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FROM THE PRB.COM "THIS HAS GOTTA STOP" DEPT.

TOURNAMENT DIRECTORS OF THE WORLD, UNITE!

There is a very disturbing trend that is rearing it's ugly head in our youth basketball world and it must be stopped in it's tracks!

Seemingly, in every tournament, there are teams that book their clubs into multiple tournaments and then look for that last minute discount from the tournament that weekend that has the least amount of teams and is desperate for any team and then simply leaves the original tournaments they commited to hanging OR are just too inconsiderate to care about anyone but themselves OR show up, play their games and then pay with checks that are no good or simply do not pay at all.
The "check in the mail" that never arrives must be growing in popularity because it is the talk of directors everywhere.
How any club can play it's games and not pay that tournament AND feel good about themselves is a mystery that eludes us all.

The problem is...tournament directors have no place to register their complaints.
Teams can pick and choose from mulitple tournaments every week as each tournament is fighting to secure any teams that they can to boost their numbers. They take chances on the integrity of teams and are being severely disappointed.
With the system in place now, the tournament directors are at the mercy of the unscrupulous, the uncaring, the un-paying teams out there.

At the SE Warriors Cinco de Mayo tournament, 8 teams pulled out from the tournament AFTER the schedule was written on Wednesday. When that happened, the schedule had to be re-written and was released on Friday.
Forfeits occurred, the timing of the tournament was thrown off.

At the AVAC Sizzlin Summer Classic held two weekends ago, an astounding 13 teams dropped AFTER the schedule was written on Wednesday. When that happened, the schedule had to be re-written and was released on Friday.
Forfeits occurred, the timing of the tournament was thrown off.

In both tournaments, directors David Medina of SE and Gary Thomas of AVAC, both very honorable and caring men; were subjected to the anger of disgruntled team coaches and parents who must then suffer changed game times or forfeits at the last minute.

Anyone been waiting at a gym for a team to show up lately...and they don't show up?
Anyone have to explain to their parents that they can all go home?
Anyone like hearing that they have "advanced" because of forfeit?

Now what has happened, at a tournament with all the right intentions of producing a wonderful time for all; there are ALL OF US who must now suffer because of the dastardly actions of a few.
What occurs now is coaches having to explain to their players and parents on why venues were changed, times were changed, or there is no game at all.
Directors are left to try and piece together some type of order and promote the best tournament that they now can.
In the whole process, both sides are so stressed dealing with these problems that they forget what and who started the whole thing to begin with.

-Can anyone out there honestly say that a tournament director ENJOYS his tournament having forfeits?
-Doesn't anyone understand that if a tournament director begins the week prior to the tournament with a certain number of teams and that number STAYS at that number; a schedule can be produce easily by Wednesday or earlier?
-Does any team out there believe that a tournament director actually sets out to produce a terrible tournament?

It is almost guaranteed that any unfortunate tournament experiences that any team has had out there is probably related to a team not showing up for a game or dropping out at the last minute.

Any tournament director will tell you that his/her worst nightmare is waiting for the checks to arrive in the mail and for the checks to pass through the bank.

Yes, there are profits to throwing a tournament.
That is why there are so many tournaments each week of every month of every year.
The point here is to say that WE ALL SUFFER when these teams are allowed to continue with their selfish ways.
How about the club that travels a large distance and must book hotel rooms.
Do they care that 13 clubs pulled their teams out on the FRIDAY night before the tournament and now their 8:00 am game is a forfeit?
All they know is that they payed a substantial amount of money to travel and get there and now they won't play their "guaranteed" number of games.
Gary Thomas of AVAC had a team pull out on Friday night, 11:00 pm!
What could anyone expect him to do?
What would you have done?

The problem is getting so bad that many times a club will enter a tournament anywhere and be elated if they suffer NO forfeits during the weekend.
A 3 game guarantee can no longer be a 3 game guarantee.
A 3 game guarantee has turned into a "maybe" guaranteed 3 games IF everyone shows up.
If this is a system you all enjoy, then please disregard this message.

Tournament directors must try to find a way to communicate with each other on a constant basis and by helping each other, not allow teams to continue to act in such a disgraceful manner in which the end result is a major negative to us all.

Teams must also do their part and demand from their fellow counterparts in this travel world that some sense of honor must be established.
It must be known that more than a tournament director is affected.
All teams share in the misery.

We must all now band together if we wish to stop this infamous practice that seems to have gripped our beloved game.

As with the solution to any problem, communication is the key.
If a tournament is having a problem, and your team is affected; instead of yelling at the tournament director, why not ask why this problem exists.
If it is the tournament's fault, then by all means, voice your displeasure.
If, however, the tournament director is just an innocent victim of the actions of others; why not just begin to ask what led to this and what forced this unfortunate circumstance and share some compassion, as you both now are equal victims to another's selfishness.

As with anything, patterns of behavior can be established if we all are looking hard enough.
Bad checks? Pulling out at the last minute? Causing forfeits?
Let's see if we can notice if it's the same guys that are doing the same things over and over again?
Then, if tournament directors are STILL allowing them into a tournament, WE can then decide if the risk is worth it to US.

It is recognized that there are legitimate reasons that a team must pull out, but is it out of the realm of decency that a tournament director be given advance notice of any problem or potential problem?
One or even two pulling out at the last minute is reasonable, but 13?

OUR tournament experiences for OUR clubs are now in OUR hands as much as the tournament that is sponsoring the action.
LET'S all begin to first see this problem and then begin to help each other to avoid a "bad" tournament experience.

"Fool me once, shame on you."
"Fool me twice, shame on me."
"Fool me thrice, good for you!"

A PRB.COM EDITORIAL