Man. Cost
UVA-C-2182
Rev. June 17, 2009
THE CRADDOCK CUP Jose Rivaldo shuffled through the papers on his desk and sighed. As the general manager of the Craddock Youth Soccer League (CYSL), Rivaldo was committed to providing highquality soccer activities to boys and girls in the area. In addition to managing regular CYSL operations, Rivaldo was heavily involved in putting on a regional soccer tournament, the Craddock Cup, which brought approximately 32 premier high school soccer teams from throughout the region each May. This year’s tournament, like its predecessors, had been considered a great success by players, their families, and the local community. The weather had been beautiful, the referees had been fair, and the local hotels and restaurants had profited from the influx of people. Nevertheless, Rivaldo knew that the Craddock Cup was in trouble. Tournament expenses continued to rise, while corporate sponsorships remained difficult to obtain. CYSL had founded the Craddock Cup, in part, to fund a field-acquisition program for the league, with the expectation that the tournament would generate at least $6,000 annually toward that goal. Unfortunately, with tournament profits averaging a loss of almost $4,000 a year, CYSL’s board of directors was beginning to express frustration with the lack of profits generated by the Craddock Cup. Rivaldo knew the Craddock Cup was in danger of being canceled, and that he risked losing his job with CYSL if he did not devise a plan to increase tournament profits. He decided to review the organization and expenses of the Craddock Cup to see if there was a way to increase the cup’s profits and continue the tournament.
Background The Craddock Cup was widely regarded as the premier tournament for high school soccer players in the region. The tournament consisted of a boys’ high school bracket and a girls’ high school bracket, each with 16 teams. Through a series of rounds and consolation rounds, the rankings of all the teams, from 1 to
Rev. June 17, 2009
THE CRADDOCK CUP Jose Rivaldo shuffled through the papers on his desk and sighed. As the general manager of the Craddock Youth Soccer League (CYSL), Rivaldo was committed to providing highquality soccer activities to boys and girls in the area. In addition to managing regular CYSL operations, Rivaldo was heavily involved in putting on a regional soccer tournament, the Craddock Cup, which brought approximately 32 premier high school soccer teams from throughout the region each May. This year’s tournament, like its predecessors, had been considered a great success by players, their families, and the local community. The weather had been beautiful, the referees had been fair, and the local hotels and restaurants had profited from the influx of people. Nevertheless, Rivaldo knew that the Craddock Cup was in trouble. Tournament expenses continued to rise, while corporate sponsorships remained difficult to obtain. CYSL had founded the Craddock Cup, in part, to fund a field-acquisition program for the league, with the expectation that the tournament would generate at least $6,000 annually toward that goal. Unfortunately, with tournament profits averaging a loss of almost $4,000 a year, CYSL’s board of directors was beginning to express frustration with the lack of profits generated by the Craddock Cup. Rivaldo knew the Craddock Cup was in danger of being canceled, and that he risked losing his job with CYSL if he did not devise a plan to increase tournament profits. He decided to review the organization and expenses of the Craddock Cup to see if there was a way to increase the cup’s profits and continue the tournament.
Background The Craddock Cup was widely regarded as the premier tournament for high school soccer players in the region. The tournament consisted of a boys’ high school bracket and a girls’ high school bracket, each with 16 teams. Through a series of rounds and consolation rounds, the rankings of all the teams, from 1 to