Tournament – Pro’s & Con’s

This is the time of the year that teams and individual athletes enter tournaments. The tournaments are usually conducted over a two to three day span with the teams/athletes competing once, twice, or sometimes as many as three times per day. Coaches/athletes use the tournaments for many reasons; a way to prepare (fine-tune) for the upcoming season, to help to team “bond”, or even as an excuse to get out of town for the weekend.

 

Even when you analyze the professional sporting world the majority of major championships are decided in a tournament type fashion. Tournaments are very exciting for the spectators/media and are primarily used as a way to limit travel, expense, and time of all involved; but what are the advantages and disadvantages of these events?

 

Advantages

(1)   Teams/athletes are able to participate in a competitive (game-like) environment

(2)   Coaches/athletes are able to self assess their current fitness, technical, and tactical abilities.

(3)   All players on the roster are able to get “game-time”

(4)   Coaches/players can experiment with different strategies (exhibition tournament)

(5)   Tournaments are “FUN” – teammates can bond, athletes are able to see different part of the world (road-trip) etc…

(6)   Athletes are able to challenge themselves mentally, emotionally, and physically

 

Disadvantages

(1)   Athletes are not able to fully recover between games, therefore their technical/tactical performance will normally decrease

(2)   Athletes potential for injury/illness increases due to “over-competing”

(3)   Coaches/athletes have to be able to analyze their performance quickly and be able to make adjustments without (or with limited) practice time.

(4)   “Bad habits” can be developed due to athletes playing in a fatigued state

 

I strongly advise that coaches/athletes choosing tournaments for a “warm-up” to their regular season understand that the players need to be fully prepared for the high stress environment prior to entering the tournament; that appropriate nutrition, hydration and rest and relaxation techniques be implemented; and that large rosters are encouraged. Good luck and enjoy your summer.

Craig Dalrymple

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