Tips on running a good tournament for everyone involved

[Killer Cowboy 0]

You may not agree with all or any of these, but I've compiled this list from the last 10 years I've spent in this sport from what I've heard from coaches, wrestlers, refs, fans, and boosters, and the time I've spent in other states with wrestling and other sports:

1. Don't gouge the fans at the gate - JCTC was $13 for both days this year for one adult. Last year it was $7 for a 2 day pass. I heard several people calling their significant other this year and telling them not to come because it was so expensive. High ticket prices only supports the sport at one school, not the sport as a whole! Keep it reasonable for a one or two day event. $10 or less for a 2 day pass is reasonable for most tournaments. Make it up in concessions and t-shirt sales.

2. No cooler fees for teams - If a team chooses to pack drinks in a cooler, why charge them? So you can compensate for what you lost at the concession stand? I saw a team this year start packing drinks in their gym bags when they heard there was a cooler fee. If you're concerned about what you lose, add $10 to the team entry fee. At least the school is paying for it then, as opposed to a coach at the gate.

3. Make sure your concession stand is stocked - I can't tell you how many times I've been to tournaments where they run out of drinks, food, etc. Bad experience for fans and wrestlers.

4. Allow re-entry without buying another ticket - I don't see this much, but when I do it pisses me off. Wrestling tournaments don't last 2 hours, they're AT LEAST a 5-6 hour affair. If someone buys a ticket, they're paid. This is a pitiful way to make money.

5. Keep down-time to a minimum and stay on schedule - I won't get into the seeding in advance, that only makes sense. But, keep the tournament running, mats full, and eliminate the long process of deciding the champs. Tell me why JCTC ended at 5:00 p.m. on Saturday in 2011 and 9:00 p.m. this year.

6. Recruit workers - don't hold a tournament if you don't have the people to help. Usually this is seen at the scorers tables.

[Givemethatdouble 6]

One rule change that would help run a tourney along faster would be the 45 minute rule on wrestlers. This should either be done with or lowered like in college

One rule change that would help run a tourney along faster would be the 45 minute rule on wrestlers. This should either be done with or lowered like in college

[bigedcoach 27]

#1 Cooler fees are necessary because you have to have so much more staff to clean some of the buffetts that are brought in on these tournaments and left

#2 I have ran the JCTC FOR 19 YEARS and was brought back to run it this year, except for the year that we had snow coming in, usually the finals are scheduled between 6:30 and 7. The one year we ran 5 mats straight through , we were the bad guys because we were trying to get people home before the snow hit. Myself I would only have 1 tournament a year with 1 mat finals and it would be the state tournament. I dont know where the JCTC was ran last year but for a 4 mat tournament it is impossible to be finished by 5 oclock, we hit the 45 min rule 2x this year alone.

#3 Most tournaments are seeded a day in advance unless you have teams traveling and coaches dont wana drive back and forth, The JCTC was seeded Thursday night and only had a 10 min bracket meeting on Fri to give teams their draw.

#4 Running tournaments is a business, If tournaments dont make money then schools wont host them, sometime reentry is a security thing because you cant have people just constantly coming in and out of your gyms. Thats why there usually no re entry at football games and other sporting events, at least we go the JCTC down to to sessions and not 3 like the old days, I remember having to clear out the gym at 3 on Saturdays

[CoachK 2]

I don't remember the JCTC ending at 5 last year. Wasn't it at Iroqouis? It was late that year, like 11 when we got out, maybe that was two years ago. But like BigEd said, I have been to everyone for the last 20+ years and they are never done by 5 because we used to clear out the gym at 3ish and come back after that. I agree with the prices being too high at some places as well, and I could be wrong again, but I don't remember a $7 all session pass in many years, at least 5 or 6.. Cooler fees I have no problem with, its money thats taken away from the concession stand and you said in your post to make up the higher gate fee at the concession stand, but if a team brings in 4 coolers then there is no way you will make money off them but will have to clean up all the mess they leave behind.

You may not agree with all or any of these, but I've compiled this list from the last 10 years I've spent in this sport from what I've heard from coaches, wrestlers, refs, fans, and boosters, and the time I've spent in other states with wrestling and other sports:

1. Don't gouge the fans at the gate - JCTC was $13 for both days this year for one adult. Last year it was $7 for a 2 day pass. I heard several people calling their significant other this year and telling them not to come because it was so expensive. High ticket prices only supports the sport at one school, not the sport as a whole! Keep it reasonable for a one or two day event. $10 or less for a 2 day pass is reasonable for most tournaments. Make it up in concessions and t-shirt sales.

2. No cooler fees for teams - If a team chooses to pack drinks in a cooler, why charge them? So you can compensate for what you lost at the concession stand? I saw a team this year start packing drinks in their gym bags when they heard there was a cooler fee. If you're concerned about what you lose, add $10 to the team entry fee. At least the school is paying for it then, as opposed to a coach at the gate.

3. Make sure your concession stand is stocked - I can't tell you how many times I've been to tournaments where they run out of drinks, food, etc. Bad experience for fans and wrestlers.

