The IWLCA Board of Directors announced that it has partnered with Elite Tournaments to manage and develop the IWLCA Tournament Series including the popular IWLCA Capital Cup, IWLCA Champions Cup, and IWLCA Presidents Cup from 2021 – 2024.
“It was a lengthy and extensive RFP process to get to where we are today,” noted IWLCA Executive Director, Liz Robertshaw. “Every step along the way our search committee felt more and more comfortable with the staff at Elite. They not only checked the boxes of what we were looking for in a management company as we go into this next phase of the IWLCA Tournaments, but took it another step by listening to us and creating a vision we felt excited by.”
The IWLCA will relaunch the IWLCA Tournament Series in 2021 after cancelling the entire slate of regional and national tournaments this year due to the Coronavirus pandemic. While the country has seen various phases of opening and allowing for events in 2020, the IWLCA does not plan to run tournaments for the remainder of the year due to safety concerns and financial limitations of coaches, players, families, and event staff.
Elite Tournaments brings an impressive event resume, managing over 350 events since the company’s inception in 2000. The company’s primary focus has been in youth soccer tournaments, recruiting combines, and international sports tours. Elite Tournaments is owned and operated by President and Tournament Director Mike Libber who started the company as a single tournament fundraiser. Their 20-year event portfolio boasts longstanding youth client relationships and global brands alike.
“It has always been a goal for Elite to expand into the lacrosse world, but we wanted to be extremely selective on who we work with.” Said Mike Libber, President and founder of Elite Tournaments. “We knew that the IWLCA brand would be an invaluable partner to take us on this journey, and we can’t wait to get started on creating some of the best events in the lacrosse industry. We look forward to collaborating with the IWLCA staff and all of its membership to manage their existing events, create additional recruiting opportunities, and continue to grow the game.”
Elite Tournaments now operates with over 14 full time staff and is managed by an all-female executive staff including their CFO, Vice President of Event Operations, and Vice President of Marketing and Partnerships.
“I am really proud to be working with a client like the IWLCA. It is a complete ‘career goal’ moment for me, as I’ve dedicated a large portion of my professional development towards empowering women and girls across sports,” said Megan Ditchman, VP of Marketing and Partnerships. “It is an absolute honor to be working on a tournament series that provides so many opportunities for female student-athletes. I speak for Elite Tournaments as a whole when I say we are really looking forward to proving ourselves by delivering a first-class experience.”
Creatively planning new and safe events amidst the backdrop of the current public health crisis will be the immediate challenge faced by the IWLCA and Elite Tournaments. The IWLCA’s Executive Director and Recruiting Events Committee (REC), chaired by Fairfield University head coach Laura Field, will work closely with Elite to prepare for the 2021 Tournament Series, implementing several enhancements to existing events and adding new events to ensure that high-quality national and regional events are accessible to all student-athletes and coaches.
"The Recruiting Events Search Committee members did a phenomenal job managing the RFP process, and helped the entire Board feel very confident that Elite Tournaments will not only maintain the standard of excellence that IWLCA recruiting events have become known for, but that they will strive to raise the bar even higher," said Liz Grote, President of the IWLCA and head coach at Bowdoin College. "I was very impressed by the professional experience of the Elite executive team, and their willingness to embrace our vision of empowering young women on their lacrosse journey by creatively adding value to our events makes them a great fit for our association. We look forward to working with them as we continue to provide best-in-class girls’ lacrosse recruiting experiences."
Information about the IWLCA Tournament Series will be released in the coming weeks and can be found on the new tournament website www.IWLCArecruiting.com as well as on Instagram & Twitter - @IWLCArecruiting.
About Elite Tournaments: Elite Tournaments is committed to excellence both on and off the field. Our company is built on the foundation of striving to achieve goals. We celebrate excellence in all of its forms and work to create an environment in which athletes can play hard and honor achievement. Whether your team is aiming to score its first goal, or take home a national title, we want to get you there. Attaining greatness is not just an ambition, it is a lifestyle.
About the IWLCA: The IWLCA is a membership-led, professional association representing the nation’s intercollegiate women’s lacrosse coaches within Division I, II & III of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), and the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). The IWLCA is a 501c(3) nonprofit educational organization. Currently there are over 550 institutional members and over 1,200 coaches participating in NCAA DI, DII, DIII, and the NAIA.
For more information regarding 2021 sponsorships and vendor opportunities, please contact: wlax@elitetournaments.com
IWLCA Contact: Danie Caro, 203-577-5742, dcaro@iwlca.org, Elite Tournaments Contact: Megan Ditchman, 443-542- 9649, mditchman@elitetournaments.com
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