Fort Worth United Action Plan
FORT WORTH UNITED
ACTION PLAN/PROCEDURES
FWU Tournaments
Author:
Brian Haddock
Creation Date:
March 4, 2005
Last Updated:
March 8, 2016
Document Ref:
20050304/A
Version:
A
Board Approval On:
N/A
Related Documents:
Matainence Action Plan
NTSSA Articles of Incorporation of NTSSA, Web Site
Notes:
structures.
Hyperlinks in action plan link to work breakdown
Confidential – for internal Club communication only
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Fort Worth United Action Plan
Contents
Plan Summary ......................................................................................................................... 3
Plan Detail ................................................................................................................................ 4
January .............................................................................................................................. 4
February ............................................................................................................................ 4
March ................................................................................................................................. 4
April .................................................................................................................................... 4
May..................................................................................................................................... 5
June ................................................................................................................................... 5
July ..................................................................................................................................... 5
August ................................................................................................................................ 6
September......................................................................................................................... 6
October .............................................................................................................................. 6
November .......................................................................................................................... 6
December .......................................................................................................................... 6
Ongoing or Periodic Activities ........................................................................................ 7
Work Breakdown Structures.................................................................................................. 8
Submit request for special event to NTSSA ................................................................. 8
Preliminary Board Review of Next Seasons Tournament .......................................... 8
Inspect Fields.................................................................................................................... 9
Setup tournament email group ....................................................................................... 9
File Post Tournament Report ......................................................................................... 9
Post Accepted Teams on Web Site .............................................................................. 9
Email Letters of Acceptance and Rejections ............................................................... 9
Conduct Efforts to Fill Open Brackets ........................................................................... 9
Notify Police and Ambulatory Services ....................................................................... 10
Tournament Setup ......................................................................................................... 10
Tournament Takedown ................................................................................................. 10
Create Tournament Logo .............................................................................................. 10
Create Tournament Page on FWU Web Site ............................................................ 10
Solicit Volunteers............................................................................................................ 11
Determine and Assign Volunteers ............................................................................... 11
Create Project Plan ........................................................................................................ 11
Determine tournament date .......................................................................................... 11
Determine/Setup communication channels ................................................................ 11
Determine/Secure host hotel ........................................................................................ 12
Solicit Tournament Program sponsors ....................................................................... 12
Order tournament T-Shirts ............................................................................................ 12
Create tournament flyers .............................................................................................. 13
Submit results to national ranking entities .................................................................. 13
Determing Available Fields and Maximum Teams to Accept .................................. 13
Miscellaneous Notes...................................................................................................... 13
Confidential – for internal Club communication only
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Plan Summary
The Fort Worth United Soccer Club hosts yearly tournaments during the Spring
and Fall seasons. The original and longest running FWU tournament is the FWU
Classic held in May of each year. The tournament format is intended for
competitive and Academy players only (U10 and older) but could be expanded to
include recreational or adult players.
A tournament committee should be formed and headed by a FWU Board
Member. The tournament committee will be responsible for carrying out the
processes detailed in this action plan.
The Bylaws of NTSSA include NTSSA Rules for Sponsored or Sanctioned
Tournaments or Events. The NTSSA bylaws should be reviewed carefully before
implementing this Action Plan.
The status of the items in this action plan should be reported and reviewed at
each FWU board meeting.
NOTE: at the time of this writing, this Action Plan is incomplete and lacks many of
the finer details (such as the referee acquisition and scheduling process).
Tournament Directors who complete the tournament process are asked to fill in
any missing details and provide updates to the FWU Board for inclusion in this
Action Plan.
Confidential – for internal Club communication only
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Plan Detail
January
01/01

Board approves tournament t-shirt vendor

Order Tournament T-Shirts
February
02/1

Solicit volunteers for the tournament

Secure tournament tents
Tents used for referees, score table, registration area, etc. should be
secured.

Submit security bond to NTSSA (fee structure in NTSSA bylaws).
March
3/01

Determine and assign volunteer duties
Assign volunteer duties and post on FWU web site.

Determine/Setup communication channel to be used between game fields
and tournament headquarters.
3/15

Order trophies
3/30

Update list of accepted teams on web site
April
4/7

Post tournament game schedules on web site.

Mail tournament schedules to accepted teams.

Notify police and ambulance services
Confidential – for internal Club communication only
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
Post accepted teams to web site
A list of all accepted teams should be posted to the FWU web site. Any
openings should be indicated as such.

