What if you threw a tournament and no one came

[TaekwondoDad]

Signed my daughter up for the USAT/Disney/ESPN Rise Girls' Festival National Qualifier in June 4th. Registration closed at 1:59 AM this morning. Only 28 competitors signed up. When I first heard about this tourney, I thought it would be huge. How could you hold a tournament for girls only at a Disney facility and only have 28 people sign up?

I wonder how LaJust feels about their big payday - they added $20 to each competitor's registration fee to cover the hogu rental. Although 28 competitors had to pay for rental, there are only 2 divisions (2 people in 1, 3 in the other) that have matches. So, 28 people paid up front to rent hogus, but only 5 people will actually use them.

Poomsae...only 7 of the 28 signed up for poomsae. Only 2 people in the same division.

So, for a multiday event, 3 sparring matches, one poomsae and everyone else gets handed a gold medal....

At this point am going to make it 27 competitors. I don't want to fly down to Florida for my daughter to get medals just for showing up. Is really frustrating.

I understand that the tournnament was announced late, that most people had already gone to or planned to go to another national qualifier before it was announced (we had planned to go to Buffalo). Still I have to question the decision to hold the event with such short notice. It can't be cheap to throw a national qualifier (especially at Disney/ESPN). Only having 28 people sign up can't cover costs.

 

[terryl965]

The tournament itself had no value to any competitor, sorry for your daughter. USAT is really doing a bang up job wrecking everything, does the phase go down witht he ship mean anything to any of us.

 

[puunui]

Signed my daughter up for the USAT/Disney/ESPN Rise Girls' Festival National Qualifier in June 4th. Registration closed at 1:59 AM this morning. Only 28 competitors signed up. When I first heard about this tourney, I thought it would be huge. How could you hold a tournament for girls only at a Disney facility and only have 28 people sign up?

Don't worry, some have determined that anecdotes like this is not evidence of a trend....

 

[msmitht]

Wow...all I can say is: WOW!

 

[Carol]

A lot of martial arts tournaments essentially give medals for just showing up...

 

[tshadowchaser]

Not sure what the cost to enter was but that along with the cost of travel these days may have much to do with the small turn out.
I have noticed that many tournaments in my area have declined in competitors this year.

 

[TaekwondoDad]

A lot of martial arts tournaments essentially give medals for just showing up...

I have noticed this trend and my daughter has received a bronze medal for 3rd place in breaking at a tournament where there were three competitors. At several of the tournaments we have been to I have noticed competitors walk on the mat, walk off the mat and go to the medal stand to get their medals. I understand that people train and practice and want to compete and it is not their fault if there is no competition, but I am really not in favor of medals for nothing.

As a rule we try to avoid tournaments where there is no one in her age/weight/rank. We want her to put forth some effort, to actually compete, do her best win or lose and earn whatever medal, if any, she brings home.

 

[mastercole]

I have noticed this trend and my daughter has received a bronze medal for 3rd place in breaking at a tournament where there were three competitors. At several of the tournaments we have been to I have noticed competitors walk on the mat, walk off the mat and go to the medal stand to get their medals. I understand that people train and practice and want to compete and it is not their fault if there is no competition, but I am really not in favor of medals for nothing.

As a rule we try to avoid tournaments where there is no one in her age/weight/rank. We want her to put forth some effort, to actually compete, do her best win or lose and earn whatever medal, if any, she brings home.

This is a bit of a problem. We have to look at why this problem exist and try to build something better for the future.

 

[Carol]

I just thought of something that may be playing a role. A colleague of mine mentioned that her son will be in school late this year to make up for all they missed due to weather.

A trip to Disney World for school-age kids might be too distracting for some families this time of year.

Schools that start before Labor Day may be finished up by June 4, but schools that start after Labor Day and/or schools that had a good number of snow days may not be finished up by then.

 

[Nomad]

A lot of martial arts tournaments essentially give medals for just showing up...

I don't have a problem with a "participation" type medal or certificate, but agree that a trophy is pretty meaningless if you did nothing to earn it.

 

[miguksaram]

A lot of martial arts tournaments essentially give medals for just showing up...

Yes, but there is usually more that 28 people showing up for the whole tournament. I know we have had divisions here and there where only one person showed up, but we still has 250 other competitors show for the whole tournament.

This is just truly sad. My guess it was the fact that it is being held in Disney more than a cool tournament to go to, which was the main draw of the other 27 competitors.

 

[granfire]

I just thought of something that may be playing a role. A colleague of mine mentioned that her son will be in school late this year to make up for all they missed due to weather.

