Tournament Directors are top dogs at sports events but, for the most part they prefer to stay behind the scenes, poised to take control if needed, but ready to trust their team to do their jobs. In their role, the Tournament Director needs a wide range of skills and abilities – with negotiation skills and man management at the top of a long list. Argentina’s Lorena Rinaldini is the women taking charge of the women’s hockey competition at the Pan American Games in Toronto and, she says, she has learnt her role from some of the best in the business.
Rinaldini has been involved in managing hockey events for a number of years in a variety of roles, taking on more responsibility as she has gained experience. She pays tribute to some of the Tournament Directors she has worked alongside. “I started my career having the opportunity to work and learn from great top Tournament Directors: Rosie Stern from Australia, Canada’s Janet Ellis, the incredible Sheila Brown from South Africa and of course my compatriot Laura Pigretti. They are all such wonderful people, always willing to teach and share knowledge and experience.”
For any event, such as the Pan American Games, to run smoothly, there has to be a well-structured and well-managed team behind the scenes. Hockey is no different to any other sporting event: for the event to be successful then every aspect has to be managed, from the field of play to the medical support.
In Toronto, Rinaldini will have a team of 26 officials to ensure that for athletes, coaching staff and the spectators, the event is flawless. From umpires, judges and technical officials to the medical staff and the communications team, the Tournament Director oversees them all. Quite a lot of pressure on one person’s shoulders. We met up with the Rinaldini to see how she is coping as the tournament looms ever closer.
“I see the role of the Tournament Director as multi-faceted,” said Rinaldini, “People management, responsibility, patience, negotiation, hard work are all important factors, but also you must have a deep love for field hockey.”
In her day job, Rinaldini is a website and graphic designer. She says that there are skills and challenges within her every day job that she is able to utilize to help her perform her role as Tournament Director. She identifies teamwork as the main shared quality between her two roles but also says that being part of a campaign and helping clients reach their goals is something that transcends both jobs. “The tournament is a project that must be delivered on time and to the best of everyone involve’s ability. That is no different to my day-to-day job.”
The learning process is not one-way. A tournament, especially one of such significance and importance as a Continental Championship, will produce all sorts of tensions and challenges. These are all lessons that those involved can learn from and add to their management experience or set of soft skills. Rinaldini says: “I've learned a lot from tournaments, especially when it comes to management and negotiation. I have also learned a lot from working with people from different cultures.”
Certainly the role of Tournament Director is a challenging one. Every day brings new questions, issues and problems, but Rinaldini says that it is important to remember what is at the heart of the event. “The most important thing is that players can have a good, enjoyable and fair tournament, played at the highest level.
“To perform my role well, I must seek to balance so many different qualities. It's a role where balance, common sense, pressure, understanding, consistency, fairness, strength, responsibility and joy have to be merged together. And all these qualities must be present in perfect proportion. This is not easy to achieve, you discover that every person involved in a tournament has different goals. For some people it is about their job and the development of their career; for others it is about involvement in a major event and the personal challenges that presents; for others it is just love for the sport. But we have to marry those aspirations into one team that delivers a great tournament.”
A former high level player herself, Rinaldini fits into the latter group. For her, it is all about love of the sport and the desire to provide the players with the very best platform to show off their skills. “As a hockey lover, the best thing for me is to be part of running a tournament where players can perform at their best without any issue.”
And the Tournament Director knows what she is seeking from the perfect tournament. “It is a tournament where all teams compete to their best level; where rules and regulations are consistent and, if at all possible, there are no discipline matters. It is also an event where the umpiring is of the highest standard and recognized by everyone as fair. This all comes down to teamwork and good communication between all those involved. That should be transparent to everyone involved, whether they are players, coaches or members of the public. In short, it is an event where everybody enjoys the thing we are all there for – the hockey.”
In a career that has incorporated Champions Trophies, Youth Olympics, Pan American Games and many other international events, the best moment in Rinaldini’s hockey career so far was her involvement in the London 2012 Olympics. She says of the experience: “It was the pinnacle. Besides being a dream come true, it was also a culmination of everything I had achieved before. It meant the FIH (International Hockey Federation) trusted me to perform well. It was a huge responsibility.”
Tournament Director for the London Olympic Games women’s competition was Laura Pigretti. Rinaldini says of the renowned hockey official: “She has always been my inspiration. She uses her experience to such great effect and has excellent management skills, particularly when it comes to international relations. Luckily I worked with her at several tournaments, which has allowed me to learn a lot.”
