To: Members of the Youth Commission
From: Ryan Agresti, Youth Commissioner
Title
DECA and Youth Commission Spikeball Fundraiser Tournament
Body
________________________________________________________________________________
Discussion
Commissioner Ryan Agresti and the Castle View High School DECA club, in collaboration with the Castle Rock Youth Commission, are proposing a Spikeball fundraising tournament to support DECA programming while strengthening youth engagement and community partnerships. The event is designed to provide students with real-world event planning and management experience, while increasing awareness of both DECA and the Youth Commission.
DECA is an extracurricular organization that prepares students for careers in business, entrepreneurship, and related fields through competitive events that simulate real-world scenarios and research with real companies. This fundraiser aligns with those goals by placing students in leadership roles responsible for organizing, marketing, and executing a community event.
Registration will be managed through Scoreholio, an online and mobile tournament management platform. Participants will create an account, register and pay entry fees online, and check in on the day of the event by scanning a QR code. This system allows for efficient registration, scheduling, and score tracking.
The goals of the fundraiser include increasing awareness of DECA and the Youth Commission, providing Youth Commission members with hands-on leadership and management experience, strengthening community ties, lowering competition and travel costs for DECA participants, growing chapter membership, and rebuilding the DECA chapter foundation
Commissioner Agresti is requesting support from the Youth Commission in several areas. These include assistance with event marketing and Youth Commission presence, use of an event facility and location, and optional support with additional activities. Through collaboration, both organizations aim to increase community reach and youth participation
Planning for the event is already underway. Completed tasks include the creation of marketing materials, waiver development, registration setup, verification of the registration platform, and scheduling of a professional consultation. Remaining objectives focus on equipment needs and the official rollout of the event. Equipment needs include Spikeball nets and balls, tables, banners, and prizes such as trophies and gift cards. Additional next steps include distributing marketing materials, posting on social media, contacting school officials throughout Castle Rock, and confirming and training event volunteers.
The proposed Spikeball tournament is open to participants ages 14 and older and is expected to draw between 50 and 72 teams. The tournament will follow a Swiss-style format with standard Spikeball rules. The event is tentatively scheduled for March 8, from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., and will take place at the Miller Activity Complex
Proposed Event Details
Provided by Youth Commissioner Ryan Agresti
Tournament Format and Timing
Youth Commissioner Ryan Agresti proposes a Swiss-style tournament format, in which all teams play the same number of rounds (anticipated to be five to six), with teams matched each round against others with similar records to keep play fair and engaging. This format allows all teams to continue playing throughout the event, with no early elimination. As an added incentive, winners of each game would receive 25 percent off concessions.
Games are anticipated to last approximately 10 to 15 minutes and would follow standard Spikeball rules, including rally scoring to 21 points with a win-by-two requirement. If needed to maintain schedule flow, game length could be capped.
Based on this format, Youth Commissioner Agresti anticipates that approximately 50 to 72 teams could be accommodated within a four-hour window (5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., including setup and teardown), provided that 10 to 12 Spikeball nets are available and operating simultaneously. This approach is intended to allow multiple games to run concurrently and provide sufficient buffer time.
Youth Commissioner Agresti has indicated that the goal is to secure 10 to 12 Spikeball nets, with the intent to borrow equipment from Castle View High School to reduce costs. Final confirmation of equipment availability and setup is anticipated following coordination with school staff.
Registration and Fees
Registration is proposed to occur through a tournament management application, which would allow teams to register electronically, pay entry fees, and complete required Town waivers and medication forms digitally. The proposed entry fee is $16 per team (two players), which is intended to remain affordable while generating an estimated $800 to $1,150 in gross revenue to support DECA programming.
Scoring, Staffing, and Awards
Games would follow standard Spikeball scoring rules. Tournament operations are proposed to include six referees total, with three referees active at a time and rotating responsibilities so that score reporting and game coverage can occur efficiently. Additional roles would include check-in and scorekeeping support.
Awards are proposed for the top three teams, based on final records and point totals. Prizes would include gift cards and trophies, with larger awards for first place and scaled awards for second and third place. Youth Commissioner Agresti has indicated that he would coordinate prize ordering and organization in his role as Tournament Director, with associated costs covered through entry fees or DECA funds.
Music and Atmosphere
Youth Commissioner Agresti proposes providing a background music playlist via a Bluetooth speaker to enhance the event atmosphere, with coordination handled by him or a designated volunteer.
Youth Commission Water Bottle Advertising
Youth Commissioner Agresti has proposed the option of incorporating Youth Commission and Rising Star Scholarship messaging on event water bottles, if timing allows. Preliminary estimates suggest a cost of approximately $2 to $4 per bottle for an order of 100 to 200 bottles. Design could be completed by Youth Commission or DECA members, with funding anticipated through entry fees or DECA resources, and production through an online vendor.
