By Scott Larson

Scott Larson, CAA, retired as Athletic Director at Apple Valley (Minn.) High School this past December after 13 years at the school. He was named Region 6AA Athletic Director of the Year in 1997 and Region 3AA Athletic Director of the Year in 2008. He is now serving as Region 3AA Secretary for the Minnesota State High School League and can be reached at: SLLarson3@comcast.net.

Showcasing your athletic program and athletes ... Providing no-cost competitive opportunities for your teams ... Fostering a collaborative atmosphere with your parents and community. If these ideas pique your interest, hosting your own invitational may be a good fit for your school.

Here at Apple Valley (Minn.) High School, we host invitationals in cross country, boys' swimming and diving, volleyball, gymnastics, dance, wrestling, girls' basketball, boys' and girls' track and field, baseball, and softball. That may sound like a ton of work, but we firmly believe the sacrifice is worth it.

What our coaches like best about hosting such events is that it provides their athletes the chance to compete in a tournament atmosphere at home. It also creates a tradition of excellence at our school that motivates Apple Valley student-athletes to excel. Our tournaments are known as first-class events with top competition--many of the state's best teams annually seek out invitations.

These events also serve as a source for much needed income. We make sure that entry fees cover our fixed costs, and then we bring in revenue from gate receipts, concessions, and merchandise sales. For example, at our one-day dance invitational, we raised as much as $30,000.

Last, but not least, the tournaments provide our community with the opportunity to be a part of the Apple Valley athletic program. We put together an army of volunteers for each invitational to work alongside coaches and athletes, and when the event is over, everyone involved shares a sense of pride and accomplishment.

WHERE IT ALL BEGAN
The creation of the tournament culture at Apple Valley began way back in 1976, with the opening of the school's doors. In starting an athletic department from scratch, then-Athletic Director Gary Embretson and several head coaches talked about their goals. They not only wanted to establish an athletic program that would meet the interests and abilities of all students--they wanted to create the expectation of success at the state level.

Hosting competitive tournaments at Apple Valley, they believed, should be an integral part of this plan. Such an endeavor would put our school on the map as a place where great athletic competition takes place. And it would allow our athletes to compete against top teams from around the state every year, preparing them for postseason play.

First, however, a lot of questions need to be answered. You must have the right facilities, structure, and support system in place to host a tournament of any type.

The coaches began by taking a critical look at the school's physical plant. While located on a fairly compact site, the newly opened school did possess high-caliber athletic facilities. Administrators also spoke with the city parks and recreation department about using their facilities. With these two entities combined, all of the physical needs were met.

Next, they talked about incentives they could provide teams to come to the events. One was using a tournament format similar to what teams would find at sectional and state competitions, and then promoting the event as a way to get ready for postseason play. The location of Apple Valley, minutes south of the Minneapolis/St. Paul metropolitan area, made travel easy for most visiting teams. And the subsequent opening of the Mall of America 10 minutes away gave teams and fans plenty of options for post-competition activity.

The final step was creating the "buzz" that accompanies first-class events. The coaches created and fostered long-term relationships with the high school sports writers for the St. Paul and Minneapolis newspapers. These writers were always provided with plenty of advance information as well as hospitality and appreciation at our invitationals.

One piece missing from the puzzle was a great support network. As a new school, involving the community in support roles proved to be a challenge at first. But as the years went on, the recruitment of interested workers became easier. Eventually, former athletes and their parents joined the support crew, making these events an annual reunion.

As hoped, Apple Valley tournaments became a destination for the top athletic teams in the state, and our city quickly became known as "Tournament Town." The events also proved successful in spurring our own teams to competitive success. Through the fall season of the 2008-09 school year, Eagle teams have captured 48 Minnesota State High School League (MSHSL) titles, which places the school third in the MSHSL's all-time state championship rankings.

There is no doubt in the minds of the Eagle faithful that the tournament culture created 32 years ago has been a major factor in our program's success. While athletic directors and head coaches have come and gone, our invitationals have continued to thrive.

DOUBLE TROUBLE
How does an athletic program prepare for a tournament and ensure it runs smoothly year after year? To explain all the details and nuances, I will walk you through the planning that goes into one of our most complicated endeavors: On the third Saturday of every September, we host the Apple Valley Invitational Cross Country Meet (over 1,000 runners) and the 16-team Eagle Invitational Volleyball Tournament. Yes, we host two events on the same weekend!

