Tournaments 101: How To Prep For The Big Game

Tournament season is right around the corner, and you want to do everything you can to make sure that your players are prepped, and everything runs as smoothly as possible. Your team has been practicing all year, but there’s still a few things that you can do to prepare them even more for success. Here are our top tips to make game-day a little less stressful. 

The week before the game:

1. Make a detailed list of everything you’ll need for the tournament. A week in advance seems like a long time, but you’ll find that everyday you’ll add something to the list that you would have otherwise forgotten.
2. Purchase any new equipment that you’re going to need for the game. It’s not ideal to have brand new equipment, but if you need it, at least your player will have a week to break their new gear in. 
3. Cut back on the intensity of your athletes training. Resting up is a huge part of a successful tournament. Tournaments take a whole lot out of players, so it’s best not to train too hard the week before. 

The night before the game:

1. Pack up the car the night before. Packing up the night before reduces a huge amount of stress. No matter how early you wake up, there’s still a lot of pressure to get out of the house. put everything you can in the car the night before. That means gear, clothes, and non-perishable food items like granola bars and drinks. 
2. Do not exercise. The night before the big game is all about resting up. If your athlete needs something to offset the jitters, suggest deep stretching, which can be helpful on game day. 
3. Have an early night. This is an obvious one, but get to bed early the night before the big game. Rest is crucial for performing at your athletic best. 

[brands]

GAME DAY (yeah!):

1. Eat a big, carb-filled breakfast to fuel the day, and pack healthy lunches and snacks for the tournament. If a game is going longer than an hour, give your athlete a carbohydrate like a granola bar to keep their energy up. 
2. Arrive early: It’s best to get to the tournament 30 minutes to one hour before the tournament starts. A good mental state of mind is a significant factor in any tournament, and arriving early is an easy way to reduce stress. 
3. Tournaments are an awesome way for players to develop their skill, have fun, and meet other players with the same passion for their sport. So just. enjoy. the game. Have a light-hearted chat with the other parents. Cheer loudly from the sidelines. Schedule an out-of-town team event or a team dinner.

By this time, your tournament schedules should have been shared (and if they haven't, ask coach or the team manager most dedicated parent in the bunch), which means inter-city/state travel plans should have been booked already. But if you haven't yet, here's a convenient list of travel sites, rental car options and hotels that give cash back to your team.

Your travel and entertainment plans during tournament season can help offset the costs of tournament season with FlipGive.

Good luck and safe travels to you and your young athletes!

[earners]