Organizational Setting and Background
Sports can be an important tool for improving mental health and awareness among the youth. The Steve Fund is among the many organizations that support young people’s mental health. Consequently, in collaboration with Up2Us, a grassroots sports organization, The Steve Fund is organizing a recreational tournament among the youths in Dallas, Texas. The intramural football will target youths aged 18 to 25. The participants must be college students in Dallas and have been active in their college sports. This program provides an overview of the planned tournament and the resources needed for its success.
Tournament Design
Tournament Structure
The central aim of the tournament is to improve mental awareness among college students in Dallas. Consequently, the structure will incorporate both a round-robin regular season and a single-elimination postseason. Additionally, the event will feature both male and female teams competing against each other. A total of 14 teams are expected to register for the tournament. The males’ league is expected to register 6 teams, while the females’ league is expected to register 5 teams.
Round Robin Regular Season
The first phase of this recreational tournament will feature a round-robin regular season. The latter will give all team members an equal chance to participate in the second chance, with the winners determined by total points. Each team will play every other team once, resulting in 15 games per male team and 10 per female team.
Therefore, a total of 26 games will be played during the round-robin regular season. While every win earns a team 3 points, every draw earns 1 point. Total points will determine the regular-season winner; in the event of a tie, goal difference will be used to break the tie. The end of the regular season will mark the start of the postseason tournament. Appendices A, B, and C show the round-robin master schedule and league schedules for males and females, respectively.
Single-Elimination Post-Season
Upon the completion of the round-robin regular season, the top 4 teams will proceed to the elimination stages. The second phase will involve 8 teams: 4 males and 4 females. Seeding during this phase will be based on the regular-season standings, with the 1st team facing the 4th and the 2nd team facing the 3rd.
The first match will determine who qualifies for the semi-finals and later for the finals. In the event of a draw, the winner will be determined by a penalty shootout, as the limited time may not allow for extra match time. Appendix D shows the single-elimination tournament bracket for the second phase of the event.
Accommodating Multiple Unit Participation
Although the tournament aims to reach as many participants as possible, it is limited by time and resources. Therefore, some strategies will be adopted to accommodate multiple units of participation during the games. The organizers will secure 3 stadiums capable of hosting up to 2 matches per day, allowing at least 6 teams to play on a single day. Additionally, since the secured facilities are available from Thursday to Sunday, 8.00 AM to 9.00 PM, the tournament will be played on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. The three days per week will allow as many teams as possible to compete.
Program Rules and Guide to Participation
Participation Guide
Eligibility and Participant Qualifications
All the participants will be required to meet various guidelines for the tournament. Eligibility criteria will include individuals currently enrolled in colleges in Dallas. All participants must be between 18 and 25 years old. For the team formation, a maximum of 15 players per team will be required. While each game needs only 11 players, the remaining 4 are substitutes. On the other hand, a team must be among the top 4 in the regular season to qualify for the postseason elimination tournament.
Policies on League Costs and Registration
Although The Steve Fund sponsors the league in collaboration with UP2Us, each team will be charged commitment fees as part of the registration. The fee per team will be $400, non-refundable. The non-refundable policy will ensure that all registered teams are committed to participating in the activity. The registration procedure will be a two-step process: each team leader will submit a formal application, followed by approval from a special committee. While there is no specific uniform requirement, all teams are expected to have a standard jersey that does not conflict with others’. The committee will recommend possible colors for each team to choose from.
Governance Issues and Match Cancellation
While the sponsoring organization will be responsible for managing the tournament activities, each team’s conduct is its responsibility. Consequently, in the event of any protest or misbehavior, the perpetrators will be held individually responsible. Meanwhile, bad weather conditions can lead to the cancellation of some matches (Gouttebarge et al., 2023). The management will decide whether to cancel a game during bad weather. All teams are expected to adhere to management’s directions in the event of match cancellations or rescheduling.
Playing Rules and Forfeit Procedure and Policy
The tournament will adopt the rules and procedures set out by the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA). The rules will include those guiding the duration of matches, taking penalty kicks, and making a corner kick, among others. The rationale for FIFA rules is that they are internationally recognized (Demetriades et al., 2024).
Additionally, the chosen facilities for the tournament are sufficiently equipped to accommodate the FIFA rules. Although FIFA requires a 15-minute break between soccer matches, the rule will be modified to meet the league’s needs better. Therefore, instead of 15 minutes, each half-time will take 10 minutes.
