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Post by Scott Crawford on Nov 25, 2014 21:57:53 GMT -6
I didn't realize there were so many and I probably missed a couple. If I did, let me know.
Which is your favorite?
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Post by beasleyisbeastly on Nov 25, 2014 23:54:08 GMT -6
The answer to this question is the same as every year. SPS holiday invitational has the best teams in the state. The winner generally wins state as well.
Those who voted for copa Acadiana are just jealous that they weren't invited to SPS tournament
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Post by beauchenecoach on Nov 26, 2014 0:33:22 GMT -6
The answer to this question is the same as every year. SPS holiday invitational has the best teams in the state. The winner generally wins state as well. Those who voted for copa Acadiana are just jealous that they weren't invited to SPS tournament Sorry bro... If the question is which tournament has the best overall teams in state, then St Paul's wins. If the question is what is the best tournament (best run) in state, I can name quite a few. I can also name many who go to Copa and were invited to St Pauls. St Pauls is most prestigious... But honestly, The LA Showcase model that is run by Copa and St Michael holiday tournament in terms of facilities and the feel of playoff atmosphere, college coaches, coaches and referee hospitality, etc... It's hard to beat the experience of those 3. And any coach will tell you the coaches gifts at Copa are unbeatable! No one comes close to that or the coaches free hospitality tent with the best food around. But those 3 above are all similar in that manner (except the coaches gifts! LOL!). They, along with St Pauls are the big 4 tournaments. Maybe those who vote for St Pauls are jealous they can't play in Copa? 52 teams and only that much cause we don't have enough fields. Turned down over 20 more teams this year. But to say those who come to Copa are jealous they weren't invited to St Pauls, it's not only false, it's crazy. |
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Post by warriorsoccer88 on Nov 26, 2014 13:50:48 GMT -6
I'm going to be an objective outsider and say St. Michael's Holiday Cup has become a great tournament run by a great program. The coaches' hospitality far outweighs any coaches' gift Vidrine could offer in my opinion. Who really needs a steak and hamburgers you have to cook when you can have hamburgers and jambalaya already hot and ready waiting for you? Not me, that's for sure! The field of teams has become stronger each and every year providing a great look at some quality teams around the state. They also offer an opportunity to bring home a fully customized tournament shirt in your favorite color. No reason to be stuck with some shirt in one predetermined color that doesn't show your personality. That's no fun. Did I mention how every team has their own water jug and not one stuck in the middle of field where you have to confront your adversary? And the FULL REF CREWS...WHOA! My vote goes to the Holiday Cup for these reasons and so many more.
Kyle Peres
Retired St. Michael Coach
Objective Outsider
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Post by beauchenecoach on Nov 26, 2014 14:11:47 GMT -6
I'm going to be an objective outsider and say St. Michael's Holiday Cup has become a great tournament run by a great program. The coaches' hospitality far outweighs any coaches' gift Vidrine could offer in my opinion. Who really needs a steak and hamburgers you have to cook when you can have hamburgers and jambalaya already hot and ready waiting for you? Not me, that's for sure! The field of teams has become stronger each and every year providing a great look at some quality teams around the state. They also offer an opportunity to bring home a fully customized tournament shirt in your favorite color. No reason to be stuck with some shirt in one predetermined color that doesn't show your personality. That's no fun. Did I mention how every team has their own water jug and not one stuck in the middle of field where you have to confront your adversary? And the FULL REF CREWS...WHOA! My vote goes to the Holiday Cup for these reasons and so many more. Kyle Peres Retired St. Michael Coach Objective Outsider Love the Response Kyle! You are correct but also misleading the good people! Lol! Let it be known... We have all of that and more (gumbo, jambalaya, all concession foods, snacks and finger foods, etc...) in our hosptiality area for coaches and refs! And we are older so nah nah nah nah naaaa a na! LOL! Ill yield to the water jugs... But I would never trust water from an unknown source, just saying that's the paranoid person inside me! Lol! But it like I said in my comments, it's this style, really started by the LA showcase and Sulphur/ old Carencro and north side tournaments that seem to be the most successful operation wise with facilities and coaches bags and hospitality. but again, when it comes to the quality of all divisions of teams in one place for one tournament, you have to say St Pauls. But does that make it the best tournament? I'm sure in some minds it does and others it doesn't... They want more. It's all a matter of opinion. Plus, in her real, there nothing worse than a tournament without full Crew of refs? Can't