I know it isn't easy, but the tournament probably needs to focus more on local teams. Iroquois, Cordia, Burgin - those schools are just too far away. A tournament like Bracken would be better suited with mostly 10th region teams, with perhaps some 9th, 11th and western 16th teams sprinkled in.

 

IMO, the start of the tournament should be pushed back. Beginning the day after Christmas is killing the crowds.

:lol2:

 

I don't mind getting bashed.

 

Not bashing my friend just a gentelmens disagreement. :thumb:

:lol2:

 

I don't mind getting bashed.

 

After a while it becomes "old hat", trust me, I know. :clap:

This tournament has had nothing but problems for at least several years now. I think the year before last it never even finished as far as I know, Louisvile Iroqoius Coach got mad at the officiating and left, weather and frozen pipes backed it up to where teams couldn't show to finish it. Rodrick Rhodes team came in late followed by controversy from its previous games one year. Burgin sent it starters home last year after a hotel incident. Most of the teams invited didn't travel well(fan-wise) because of distance, hence the loss of revenue

 

I'm assuming they have to stay in Maysville, and that is a long "haul" to Bracken Co. High School...YIKES!!!

Not bashing my friend just a gentelmens disagreement. :thumb:

 

Hey, I'm no gentleman. :lol2:

Hey, I'm no gentleman. :lol2:

 

Nor am I. I've just always wanted to say that!

 

As for the tournament there was a multitude of issues. Ranging from revenue all the way to finding adequate amount of parents that would help work the tournament. Yeah I agree they should have tried to get teams closer to the county (9th and 10th regions). Probably haveing teams evenly matched would also be a plus.

This was not just the schools tournament it was a joint effort with the boosters club. The school really didn't take as big of a hit money wise as the boosters did.

I hate to see the tournament be cancelled but with some of the issues it faces yearly I'm not shocked at all.

Most fans and coaches have no idea how much it cost to put on a "first class" tournament. Last year without sponsors the King of the Buegrass would have lost $5000. Most years it is a near break even tournament. To have a successful tournament I compare our gate receipts to our expenses. Last year, on our biggest day, we had severe thunderstorms and tornado warning. That day alone we lost over $6000 at the gate. Four GOOD out-of-state teams don't come cheap + we guarantee every team money.

 

People look in the stands and say "boy…they are rolling in the money". They don't realize that (say it's the 2nd game of a 4 game session) there are two teams in the stands waiting to play, and two teams that just finshed playing…that's somewhere around 125 people that didn't pay to get in. Then it's the same way four the next game.

 

I have been the tournament director for 33 years…now 34 and I have records of every gate. The NFHS requires a sanction if you have teams from outside Kentucky and thier rules say "what you do for one you must do for all". You can adjust for "distance traveled': ex: You can give a team from California more than a team from Tennesse. After the tournament you must complete a financial report. Also, different states have different rules.

 

IMO I think there are way to many tournaments in Kentucky. Coaches are constantly looking for teams therefore it is hard to get a solid field.

Paying referee's alone is a small fortune when attendance is low

Most fans and coaches have no idea how much it cost to put on a "first class" tournament. Last year without sponsors the King of the Buegrass would have lost $5000. Most years it is a near break even tournament. To have a successful tournament I compare our gate receipts to our expenses. Last year, on our biggest day, we had severe thunderstorms and tornado warning. That day alone we lost over $6000 at the gate. Four GOOD out-of-state teams don't come cheap + we guarantee every team money.

 

People look in the stands and say "boy…they are rolling in the money". They don't realize that (say it's the 2nd game of a 4 game session) there are two teams in the stands waiting to play, and two teams that just finshed playing…that's somewhere around 125 people that didn't pay to get in. Then it's the same way four the next game.

 

I have been the tournament director for 33 years…now 34 and I have records of every gate. The NFHS requires a sanction if you have teams from outside Kentucky and thier rules say "what you do for one you must do for all". You can adjust for "distance traveled': ex: You can give a team from California more than a team from Tennesse. After the tournament you must complete a financial report. Also, different states have different rules.

 

IMO I think there are way to many tournaments in Kentucky. Coaches are constantly looking for teams therefore it is hard to get a solid field.

 

You make many good points, and obviously have plenty of insight into tournament operations. Just a couple things.

 

The first two bolded items seem to contradict each other. Can you share a little bit more about how the process of bringing in out of state teams works, and is this a bidding war or are tournaments bascially offering the same type things?

 

On the last bolded. Doesn't it stand to reason that there are so many tournaments in the state because most of them are profitable? I don't think any school is going to be in the business of losing money to host a tournament for very long.

 

Lots of good points made in the thread. But, I think running your own tournament can still be a decent fundraiser i.e. the number of schools that do it. It is a lot of work though.