Concessions
Youth Commissioner Agresti has requested Youth Commission support with concessions to allow both DECA and the Youth Commission to benefit financially. The proposed approach is to keep offerings simple, such as drinks (water and soda) and basic food or snacks. One to two concession stands are anticipated, staffed by one to two volunteers per stand, with supplies purchased in advance through Youth Commission or DECA budgets or via bulk shopping. Payment methods would include cash and electronic options such as Venmo or Zelle. One proposed model would involve splitting responsibilities, with one organization selling drinks and the other selling food, allowing both groups to retain proceeds.
Additional Youth Commission Engagement Opportunities
Additional ideas discussed for the February 9 meeting include a potential raffle coordinated by the Youth Commission and an informational table staffed by Youth Commission members to share information about youth programs, scholarships, and Youth Commission initiatives with event attendees.
Additional Operational Considerations
Late teams would be provided a two-minute grace period after their scheduled start time, after which a forfeit would be issued. Staffing would include a Tournament Director, check-in and scorekeeping support, floating referees for rules and timing, and volunteers. All participant waivers would be completed electronically through the registration application, with no paper waivers required on-site.
Financial Information
The upfront costs associated with concessions are unknown at this time and will be further evaluated as planning continues. The Town of Castle Rock will provide in-kind support through use of the athletic field at the Miller Activity Complex, contingent upon scheduling availability.
Recommendations
Staff is impressed by and appreciates the level of initiative and thoughtful effort that has gone into the proposed Spikeball Tournament.Youth Commissioner Agresti’s submitted game plan demonstrates a strong understanding of event components and reflects meaningful progress in identifying roles, logistics, and overall objectives. This proposal represents a solid draft framework for a successful community event.
At the same time, staff has identified several areas that may require further development before the event moves forward as proposed. These considerations are intended to strengthen the plan and ensure a safe, well-organized, enjoyable, and realistic event experience for participants, volunteers, and partners.
Staff notes that Youth Commissioner Agresti is scheduled to meet with the Town’s Recreation and Athletic Department, which has extensive experience planning and operating tournament-style events. The meeting is scheduled on Monday Feb. 9, 2026, prior to the Youth Commission meeting. Staff views this as a valuable next step and anticipates that this collaboration will provide important guidance related to event logistics, staffing, safety, scheduling, and operations.
Youth Commission Discussion
Staff recommends that the Youth Commission discuss the proposed Spikeball Tournament and consider whether refining or narrowing the scope of the event would help ensure a successful, manageable, and well-executed first collaboration. Staff further recommends additional planning and discussion regarding the option of moving the event date further out, subject to athletic field availability, to allow adequate time for coordination, planning, and implementation.
Staff has identified the following areas that may benefit from additional planning and clarification and notes that this list is not intended to be all-inclusive. Staff also acknowledges that this would be a new type of event for all parties involved.
• Equipment and resources: Confirmation of access to sufficient Spikeball nets, balls, and related equipment, including whether borrowing options are available or if additional procurement is required.
• Staffing and roles: Identification and confirmation of additional volunteers to support tournament operations, including referees, scorekeeping, check-in, monitoring, and concessions.
• Event timing and capacity: Further evaluation of whether the proposed number of teams can reasonably compete within the allotted time frame, including contingency planning for delays.
• Marketing and outreach: Development of a written marketing and promotion plan to support the anticipated scale of participation, with staff recommending collaboration with the DECA advisor and team members to ensure adequate reach and timing.
• Training and oversight: Staff recommends a written plan for clarification of how and when referees and volunteers will be trained, how disputes will be resolved during gameplay, and how injuries or emergencies will be handled on-site.
• Concessions planning: Staff recommends assigning a separate Youth Commission member to coordinate concessions, including developing simple concessions plan that outlines items to be offered, anticipated upfront costs, pricing, payment methods, and basic cash-handling procedures.
• Music and atmosphere: Staff recommends assigning another Youth Commission member or DECA participant to coordinate music for the event, including equipment needs, volume considerations, and timing to ensure gameplay supports without disrupting tournament operations.
• Raffle: If the Youth Commission elects to move forward with a raffle, staff recommends development of a written plan outlining logistics and specific details and further recommends assigning a different Youth Commission member to coordinate this effort.
• Next steps and coordination: Staff recommends allowing sufficient time to incorporate recommendations from the Town’s Recreation and Athletic Department and, as available, continuing coordination with that department prior to finalizing event details for Youth Commission approval.
Proposed Motion
“I move to recognize the effort put into the DECA and Castle Rock Youth Commission Spikeball Tournament proposal by Commissioner Agresti, and support continued planning and coordination before final approval.”