believe they still have tournaments with duals. Really, St Michaels holiday cup has become a top 3-4 tournament in the state and that's a huge compliment to your parents and staff over there cause we know what it takes to run a tournament of that size. One of the biggest compliments I ever receive is from Paul Fletcher that he modeled Holiday Cup after Copa! I, too, pay the same compliment to coach Kert Talley when I see him that I modelled a lot of my original Copa after his old Carencro tournaments (and the St Louis Showcase) during Thanksgiving holidays. I just made the gimmick of having no Division I schools allowed to give all the schools with depth issues equal chances in later rounds of having to face teams with same issues and not Division I teams with two starting lineups of club players! Back to Carencro... In fact, a lot of our schools program, was modeled after Carencro and their set up with booster club and financial fund raising as they had just won state and Coach Kert Talley came and showed our parents the way they set up everything and what made it successful. And to this date, I still give him thanks and praise for the help on getting us restarted on the right path! |
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warrior16
Data Expert 
Michael Stein - Volunteer Assitant
Posts: 2,169
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Post by warrior16 on Nov 26, 2014 14:27:42 GMT -6
Now that I don't have to worry about playing anymore, I will take full advantage of all the delicious Cajun food at Copa. Get your cooks ready, Coach Chad! 
No longer must I settle for water and a protein bar in between games while the coaches dine on gumbo and jambalaya. |
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Post by happyjack on Nov 26, 2014 19:52:19 GMT -6
The answer to this question is the same as every year. SPS holiday invitational has the best teams in the state. The winner generally wins state as well. Those who voted for copa Acadiana are just jealous that they weren't invited to SPS tournament Regardless of which is actually best, this made me laugh so loud my wife thought I was looking at old pictures of me from the early 80s when I was sporting an awesome mullet... |
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brwolf
All-District
Posts: 140
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Post by brwolf on Nov 26, 2014 20:19:09 GMT -6
St. Paul's by a landslide.
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Post by methuselah on Nov 27, 2014 17:09:54 GMT -6
This is a difficult question to answer because there are so many factors that go into making something a great tournament and a lot of it is not even in the control of the tournament itself (things like proximity, weather, hotel accommodations, etc.) in addition to the more standard things like match ups, organization, concessions, etc.
So, in lieu of just naming a favorite, here are some thing's I've enjoyed from a fan's/parent's perspective about the tourneys we've been to over the last few years:
I absolutely love the park that the Copa is held at. I always like a park with trees and some landscape and I guess what I would call some "character". Always have loved these kinds of settings since our youth baseball travelling days. Nothing against the newer wide open parks which I'm sure have their logistic advantages but that wooden bridge over the creek and and the overall feel of the park gives Copa the edge here. Also, we've always had excellent luck with hotel accommodations at Copa. And I think we got our first ever result against a top team here a few years ago with a draw against I think it was either Teurlings or Bolton.
I've always found that the volunteers at the Holiday Cup go above and beyond. Again, nothing wrong with the great volunteers at the other tournaments but for me, St. Michaels just take the extra step. I mean, they'll actually cart concessions and water around to the fields on wagons/4 wheelers. Also, they have top notch organization which allows them to handle things like inclement weather flawlessly. Also, for us they are easy driving distance which prevents having to deal with sleeping accommodations.
Showcase has probably had the best match ups in terms of a combination of playing teams you would not normally see which were at the same time teams appropriate for where we were in a given year to yield competitive matchups. We even got to play a team from Texas one year which yielded a great game that came down to a header with under 10 seconds left. That Texas team I think went on the win the bracket. (Not sure how good an idea it would be to play out of state teams now-a-days with the power points consideration but it was a great experience back then for a young team looking to improve).
Piney Woods, has a great setting along the lines I mentioned about Copa. Nice pine forest surroundings. Also it's a make-able one day drive back and forth for us. And, (talk about things not in the tourney control), I always had a fondness for it because as a freshman my son got interviewed at the tourney there by Coach Deritter and the interview was played on his Monday Night Futbol radio show.
Those, I think, are the ones I've been too so not slighting the others on the list. Just haven't experienced them.
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