The Prep Dig Gauntlet: A Coach’s Perspective
As a Prep Dig writer, I spent some of my time at the Prep Dig Gauntlet watching athletes play and gathering information for content, but the vast majority of my time during the tournament was spent with the team I…
Access all of Prep Dig
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingAs a Prep Dig writer, I spent some of my time at the Prep Dig Gauntlet watching athletes play and gathering information for content, but the vast majority of my time during the tournament was spent with the team I coach, Midwest Penguins 14 Black.
I had the unique perspective going into the tournament of having seen some of the behind the scenes planning, but also experiencing it as a coach. We all know that a tournament has a lot of facets and this two-day pre-nationals tournament was no different.
Here are some of my key observations:
Power Pools Were a Hit
Nearly every team playing at the Gauntlet was using it as a pre-nationals tournament to prepare for either the AAU Nationals being held in Orlando, FL or USAV Nationals being held in Indianapolis.
Some of the age groups had the top-seeded teams in a power pool. So these teams faced off against each other on the first day of competition and automatically made it to the gold bracket. Depending on the number of teams in the tournament the rest of the teams played in pools in a battle to earn a spot in gold.
The power pools ensured there was tight competition across the board and meant there was a high level of play on every single court. While this style of tournament might not have been effective at the beginning of the season, it was well seeded and great practice for every team.
Location and Timing Were Key
Choosing Madison as a location was so smart. It pulled teams from several states which widened the berth of competition. It ensured the tournament was not just local teams who have been playing each other all season.
Additionally, it is one of the latest tournaments offered but it was not late enough to interfere with any travel for nationals tournaments. I thought the timing was perfect as it gives enough time for teams to continue to work before nationals but not a huge break in between competitions.
Coverage Was Top Notch
As a 14s coach, this was really the first time my team has gotten much coverage. I am no stranger to providing coverage to other teams, but it was so fun to see my teams, and other teams highlighted on social media throughout the weekend.
The Prep Dig writers providing coverage seemed to be everywhere at once, taking high-quality pictures, videotaping matches, and taking notes all at the same time. It was truly impressive and much appreciated by coaches, parents, and players.
Being the first year of the Prep Dig Gauntlet, I thought it was a huge success. As with every event, there are some small details to iron out; however, as a coach it truly checked all of the boxes for a great event.