Stay-to-play tournaments are everywhere — but not everyone loves them. For event operators, they streamline logistics and, if done right, can generate significant revenue. For parents, they can feel restrictive and expensive, and worse, they feel like they're being taken advantage of.
So why is stay-to-play still the norm in youth sports? Could it actually be an advantage for everyone? What if we turned this on it’s head and renamed it Stay to Save?
Here’s what most people get wrong about stay-to-play — and how the right approach turns it into a win-win for event operators and parents.
What Is a Stay-to-Play Tournament?
A stay-to-play tournament requires teams to book accommodations through designated hotels organized by the tournament operator (or their travel partner) in order to participate in the event. These hotel blocks are secured in advance and usually offer competitive rates, exclusive perks, or guaranteed availability. There may be a significant penalty for teams that don't comply.
It’s a model that benefits the event, the host city, and — when implemented well — traveling families.
Still, this structure has raised concerns, especially when the booking process lacks transparency, flexibility or hotel variety. Critics argue that it restricts choice, increases travel costs, and adds stress to families already investing time and money into youth sports.
In many cases, those concerns aren’t unfounded. But with the right program and travel partner, stay-to-play doesn’t have to be a pain point. It can be an opportunity to deliver better travel experiences, increase event revenue, ensure long-term tournament sustainability and provide less expensive accommodations for families.
Why Stay-to-Play Works for Event Operators
From an organizer’s perspective, coordinating hundreds (or even thousands) of teams isn’t just about brackets and game schedules — it’s about logistics, economics, and relationships.
Here’s how the stay-to-play model helps make that happen.
1. Guarantees Room Inventory and Availability
Booking large blocks of hotel rooms months in advance ensures there’s enough inventory for every team. It prevents overbooked weekends, last-minute scrambles, and price spikes that can happen when every traveling team is booking on their own.
2. Strengthens City and CVB Partnerships
Stay-to-play events are powerful drivers of economic impact. When cities and local Convention & Visitors Bureaus (CVBs) can quantify hotel bookings tied to your event, they’re more likely to support you with grants, venue access, and marketing resources.
These partnerships can be the difference between break-even and long-term success.
3. Unlocks Revenue Without Raising Entry Fees
Let’s be honest — tournament margins are tight. Stay-to-play offers a non-intrusive way to generate hotel rebate revenue without increasing player fees or adding extra surcharges. When managed correctly, those rebates reflect fair market value and are transparent to all parties.
4. Provides Visibility and Control
Coordinating travel across 50, 100, or even 500 teams is no small task. Stay-to-play gives operators real-time visibility into which teams have booked, where they’re staying, and whether additional rooms are needed—streamlining communication and decision-making.
Why Stay-to-Play Benefits Parents and Teams
While stay-to-play often gets a bad rap among traveling families, it can actually make tournament travel easier, cheaper, and more convenient—if the right systems are in place.
Here’s how it supports parents and players:
1. Simplified Booking Process
Having a pre-selected list of vetted hotels saves time. No more scouring every booking site for a decent rate or finding out too late that every hotel near the venue is full. One link, one process, done.
2. Better Group Coordination
When teams stay at the same hotel, everything becomes easier: carpools, team meals, pool time, early-morning departures. A centralized home base brings the team closer and makes the weekend feel more like a shared experience—especially for younger age groups.
3. Competitive Rates and Flexible Terms
A common misconception is that stay-to-play means overpaying for subpar hotel rooms. That’s not the case when the tournament works with a travel partner who negotiates group rates based on real market value—with cancellation terms and policies that suit youth sports travel.
Don’t know if your team will be in the final? A flexible stay policy and great hotel communication allows for flexibility.
4. Access to Better Amenities
When tournament operators control the booking process, they can prioritize amenities that matter to families — free breakfast, parking, pools, laundry services, proximity to venues. That level of planning can elevate the entire experience.
The Most Common Misunderstanding: “We’re Being Forced”
Let’s talk about the elephant in the room: the perception that stay-to-play is about forcing families into overpriced or inconvenient bookings.
Yes, some systems have been implemented poorly. But the reality is, it’s not the model — it’s the execution.
When operators partner with housing providers who limit options, offer inflexible cancellation terms, or fail to communicate clearly, the model breaks down. It feels rigid, transactional, and disconnected from what families actually need.
The key to making stay-to-play work is removing that feeling of being forced — and replacing it with service, flexibility, and fairness.
What Makes a Good Stay-to-Play Partner?
According to the Sports Events & Tourism Association, nearly 40% of youth sports tournaments in the United States required stay-to-play hotel bookings in 2023. As of spring 2025 this 40% figure remained unchanged in 2024.
Choosing the right travel and housing provider can transform your event. It’s not just about who can block rooms — it’s about who can manage the entire experience, from booking through check-out.
Here’s what to look for:
Hotel Variety
Families need options. That means different brands, price points, room types, and locations — not a one-size-fits-all block.
Booking Flexibility
Look for partners who negotiate cancellation policies, booking windows, and rate guarantees that suit families juggling school, sports, and unexpected changes.
Local Relationships
Strong ties with national hotel chains, local hotel groups, and CVBs help secure the best rates and ensure room availability well in advance — especially for large or recurring events.
Customer Support
Parents don’t want to call five hotel front desks. A good partner offers centralized support with real people who know your event and can quickly resolve booking issues.
Reporting and Visibility
You need to know who’s booked, who hasn’t, and how that ties to your revenue and room goals. The best housing providers offer real-time reporting and clear dashboards.
Fastbreak Travel Handles Stay-to-Play A Better Way
At Fastbreak AI, we know how important the travel experience is to the success of a sports event. That’s why we built Fastbreak Travel — a smarter, more operator-friendly travel platform that turns stay-to-play into a competitive advantage.
Fastbreak Travel simplifies group lodging by giving event organizers full visibility and control over room bookings. Our platform integrates directly with Fastbreak Compete, so you can manage registration, schedule planning, and travel — all in one place.
Here’s what makes Fastbreak Travel different
- Hotel variety families actually want – across top brands, budget levels, and locations
- Custom booking policies – flexible terms that work for sports travel
- Supportive staff – working directly with teams to match their must-haves
- Direct relationships with CVBs and hotels – locking in better rates and more availability
- Fair revenue share – ensuring kickbacks reflect market value and support long-term event growth
- Data that matters – real-time visibility into room blocks, bookings, and economic impact
Stay-to-Play Is a Win-Win For Everyone When It’s Done Right
The stay-to-play model isn’t going anywhere — and that’s a good thing.
When implemented with thought, transparency, and a strong travel partner, it creates a more organized, more profitable, and more enjoyable experience for everyone involved.
For tournament operators, it’s a chance to grow your event, capture revenue, and build strong partnerships with your host city.
For parents and players, it’s a way to simplify logistics, stay connected as a team, and ensure a better tournament weekend — without the chaos of last-minute bookings.
Stay-to-play works when it’s built around people, not policies.
Turn Stay-to-Play into Stay-to-Save!