This tournament has gone downhill the past few years because of the issues mentioned already, however…..IMO to run a quality tournament you need to have an AD that is dialed in to running a tournament and looking critically at the teams that are invited. The revenue flows from the teams in attendance and set up.

 

The very nature of the beast at Bracken when you have essentially a part-time AD that must focus on running a school, it makes the choice to cancel a non-revenue generating tournament the easy kill shot. Not blaming the AD - Principal, but a dedicated, full-time AD can focus on the issues and the tournament and potentially make it profitable, or at least break even.

 

If the issue is not being able to get parents work, again a dedicated AD can make some of these issues happen by structuring the expectations for player parents. Lots of schools are able to do this, the parents are bought in to the program and part of the program is fund raising.

 

I have to wonder if lack of parent buy in is just another issue in a myriad of issues in Brooksville right now. It's a shame because I do believe you could generate sufficient interest if you looked closely at 9th, 10th and 16th region participation alone. Lloyd HS seems to be able to do it year in and year out and I would think they face similar issues with the timing.

 

Strong leadership is sometimes tough to find…I hope for Bracken's sake they can find it soon.

This tournament has gone downhill the past few years because of the issues mentioned already, however…..IMO to run a quality tournament you need to have an AD that is dialed in to running a tournament and looking critically at the teams that are invited. The revenue flows from the teams in attendance and set up.

 

The very nature of the beast at Bracken when you have essentially a part-time AD that must focus on running a school, it makes the choice to cancel a non-revenue generating tournament the easy kill shot. Not blaming the AD - Principal, but a dedicated, full-time AD can focus on the issues and the tournament and potentially make it profitable, or at least break even.

 

If the issue is not being able to get parents work, again a dedicated AD can make some of these issues happen by structuring the expectations for player parents. Lots of schools are able to do this, the parents are bought in to the program and part of the program is fund raising.

 

I have to wonder if lack of parent buy in is just another issue in a myriad of issues in Brooksville right now. It's a shame because I do believe you could generate sufficient interest if you looked closely at 9th, 10th and 16th region participation alone. Lloyd HS seems to be able to do it year in and year out and I would think they face similar issues with the timing.

 

Strong leadership is sometimes tough to find…I hope for Bracken's sake they can find it soon.

 

Just bolding this because I find it interesting. In truth, for a district Bracken's size, there is no real need for a full-time Athletic Director. In fact, maybe a part time person could do this, but with the way budgets are where are they going to find the money?

 

 

Pray tell, what leadership are they lacking? Just curious.

If you have a four or eight team tournament in a small community outside Louisville and Lexington the fan support is much better and the gyms are usually larger. All but a couple of gyms in Louisville only seat about 2000. We, the King of the Bluegrass gym only seats 2000 when it's packed. We have 28 games in 5 days…we guarantee every team three games. Once a team loses and goes in the Consolation Bracket school support goes way down. Your expenses don't go down. Last year, December 2013 we had 10 of the Top 12 teams in the pre-season polls and 4 very good out-of-state teams and as I said we didn't break even. The finals, #1 Ballard played #2 Trinity and we were packed. The KOB is largely an adult crowd…many basketball junkies attend year-after-year. I doubt there are very few if any that do for thier teams what we do.

 

I never get in a bidding war. We have a great package and Kentucky schools accept our offer about 98% of the time…no questions ask. So far I have given all out-of-state teams the same package and I probably turn down 15 - 20 teams…we take the best we can find. I don't thinh anybody, even the state tournament has 16 teams as good as we can because we can get several teams from the same region…especially the 6th and 7th region teams. I am NOT condemming the state tournament, it is the greatest show on earth but the competition in the KOB can't be matched by anyone in KY.

Just bolding this because I find it interesting. In truth, for a district Bracken's size, there is no real need for a full-time Athletic Director. In fact, maybe a part time person could do this, but with the way budgets are where are they going to find the money?

 

 

Pray tell, what leadership are they lacking? Just curious.

 

A couple of things here:

 

1,148 enrolled students. There are a number of school districts that are smaller that have full-time AD's. Given some of the recent history with coaching changes and the general chatter about potential student-athletes moving to other schools, coupled with the feedback about not having sufficient parent involvement to run an established tournament, I will go out on a limb and say that points to a leadership issue at the AD level.

 

If you want to take the AD issue out, then look to the administration.

 

I do not have a dog in the fight, just know the players and I have no problem believing that at least part of the issue is lack of strong leadership that people will get behind.

 

In a town the size of Brooksville, with the passion that their fan base has for their sports and the quality teams they have been able to historically field, what else could you point to ?

 

To answer the money issue: a full-time AD or even a part-time dedicated AD, with strong leadership and people skills could find the money by implementing a systematic program. If other priorities are ahead of the athletic programs, which they are and that's ok, then I don't think you can expect to develop a comprehensive, sustainable athletic program throughout the district. Obviously if something has to fail it's going to be athletics and not academics.