I have been driving from my home to the office the same way for the past three years or so. However, this morning, through a combination of weather-related and social happenstance, I found myself driving to work through a residential plat that exited out to the main road that leads into my office complex. What I had not noticed the three years I rutted out for myself is that homes had sprung up on either side and on the ends of the main road. I knew where I was, but nothing looked familiar. The area had changed without me noticing, even though I had driven by the same point every day for three years. I found myself surprised by this revelation.
Our Advice: No matter how well you think you know your tournament, take a look at it from different points of view frequently. How do your sponsors see you? How does the community see your event? Are you a great boom for business or are you just a traffic-jam every year? How do teams traveling in from out-of-the-area see your event? How does inviting teams from other areas change the dynamics of your tournament?
There are no right or wrong answers, but you should never find yourself surprised at the changing landscape. Always be aware of change. Oh, and take a different way to work every day. You never know when you’ll discover what you already knew!