Let's say your club has decided to hold its' own tournament this summer. Before you sit down to write a press release, ask yourself what sets this tournament apart from others.

Is it the club's first tournament? The 25^th Annual tournament? Will it benefit a charitable cause? Does it have a catchy name? Will great prizes be given or provided by sponsor(s)? Will it be co-sponsored by local business(es)? Will a public figure be pitching or throwing out the first shoe? Is a special category offered (for youth, seniors)? Will one of the state's top pitchers participate?

The point of these questions is to determine the angle of your event and develop your press release around this information. Again, a sample press release for a tournament follows that lists all the pertinent information you will need to provide to the media.

From the tournament flier, determine the entry deadline date. The tournament press release should be published at least two weeks prior to this date. What is the deadline date for the newspaper? With a little advance planning, the tournament information will be in the paper in plenty of time to alert potential participants and inform the public. Sponsors love to see their names, too.

After the tournament, obtain the standings and, in similar fashion as was mentioned in the League section in Chapter 2, publish these results. How much money was raised, was there a record number of entries, who set a tournament record? Ask yourself these questions and determine the angle you need to catch the editor's eye.

Always send you results to YOUR NEWSLETTER.