Where do I start with joining tournaments?

[TheWorldEndsWithMe]

I'm quite new to Smash in general, and I've gotten a lot better since I started a while back. I think it would be fun to try to get involved with some local tournaments, but I don't know where to start. I don't expect to make it past the first round or take a stock off any of the better players, but I would like to see how far I have to go to compete in semi-competitive Smash. Being a kid (and a part-time squid) I've got a lot of time to practice and get better, but I don't know how I would compare to others in a local tournament. Maybe I could start by playing some people on SmashBoards who have personal experience with local tournaments.

 

[Vestboy_Myst]

you can start by checking out your Regional Zone and the relevant posts in there, hopefully here is a thread dedicated to your area