As one would expect, "It takes a village to run a tournament." This is certainly true for these two events. As Athletic Director, I am responsible for making sure we follow all the rules of our governing bodies, ensuring safe and secure venues, and handling contracts for officials. Each head coach takes charge of selecting and inviting teams as well as working with their booster clubs on logistics.

We also line up a meet/tournament manager for each event, so the coach is free to coach during the actual competition. This person may be a booster club member or former coach, and the key is that he or she can remain in this role for several years to ensure continuity. We sometimes pay the manager a few hundred dollars for their work.

Our very first step with any tournament is for myself and the head coach to sit down and review the previous year's invitational. Most importantly, we want to make sure the event continues to serve the purpose for which it was intended. In the case of cross country, our goal has always been to provide a first class event for runners in several different age categories. And for the volleyball tournament, we strive to bring in the state's top 16 teams, while at the same time generating sufficient revenue to support our high school team. We ask ourselves if these goals were met last year, and if not, what needs to change to ensure they are.

We then start discussing details, including the date and entry fees. In the case of the cross country and volleyball invitationals, the double event has worked for three decades, so we continue with the same date each year. Some factors to think about if you are starting an invitational from scratch are the following:

• When do coaches want to participate in tournaments in a particular sport?
• Are there other established invitationals on certain dates you don't want to compete with?
• Are there other important school, community, or religious events you should not conflict with?

To set entry fees, we start by figuring out our fixed costs. We look at what we need to pay officials, athletic trainers, and support workers, and money required for awards and a printed program. If the costs of all these things translates to entry fees that seem too high, we think about where we might cut back, such as lining up volunteers instead of paid support workers, or scaling back the program.

How much is too much for an entry fee? It's good to know a typical rate in your area, but we usually charge around $400 per team, depending on the number of contests each team gets, how long the invitational runs, and the number of participants. The high end would be $500 and $200 is our minimum.

We start to send invitations to selected schools right after the season ends in November. The cross country meet traditionally has a strong field and the same teams are invited back year after year. If any teams decline, we replace them with others that performed well at the state meet. The volleyball tournament field is made up of the top finishing teams at the state championships in all three classes.

During December and January, contracts are sent and returned as coaches finalize their fields. The contract states the entry fee and other teams invited, as well as our policy if a team wants to pull out. We usually set a date, after which any team wishing to cancel must still pay a portion of the entry fee. However, if a team cannot attend due to bad weather, we try to return their money.

In March and April, our coaches meet with their booster clubs to go over their roles. They identify people for important committee oversight positions who will organize volunteers in their area of operations. For volleyball, this includes admissions, concessions, and table workers. For cross country, the booster club covers marshals, traffic control, registration, security, finish line workers, and concessions.

The athletic department secures officials, starters, and timing systems and reserves the school building and grounds for the weekend. Ribbons, medals, and trophies for both events are ordered.

Facility needs for the events are also reviewed at this time. Apple Valley has four volleyball courts available for championship play and bleachers that hold 1,000-plus spectators. For cross country, our coaches have created 5,000-, 4,000-, 3,200-, and 1,600-meter courses using every nook and cranny on the Apple Valley campus to accommodate the boys varsity, girls varsity, j.v., freshman, and elementary school team races. As these races cross entrances to our school parking lots, the traffic control personnel play critical roles in ensuring runners' safety.

May, June, and July are the months when our coaches touch base with their booster clubs to make sure every "i" is dotted and every "t" is crossed. Confirmation is also received from our building event workers. The coaches order their event T-shirts and other merchandise, which varies by sport. At our dance invitational, for example, we've found participants like to purchase all sorts of pins, hats, and stuffed animals, so we produce a lot of those items to sell.

During this period, I contact our city's department of public works to make sure no major construction project is scheduled to take place on the tournament weekend. This step became very important five years ago when we learned of a massive fiber optic trenching project that was slated to begin nearby two days before the cross country event. A polite request of a three-day delay to start the project was accepted and a crisis averted.

August finds the athletic department taking over the remainder of the event organization as the coaches focus on the start of the season. The volleyball program is assembled and printed, athletic training services are lined up for both events, and the athletic training room is stocked with additional first aid supplies. Portable toilets are also ordered (mainly for use by the runners) and a meeting with the buildings and grounds staff clearly outlines who will be working and what duties they will perform.

In September, press releases are sent to the media, which include a schedule and list of teams competing. We also post a lot of information on the school Web site and provide the press with the Web address. During the event, we give each member of the media a packet of information (that includes tickets for free food and drinks at the concession stand) and do our best to make coaches available for interviews.

