nament
Advice from national & local tournament
organizers on how to do it BEST.
BY MARK BERTON
here are many benefits to
starting your own tournament—
camaraderie, competition,
charity and just plain fun!
And creating a tournament
is something anyone can
do, with a little planning and
preparation.
Terri Graham and her partner Chris Evon founded
and organize the weeklong Minto US Pickleball Open
every year in Naples, FL. The 2,000 participants
from around the world and the tens of thousands of
spectators generate several million dollars for Collier
County and its surrounding region.
Although your tournament may not need a shuttle
service or the capability to park 1,700 cars a day,
Graham says her approach to planning is the same for
smaller events.
“When we first got into this, we were given three
pieces of advice that have been instrumental to
this day: Always expect a curveball; get
more people than you think you’ll need
for teardown; and have your own identity,”
she says, adding that those curveballs
may come in the form of parking problems,
inclement weather or an injured player.
“But,” she notes, “if I were starting a local
tournament from scratch, I’d focus on plenty
of parking and food—having somebody to
flip burgers and help with any spectators you
get.”
Above all, Graham emphasizes that having
an identity is key to ginning up interest in your
tournament. “I don’t care if you have 100 or
2,000 players, every tournament can have its
own identity. We started building on the party
atmosphere, telling people, ‘Come down even if you
don’t play! Go to awesome restaurants, beautiful
beaches and, by the way, come to the tournament!’
That’s our identity.” Other examples of identity
could involve competition-driven tournaments, prize
money, local attractions, and causes.
Lou Sherfinski, a pickleball aficionado from
western Pennsylvania with several successful
tournaments under his belt, says organizing a
tournament is like planning a big party.
“The first thing you want to do is establish a date
with a hosting facility. We work with places that have
many other activities going on, so be sure to book the
date with the facility well in advance,” he explains.
“Then, after you determine the cost of the facility, you
can budget for your event. We’ve done tournaments
in commercial venues with fixed rates, and in
township recreation centers that are nonprofit.”
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