In case a team decides to forfeit a match or the entire league, they must request the selected special committee. The request must include the reason for forfeiting and must be made 3 weeks before the tournament starts. For a request to be approved, the team must be unable to control the prevailing circumstances. Failure to raise the registration fees, loss of a team member, or natural causes can be some reasonable grounds for forfeiting. Forfeiting teams are required to wait up to 1 week for the sponsoring organization to communicate the outcome of their application.
Awards and Recognition
Both the round-robin regular league and single-elimination tournaments will have awards. For the round-robin, the best player, best team, and most disciplined players will be awarded. The best players will be recognized for the exemplary skills exhibited during the matches.
On the other hand, the best team will be awarded for being at the top, demonstrating discipline, and maintaining consistent performance throughout the tournament. In the single-elimination format, the winning team will be awarded. The award is meant to motivate the team to become mental health champions in their various institutions.
Equipment and Supplies
The tournament will require various equipment and supplies for successful activities. The required supplies are categorized into field, game, and safety tournament operations. The field supplies are those needed to prepare the fields for soccer matches. On the other hand, the game equipment includes items used during the match. For safety, first-aid kits, athletic tape, and other supplies will be provided to ensure the security of all stakeholders. Appendix E presents a list of necessary operating equipment and supplies, along with the corresponding proposals.
Program Staffing
As the grassroots sporting agency, Up2Us will provide the various staff needed for the tournament. The organization will provide the event staff, officials, and scorekeepers. The officials will include the 4 referees, 4 assistant referees, and 4 lines-persons. On the other hand, the event staff will include 20 cleaners, 20 security officers, and 4 commentators. Therefore, Up2Us will provide a total of 56 staff. Officials must have a degree in sports management or a related field and at least 2 years of experience.
Meanwhile, the cleaners and security officers must have at least a diploma in hospitality and security, respectively. The preferred pay rate for forensics is $100 per hour, while the rate for forensics staff is $40 per hour. The mentioned staff will be required to participate in only 2 games per row before rotating to another field. Appendix F shows the overall staff schedule for the event.
Marketing and Promotion
Proposed Marketing Strategy
Marketing is central to attracting potential participants and sponsors of the event. The key target market segment for this tournament is college-age youths aged 18 to 25 in Dallas. Additionally, the promotional activities will target non-governmental and private organizations dedicated to promoting mental health among youths.
Demographic and psychographic segmentation strategies are applied to ensure that the tournament’s stakeholders’ targets meet the tournament’s objective. The promotion mix for the tournament will include print and social media. For instance, Instagram and Facebook will be used to target the youth. Meanwhile, business magazines will be used to target private corporations.
Program Sponsorship Plan
The proposed event is resource-intensive, making sponsorship necessary. The first-tier sponsors include those who contribute the most to the event. The Steve Fund and UP2Us are the first-tier sponsors for this event.
The latter will provide financial and in-kind assistance to the participants. The second-tier sponsors will include those who provide ancillary benefits, including in-kind and value-added benefits. Some appropriate level 2 sponsors include local government, politicians, and large organizations such as Nike, which can provide kits to participants.
Program Budgeting
Budgeting is central to successful event planning since it helps avoid unforeseen inconveniences. The current tournament is expected to cost $53,900, raised from sponsors and ticket sales. The money will be used for activities such as advertising, purchasing equipment and supplies, and paying the staff. The estimated income to cover the activities is $56,271. The remaining income after costs can help cover emergencies and other unexpected costs. Appendix G is a screenshot of the proposed budget as calculated using Microsoft Excel.
References
Demetriades, A. K., Shah, I., Marklund, N., Clusmann, H., & Peul, W. (2024). Sport-related concussion in soccer –A scoping review of available guidelines and a call for action to FIFA & soccer governing bodies. Brain and Spine, 4, 102763–102763.
Gouttebarge, V., Duffield, R., den Hollander, S., & Maughan, R. (2023). Protective guidelines and mitigation strategies for hot conditions in professional football: Starting 11 hot tips for consideration. BMJ Open Sport and Exercise Medicine, 9(3).
Appendices
Appendix A: Round Robin Master Schedule
Appendix B: Round Robin Male League Schedule
Appendix C: Round Robin Female League Schedule
Appendix D: Single Elimination Bracket
Appendix E: List of Necessary Equipment and Supplies
Appendix F: Overall Staff Schedule
Appendix G: Proposed Budget