4. Allow re-entry without buying another ticket - I don't see this much, but when I do it pisses me off. Wrestling tournaments don't last 2 hours, they're AT LEAST a 5-6 hour affair. If someone buys a ticket, they're paid. This is a pitiful way to make money.

5. Keep down-time to a minimum and stay on schedule - I won't get into the seeding in advance, that only makes sense. But, keep the tournament running, mats full, and eliminate the long process of deciding the champs. Tell me why JCTC ended at 5:00 p.m. on Saturday in 2011 and 9:00 p.m. this year.

6. Recruit workers - don't hold a tournament if you don't have the people to help. Usually this is seen at the scorers tables.

[dagger 7]

I like the idea of raising the tournament fee for teams as long as they don't price themselves out of a tournament. Some schools have started a no cooler policy for all indoor sporting events.

I have noticed that when you go to middle school events it seems like the concession r more reasonable and people like to feel like they are getting something for there money. Cheaper prices means people will by more (usually) if they like what you have.

[Killer Cowboy 0]

This was meant as tips for tournaments in general, not just the JCTC. But, since it came up...

I'm pretty sure the JCTC was done at 5:00-5:30 last year, and we (teams) were walking out by 5:45-6:00. The 2-day pass was $7, $8 at the most. I know I paid UNDER $10. It was at Manual High School. Also, there was no cooler fee, or at least our coach didn't tell the boosters he had to pay one. And he would have, trust me. And I'm pretty sure Manual made pretty good money after talking with those guys. The gym wasn't cleared at 3:00 either. They ran 1st, 3rd, and 5th place matches at the same time and gave out awards directly after each class was finished. Nice tournament. That's an example of how it can be done, so please don't say it's impossible.

JCTC was at Iroquois in 2009, Eastern in 2010, Manual in 2011, and Western this year. Iroquois went very late, and started late the first day, Eastern had to deal with really bad weather in 2010 and run part of it on Sunday.

Just because something has been done one way for a long time doesn't mean there isn't a better way to do it. Every excuse that has been given as to why cooler fees should be charged and re-entry is necessary is pretty easy to overcome.

[bigedcoach 27]

This was meant as tips for tournaments in general, not just the JCTC. But, since it came up...

I'm pretty sure the JCTC was done at 5:00-5:30 last year, and we (teams) were walking out by 5:45-6:00. The 2-day pass was $7, $8 at the most. I know I paid UNDER $10. It was at Manual High School. Also, there was no cooler fee, or at least our coach didn't tell the boosters he had to pay one. And he would have, trust me. And I'm pretty sure Manual made pretty good money after talking with those guys. The gym wasn't cleared at 3:00 either. They ran 1st, 3rd, and 5th place matches at the same time and gave out awards directly after each class was finished. Nice tournament. That's an example of how it can be done, so please don't say it's impossible.

JCTC was at Iroquois in 2009, Eastern in 2010, Manual in 2011, and Western this year. Iroquois went very late, and started late the first day, Eastern had to deal with really bad weather in 2010 and run part of it on Sunday.

Just because something has been done one way for a long time doesn't mean there isn't a better way to do it. Every excuse that has been given as to why cooler fees should be charged and re-entry is necessary is pretty easy to overcome.

I tried running place matches at the same time and was out voiced, I think 1 mat finals can get boring because there are only 2 schools represented at one time and a lot of people just sit there. How many mats did Manual run, They have a large gym that can hold 6 mats easily , I have always said they should host state duals there. Im not arguing but 6 mats or even 5 mats makes a huge difference in time. plus when you publish a time for the Courier Journal for people to be there, you try to keep at that schedule. If you really need to know the schedule. JCTC only started 10 mins late. Finished about 45 mins early on Friday, Started on time Saturday, ran into the 45 min rule 2x, finals started on time and went long because of competitive matches that didnt have many falls or techs

[ThirdRound 32]

Two words.....GOOD FOOD !!!!! In the concessions and the hospitality room.......I have a feeling Alltech Arenas food should be decent.....We stopped by a few months ago during State Cross Country....not bad.....not sure same vendors will be there this time.......ANYTHING would be better than Frankfort's food......Too high priced and tasted bad !

[bigedcoach 27]

Frankfort had the worst concessiions, and the hospitality room was terrible

[Killer Cowboy 0]

Big Ed - Manual ran 4 mats and had guys sending wrestlers to mats when one was open. I'm not sure they could have fit more mats on that floor and still had bleachers. The place was absolutely packed (cheap ticket prices). There was a staging area where wrestlers went when they were called. When a wrestler won, he would take his card to a room where it was entered into the computer. The first time I saw them do it I thought it was crazy, but it worked great. That's not a big program but they had a ton of volunteers to help from other programs in the school. Few breaks, in fact, I can only remember one on Saturday. They ran 3 mats for the finals with an open area for medals after each weight class. The wrestlers and coaches seemed to like it, and we liked it. Their coach is from Indiana, and from my experience, that seems to be the norm in that state.

My point in all of this is to say that there are things that can be done to improve on tournaments held in Kentucky and still make money. I see so much on here about growing the sport, so we can't forget about the user experience.