Sarah Woolsey Selected World Cup VII Tournament Director
The IQA is excited to announce that Sarah Woolsey ...
Photo by Deanna Edmunds
"Being TD for the World Cup has been one of my dream goals since I started tournament planning over two years ago," said Woolsey, whose first experience as tournament director was during the Turtle Cup at the University of Maryland (College Park, MD) in fall 2011. Since then, Woolsey has gone on to lead or assist in the planning of a half-dozen tournaments, including Maryland's Turtle Cup 2012 and Shell-Shocking Spectacular 2013, both of which were nominated for the IQA's "Better Than the World Cup" award to recognize exceptionally well-run events. The inaugural Shell-Shocking Spectacular, also organized by Woolsey, won the 2012 award and was the first quidditch tournament to be hosted in an indoor arena.
"Sarah's tournaments are definitely the most organized quidditch events I've ever been to," said Ali Ianucci, who co-captained a Salisbury University (Salisbury, MD) team that attended three University of Maryland tournaments helmed by Woolsey. "No matter what obstacles try to get in her way, from missing refs to inclement weather, Sarah keeps her tournaments running smoothly and efficiently."
Woolsey also served as Logistics Coordinator for the Mid-Atlantic Regional Championship in Roanoke, Virginia this past November, in which capacity she worked alongside Alex Krall, now the IQA's Mid-Atlantic Regional Director. "The Mid-Atlantic Regional Championship went off without a hitch due to the stellar logistics plans -- and backup plans -- that Sarah put together," said Krall.
Though she has plenty of tournament planning experience under her belt, Woolsey recognizes the unique opportunities presented by a tournament as large as World Cup VII, whose predecessor featured 80 teams invited to compete over two full days in Kissimmee, Florida.
"The event is definitely larger than other events I've organized, but it's also different in terms of the atmosphere," says Woolsey. "The World Cup has a large spectator component that other tournaments do not include, and that brings a unique set of challenges and opportunities. It's important not only to provide a top experience for all teams and athletes, but also to create a very valuable experience for fans."
While pledging to make World Cup VII as exciting an event for spectators as it is for the teams participating, Woolsey also recognizes that one way to allow both groups to enjoy their tournament experience to the fullest is to maintain the high level of competition established by World Cup VI. In addition to amenities like vendors and entertainment, Woolsey asserts that the quality of the gameplay itself will continue to be a draw for fans of the sport.
Woolsey also emphasized her desire to hear from all members of the quidditch community about their hopes for World Cup VII.
Overall, Woolsey is looking forward to organizing the event over the course of the next year, before her plans come to fruition next spring. "I'm thrilled about this opportunity," she says, "and I look forward to working with a great group of volunteers and having feedback from the community to make this the best tournament it can be."
Questions for Sarah about World Cup VII? Email them to editorial@internationalquidditch.org and they could be answered in a Q&A column in this space.
Apply for Development Director The IQA is now seeking applicants for the position of Development Director. Applications should include a cover letter, resume, and two letters of recommendation, and should be emailed to humanresources@internationalquidditch.org no later than June 19th. The development department works to facilitate outreach and organizational development. The main foci of the department include kidditch (youth quidditch), middle school development, high school development, literacy, Title 9 ¾ (gender equality), and fundraising & grant writing. Development works on these main projects as well as ways that the IQA can work to improve the community and promote quidditch. The Development Director works on a volunteer basis, and is responsible for managing development staff and coordinating all departmental projects. The position will require approximately fifteen to twenty (15-20) hours of work per week. Key duties and responsibilities: -Host weekly development department meetings -Correspond with all staff members to evaluate progress on assigned tasks -Work with staff to establish clear goals and projects -Assist with projects of each team within the department as needed -Serve as a liaison between the department and other IQA staffers and outside partners -Attend weekly Management team meetings -Work with the HR department to hire additional staff members as needed -Provide clear leadership and vision to the development department -Grant letter writing and donor management Required knowledge, skills, and abilities: -Experience in key areas of development: gender equality issues, quidditch across different age levels, literacy, grant writing, donor management -At least one year of IQA experience -Frequent access to email, social media outlets and cell phone -Excellent communication skills, leadership instincts and experience, professionalism, discretion with confidential information, and problem solving capabilities -Good time management skills and ability to meet deadlines
