Meet your Chicagoland APBA tournament director Rob Spatz. Taking over the reins of the pack-leading competition from Doug Schuyler not long after it was created during that legendary APBA Summer of 2013, Rob has refined the tournament rules and location as he plays host to folks from 11 states. That's a far from from the original five participants of the inaugural Chicagoland event on July 27, 2013 — and Rob has room to grow the tournament.

Rob graciously shared his tips and tricks for running and sustaining a tournament.  

Learn about the theme of the 2023 Chicagoland tournament, to be held July 22, on the event's Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1049389555762918 
Video version: https://youtu.be/w-CMzOoSCag

Our original report about the APBA Summer of 2013:  

The summer of APBA: Grass-roots tourneys spread love of the game  

By Geoff Giordano
© 2013 APBA Football Club  
JULY 29, 2013 — From Chicago to Central Florida, APBA fans have been quite busy this year bringing homegrown competitions to their communities.   

In the wake of the official APBA tournament June 21-23 in Alpharetta, Ga., the summer of 2013 has seen a proliferation of events engage more “sultans of the 66” around the country.   

First of these was the Florida APBA Day on July 19 in Groveland, between Tampa and Orlando. The event drew six participants, said co-organizer Mike Sparks, one of whom had never played the game before.A larger event the next day in the Philadelphia suburb of Willow Grove, Pa., simultaneously paid tribute to iconic APBA historian and APBA Journal columnist Robert Henry while further encouraging the interest of the young players of the Bridesburg APBA League. According to Steve Skoff, who’d just defended his APBA title outside Atlanta, Randy Coryer took the title at the Robert Henry Memorial Tournament by using the 1910 Philadelphia A’s, while Steven Suarez of the Bridesburg Boys and Girls Club won the trophy for the best record among the club’s 14 young players.   

Last but not least, the inaugural Chicagoland APBA World Series Tournament produced its first winner, noted spokesperson Doug Schuyler. Curt Bartel of Oconomowoc, Wis., whose 1977 Kansas City Royals bested the 1983 Chi Sox 2-1 in the finals of the one-day tournament July 27 at the Woodstock Public Library in Woodstock, Ill. The event drew five participants and, like the Bridesburg event, generated enthusiasm for future gatherings.   

Hall of Famer Jim Sce, who was instrumental in expanding the game’s appeal through his demonstrations under the APBA Coaches program, indicated he approached a youth club in Burbank, Calif., a year ago to pique their interest in APBA. In a recent interview with us, he noted his interest in fostering more regional contests.   

Next up is the APBA Football Club’s inaugural two-day event Aug. 24-25 at the newly renovated Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. All told, that makes four first-time APBA events in the span of five weeks.   

Meantime, APBA wasted no time setting up next year's official tourney June 20-22, 2014, at the Hilton Gardens Inn Atlanta North/Alpharetta. Cost: $110 per person. The event is slated to feature the first home-run derby. Visit the tournament website and download the rules.