The Monday before the event, the head coaches and I meet to review bad weather and emergency procedures. We have only experienced one weather cancellation in 32 years, but we still have a clearly defined set of procedures to protect both our competitors and spectators. These procedures, along with a schedule of when the building and grounds will be open for teams, workers, and the public, are sent to all competing teams.

Ensuring safety is key, and we place emphasis on this. We always check over the cross country course for any hazards and postpone or cancel the race if lightning occurs. We also scrutinize the volleyball courts for safety. Two-way radios are provided for myself, the meet/tournament managers, custodians, athletic trainers, grounds staff, the head scorer at the volleyball matches, and the starter and marshals at the cross country race.

We also work hard to make the events fan friendly. We borrow a large racing timer from the city rec department so all fans can read the time of their favorite runner. We make available an accurate schedule, a phone line that is continually updated, and information on how to get to our school, when to arrive, and where to park.

Catering to our spectators also involves trying out new ideas. For example, we've held a trivia contest during a tournament and sometimes take music requests. We are now supplying our concession stand with healthier foods, which has also been well received.

To be good hosts, we designate a greeter to welcome teams as they arrive. This individual makes sure our visitors have all the information they need and asks if they have any requests. For example, if it is an athlete's birthday, we'll do something special to recognize him or her.

Every tournament ends with a memorable awards ceremony. It's important that this takes place immediately after the final race or match, as spectators want to get home. We try to recognize lots of athletes through our awards and always announce the winners over a loudspeaker. Our announcer takes pride in pronouncing athletes' names correctly and we provide a designated area for photo opportunities.

WHAT A WEEKEND!
The weekend of the events is chock full of schedules and tasks, all of which must be followed precisely. When the final school bell rings at 2:20 on Friday afternoon, our crews sprint into action.

As the volleyball tournament begins that same afternoon at 4:30, our custodial staff quickly makes the cafeteria and gymnasium "tournament ready." Event workers arrive and prepare to greet the arriving teams in preparation for the first round. Our tournament manager assigns teams to locker rooms and bench areas, and officials to their respective courts.

As play progresses, our j.v. and freshman players make sure all results are reported to the tournament manager, and table workers and officials have water and refreshments. Booster club members staff the concession stand and provide a hospitality room for officials and coaches. The tournament manager monitors all the games and works with the teams and officials to make sure any problems or concerns are addressed immediately.

After the conclusion of the Friday matches, players assist the custodians in tidying up the gym and cafeteria and readying the courts for the next day's action. Any damaged equipment is repaired or replaced. The tournament manager reports the results to the local media and secures the day's gate receipts in the safe.

Preparing for the cross country race actually begins during the school day on Friday, when our head groundskeeper sets up the race courses, painting a line for runners to follow and planting flags at the turns. Early Saturday morning, the meet manager and our cross country coaches review the course, spectator barriers, and finish line chute. The electronic timing system operator arrives to set up his equipment as the coaches and parent volunteers set up the outdoor concession area, the finish line clock, and the portable sound system.

As teams arrive, the volunteers' roles are critical. A major responsibility for the traffic control personnel is directing the drivers of the team buses to park in the designated bus loop. The large number of buses this event generates can congest even the largest of parking lots if not planned for. Other volunteers direct teams to the area where they may set up their camps.

Inside the building, the volleyball people are once again gearing up for the day's competition. Signs and security personnel are used to direct volleyball teams and fans to the gyms (and cross country runners and spectators to the course area).

The first of seven cross country races and the first round of volleyball matches start at approximately 9:30 a.m. It is very common to see volleyball fans stop to watch a race on the way to their cars, while cross country fans will dash into the gym to catch a match between races.

At the conclusion of the two events, the managers distribute results to the media and work with the announcers to hold the awards ceremony. Parent volunteers, coaches, athletes, and the building and grounds staff return the school and grounds to their pre-event condition.

During the late morning on Saturday when our crowds are biggest, the high school will play host to over 4,000 athletes, coaches, and fans. While the quality of the competition speaks for itself, the positive goodwill these two events create is immeasurable. Some teams have been coming to our invitationals for 25 years and the day is a reunion for them. Parents of athletes now competing reminisce about the invitationals years earlier.

REVIEW & REST
In the week following the competitions, the coaches and I meet to review the event, make sure all bills are paid, and share a collective sigh of relief. Final steps include the return of the racing timer and writing thank you notes. Planning for next year, however, can wait until next month.

As high school athletics continue to face funding shortfalls, the idea of creating championship-caliber competitive events that provide the program with additional income sounds better each day. Athletic administrators who empower their coaches to hold these events will reap the additional benefit of a connected and supportive community base.