The most bang for your buck! Lets talk tournaments.

[campton]

Like all of us, we got in it for the money, and stayed for how much we loved it.

Where do you find good tournaments (pay wise, skill level) and other factors.
This summer im honestly looking to just make a lot of money and find tournaments in the Chicago area.

Are there websites? Anything?

I'm sure im not the only one on the board who is looking to make some cash and do a ton of games for a weekend.


Any help guys :)


Campton

[Hellobob57]

http://www.iysa.org/tournaments.asp

Google Magic

[mdref]

You just missed out on the Devlopment Academy Spring Tournament held in Rockford, Illinois. Great competition, pretty good pay and a phenomenal set of mentors there. (Brian Hall, Paul Tamberino, Herb Silva, Dick Triche, Jair Marrufo, Ricardo Salaazar, Kerri Seitz, Marlene Duffy, Veronia Perez, and a few other FIFA AR's). Definitely an exciting event filled with a lot of information for the referees and teams that were there to play.

In Maryland, we usually have some good collegiate showcases held in July and August. Once I get some more info...I'll be glad to pass it on.

[intechpc]

Wisconsin Youth Soccer (www.wiyouthsoccer.org) maintains a list of the sanctioned tournaments along with all the contact information for the entire state. That and specific invitations from the assingors is how I usually find good tournaments.

[USSF REF]

I don't like working youth tournaments anymore, excluding things like regionals and whatever. You get over worked, lose a weekend and usually you can't avoid the sun burn. 1 full match a day is enough for me. Or 2 full youth matches.

[Ref Flunkie]

I don't like working youth tournaments anymore, excluding things like regionals and whatever. You get over worked, lose a weekend and usually you can't avoid the sun burn. 1 full match a day is enough for me. Or 2 full youth matches.

I'm starting to get to this point, and with the rise in gas costs, it isn't worth traveling very far anymore. I think this will be my last year of doing tournaments that require me to drive any sort of distance unless they increase their pay rates.

[NHRef]

I do youth tournaments locally on holiday weekends if we have no family plans, spend a day or day and half and take in $300+, not bad.

[ref47]

http://www.soccertournament.us/

[Rufusabc]

Will the gas prices force up ref fees? I have the best world in that most of my matches if I chose occur within 2 miles of my house. But those of you who have to drive a bit of a distance are going to see the gas eat into your fees very quickly. Easily a five dollar per game rise, and getting the younger refs out for the standard $20 AR fee is going to be even harder if a piece of it goes to the gas tank.

[Ref Flunkie]

Will the gas prices force up ref fees? I have the best world in that most of my matches if I chose occur within 2 miles of my house. But those of you who have to drive a bit of a distance are going to see the gas eat into your fees very quickly. Easily a five dollar per game rise, and getting the younger refs out for the standard $20 AR fee is going to be even harder if a piece of it goes to the gas tank.

Yup I'm curious to see if we see a raise. Our men's leagues have not raised rates since I have been doing them, which is 5+ years (and they pay less then most youth premier matches). I believe we got a raise of premier rates about 2-3 years ago, but back then gas was $2-$2.50/gal. My guess is that we will not see the raise that we need as long as they can get people to do the matches.

[NHRef]

alot of it is at what level do you really need to start driving? I can do endless youth games within a 15 minute drive from my house. Problem is the skill level is not the best, to get more premier games, or super-y or odp, that's where i have to start driving, toss in games for moving to state level ref and now there starts to be a problem, never mind grade 5 or national level.

[sluggo271]

I actually got into refing because I L O V E this game!! With a passion!

I just did a 3v3 tournament and while it was different from a normal game, I had a blast.

I honestly could care less about the pay, but I'll take it. I just like being out on the pitch.

[USSF REF]

In my local area the youth and adult leagues don't exactly work it out with each other. Meaning, the youth leagues raise the referee fees every once in a while without notice to the adult league, and always after the fee scale has been sent to the adult teams. They do this to try and draw out some of the higher level referees ... they figured that if the fees are higher, some of the experienced refs will then want to take the youth games over the adult. Then the adult leagues raise fees the next season to restore the natural order. So about every 4 years we get a couple extra bucks. The cost of gas is slowly going to make refereeing a costly venture though and some people won't want to budget in that much for gas.

[intechpc]

I guess I like the youth tournaments because I do get to referee a bunch. Helps me hone my skills and more games makes it more worth the drive.

Will the gas prices force up ref fees? I have the best world in that most of my matches if I chose occur within 2 miles of my house. But those of you who have to drive a bit of a distance are going to see the gas eat into your fees very quickly. Easily a five dollar per game rise, and getting the younger refs out for the standard $20 AR fee is going to be even harder if a piece of it goes to the gas tank.

Well I found one way to battle the gas prices. I figured out how to take my entire referee kit (big ol' OSI bag) on my Harley. Rode up to State Cup (87 miles one way) and used less than $10 in gas. I still get the $50 travel stipend, so I actually make money on that deal!!

