Tournament day is hectic and, for some coaches and teams, a little stressful. Before the day of the tournament, make sure parents know:
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Where and when your team will be competing. There is almost always a map of the tournament site posted online and you should have received a map from the tournament director. Be sure to share it with parents and have them pass on the information to other friends and family members. Remember to send the information to your team’s teachers – kids get a thrill out of seeing their teachers in the audience.
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The parking arrangements and limitations at the tournament site. Make sure your team’s cars are not towed because they are parked in reserved spaces or because they are blocking driveways or emergency access routes. Remind parents to carpool, if possible, because parking is always a challenge and they do not want to be late.
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Food concessions will be available at the tournament, but lines may be long. If your team will be performing during the peak lunch period, consider having a parent get in line early to buy pizza and drinks for the entire team or making alternate arrangements such as packing lunch.
Remind your parents of program fundamentals to keep the day fun:
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Everyone is a volunteer. That includes judges, Board members running the tournament, and parents guarding the doors to performance sites. We are all trying to make sure that every child and team is treated fairly, and sometimes things go wrong; parents should demonstrate good sportsmanship to their children rather than berating volunteers.
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This is not about winning. We find that parents are often more competitive than the team members themselves. Every team that has made it to the Regional tournament should be proud of its achievement and what it has learned. Use the day to celebrate creativity and perseverance.
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Outside assistance isn’t allowed at the tournament. Every year we see parents helping their children re-assemble props, fix props that broke en route, or put on costumes or makeup. Remind parents that teams are penalized for this type of help.
To relieve yourself of the stress of last-minute phone calls and emails, it is a good idea to deputize a parent to handle these communications.