Tournament Philosophy

As a club, we always look forward to wonderful tournament weekends.  Tournament weekends are filled with fun, laughter and competitive highs and lows.  At Lenawee United FC, we do our best to make a tournament event an exciting and competitive time where our athletes and parents can have a safe and enjoyable experience.  

At Lenawee United FC, we incorporate a different philosophy in regard to tournaments than we do with our normal seasonal leagues.  We utilize league games for individual player development and each player receives a fair amount of playing time.  However, during tournament games, our philosophy is to play to win.  The coach uses his or her best discretion in achieving that goal and is fully supported by the club.
 
Players and parents need to understand that a large amount of playing time will not aways occur during tournament games.  There may even be one or two games when certain players will not play at all.  While the coach will certainly make every effort to ensure each player receives playing time, the decision to play to win may occur during a critical game and playing time might become limited.  

We want to clearly communicate our tournament philosophy so that parents are aware and encouraged to adopt a team-centric and club-centric attitude when at a tournament.  It is necessary to use a wider lens and look at the entire tournament picture, not just the specific game or instance where your child didn’t receive the desired playing time.  Parents are expected to be strong supporters of the club and their respective team at all times.  While we respect the right for each parent to have their own opinion about their child’s ability, the only opinion that will be taken into consideration during a tournament will be that of the coaching staff and club.
 
Lenawee United FC prides itself on being a club that sets certain standards of operation conduct.  It is the responsibility of the club, players, and parents to maintain a high standard and meet all expectations on and off the field.  It is imperative for all stakeholders to refrain from altercations with officials, administrators, and other fans during tournament weekends.  All behavior, good or bad, reflects directly on our club, players, teams, coaches, and parents.  We must all stay diligent in always remaining a positive influence on our athletes.  Please allow the coaches to take any action or make any decisions regarding game situations as they deem necessary.
 
While players spend their free time at the hotel, restaurant or other public place, players should remember that they are representing Lenawee United FC at all times.  Players should avoid horseplay or causing any unnecessary disturbance.  We recommend that players avoid swimming between games in order to preserve energy. If any player wishes to swim during free time, the evening after all matches are played would be the best time.
 
Curfew for teams U7-U12 is 10:00 PM and 11:00 PM for teams U13-U19 (unless otherwise noted by the coach).  We strongly believe that players and parents know what is best for them and/or their children, therefore we want to encourage proper rest as it is a significant factor in a child’s ability to perform in multiple games during a weekend.  Proper nutrition is also an important aspect of player performance, and we encourage all players to eat healthy, avoid fast food and properly hydrate.  Fruits, vegetables and carbohydrates are recommended throughout the weekend.