A 5AM alarm isn’t far from the norm these days–in fact, I’ve become more of an early bird in summertime as I try to get ahead of the inevitable midday heat waves. But on Saturday, instead of rolling out of bed to ease into a work day still wearing sweatpants in front of my laptop; I threw a backpack with some snacks & energy drinks in my passenger seat and made my way down 2 hours of highway to SONO Field House in Norwalk, Connecticut for the Tap Cancer Out Connecticut BJJ Open. 7:45AM arrival, perfectly on time. I wasn’t shaky with nerves as I wandered my way into the front doors and found the registration table… I didn’t even have to throw on a gi that day. I found the folding table with coffee & donuts from Dunkin’ and the red T-shirt in my size that would indicate that I was a tournament volunteer for the day; AKA the answerer-of-questions and master-of-clipboards.

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The email from earlier in the week gave a sneak peek into what to expect as a tournament volunteer. There were a few possible roles that needed filling; check-in, scorekeepers, ring coordinators, merch table, and handing out medals at the podium. The Tap Cancer Out staff were stationed at posts throughout the venue with their walkie-talkies, clearly managing many additional logistical aspects of the event that I had no part in. The tournament mats and scoring tables were arranged perfectly from the night before, ready for a sea of several hundred grapplers to come through. At 8:30AM, our volunteer crew all sat on the mats to get a run-down of the computer scoring system–how to add points, work the timer, and select the winner for the dozens of matches that would pass through each ring. We were given our assignments and a final chance to run to the bathroom before competitors would be called up to begin their first matches of the day.

Herding the Pack

The most challenging part of volunteering? Getting all the competitors to STAY PUT (especially the young ones!). The day kicks off with the youth & teen competitors–although one of the most fun divisions to watch, everyone ends up needing a little extra guidance; whether it’s belt-tying assistance or answering the same question 5 times in a row… “Is it my match yet? How about now? Do I get a medal?”

My heart felt warm and cheerful as I watched a young girl take all her losses with a gigantic smile on her face, beaming with happiness as she tumbled across the mat. I instantly envied her attitude as I saw others wiping tears with their gi sleeves. It’s a tough sport, but seeing teams bringing dozens of kids together to compete with all of their best friends is an uplifting part of helping with tournaments.

As soon as the kids wrap up their day, the adult divisions begin with the experts; black through purple belts. While you may see exciting & technical matches come through your mat, your eyes end up locking on the referee’s signals to give points and stop the clock. The computer system becomes your best friend (and at times, worst enemy) as you rely on it to funnel the dozens of competitor matchups through your ring.

As a ring coordinator, I recorded each match outcome on my little master sheet to update the brackets and keep the divisions running as efficiently as possible. I shouted out names of athletes to wrangle them back to the mat, double-checked match results to move athletes through the bracket, and circled the winners names to hand off their final placements to the podium table where they would finally collect their prize medals.

Shift Change: The Sub-Only Showcase

By the time we were ready to break down the tournament mats and fold up the scoring tables, all the names on my brackets were beginning to run together, and all the athletes in each division looked the same as I clarified each competitors name dozens of times trying to differentiate between the ‘John’s, ‘Jonathan’s, ‘Joseph’s, and ‘Jake’s. I had no idea that over at another ring, two grapplers had crash-landed into a scoreboard, taking out one of the TV monitors. On another ring, an injury had interrupted the division as medics came to assess the scene. The whole time, my attention was totally focused in front of me.

As someone who has competed in several BJJ competitions before, seeing the logistics behind the operation is truly fascinating and gives you an appreciation for the amount of work that goes into producing a successful event. While exhausting and mind-melting, I was pleased with myself for being a part of such an impactful charity. The Connecticut Tap Cancer Out event was the biggest fundraiser of the entire spring season, bringing in over $130,000 in donations–so it’s no shock that it requires many hands on deck to keep the day from spiraling out of control. Most of all, I was so thankful for the Tap Cancer Out staff for fielding my dozens of questions throughout the day and ultimately being the pros on-site who handled all the tough stuff I didn’t know how to.

Volunteer Life Hacks

What to Wear

• You’ll get a super-exclusive Tap Cancer Out T-shirt with “Volunteer” printed on the back, immediately upgrading you to elite status at the venue. So whatever you wear on top, you’ll change out for your volunteer tee when you arrive.
• If you have a watch, wear it. Especially if you have a fitness tracker and want to get your steps in (you’ll get more than you think!), but mostly because everyone will be asking you what time it is as they wait for their match to be called.
• Comfy footwear you can survive in all-day. I wore my snazziest pair of Kyrie’s to show up to the scene in style, but most importantly I was happy I could easily dart around in them from the bracketing table to the scoreboard to the podium & beyond as I chased down competitors and solved scoring dilemmas throughout the day.
• Athletic pants that are breathable & lightweight. While you may be tempted to throw on a pair of jeans, you could be moving around way more than you think! I was thankful that I wore my favorite grappling spats–after just two hours of work I began to break a sweat. If I had been wearing regular pants or shorts I would have totally soaked through the fabric and been an uncomfortable mess.

Ready for Your Turn?

Tap Cancer Out is always looking for event volunteers–and it doesn’t matter if you’re a black belt or complete newbie. You can fill out their volunteer form to raise your hand and be a part of the most charitable organization in the BJJ community.