In which we don't believe a word of it

I’ve been working regularly with the Usual Suspects on just about every aspect of virtual tournaments. As the season draws near, the reality of staffing e-vents has helped concentrate the hive mind. It isn’t all just push a button and take a nap. Not even close.

 

I, for one, think that the ridiculous number of people signing up for just about everything does not, in fact, represent real registrations. Most schools still have no real idea what they’ll be doing this year in terms of classes, much less what they’ll be doing in terms of tournaments. Still, one does sign up optimistically; I can understand that. And independents are sliming down the cliff walls, presumably in the hopes that no one will notice or care, and I know that there are tournaments that indeed don’t care. IRL, as I always say, independent minors running around your hallways puts the responsibility for their safety squarely in your hands (you’re the one driving them to the emergency room when they start bleeding from every portal), and virtual tournaments relieve at least that, but I’ve already seen at the one little e-tournament we had back in June that—SURPRISE—independents don’t necessarily feel a responsibility to show up, or let you know that they aren’t showing up, which you find out about 15 minutes after start time. Sigh. Oh, well, the VCA knows well my feelings about independents: the poor dears go to a school without debate? Then teach ‘em to play football, which the school also doesn't have, and then have them sign up as independent football players at high school events. The logic is the same. 

 

In any case, my guess is that despite big numbers early on, events will eventually boil down to the neighborhood of the caps. (You’re going to a tournament without caps? Seriously? Why don’t you just send them a check and be done with it?) Reality will set in, probably relatively soon. Schools will open one way or the other, craziness will happen, people will settle down and realize that there’s still a pandemic raging that kills people, and tournaments will be what they will be. We all just have to hang in there.