The Borneo Headhunters Hat 2011 Ultimate Frisbee tournament weekend is all but wrapped up, and I think it’s safe to say it was a success. For the last 2 weeks it’s been multiple phone calls, as many meetings, and 2 solid weeks of getting to bed between 2am and 3am. Exhausting stuff.
This year was the 2nd time we hosted the Borneo Headhunters Hat here in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. Last year we had but a mere 36 participants, but this time we had 80. It’s a a huge increase, which – looking forward to next year – bodes well for interest and participation, and we’re excited about the growth of, if not Ultimate as a sport, then at least Ultimate tournaments in Sabah.
Some Things were Easier
For one, we knew what we were doing. The Borneo Headhunters Hat action plan was drawn up and laid out more than 6 months ahead. But such is Sabah that a lot of stuff could only be locked down in the 2 weeks leading up to the event.
Being Tournament Director again was even more of pleasure, as I was super charged by a well-oiled committee that got done what needed to get done.
I can see next year going off without any hitches whatsoever.
Some Things were Not So Easy
2 things, to be exact.
Confirming the fields was an admin nightmare. Pillar to post, yes then no, pay here pay there. Phone this person. No, that person. Obviously it got sorted eventually, but half our stress originated from this issue alone.
And our drinks sponsor. Although they confirmed 2 weeks before the event, we ended up running around making panicked phone calls the evening before the event to actually obtain the drinks.
And About Some Things We’re Undecided
Because last year we went from 50 so-called confirmed entries, to only 36 participants actually showing up on the day itself, this year we asked for pre-payment.
It was good in the sense that after the registration closed we knew we had 80 paid up participants, but it was an admin hassle, because we got unmarked deposits sans any notifications, which we had to cross reference later on.
The reconciliation and follow-ups turned out to be very time consuming, but eliminated no-shows and gave us a precision budget. We will debate its pros and cons for next year.
What Lies Ahead
Assuming maintained growth, and we will certainly grow, we will have to make a decision: will the 2012 Borneo Headhunters Hat be a 2-day tournament at the same small venue, or will it stay 1-day tournament at a larger one?
We’re happy with our fields (sans the booking nightmare) and facilities, but it can only accommodate so many players and games; so either we move venue, or we add days.
This we will have to think about over the coming months, but for now – we can relax. Check out the Borneo Headhunters Hat update page for a wrap-up of all the weekend’s Ultimate action.
And, see you at the 3rd Borneo Headhunters Hat in 2012!