Ode to the Tourney Directors
The people that run tournaments for us have taken on a lot of responsibilities trying to run organized games for us in a friendly, helpful and polite fashion. They set it up, spam it, mass it, answer the questions about the tourney repeatedly for every new person to enter the room or has missed the spam, explain the rules to all who need it repeatedly, answer general questions, be ready explain for games like MP, NBIH, do you have to sink on second break and so on, repeatedly and answer the never ending yim’s as well as take all the reports as they come along.
This is the reason a non typist like myself is deathly afraid to try be a TD and if you catch my drift, can be a very, very busy job. Yet it does not stop members from complaining when pairing mistakes are made and when you put all of the above into a busy lobby we should only praise these wonderful people and always thank them for the efforts for what they do for us and our enjoyment and fun.
When a league or a TD cordially asked you to jump a tourney yourself or report it with opponent, tourney name it is not because they are lazy or don’t want to accommodate, it is because it is a very busy job and they need our help to run it timely, successfully and make it enjoyable for all of us. We should always thank them for the jobs they do for us.
Suggestions to assist our TD’s
Jump tourneys ourselves or have “friends” ready to link us.
Instead of always asking “am I waiting” keep standings available to you and refresh to find your answers and will tell you if TD has missed your report because of a busy lobby.
Look “up” in lobby to see if questions were already asked and answered.
Ie: BIH, rules or do I have to make break on second rack.
Pay attention because so many questions are repeated.
Only play the amount of tourney’s that you can stay alert in because TD’s are not our slaves, they are trying to direct the games, please allow them to do so.
Do not be in a rush to be critical which causes needless confusion and always try to help.
Be an “ATDNTA” (assistant TD-no tourney’s allowed) and be helpful to our wonderful friends and all will be run more smoothly.
