Adding teams to tournament AFTER it has already started

[SESwildfire]

Let me start at the beginning. A week before the tournament a schedule was released. The entry deadline has passed. After that point the tourney director pulled the schedule and allowed 3 teams to enter late 3 separate instances altering pool schedules to allow teams to enter. I get it this is all about money so inconvenience to teams does not matter. This year has been a rough one for Kansas USA ball. This weekend however had me speechless though.

Rough weather Saturday had us in a rain delay from 11 am clear through 10:30 pm Saturday night. During that time, 8 different iterations of schedules were posted publicly and the tournament location even changed once. I understand this is a money grab and they are doing everything in their power not to have to issue refunds. But stringing people along all day only to end up canceling the entire thing was frustrating as a coach. What is even more frustrating is when they decide to add a new team to the tournament ON THE SAME DAY THE TOURNAMENT played and the tourney was already 5 pool games complete at that point. They added the new team during the rain delay. Never in all my years have i seen a tournament do this.

I am not looking for sympathy here, or even logic just wondering if anyone else has ever heard of this?

 

[marriard]

I am not looking for sympathy here, or even logic just wondering if anyone else has ever heard of this?

You are trying everything you can do to get as many games in as possible but you can't control the weather. You think it is fun creating new schedules or changing venues or finding playable fields or calling all sorts of people to figure out options? Also taking 100's of calls and emails from coaches plus parents who shouldn't be contacting you at all. And the irrational anger. Ugh.

And then it rains again and messes it all up and you rinse and repeat.
Or some team drops out and your schedule is ruined.

Believe me - the 'why did you cancel' backlash is WAY worse than 'we are trying to get as many games in as possible'.
I am not stringing you along even if it feels that way. You want the teams to play - especially those that have traveled. Refunds suck of course - we normally provide credit for future events. But more people remember that you tried everything versus just cancelling.

If I have room for a team to get in, I add them. Who am I to deny anyone a chance to play if there is room for them. That is going to change the schedule.
During a delay - if some teams pulled out and I have a team ready to play, I am adding them in.

Btw - it isn't a money grab for the most part - that honestly probably has nothing to do with what is primarily driving this. Especially when it is weather related. If it is truly a money grab and your toruney directors are not getting it don - , get some people together and put them out of business. Experience shows it takes less than 12 months to take over if you run tournaments that meet team needs. We have done it and seen it done. It isn't really that hard - it is just a lot of time and work.

 

[SESwildfire]

You are trying everything you can do to get as many games in as possible but you can't control the weather. You think it is fun creating new schedules or changing venues or finding playable fields or calling all sorts of people to figure out options? Also taking 100's of calls and emails from coaches plus parents who shouldn't be contacting you at all. And the irrational anger. Ugh.

And then it rains again and messes it all up and you rinse and repeat.
Or some team drops out and your schedule is ruined.

Believe me - the 'why did you cancel' backlash is WAY worse than 'we are trying to get as many games in as possible'.
You want the teams to play - especially those that have traveled. Refunds suck of course - we normally provide credit for future events. But more people remember that you tried everything versus just cancelling.

If I have room for a team to get in, I add them. I am not Who am I to deny anyone a chance to play.
During a delay - if some teams pulled out and I have a team ready to play, I am adding them in.

Btw - it isn't a money grab for the most part - that honestly probably has nothing to do with what is primarily driving this. Especially when it is weather related. If it is truly a money grab and your toruney directors are not getting it don - , get some people together and put them out of business. Experience shows it takes less than 12 months to take over if you run tournaments that meet team needs. We have done it and seen it done. It isn't really that hard - it is just a lot of time and work.

I am on the side that leans towards least amount of interactions with directors/umps the better. I know they get more garbage than they can handle so my Monday morning posts here are usually things ive thought about saying at a tourney but held off.

After the comments ive heard the past 4-5 tourneys what you said at the end there might be a reality. They are not working the fields or mounds, not chalking the fields, entry fees have went up, quality of awards have taken a nosedive that has been the running joke of anyone that has made it to the end (think plastic necklace that doesnt even say a tournament name, location or even place). combine that with a shortage of umpires in our area we have seen some absolute horrible calls that i feel are coming from inexperienced umps. I watched a pool game saturday where the catcher slid to the side and blocked a ball with her hip (bad bounce) that landed in the middle of the opposite box. Ump made no call and both teams assumed it was a ball. Nope called a strike and from the reaction of both coaches it had been going on all game. I only stopped by to watch from the commotion i heard in the stands. I felt sorry for the lady behind the plate though, you could tell both teams were laying it on heavy.

We had a new director get added into the mix last year and has been trying to get tournaments going but he is having troubles drawing teams that have traditionally always played the tourneys that have been having issues. we play both utrip and usa ball and our team has already decided to avoid USA ball as much as possible for the future.