What has happened to Tournament prices this year????

[bigpoppababy]

I know the economy sucks, everything is going up in price, but the cost of most tournaments in the "State of Hockey" are way out of control!!! $700 plus for a Squirt tourney when just a few years ago was $400? And an additional couple hundred for gate fees? Come on folks, get real!!!

If anyone out there has some reasonably priced tourneys, feel free to post them so we know not every association has lost their minds!!!!

[Air Force 1]

http://egf.pucksystems.com/page/show/29 ... vitational

a few spots left at $450, 12 team field is the goal.

4 game guarantee, 2 round robin pool games, 2 bracketed games

15 minute stop time

See the rules for all the details

[jackstraw]

A Bantam tourney in Marshall,$250.00. Pheasant hunting is great there in November.

[breakout]

A Bantam tourney in Marshall,$250.00. Pheasant hunting is great there in November.

I like your thinking on that one.

[Fighting Sioux]

We have one opening for the John Mariucci PeeWee A Tournament in which will be played at the Eveleth Hippodrome on January 23-25, 2009. 8-team tournament. The cost is only $500.00 Per team. If interested contact me at branden.mattson@mchsi.com or check out our website at www.evelethyouthhockey.com for more information

The following teams are registered for the tournament:

1. Eveleth

2. Virginia

3. Hibbing

4. Anoka

5. Eagan

6. Cottage Grove

7. Park Rapids

[Road Rage]

How about those advance gate fees? You know, the $200-300 they slap on in addition to the tournament fees, and then tell you that you get free admission... Bumps some of those tournament up to $750-900 in the end. Maybe they just want to price the smaller associations out of the market.

[northwoods oldtimer]

I hear you Road Rage. The demand for up front payment on those fees essentially bumps the entry fee price. If the team manager has to collect $200.00 from the parents it usually works out to be a pretty good deal for the parents.
17 player team, parents cough up 11.75. 15 player team parents cough up 13.33. 13 player team parents cough up 15.38. Far better than the Family pass fee of $30.00, $25.00 $20.00 and $15.00 (smapling form some invites) charged at the gate a few years ago.

[JoltDelivered]

Baseball tournaments have been charging the up front gate fees for tournaments for years now. It beats having volunteers to staff the entry points for 3 or 4 straight days.

So along with the cost savings to the parents, the required volunteer hours are diminished as well.

[DMom]

I do generally like the gate fee as opposed to the admission charge. It saves volunteer time for the hosting assoc. and let's grandma and grandpa and other extended family watch for free. What I don't like are the associations requiring that fee up front with the tournament fee. I could somewhat understand if they have been stiffed by a team before, but just don't let that assoc. back, why punish all. Youth associations are not usually flush with money in June and July when some of the "better" tournaments fill up, and to have to pony up the gate fee before you have even collected fees from the team members is a tough one.

My other issue is that there aren't that many tournaments in the twin city area, and I am sure that is why the ones who are hosting are able to basically name their fees. Our assoc. tried to limit cost to the families by only having one out-of-town tournament, but honestly the costs for a hotel and a cheaper ice out-state, makes it almost a break even for a family. Especially when considering you are probably eating out anyway during tournament weekends just for convenience sake. Is it shortage of ice? shortage of volunteers? lots of gambling revenue? what keeps so many metro area associations from hosting tournaments?

[northwoods oldtimer]

DMom,
Ice in the metro is at a premium and that is why there is such a limit on invitational tournaments in the metro. Amen on the up front statement that kills many associtations budgets like you mentioned. By the time your registration fees roll in the "plum" tournaments are booked up.
Kudo's to the associations that allow for the team manager to collect the $200.00 or $225.00 gate fee. That is 1400.00 to 1575.00 respectively for an 8 team tournament which I woud bet it a nice chunk of change for any tournament. Associations charging $325.00...tends to be a bit greedy.
Wow have Duluth prices gone up....holy cow!

[DMom]

DMom,
Ice in the metro is at a premium and that is why there is such a limit on invitational tournaments in the metro. Amen on the up front statement that kills many associtations budgets like you mentioned. By the time your registration fees roll in the "plum" tournaments are booked up.
Kudo's to the associations that allow for the team manager to collect the $200.00 or $225.00 gate fee. That is 1400.00 to 1575.00 respectively for an 8 team tournament which I woud bet it a nice chunk of change for any tournament. Associations charging $325.00...tends to be a bit greedy.
Wow have Duluth prices gone up....holy cow!

I agree the prices in Duluth have went up, it's an easy commute from the cities and you can get by with one night sometimes. The $1200 one we couldn't touch.

I think we could do a lot more out of town tournaments if we were promised our games started on Saturday. Fridays are tough and no one seems to abide by the mandated start time for teams from, is it over 50 miles away? One of our teams had a one o'clock start time for it's game on Friday in a town three hours from the cities last winter. The team only got three games for the tourney, so one on Saturday and one on Sunday. We won't be going back. It's not worth a day's missed from school for a three game tournament.

[HockeyStorm]

If you'd like to make the easy drive up to the Twin Ports area another tournament option is in Superior. We've got a great facility and some of our tournaments offer 4 games. You can register online at www.sahaice.org

[h20]

want to go to cheap tourneys , go to western Minnesota, Hutchinson, New ulm, Willmar, Lichfield, Marshall, and other smaller comuniteis out that way, some very nice arenas and people that would love you to be there, ,, and yes most of them start on Saturday, only one night stay if your coming form a distance,

[wannagototherink]

want to go to cheap tourneys , go to western Minnesota, Hutchinson, New ulm, Willmar, Lichfield, Marshall, and other smaller comuniteis out that way, some very nice arenas and people that would love you to be there, ,, and yes most of them start on Saturday, only one night stay if your coming form a distance,

You can go to "cheap" tournaments but what are you getting out of them? A trophy? So what...We go up to Duluth every November for their Bantam A tournament, which costs I think $1,100. however, they assure us of playing 5 games and we play 17 minute stop time periods, with a resurface. Now I couldn't get 5 games scheduled in the Metro for less money than that, and on top of it, the competition is always fantastic. So do we pay more yes, but we get more. Nothing against the associations you mentioned. I'm sure they put on good tournaments, but for what we are looking for out of the games our sons play it's quality competition.

[Bash Brother]

The Fargo Squirt A tourney went up $200

[h20]

Those western tournys that were spoke about earlier , most do play 15 or 17 minute STOP time, and yes the competion is some what slax, but if all the SO GOOD competion would go there , they would pay less with out all the travel,
The old saying goes they will build it and they will come, well these communities have built nice facilities so get out and go to them.
Or do some of those so called good teams looking for good competition afraid of maybe getting beat a few times out there.

[Fire and Ice]

Oh I like the bait, but I doubt the best are headed that way. I have heard the best are headed to Roseau this year. I guess people will drive wherever to get the competition they need.

Most of them are not so called good teams they are good look at the Minnesota Hockey handbook that confirms the statement.

[Mac15]

The Rochester girls tourney is Thanksgiving weekend. The tourney includes 14UA, 12UA, 12UB, 10UA and 10UB. We need another 12UA and another 10UA team. The fee is $600. Contact Brenda Mackey at bmackey80@yahoo.com or try:

www.ryha.pucksystems2.com/page/show/155 ... ament-info