Email letters of acceptance and rejections
All accepted teams should be mailed a letter of acceptance and brief
explanation of the remaining steps that need to be taken.

Conduct efforts to fill open brackets
Organizations and teams should be contacted in an effort to fill any on
brackets remaining.
May
Tournament Start Date – 2 days

Inspect fields
Inspect fields for safety conditions and resolve any problems.
Tournament Start Date – 1 day

Tournament setup
Tournament Start Date

Tournament Start Date

Post game results on web site (ongoing during tournament).
Tournament Start Date + 1 day

Tournament takedown
5/15

File Post Tournament Report
File the Post Tournament or Games Report with NTSSA.
5/20

Tournament Committee review and update of this action plan with lessons
learned.

Submit results to national ranking entities
June
N/A
July
7/01

Ensure security bond from tournament has been received from NTSSA
(minus the NTSSA administrative fee).
Confidential – for internal Club communication only
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Fort Worth United Action Plan
August
N/A

Determine tournament date

Complete and submit “request for special event” to NTSSA
September
9/01

Preliminary Board review of next seasons tournament plans

Executive Board assigns members to “tournament committee”

Setup tournament email group

Create project plan

Order Tournament Hosting Packet from NTSSA.

Check NTSSA site and make sure tournament hosting rules have not
changed. Rules are located in the NTSSA bylaws (Chapter 8).
October
10/01

Determine available fields and max teams that will be accepted
November
11/01

Create tournament logo
Create tournament logo for T-shirts, web site, and advertising.

Determine/secure host hotel

Solocit Tournament Program “sponsors”
December
12/01

Create tournament page on FWU web site

Submit tournament information to NTX for link on their web site

Create tournament flyers

Solicit bids for tournament t-shirts
Confidential – for internal Club communication only
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Ongoing or Periodic Activities

Respond to tournament queries from potential teams

Report status at regular board meetings
Confidential – for internal Club communication only
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Work Breakdown Structures
The following are detailed breakdowns of the various activities required in the Fall Tournament. The items
below are not in order of execution but may be accessed by clicking the links in the schedule/calendar above.
Submit request for special event to NTSSA
Review the NTSSA bylaws to see if rules or required paperwork has changed.
Submit the “request for special event” to NTSSA Cup and Game Chairman along
with the Application to Host a Special Event form. This request must be
submitted at least 120 days prior to the event. Sufficient lead time should be
allowed in case the request is returned and requires revisions (which is not an
uncommong occurance).
Timely submission is important for two reasons: (1) late submissions require a
penalty payment and (2) if too many events are already sanctioned on the same
day as our tournament event, NTX can and will reject the application (i.e. if there
are already several tournaments scheduled in the area on the same day as ours,
they’ll reject the application).
Along with the Application to Host a Special Even form, the following must also be
submitted (see NTSSA bylaws):

Tournament rules (including rainout dates)

List of registered referee assignors to be used

USYSA Tournament Hosting Agreement (found in USYSA Tournament and
Travel Manual)

Letter from host Association President give approval for the hosting request
(e.g. FWYSA) – the agreement to “sanction” the tournament.

Letter from Member Association President giving approval for use of fields
(e.g. West Side/FWYSA, Rolling Hills/Fort Worth Adult League, West Park,
etc.).

