When arranging any kind of event for a large group of people, particularly of the sporting variety, two key skills are needed: planning and communication. You want to be able to have fun with your friends too, of course. Nowadays, keeping in touch with a group is a breeze thanks to the invention of the group chat, allowing you to add virtually unlimited numbers of people to a single conversation. Use an app like Troop, which everyone invited to your tournament can use to keep up to date with information. You’ll also need to arrange a date, time, and place for your tournament. Consider the use of a scheduling app here. Everyone attending can input their availability to ensure you select a date that everyone can make. Leave plenty of time to ensure you find suitable venue hire for the tournament – there's no worse feeling than discovering you’ve chosen the wrong place! 

With the formalities of the tournament arranged, you now need to think about basketball equipmentthat you may need for the day. Here you need to consider just how much you require – is it just exercise gear for yourself, or are you providing the ball, vests, and shorts for your friends too? This is where the good communication mentioned earlier comes in. If you’re a part-time player, it may be that a good pair of sneakers are all you need to purchase, but if you want anything more formal, give the Fanatics app a try. You’ll find authentic jerseys from the pro teams if you’re willing to spend a bit more. 

When tournament day (or days, if it’s big enough) rolls around, you can rest assured that everything has been put in place by your great planning and communication. Of course, understanding basic basketball rules is a prerequisite, but other than that, how complex and intricate you want the tournament to be is up to you. Is it just ‘winner stays on’ until the end? Or will you devise a fancy league system with the leader winning at the end? Feel free to use a tournament manager app, like Winner, which can help construct leagues, enter results, and track player stats. It’ll bring out that competitive nature in everyone! Naturally, you’ll probably want to stop at some point for food. It’s a good idea for people to bring snacks and drinks along with them to keep up energy levels throughout the tournament.