Scheduling
(there is a logic, even if it doesn’t make everyone happy)
We put this together mostly to get your sympathy, but also to let you know that scheduling is not the mindless process it may appear to be when you see your specific schedule. It is not a random event and it is not rocket science. It is matching up field logistics with the practical issues I outline below. There are 136 teams playing 4 games each at 4 sites on 17 fields in 24 divisions, so this is like putting a HUGE jigsaw puzzle together. Also, coaches, please tell your team when you make a special request. There always seems to be one irate parent criticizing the schedule for something that turns out was a request by the coach.
First the philosophy:
Our philosophy is that it is more important to give you 4 games against opponents you don’t typically play than to set up each division with a championship game. This appeals to many coaches, especially for teams who want to find their correct competitive level, to "B" teams who want to have a fun weekend with equal competition and to the older girls where college coaches spend Columbus Day weekend at 2 different tournaments and prefer to see the girls in action twice on the same day.
Priority 1: General Items.
Each field can handle a maximum of 8 games per day
Games start at 8:00 AM and end by 6:00 PM allowing half hour to sunset.
Games are stagger started at each site to help with traffic flow
All 4 games are at the same site (unless we have night games)
U-16/17/19’s play at the Lehigh County Fields where we invite college coaches
Priority 2: Host Teams
Priority 4: General Goals -
Not Practical:
Late starts due to driving since most teams come from 1-2 hours away
Requesting multiple teams to play at the same site since site selection is based on host teams
To those of you who like your game times, please appreciate the good luck you had. To those who don’t like your times, I apologize, but hope you will understand that I didn’t just throw darts at the wall. If you have suggestions that you feel would make better scheduling, please email womensfallfest@westernlehigh.orgAfter the schedules are complete, I review them for the following and make changes where the above priorities don’t prohibit it. I try to:
Eliminate back-to-back games – email if you see one so it can be corrected
Avoid 2 8:00 AM games for the same team, unless they ask
Allow 2 time slots between games (seldom works in practice)
Avoid long 6 game stretches between games (I apologize if you got a long stretch)
Avoid 5 game stretch on both days (added 10/31/2003)
Avoid both games on the same day on the same field to minimize having the same center ref. (10/31/2003) Hosts do all the volunteer work and I attempt to help them maintain their sanity
They start later on Saturday to have extra volunteers to do registration and set up the snack bar.
They end earlier on Sunday to have time to finalize scoring, give out trophies and clean up.
Multiple host teams play at different times to maximize available volunteers
Hosts are always the "away" teams so they don't have to supply the balls or change jerseys.
Priority 3: Special Requests
Same coach wants to coach multiple teams, sometimes at different sites
Proms and other school functions
League or High School games
SAT's