My team, family, & I were excited to donate & participate in this tournament. Like many, we know someone affected by cancer, & we were eager to support the cause. We fundraised & traveled to Jacksonville for the event. The night before, we attended the weigh-in, where our daughter was already registered. At that time, there was only 1 other child in her division & weight class. Sarah, the Event Manager, instructed us to arrive by 8:30 AM the next day. Fast forward to 8:30 AM—my team, family, daughter, & I were all there. We spoke with Jon Thomas, the founder/director of the charity. He informed us that our daughter didn’t have anyone in her weight class & age bracket & suggested bumping her up to the 6-7-year-old white/grey belt division. I expressed hesitation because my daughter had just turned 5 & is a two-stripe white belt. I wasn’t comfortable with the idea, but Jon assured me the division would only include other white belts. I asked him 2x to confirm, & he replied, “Yes, ma’am. I made sure she’s in a class where her weight would be a slight advantage, as she’d otherwise be at a disadvantage. All the kids will have similar experience levels since they’re white belts. She’s 70 lbs, so the other kids are on the heavier side of the 60-pound bracket.” I repeated his explanation to ensure I understood correctly, & he confirmed it. Based on this assurance, I consented to have my 5-year-old compete in the 6-7-year-old white belt division. However, what was promised and what actually happened were entirely different. In her 1st match, she faced a 7-year-old, 4stripe grey belt. I immediately approached Jon & said, “This isn’t what we agreed to. I didn’t consent to this at all.” He shrugged & asked, “What do you want me to do?” Frustrated, I yelled at him to honor the agreement, then rushed to check on my daughter. The grey belt competitor hyperextended my daughter’s arm in an Americana lock. My daughter had no chance to tap, & the volunteer referee failed to intervene. I had to scream “TAP!” before anything was done. I returned to the promotional table & confronted Jon for putting my daughter in harm’s way. He claimed the girl had registered as a white belt. I pointed out, “She’s clearly wearing a grey belt with 4 stripes.” Jon responded that Tap Cancer Out relies on an honor system and doesn’t verify belts because it “takes too much time.” I was appalled & shouted, “You don’t check belts because it takes too much time?” I insisted Jon apologize to my daughter for the injury she sustained. His apology—“I apologize”—was hollow & lacked sincerity. I asked him to apologize again in a way a 5-year-old could understand, but he replied, “I already did.” I told him that if he genuinely cared, he’d make the effort to comfort her. After my daughter was cleared by medical staff, I informed Jon about her injury. His response was, “Oh, that’s fine.” I replied, “No, it’s not fine. She was placed in a dangerous situation without my consent. This will be the first & last time my child & team participate in this tournament. I also vowed to inform other teams about our experience so they could make informed decisions. His dismissive reply was, “So you’re going to tell other teams not to come to a charity tournament?” I responded, “If it’s associated with you, absolutely. I’ll make sure other parents know you prioritize convenience over children’s safety.” He responded “Okay.” The referees were inconsistent. Some showed no patience for nervous children, rolling their eyes or sighing loudly. Moving forward, I’ll take my team to better-organized events with trained referees & competent leadership. My advice to other parents: don’t trust this tournament especially when they offer to “bump your child up.”
Red Flag #1: The director will tell you 1 thing but allow something entirely different to happen under his watch.
Red Flag #2: The volunteer referees are either incompetent or indifferent, failing to recognize when a child is in danger.
Red Flag #3: The safety of children is not a top priority.
Red Flag #4: There’s no system in place to prevent parents from lying about their child’s rank.
Red Flag #5: There are no consequences for lying about rank or poor sportsmanship.
Red Flag #6: The medical tent was unmarked & difficult to locate, delaying care for my daughter’s injury
Tournaments are organized for a great cause, and that's the only aspect deserving praise. Unfortunately, with their expansion into different sports and additional locations, the organization seems more concerned with the dollar amount raised than the quality of the experience they provide. Referees display unprofessional behavior, lacking knowledge of updated rules and neglecting the safety and well-being of the participating children. The environment on the mat is far from safe, and the matches are anything but clean. Instead of supporting their growth, I would recommend investing my money elsewhere.