Tournaments

WHAT IS A STAY AND PLAY?

Travel tournaments often have "Stay and Play" requirements, which means that teams attending must stay in predetermined hotels using a booking link and code that are unique to the name of the team and the club. Because of this, every player and coach at the Indie Chicas is required to book lodging in accordance with the stay and play policy for every event. 

TIMELINE FOR HOTEL INFORMATION

When a team is registered for a tournament, they must first wait to be accepted by the event, which can take just days or even months depending on the event. We have no control over how long an acceptance may take. Some teams may be accepted earlier than others, even if they are registered at the same time. Until we are accepted, staff cannot begin reserving a hotel block. Occasionally, this means we have to wait until closer to the event to book a hotel. While we understand that this is inconvenient, this is the standard practice in place for most events in youth sports and we must adhere to the processes in place.

IMPORTANCE OF BOOKING CORRECTLY

When teams are submitted for registration, each player who is attending is rostered to that team. All team members are required to attend events, unless a roster is specifically blended between two teams. Therefore, the event can see how many players are in attendance and will calculate the number of rooms we will need based on how many players are rostered. If families choose not to book through the link provided by Chicas leadership prior to the event, the entire team is at risk of being dropped out or assessed a fine (often upwards of $2,000). In situations where this has happened before, the tournament will send us a list of families who have booked hotel rooms so we can see who failed to book a room. To be fair to families who chose to follow policy and book their rooms appropriately, those who fail to book rooms via the approved links are liable for any and all costs associated with the tournament if a team is dropped or sanctioned for not meeting the stay and play requirements. This includes the funds other families who booked through the specified links have incurred, such as their flights.

NON-STAY AND PLAYS

In any case where an event is not a stay and play, leadership will inform the teams if they are free to choose some cases, travel events are not a stay and play event, or they are not publicly advertised as one. Leadership will review the contract for each event carefully to ensure we comply with any hidden stay and play requirements and contact coaches and families if you are free to book alternative arrangements. 

Additionally, there are some situations where a team will request that we pay the buyout so they may choose their own hotels. In these cases, we require the entire team to be in agreement and payment of the buyout clause up-front from the team. We will not request a buy out until each member of the team has paid their share.

If you still need more information or specific scenarios, please continue reading the FAQs below.

Q: Can I see a breakdown of what goes into this invoice? I did the calculations myself and this team should only cost about $30 a player.

A: There's a lot more than simply a tournament registration fee that goes into the amount you are invoiced. We do not provide line items as this is at the discretion of the coaches. We have strict guidelines in place to ensure that coaches choose the cheapest accommodation, travel, and other expenses for each event. We do not disclose each line item as sometimes there are personal circumstances. For example, there are very personal reasons why a coach may need to check a bag on a flight and others may not. Our invoices are calculated by our policies, and coaches who elect to travel at higher levels (such as business class flights) do so out of their own pocket. 

Q: Normally I would choose a different (eg. more upscale, cheaper, luxury, hotel with activities, closer to the fields) hotel for my family. Why are you choosing hotels that I wouldn’t choose for my family on my behalf?

A: Every family has different needs and preferences for their hotel selection. Based on the timeline from when we were accepted and how many rooms were needed, we chose a mid-range hotel that would meet most families’ price points but be safe and comfortable.

Q: We have some family that live nearby so we’re just going to stay with them. I’m not paying for a hotel.

A: Stay and play events require that we agree to their lodging policies prior to registering for the event. Since your daughter is rostered on that team, she is held to those requirements and will need to book a room through the approved stay and play link. It is your choice to break that responsibility, but those who do not adhere to this policy will be liable for any charges that arise if the team is dropped from the event or sanctioned financially. If the team is dropped from the event, this amount will include the cost of the other players’ and coaches’ travel, lodging, and all associated tournament fees.

Q: We did not attend and should not have to pay for the tournament fee. We told the coach, too.

A: Availability and sign-up sheets were distributed at the start of the season to indicate whether your daughter would be attending the event, but these are only for a headcount. Our member agreements and all subsequent communications clearly explain that all players are charged regardless of attendance at an event to ensure financial equity amongst all players who do attend events as required. In certain, serious extenuating circumstances, an agreement may be made by reaching out to amelia.keily@indiechicas.org. Only written confirmation that you are exempt from an event by the Director of Operations or the Indie Chicas President constitutes a valid exemption.

Q: Why are tournament costs so high? I looked online and the tournament cost was only $2000, which seems to work out to only $25 a player on my team.

A: The registration fee is not the only cost associated with tournaments that the Indie Chicas must pay. Per our website and member agreement (and industry standard), coaching costs are calculated and invoiced as part of the tournament fee and not included in your annual fees.

Q: Why are tournament costs not included in our annual fees?

A: Every team attends different events with different costs associated. To keep your overall costs at the Indie Chicas as low as possible, every player is invoiced only for the events relevant to their team.

Q: Why are all players expected to attend tournaments when there are more than enough players to fill the roster?

A: To be fair to all families, the team, and the coach, we expect all players who commit to their team to commit to the team's schedule and to participate in it fully. Prior to having this rule, our teams were constantly short on players at events. Their performance suffered as other teams had greater numbers. We saw the same handful of players who would always show up, represent their team, and ultimately carry the cost burden. Split between only a handful, costs are much higher. Therefore we have a policy that all players must participate in tournaments and events to ensure our teams are full enough to play, have fun, and split the cost. Anyone looking for an exemption must email Operations.