School is out, and it’s warm outside so you know that means voting for the host school of the NCDA Nationals 2019 is coming soon. As a board, we would like to send out some suggestions for you to take into consideration when making your decision.
Nationals is the biggest event of the year, so it is important to consider who would be best suited to host a successful tournament. As someone that is voting, remember to keep multiple factors in mind when making a decision. One of the biggest factors that most teams always look at is the distance to the host school. While shorter distances can be easier on a team’s roster and budget, driving a few extra hours can reveal on of the best parts of going to a tournament, the road trip. Distance is always going to come into play when making this decision, but be sure to think about the school hosting the event and ask yourself, “would it be better to have a Nationals location farther away if it means better facilities and a more smoothly run event?”
Another factor that should be taken into consideration is who will be the Director of Nationals. Generally the captain or president of the hosting team is appointed as Director of Nationals and a tournament like this is a lot of work and should not be taken lightly. The person who runs this tournament will not only have this on their plate but will also have school, work, and a social life to balance. Being director of nationals is a job in and of itself and requires a lot of work on your free time and constant communication with the league and board members on the progress of the event. I am sure if you ask the previous directors that held this position they would say that it was a lot more work than they expected it to be and that they were often stressed at times. This is not the type of event you can leave to the last second or procrastinate on because there is a lot of work that the board needs done before they can complete their tasks and they do not want to be rushed into it. The board also needs someone that is easy to work with, can handle any adjustments that have to be made, and will not need constant reminders to get activities and tasks completed.
One more factor to consider is which location will do the most to help continue the growth of the league. Nationals has been in Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and Virginia. So, in looking at the different locations, teams should consider which location will do the most to help a region grow and stay strong.
Finally, one more point to consider is that a great part of nationals is getting to play in a different venue and city. If you already have been to a school, consider voting for someplace you have not been to. Besides nationals, you may not get the chance to visit some of these Universities so why not take the opportunity when it presents itself.
Here is what a few if the other executive board members think on the matter.
Felix –
I know whoever ends up hosting Nationals will do a good job. Nationals 2019 will be my 11th Nationals since joining the NCDA in 2008, and the other members of the E-Board also have a lot of Nationals experience as well. We have the process of planning this event well defined, we provide several planning documents, and a timeline with deadlines that we expect to be met. The E-Board takes care of the scheduling of games, creating the matchups, assigning/paying referees, and ordering all of the gear. The job of the Director of Nationals, and the host team in general, is to fill in the gaps that the E-Board won’t be as familiar with specifically with the local vendors/facilities. The Director of Nationals must be able to work with the school, the facility, the hotels, the local sponsors, local media, and anyone else that can help them ensure the event is a success.
When voting this year, be sure to think of your desired Nationals experience. If your desired experience is to travel the shortest distance, vote for that location. If your desired experience is to go someplace you’ve never been before, vote for that location. If your desired experience is to not have to question anything when it comes to the event, vote for the school you believe will do the best job. Vote for what’s best for your team and what’s best for the organization.