[Tarheel Ref]

Well I found one way to battle the gas prices. I figured out how to take my entire referee kit (big ol' OSI bag) on my Harley. Rode up to State Cup (87 miles one way) and used less than $10 in gas. I still get the $50 travel stipend, so I actually make money on that deal!!

OUTSTANDING!!! I saw an ad for scooters and surprised myself by actually considering it for the next HS season...the ad said they get upwards of 70 mpg which I'll have to see to believe but if so, that's amazing. Most of my HS games are about a 20-30 minute drive which wasn't so bad until gas prices...well, you know. And I know I could minimize what I carry to fit into my black backpack.

You pulling up on a Harley would, however, definitely generate more initial respect than me rolling up on a little bitty scooter....LOL

[Citiref]

It would be nice if we got a raise -- I'm not sure if that will happen though. I travel 200 miles every Saturday and Sunday (100 miles one way to get to where I normally work). I don't want to know how much I've spent on gas and food. It's worth it though.

[intechpc]

OUTSTANDING!!! I saw an ad for scooters and surprised myself by actually considering it for the next HS season...the ad said they get upwards of 70 mpg which I'll have to see to believe but if so, that's amazing. Most of my HS games are about a 20-30 minute drive which wasn't so bad until gas prices...well, you know. And I know I could minimize what I carry to fit into my black backpack.

You pulling up on a Harley would, however, definitely generate more initial respect than me rolling up on a little bitty scooter....LOL

Well I'd say check them out. The small scooters do truly get in upwards of 70MPG and even the larger ones are usually in the 60's. Some of the new larger scooters can go freeway speeds and look quite similar to a regular Sportbike. So the image wouldn't be an issue. I'm not sure if it's that way in all states but i do know that in Wisconsin, if the scooter has an engine larger than 50cc you have to get a Motorcycle endorsement on your license to legally ride it.

Hey any way you can get to the games cheaper is always a good thing and I wouldn't worry about the initial respect thing. Although I do have to admit to getting some pretty great responses from players when they realized it was a referee pulling into the parking lot at State Cup on two wheels.

[TheRefIsBlind]

maybe, but i'm gonna drive my car. a local assignor and terrific ref was riding his motorcycle to a game a few weeks ago when the car in front of him decided to make an illegal u-turn. he had to decide whether to hit the car or put the bike on the ground. he chose the latter and ended up in intensive care. i'll happily pay extra for gas so i can be in one piece so my adult leagues aren't denied the opportunity to scream at me.

[Tarheel Ref]

Motorcycles scare me...not so much because I'd be nervous about my own abilities but because of the poor skills of other drivers. I see the stupid stuff drivers do out there...like reading a book while driving down the road, among other things.

So while 70 mpg would be nice in order to save a few bucks I'll probably end up sticking with my 2door air-conditioned auto with airbags. Plus you never know how soccer field rage could translate into road rage...although I've never had a player or spectator follow me away from a match, we all know it has happened to a few of us and I'd definitely rather have a car if presented with that situation!

Hope your friend gets better soon or was able to recover quickly....

Oh yeah, and to get back on topic, here's a site I like to look for good tournaments:

http://www.soccerincollege.com/tournaments.aspx

[Ref Flunkie]

[Rant ON]
Well I'm officially done with out of town tournaments after this last weekend's insanity. A list of the issues that I ran into:

1. Friday night ref meeting....Saturday my games didn't start until 2:15 (schedules were handed out at the meeting). Great use of my time when I drove 130 miles one way for this. Maybe email/tell those referees who come from out of town when their first game is so they can decide if they want to come on Saturday or Friday (plenty came on Saturday). Or give the locals the late games and the long distance travelers the early games on Saturday.

2. My hotel was 15 miles one way from the fields.

3. No one had any idea how much we were getting paid...even the organizers

4. 1st day they had some fruit and cereal bars, which was all gone by mid-afternoon or so. Meal tickets were provided to get food from the food vendor (hot dog, hamburgers, etc.), but they limited us to $4...which basically got us a hamburger and ALMOST a Gatoraid. No food for meals was brought into the ref area and the food vendor was CLOSED after the last set of games ended Saturday

5. NO fruit or breakfast or food of ANY kind at the ref tent on Sunday. I did three games (1AR, 2CR) living on 7 grapes and a handful of trail mix that I begged from other folks. All games were full length matches for the age groups (so 40-45 min halves)

6. Water was provided at the fields in orange jugs where you filled up reusable bottles (this is fine). No Gatoraid or similar drinks of any kind (this is not). Had one ref go to the hospital due to dehydration and I think today I'm feeling the "after effects" of it as well, even though I drank plenty of water.

Seriously, why do folks go to these things? I've learned my lesson and am done with this stuff. With gas prices where they are (and I'm sure no raise in fees occurring), I just don't see the need for this anymore. Local tournaments will be the only ones in my future now. [Rant OFF]