Tournaments   The Club is participating in three tournaments in 2010...
 

12 June                        Bristol		3 July   Milton Keynes		21 August   Cardiff
Report from Lisa  (Pics below) Exeter took 6 players (Helen, Debs, Lisa, Alan, Mike R and an ‘out of retirement for the day’ Tony) to the Bristol City tournament on Saturday 12 June and were ably assisted by numerous Reading players during the day as well as various other clubs who helped out by loaning us a fourth girl. The tournament had attracted 24 teams (wow!) so in the morning there were 4 pools of 6 i.e. 5 games to play.  We won 2, lost 2 and drew 1 which was enough to put us in the top pool for the afternoon and playing off for 1st to 8th place.  Unfortunately we seemed to peak in the morning as after another three games in the afternoon (and a nail biting penalty shoot-out) we had to settle for 8th place.  Lots of fun was had by all and we returned with only one broken player (yes, you guessed it, Debs – hope your finger is ok?!)  8th out of 24 is a real achievement and hopefully this is just the start of our summer tournament campaign……!  Matches played and scores:  Morning Exeter v Leicester 2                   5 – 0 win           Goals: Reading players (4), Lisa (1) Exeter v Bristol Uni 1                 2 – 1 loss          Goals: Tony (1) Exeter v Gloucester                   5 – 0 win           Goals: Alan (3), Lisa (1), Reading player (1) Exeter v Highbury                      4 -3 loss           Goals: Alan (1), Tony (1), Reading player (1) Exeter v Cardiff Uni 2                1 – 1 draw         Goals: Lisa (1)  Afternoon Exeter v Reading                       7 – 1 loss          Goals: Lisa (1) Exeter v Manchester                  6 – 1 loss          Goals: Reading player (1) Exeter v Cardiff Uni 1                2 – 2 draw         Goals: Reading player (1), Horfield player (1)                                            (lost on penalties)

Haribo and other essentials - a quick guide to tournaments In the summer korfball moves outside as clubs across the region, and further afield, host friendly tournaments.  What's involved? Most tournaments start at 10am, so an early departure from Exeter on Saturday morning is on the cards to allow for traveling time. Tournaments vary in size from half a dozen teams to 25 or more. The number of teams taking part will influence how long each game lasts but typically they are 20-30 mins long - much shorter than a league match of 60 mins. How many games we play will also depend on the number of teams and the format of the competition. About 6 - 8 games seems average. If you're keen you will normally have no difficulty playing extra games for teams who are low on numbers, or as part of a 'scratch' side to replace a team which hasn't been able to show up, for whatever reason. There will also be a fair bit of time sitting off in between games. This may be spent nattering, eating Haribo sweets or watching the other teams, as personal preference dictates. Volunteers may also be required to referee. At the end of the day there is almost always a BBQ followed by a disco/assorted revelry. A charge in the region of £5-10 may be made for attending the BBQ/social. Many people wisely chose to camp overnight if they're planning on having more than the odd drink. Playing Outside Playing outside is a little different to playing in a sports hall. The grass surface means that studded boots are a very good idea! If the grass is wet, then running-in shots can be difficult even with studs. Long shots will also be hard if there's any significant wind. As a result, games played outside are generally lower scoring than those inside. This means every goal counts during the game. However the pitches tend to be larger outside (the proper size for a korfball pitch is 40m x 20m which is rarely achievable in a UK sports hall) so there is more space to escape your defender, if you can use it. What should I bring? Studded boots (astro-turf football boots are fine) Lunch and snacks (better to have too much than not enough) Drink (at least a litre) Money for social or snacks during the day Suncream Waterproof Warm clothing Rubbish bag Towel and shower stuff Clean clothes for social / traveling back Book / iPod / camera Camping kit + torch if staying overnight Petrol money for whoever gave you a lift Rug / camp chair Energy replacement tablets (Haribo sweets or Jelly babies seem to work particularly well. High level research is continuing into yogurt covered raisins...) What does it cost? If you pay your club fees by direct debit you are entitled to free entry in the tournaments listed at the top of the page . If you are on pay-as-you-go, please see the club treasurer; the cost is likely to be about £4 per event. Understanding the Format No one seems to understand tournament formats, including the people organising them. Often however there will be a series of group matches played in the morning with the results of that initial stage informing the fixtures in a second group stage or a knock out stage, or both, in the afternoon. This means that the afternoon games are generally more competitive and evenly matched, as inexperienced teams are less likely to meet experienced ones. The semi-finals and final are usually played as knock outs. Why? Well why not? Tournaments are a great way to feel part of the sport, meet other korfers and play as many games as your legs will take in the fresh air.  Plus there's beer afterwards!

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