With that in mind, a basketball or soccer match shouldn’t be a mere two three-minute rounds. If it’s a triathlon, it shouldn’t be only two short obstacles that can be completed in five minutes.

Also, If you have a tournament-style system, then organize matches between teams that did not advance; this way, they get equal playing time.

It’s not unusual for games to be delayed, and it’s very possible that the event as a whole may end later than expected. Even if this is the case, don’t compensate by curtailing the game time if it can be helped. Perhaps you can shorten the intermission time or speed up the venue-cleanup instead.

2. Waiver of Liability

It’s a sporting event we’re talking about here, so there’s the real possibility of someone getting hurt. Injuries can cause serious liability issues. This is why event organizers should require all participants or parents of participants to sign a waiver of liability as part of the registration process.

On the subject of injuries, you should also have medical personnel on standby, or at the very least, their number on standby. You should also have a first aid kit available for minor injuries like a cut or scrape. Ideally, you should also have someone on your staff that has some level of medical training, or is at least able to identify common illnesses like dehydration or heat stroke.

3. Dressing Rooms/Lockers

The venue should have a dressing room or locker area where participants can change into their uniforms. The rooms should be divided by gender. If no such rooms exist, then are there rooms, such as a large storage closet, that can be improvised as a dressing area? This is a pivotal question to ask the venue administrator.

Determine ahead of time the location of these rooms. It’s also important to ensure that these rooms are OPEN on event day. It’s not unusual for separate rooms in a venue to be locked if they’re not expected to be in use. The facility’s custodian should have the keys to all the rooms. It will not reflect well on your organization if participants have to get changed out in the open in the back of the facility – all because you didn’t bother checking to see if dressing rooms were open.

On a final note. If lockers are available, encourage guests to use them and bring their own lock. Emphasize that you’re not responsible for lost or stolen equipment/gear.

4. Trophies/Medals

Award the winning team or top participant. It doesn’t matter if you hand out trophies, medals, or ribbons as long as you acknowledge the top-placing competitors. You can also have winners stand up on one of those 1st/2nd/3rd place pedestals. This is a good way of allowing winners to feel like they really accomplished something while friends and families take pictures.

It’s also highly recommended that you hand out participation trophies if you’re hosting a youth sporting event. Children need to be incentivized for their efforts. If they walk away without some sort of physical token, it could discourage them from competing in the future or even prompt them to quit the sport altogether.

Here’s another helpful tip about trophies if you’re running a for-profit event. You can set aside a trophy customization table. For a small fee, participants can have their trophies or medals customized with their name, date, and name of event. This can be done using a trophy sticker label printer.

5. Handling Complaints and Grievances

Sporting events should be about fun and not about winning. However, it’s inevitable that you will have a few participants complain or dispute the results.

This is common in youth sports where parents will argue a judge’s or referee’s call on their child’s behalf. You should have someone knowledgeable in the sport that can address these grievances in a calm manner while also backing up the official’s decisions.

6. Market the Event

Use a combination of social media and offline marketing to promote the event. You should also reach out to coaches and instructors of the given sport. If it’s a softball tournament, reach out to little league coaches from schools and city recreation programs.

If it’s an individual endurance race, reach out to members of a gym or fitness class. With social media, you can look for sports-related clubs within your area to directly target your demographic.

The marketing material is also where you ask for volunteers if needed. If it’s a youth sporting event, ask the parents of the participants if they’re willing to become volunteer staff, perhaps in return for allowing their kids to compete free of charge.

7. Organize Varying Styles of Competition

Hold different styles of the sport. Instead of just a basketball match, how about also organizing a three-point shooting contest on the side? For a tag football game, how about a side activity seeing who can punt the ball the farthest?

This is just a nice way of mixing things up a bit, allowing competitors to test their skills in a different way. You can also hold separate trophies or prizes for these side events. With respects to these side competitions, you can also have spectators compete.

A sporting event is a terrific way to bring everyone together in the spirit of competition. However, like any event, it does require careful planning and organization. You want participants and spectators to leave with a positive experience. An event that is carefully coordinated ensures safety, a good time, and a good workout.