With the season
now in full swing, it is full steam ahead to the Regional Championships.
During
some of our earlier tournaments, there were a couple of items that
were brought to my attention. Each tournament is required to have a non-playing
individual to perform the duties of Tournament Director. Ron Sommer, the
Tournament Scheduling Chair, reported that some very important problems
required the stoppage of play due to the Tournament Director being involved
as a player. This match where the Tournament Director was playing had to
be stopped while he took care of a problem on another court. This should
never happen. The rule is quite clear and must be followed.
Along the same line, it was reported that
playing uniforms on some teams are starting to look like recreation league
equipment. Sanctioned competition is to be conducted in accordance with
the rule and spirit as written in the rule book. Faded purple walking shorts
are not even close to black playing shorts. Teams failing to have the same
color, cut, and trim on shorts or jerseys are subject to having their matches
defaulted. Any team entering Regional Championships will be expected to
be in full compliance with the rules as noted on the Region’s Website.
One of our women’s teams was natily attired in jerseys with 2” numbers
that were not of a contrasting color. This is a true forfeit uniform violation
and the team has been notified to that effect. We need to get back to the
pride that the Region displayed when teams looked like championship teams,
even if they didn’t always play that way.
Chesapeake Region had been selected by unanimous
vote of the other 11 Regions to host the AA East Zonal Championships in
May. Unfortunately, problems in facilities existed due to the large number
of other events taking place in the same time frame. In addition, I sent
e-mails to all of the other Regions involved asking for information about
how many teams each Region was expecting to enter, what type of format
they suggested, etc. There was only one Region that replied to my request.
One month later, I sent letters via snail mail to the other Regions asking
for the same information. Only Carolina and Western Empire Regions responded.
I then sent out a letter stating that due to the other major activities
in Chesapeake Region, it was deemed advisable for us to withdraw as hosts
and to plan on our hosting the event in the year 2000. To date, I have
only heard from Bob Dingee, Commissioner of Keystone. Bob is contemplating
trying to obtain a facility so that Keystone can host the Zonals in 1999.
In the Junior program, there are opportunities
on the National level with High Performance Camps for female athletes born
on or after January 1, 1984; trials for the Youth National Team for athletes
born on or after January 1, 1982; and the Junior National Team for athletes
born on or after January 1, 1980. To get an application for the 1999 trials,
contact USA Volleyball at 719-637-8300 or contact the Junior Program Administrator.
Are you a coach, or a potential coach? Who
you are and what you teach shapes the future of those promising players
that look to you for guidance. You are their greatest resource. What is
your greatest resource? If you are interested in expanding your abilities,
there are CAP courses available. The Commissioner has application forms
available or you may register online at http://www.usavolleyball.org/educat/main.htm
or you can call the USA CAP office at 719-637-8300.
Want to be involved with the Region operation?
There are elections each year for positions on the Board of Directors that
makes the final determination on everything from programs to payments for
teams going the National Championships. If you are a “doer” and have good
ideas for improving any aspect of the Region programs, put your name in
the hat. If you happen to know someone else who is a good administrator
and is continually growling about the way things are going, get their permission
and submit their names as candidates. We need to continually grow with
fresh ideas from all areas.
During the 1998 Championships, Chesapeake
Region had a total of 32 teams competing in the Club
and Age Group competitions and several of the teams came home with
medals. Hopefully, more teams will be involved in coming years. If travel
has been holding you back, then you can look forward to entering the Championships
to be conducted in Columbus, Ohio in the year 2000.
Planning on going to the National Championships
in San Jose, CA this year? The entry booklets were supposed to have been
received by the Commissioner in October. As yet, they have not been seen
and time is starting to run out. If you are thinking about entering one
of the competitions, submit a written request to the Commissioner with
your name, team name, and current mailing address so that the books may
be mailed as soon as they are received.
For us “younger” players, there are age divisions
in the National Championships in 5 year increments
starting at 30+ years of age up to 55+ for the women and up to 70+
for the men. It’s a lot of fun to play in the age group competition. If
you are 50+, you can also play on a younger age group of 45+ or 40+. Your
age group is determined by the age you are during the calendar year of
the Championship. Grab your bottle of Geritol and get involved.
Many of you have been contacted by me via
e-mail and have responded with the information I requested. However,
on several occasions after receiving no response, I made phone calls to
get the information I needed. I asked each of the people if they had gotten
the e-mail messages. Much to my chagrin, some of them said they had received
them, but hadn’t had a chance to answer after as much as one week. Some
of the others said; “No, because I only check my e-mail once in a week
or 10 days.” Gazooks, some of those individuals were people who are supposed
to be leaders and responsive to the requests of the membership. We all
have to be a little bit more responsive to requests for information. After
all, how long does it take to check e-mail at least once each day? Once
it is open, it is only a
matter of a few minutes to reply to any requests. If you are
guilty, please change your routine so that you can reply to any requests
you receive.
With over 3,000 people registered in the Chesapeake
Region, it is hoped that we will have more than 75 adults and 50 Juniors
at the annual general membership meeting that will be conducted this summer.
If you are even the slightest bit interested in how programs will be run
and who will run them, it behooves you to get to the meeting and lend your
voice and thoughts to the proceedings. Remember that the Board of Directors
members are your voices to put plans in operation for your benefit. If
you don’t nominate people and then show up to vote for them, you will have
no right to complain about things that don’t go your way.
If you are thinking about transferring from
your team to another team, read the Handbook, Section 3, that outlines
transfers being banned from a team in one to another team in the same or
lower division. Also, transfers will be considered only on an individual
basis and must involve some type of hardship reason that makes it impossible
to continue playing with a team that you have registered with. The wording
will be reviewed to clarify the intent. See the online version of the Handbook
for updates.
I hope to see most of you at tournaments at
which I referee during the year and, most importantly, at the
annual meeting after the season has ended. That will be your final
chance for any input into the Regional
programs for next year. Got a gripe, send it to the Secretary or to
me so that we can put it into the laps of
the Board of Directors for consideration.
— Dick Smith, Commissioner
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