as necessary and we have 2 liners available. There are hoses available but I've NEVER seen those fields watered for use in 13 years of umpiring on those fields. Usually if they're watered, it's because a downpour happened recently.

You should be able to make a good amount on snack bar if you run it right.

Since it's the youth program's concession, they would be asked first about wanting to be open. If THEY don't take it, I can have my girls try for donations/make the purchases them/ourselves and set up a table to use. We're relatively thrifty (read: I'm relatively cheap) like that.

Click to expand...

Here is a tourney planning sheet I had put together a few years ago, we run 2 (B/C) single day tourneys on a weekend, saturday is 10u, 14u, 18u Sunday is 8u, 12u, 16u some teams play both days and jump up an age group. We have 7 fields available and last year we had 74 teams (half Sat/half Sunday) I think. Every family in our organization (maybe 85 families) works a shift, gates, fields or concessions. We are always short workers but the board members work triple time usually to get it to run smooth. ASA Umpires here get about $35-40 a game. One ump per game until the Championship game then two umps. We have charged gate fees in the past of $3-4/adult. We have talked about making that a flat team charge in the future. Being only a one day tourney we can't charge much over $200-225 per team for entry. I can't see adding a team gate fee on top of that... but that would eliminate us having gate workers...with concessions at 3 parks the tourney weekend is a good fund raiser for us. I'm sure there is more things but it's a good start to trigger some ideas for you.


Tournament Planning thoughts

Decide on Date
publicize, online, email all teams around, everywhere we can, find leagues email the teams
reserve fields with City (3) and CER (3) and Bruce (1)
lock in umpires
order trophys
line up shirt vender
maybe printed brackets with advertisers on it, like a program type deal. One for Sunday one for Saturday
concessions
get Sanctioned
become ASA/NAFA/PGF/USSSA Nationals Qualifier
get sponsors


can we rent the Aquatic park for Sat night for teams to go free…? Support the town excite the teams coming in. (have not done )
"hole in one" type home run contest if legal on school property … http://www.oddsonpromotions.com/sports/baseball/ (have not done )
Tournament individual awards, pitching MVP, Most oustanding player, etc. (have not done )

Cardinal Fields, Winnebago Diamonds and Hands Park
reserve fields w/CER
field workers lined up
Scoreboards and operators
ticket booth, fence for directing to ticket booth at 'Bago
handicapped parking signs for Cardinal
Reserved parking signs for field boss
Field supplies,
chalk and chalker
field dry, pails, shop vac, snow shovel, water pillows
rakes, Gator, drag, hoses
Fire Extinguisher
Emergency procedures posted, address for each facility for emergency personnel

All locations
Umpires
Rules printed at each
Bullletin board and Brackets at each
balls
trophies
shirt venders
Raffle or Silent auction items
Medical kits, knowledge of Fairmont Schools Emergency Action Plan (EAP), plastic gloves

Teams Participating Information
Invitations
listed online
registrations, $
Medical Consent forms
balls needed?
Information packet when they arrive
contact info for field chiefs
contact info for tourney director
their bracket
tourney/southern star rules/heat indicator rules
directions to daimonds and hospital
listing of hotels who sponsored
local coupons


Concessions
Contact Baseball Association about 'Bago concession
Connect with Bruce on Hand's Park concession
Fridge
Freezer
Tables
Tent, sledge hammer,
heavy electrical cords, surge protector. Multi plex plugin
grill with extra gas and utencils
candy etc
hotdogs/buns
burgers/buns
catchup/mustard/etc
pop/water/gatoraid
napkins & holder
plastic spoons/forks/knives
serving spoons, knife for buns
table plastic and tape
tape, scotch, masking, duct
scissors
worker schedule
coolers
roasters
note pad & ink pens for keeping "tabs" for families
money box and bank bag for extra
coins/dollars/change


Bathroom supplies
cleaned
hand towels
toilet paper
toilet plunger

Just want to add....The Cardinal Power group puts on a great tournament