A trip to Disney World for school-age kids might be too distracting for some families this time of year.

Schools that start before Labor Day may be finished up by June 4, but schools that start after Labor Day and/or schools that had a good number of snow days may not be finished up by then.

It's no longer universal (bad pun, LOL) that school is out from memorial day til labor day.

We are out now, though we did have some snow days to make up. But we will also be back in early August.


I like medals for participation for the kids. Trophies? Not so much, they really ought to be earned. (I still have my small medal from a riding camp back in the day - fun memories)

Any tournament that involves travel and overnight stay needs to be advertised well in advance. Some people really have to make their holiday plans around the first of the year so the company can plan around their absence accordingly. Or save up the time and money for the trip.
Disney is not cheap.
I think also in the last 3 years everybody has been more conservative with their money.

 

[miguksaram]

As a rule we try to avoid tournaments where there is no one in her age/weight/rank. We want her to put forth some effort, to actually compete, do her best win or lose and earn whatever medal, if any, she brings home.

How are you able to predict which tournaments have competitors in her age group?

 

[mango.man]

I think the fact is that many/most if not all serious TKD competitors are already qualified for Nationals in the division that they want to fight in at Nationals so many who may have wanted to compete in this event are not allowed to because they can't fight again in a weight class for which they have already qualified.

I think the fact is that many/most serious TKD competitors already have travel plans to Austin Texas 6/27-7/2 and then shoot over to San Jose California the next day 6/28-7/3 so to throw in an essentially worthless trip to Orlando for a few days is just a waste of time.

I think many/most if not all competitors don't care enough or find interesting enough a Paige McPherson vs Sanaz Shabazi Olympic Qualification Fight Off. While both fighters are good, it is not exactly a match up that I think anyone has the slightest bit of interest in other than the friends, family and teammates of the chosen 2.

 

[TaekwondoDad]

How are you able to predict which tournaments have competitors in her age group?

The key word is "try". So far we have been lucky. We look at the online registration. We talk to people who have been to the tournament before and try to get a feel for the demographics. Sometimes we even call the people running a tournament and ask about the registrations before we register her. This time, with airfare and other matters, we (wrongly) assumed that it would be a big tournament with a high chance of someone for her to compete against and signed her up.

 

[TaekwondoDad]

I think the fact is that many/most if not all serious TKD competitors are already qualified for Nationals in the division that they want to fight in at Nationals so many who may have wanted to compete in this event are not allowed to because they can't fight again in a weight class for which they have already qualified.

I thought that rule read that you couldn't compete at a state championship after qualifying at a national qualifier? I didn't read that to bar competing at more than one national qualifier.

 

[TaekwondoDad]

Missed this announcement from the USAT yesterday (Memorial Day):

"We are very sorry to have to announce that the World Master Instructor Training Course portion of the 3-in-1 Grand Event scheduled in Atlanta and Philadelphia has been cancelled by the Kukkiwon. This cancellation is because pre-registration is not adequate to support it"

Is this a trend with the USAT?

 

[RSweet]

Missed this announcement from the USAT yesterday (Memorial Day):

"We are very sorry to have to announce that the World Master Instructor Training Course portion of the 3-in-1 Grand Event scheduled in Atlanta and Philadelphia has been cancelled by the Kukkiwon. This cancellation is because pre-registration is not adequate to support it"

Is this a trend with the USAT?

Yes - it is a trend. They toss out events without advance planning or advertising. I would have expected this to do better as it was to be televised on ESPN. However, the last minute marketing of this, coupled with another long ago scheduled Daytona event, the announcement after most of the qualifiers were over - what did they expect? But the same thing happens over and over and then they are surprised when it flops.

As far as Paige and Sanaz - that might be a good fight. The more interesting fight is over the phone tomorrow over whether nor not there even will be a Sanaz/Paige fight.

 

[Archtkd]

Yes - it is a trend. They toss out events without advance planning or advertising. I would have expected this to do better as it was to be televised on ESPN. However, the last minute marketing of this, coupled with another long ago scheduled Daytona event, the announcement after most of the qualifiers were over - what did they expect? But the same thing happens over and over and then they are surprised when it flops.

As far as Paige and Sanaz - that might be a good fight. The more interesting fight is over the phone tomorrow over whether nor not there even will be a Sanaz/Paige fight.

Why would ESPN want to televise a KKW instructor course?

 

[RSweet]

Why would ESPN want to televise a KKW instructor course?

Not the KKW instructor course, the ESPAN rise event.