For our 10U Orange Ball Mini Classic on Feb 10, we have 24 kids and only 4 courts, so I’m leaning toward 15-minute timed matches with brief coaching on changeovers to keep learning front and center. Has anyone found a sweet spot that reduces downtime — different pod sizes, staggered check-ins, or another format? I want every kid leaving proud and eager to play again.
Try wave starts: stagger ‘15-minute’ matches every 5 minutes; if backups, drop to 12 — thoughts?
@natalie_brown21 I like the wave idea; we’ve had better flow with 3-player pods per court — two play a to-7 tiebreak while the third tracks score and gives one coach cue at changeovers, then rotate on the horn. Only caveat: hand the “third” a cue card so they don’t drift — want the template?
I think having one kid tracking scores while the others play could really help keep things moving. It’s kind of like playing a game of tag — everyone’s involved, and it avoids that awkward ‘who’s next?’ moment. Have you considered using a rotation format where kids switch partners after each match to mix things up?