Is all money collected from this tournament donated?
And there's the issue, Money, who benefits why can't it be a cost run event. The profit is in the kids benefit not someone's pocket.
Get volunteers, yes volunteers from the big organizations teams to line and take care of fields. I am quite sure new dads would be more than eager to show they will pitch in. It may also help getting to know the parents on the oher teams. Do it at one of the state county parks. Eisenhower or Heckshire. (Does bethpage do games)
Get the vendors to pay a non refundable "site fee" to offset the refs and shirts and any permits. If the teams come they will be surrounded by customers. Maybe a nominal fee for teams of $500.
The question is what weekend. An event this big starts on a Friday night and ends late Sunday. But at least. Travel is limited and you can sleep in your own home.
With many of the schedules pretty much set when would it work. Lax fest is flooded by 91. Express will try and pull off their games. Forsberg or jdrf start the season as great benefits but IMHO you wouldnt want it to begin the season, you want the boys to have played a few games before then and I am sure you would want at least one more tournament after it.
But the key is the seeding. Who plays whom? You still want to make the games fair and you want competitive games. You do not want express A or 91 A playing a C team to start. You meet and pair off the first games and do a tournament where the winners meet winners losers meet losers. With some idea (pyramid) which would resemble the top teams meeting each other.
Any excess cash funds the following years event...