Application fee of $100.00

Obtain liability insurance proof for the tournament. – There is a form on
NTSSA page, it's sent to NTSSA and they fax back. Club president must
sign this form.
Preliminary Board Review of Next Seasons Tournament
Board should review plans for next season’s tournament and assign a board
member to the Tournament Director position.
Last year’s tournament budget, revenue results, and overall team turnout should
be documented, reviewed and adjustments made as needed. New programs or
procedures should be determined and this action plan updated as needed.
Confidential – for internal Club communication only
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Inspect Fields
NTSSA requires that the field marshal inspect all fields prior to the tournament.
Fields should be level and any hazardous conditions resolved. Remove any
foreign debris from the fields and make sure the playing surface is safe.
Setup tournament email group
An email group, tournament@fortworthunited.com, already exists on the
fortworthunited.com web site. Log into the web site and add new forwarding
email addresses for the email group (so that all email sent to
tournament@fortworthunited.com is forwarded to key members on the
tournament committee). Remove last years’ tournament committee members.
File Post Tournament Report
The Post Tournament or Games Report must be filed with NTSSA. A copy of the
report (template) can be downloaded from the NTSSA web site. This report must
be filed within 14 days of the tournament and will consist of all rosters, disciplinary
reports and game results.
Misconduct reports must also be sent to team members associations.
Post Accepted Teams on Web Site
The list of all accepted teams should be posted on the FWU web site. Teams
should be sorted by association name and team name and grouped by divisions
(not brackets).
Email Letters of Acceptance and Rejections
A letter of acceptance should be emailed to all teams that were accepted and a
rejection letter emailed to all teams that were rejected.
Acceptance letter should list congratulatory comments and further details on the
upcoming tournament including a reiteration of the dates and times and maps of
and to the facilities. The check in process should be explained and dates, times,
and locations for registration listed.
Rejection letters should list the reason(s) for the rejection and list whom to
contact with questions.
Conduct Efforts to Fill Open Brackets
Any open brackets need to be filled. Contact local organizations and individual
teams from local organizations to request their attendance. Club teams may be
able to assist in this effort since they are most likely very familiair with opponents
in their age group.
Confidential – for internal Club communication only
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Notify Police and Ambulatory Services
As part of the NTSSA hosting agreement, Fort Worth police and local ambulatory
services should be notified that the tournament is taking place. They should be
given the address of the fields, the number of teams expected to attend, and
emergency contact information.
Tournament Setup
This WBS includes all the steps needed to set up the tournament the night before
and the morning of the big day. -- INCOMPLETE -Night before

Set up tournament headquarters tent.

Set up of tournament referee tent

Set up of tournament score board
Morning of

Final inspection of fields

Concessions stand set up

Setup and manning of tournament team registration and information tables
Tournament Takedown
WHAT STEPS ARE NEEDED IN THE TOURNAMENT TAKEDOWN
Create Tournament Logo
A tournament logo will need to be created for the tournament. Logo will be used
on the tournament t-shirts, all communications concerning the tournament, the
FWU web site, and in advertising media.
A graphic artist can be hired to create the logo or the club members themselves
can draw one up (i.e. a logo contest).
Logo will need to be created in a digital format (.jpg can cause lossy pictures but
will suffice if needed). Most shops can read just about any digital format. If a
paper-based copy is used then it must be “camera ready” (clean with no
artifacts). Digital is much easier to handle though – delivery to the screening
shop is much easier and the digital logo can be easily used in communications
and on the web site.
Create Tournament Page on FWU Web Site
The tournament page on the FWU web site should include the official tournament
logo, the dates of the tournament, links to all required paperwork, tournament
format, tournament rules, information on hotels in Fort Worth (and our preferred
hotel), and a general introduction to the tournament.
Confidential – for internal Club communication only
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Solicit Volunteers
Volunteers from within FWU should be solicited. Positions needed include field
marshals, tournament setup crew, tournament takedown crew, trash pickup,
scorekeepers, tournament headquarter personnel, team registration personnel.
Job descriptions for each position should be provided to each person.
Determine and Assign Volunteers
Volunteers should be assigned duties and time slots scheduled (if applicable).
Volunteers and time slots should be posted on the public web site.
Specific duties to assign will include items listed in the action plan including
creation of acceptance/rejection letters, ordering of trophies, game scheduling,
referee scheduling, recruiting to fill open brackets. The Tournament Director will
be responsible for assigning duties and tracking the status of execution.
Create Project Plan
A project plan created in either MS Excel or MS Projects will assist in tracking
assignments and progress of task completion. Project plan should be uploaded
to the FWU web site with each update and made available to all board members
for continual review.
Determine tournament date
Determine which date the tournament should be held. Most tournaments held
during the fall season are held on the weekends before Thanksgiving and
Halloween. Common spring tournament dates include Mother’s Day, Memorial
Day, and weekends before and after Easter.
Care should be taken that the date does not conflict with dates of tournaments
hosted by other local associations (e.g. FWYSA).
Field facility suppliers may need the date determined nearly a year before the
actual tournament date. Fort Worth Parks and Recreation typically needs the
date determination around the beginning of September.
Determine/Setup communication channels
Communication channel will need to be determined and resources secured and
tested to be ready for the tournament date. Communication mechanisms could
include cell phones, two-way radios, or portable CB radios.
Once the communication hardware is determined, the necessary hardware
should be secured. Donations from third parties or loans from association
members are options for obtaining the hardware.
Hardware should be setup and tested. If “channel” type hardware is used then
the channel that is to be used during the tournament should be dictated and
tested. Range of the hardware should be tested on the fields themselves.
Confidential – for internal Club communication only
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In past tournaments the following Motorala contact has been utilized as a contact
for donations:
Gilda Hooks
Adminstrative Support
Media Relations
Motorola Government & Enterprise Group
847-576-6641
Determine/Secure host hotel
A “host hotel” should be determined and secured. Host hotels will typically
provide a percentage of each room sale as revenue to the association. They may
also offer amenities such as free rooms for coaches. All local hotels need to be
contacted and negotiated with to see which one will offer the best deal.
Once the hotel has been decided, the agreement needs to be put in writing and
the hotel becomes the official “host hotel” for the tournament. It’s also possible
that the host hotel carries over from year to year.
Solicit Tournament Program sponsors
A “Tournament Program” can be created that can list facts on the tournament,
tournament schedules (if time permits), list of participating teams, tournament
history, tidbits on Fort Worth, contact information, and most importantly –
tournament sponsors. Ads for ¼, ½, and full-page ads can be taken. In the past
these have commanded $250, $500, and $1000 easily.
Hotels, restraurants, entertainment chains, movie theatres, sporting good stores,
etc. can be solicited. Links to the sponsors web sites can be placed on the
fortworthunited.com web site and the digital ads can also be placed online.
Free ads can also be offered to partners of FWU.
By default, our uniform vendor is most likely a “sponsor” (per the contract) and
may require logos on signage, programs, brochures, etc.
Order tournament T-Shirts
Tournament t-shirts featuring the tournament logo should be ordered. You must
estimate the number of participants expected and the number of t-shirts (and
sizes) that need to be ordered. Prospective screen shops should be contacted
and proposals solicited. Once the board has voted on the t-shirt vendor, the
order should be placed as soon as possible.
Sidenotes on the design and ordering of t-shirts:

