BACKGROUND
Hello everyone. It hardly seems possible, but another USBC Open Championships is upon us. While preparing for the 2008 USBC Open Championships in Albuquerque, N.M., I was asked to share some of the behind-the-scenes secrets that make the tournament happen each year.
During the next six months, more than 60,000 bowlers will head to the Albuquerque Convention Center to compete in the world's largest participatory sporting event. They will take in all the grand setting of the huge tournament installation has to offer. They will roam through the vendor area, check-in and check their participation records at the new Tournament Services counter (formerly know as Registration, Bowlers Services and Brackets Information), have their bowling balls weighed and checked for balance, sign up for brackets, get their pre-tournament instructions in the squad room, march down Center Aisle and generally be treated participants in a major sporting event.
But who are the people who make it happen every day for 143 consecutive days?
Believe it or not, there are only three people from the home office in Greendale, Wis., and three others who work for USBC full-time who also work at the tournament during its five-month run. I am one of those people. The other people who staff the tournament are traveling employees (who follow the tournament year after year) and part-time or temporary staff that are hired locally.
The group of travelers spends six months at home pursuing other interests, and then they return to help run the tournament for five months. We also hire about 50 locals to help out in the many departments.
I head up the tournament's public and media relations area and manage a staff of two (hired locally) to help document the daily events of the tournament, manage the content and message boards on USBCopen.com, manage the Albuquerque media during the tournament, contact the hometown media for each bowler we write about, send daily press releases to our comprehensive media list, help with the daily operation of the tournament and help provide information and answers at the Tournament Services counter.
For the past week, I have been packing up my apartment in Milwaukee and my desk at USBC Headquarters in Greendale. Whatever I couldn't fit in my car was packed in an eight-foot by four-foot wooden crate and will be transported to Albuquerque on the truck that also will contain all paperwork and materials from HQ that are needed to service the bowlers from Feb. 16 until July 7.
Also making the same trip in the coming weeks will be Tournament Services Manager Kevin Olson, who has been working at the tournament in a similar capacity since 1986, and Lane Maintenance Manager Eric Pierson, who is from Waukesha, Wis., and has been splitting his time between home and the tournament for a handful of years.
ON THE ROAD AGAIN
Monday afternoon, after tying up some loose ends, I will turn in my apartment keys (ending my six-month lease), pack the dog and the rest of my belongings into my car and begin the 1,414-mile journey that will take me through Wisconsin, Illinois, Missouri, Oklahoma and New Mexico. So far, I have made similar trips to and from Baton Rouge, La., Corpus Christi, Texas, and Reno, Nev., each time packing my things and going from one six-month lease to the next.
The packing and moving process is down to art and most arrangements are made online, site unseen. Luckily, Facilities and Construction Manager Chris Chartier and his family, Open Championships Tournament Director Brian Lewis and his family and Associate Tournament Director Mindy Corr all made the move to Albuquerque directly from Reno in August, so they've been able to give me some tips about the area.
This time, I decided to live in downtown Albuquerque, just 0.7 miles from the convention center, which is about a 12-15 minute walk with 20-25 stores, restaurants, bars and shops in between. It's definitely going to be a little different than the past two years when I rented a house with two other employees and commuted a minimum of 25 miles a day.
My recent preparations haven't gone as smoothly as hoped. On the way back to work last week, my car (2003 Honda Accord) died on the way back to work from lunch. After a police escort to safety and a quick tow to the mechanic, the verdict wasn't good. The prognosis was a blown transmission, a potential $3,000 expense and the possibility of not being able to leave for Albuquerque on time.
After another tow to the Honda dealership, it turned out that the transmission had been recalled because of a defect and would be replaced for free. Excellent. I also had them do an oil change, tire rotation, full fluid flush and replacement, brake check, battery replacement and wiper check. After picking up the car on Friday, I also picked up a GPS to help with my trip. I am very good at getting lost. Hopefully it will be a smooth ride.
ALBUQUERQUE
I recently spent a week in Albuquerque getting to know some of the media, sponsors and locals who I will be working closely with during the tournament. I was able to sign my lease, learn my way around a little bit and check out some of the restaurants in the downtown area.
My official start date at the stadium will be Jan. 21, and construction, which began on Dec. 16 with about 30 truckloads of materials, will nearly be complete. There are five webcams up and running, my office is almost ready for me and I am definitely looking forward another tournament. Yes, the days are long, but it is very rewarding to be able to meet so many bowlers and hear all of their stories. While every day is the same schedule wise from 7 a.m. until 2 a.m., it is the bowlers who keep things interesting.
During the next six months, I will share some of my adventures at the tournament and in Albuquerque, from what's going on at the stadium, to where the best lunch spots are.
If you have any questions along the way, drop me an e-mail or catch me on the message boards on USBCopen.com