Tournament t-shirts have always sold out if the team names are printed
on the back

Discount pricing for multiple shirts seems to work well (e.g. 1 shirt for
$12.00 or 2 shirts for $20.00 – lots of people will go ahead and purchase
2 shirts)

Colored shirts tend to sell well (at least at the time of this writing). E.g.
Pink and Green sold out while there were leftover Gray and White shirts.
Confidential – for internal Club communication only
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
Smaller (tight) sizes seem popular at this time – even U16 kids tend to
pick small and medium over large shirts.
Create tournament flyers
Flyers or brochures for the tournament should be developed and readied for
distribution. Flyer should include information on the tournament format, dates,
FWU association, facilities available in Fort Worth (including hotels, eating
establishments, and entertainment). Flyers should be suitable for mailing and
manual distribution (i.e. handing out at the fields during games).
Submit results to national ranking entities
Gather information on the tournament – tournament registration details, list of all
semi finalists, finalists, and champions. Gather team registration forms too
because information regarding state and/or regional champions that do not make
it into the finals is also revelant.
As of the time of this writing, the tournament was ranked a Bronze tournament
and results should be submitted to the ranking entities – gotsoccer.com,
nationalsoccerrankings.com, etc. Submitting the results provides a publicity
benefit for both the tournament and the Club itself. Promoting the tournament in
this manner can affect in the tournament rating (currently bronze) and promo for
the club teams that fair well in their brackets.
Determing Available Fields and Maximum Teams to Accept
The maximum number of teams that the tournament can accept is primarily
related to the acquisition of fields to be used for the Tournament. FWU has
typically using Rolling Hills as the field complex (overseen by the City of Fort
Worth). Overflow fields across from RH are owned by FWISD and have also
been used in the past (as has FWISD parking lot).
The tournament size can dictate that multiple facilities be used and often this is
the case. This does lead to additional concerns such as staffing and coordination
so that must be considered also. Many negative attributes come into play if the
tournament locations are fragmented.
Miscellaneous Notes
Todo Items

Determine which fall months are best for tournament hosting
Things that need to be added but where

Items needed for registrants – medical release, roster, guest player release,
out of state teams stuff (travel authorization, travel roster, travel player cards).
– CREATION OF A TOURNAMENT PACKET NEEDS TO BE SCHEDULED
TOO.

Create and place advertisement where?

Secure concessions goods – look for donations – HOW MUCH LEAD TIME
IS NEEDED TO SECURE THIS?
Confidential – for internal Club communication only
Page 13 of 14
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
Schedule referees – HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO SCHEDULE
REFEREES – HOW MUCH ADVANCE NOTICE IS NEEDED
Confidential – for internal Club communication only
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