FROM: Carolina Region/USAV

RE: 2003 Junior Olympic Championships

The 2003 Junior Olympic Championships will be in Atlanta, Georgia from June 25-July 2 (different age groups and divisions will begin and end play at different times during this period. Check USA Volleyball's web site for specific dates for your division. The Carolina Region will hold its competition for our National Bids (one in each age group in the CLUB DIVISION) in conjunction with the 2003 Regional Championships on April 12, 2003. Only those teams submitting the Entry Form and Entry Fee (and thus confirming they would accept the bid if they earn it) can compete for a National Bid (but all teams that have met the eligibility requirements for the Regional Championships can still play in the Regional Championships without competing for a Bid if they wish). We hope this letter will answer some of your questions on the process.

The Following must be met in order to compete for the National Bid:

• Open teams must have played in FOUR Carolina Region tournaments to be eligible to enter the Regional Championships (Jr Hi Neighbor/Quest for Excellence Trn and ONE National Qualifier can count as tournaments this season). The Tournament Entry Deadline for the Regional Championships is March 22, 2003 ($110 and Tournament Entry Form due by this deadline to enter Regionals).
• USAV has changed their procedures slightly this season. All forms entry forms must go through the Regional Office for verification. Please read through the Pre-Tournament Manual thoroughly for all procedures. Teams also going for the National Bid must submit the following to be received by the Region by Thursday, April 3 (NO EXCEPTIONS!):
  • (1) Go to USAV website - http://www.usavolleyball.org/juniors/main.htm - and download a 2003 USA Junior Olympic Girl's Championship Manual. If you will not be submitting rosters online (which is recommended and assumed below), you will have to send $100 to USAV to request a paper entry form (this will delay your entry process so allow time to receive and get to Region Office by our deadline!). Once you enter your coaches, chaperones, and roster online, follow instructions to print out entry form and mail to the Carolina Region with check (see #2) . Since our Regional Championships are before the National entry deadline we will hold all entries and only send the teams that earn a bid to the National Office by their April 23 deadline. Entry Form Hint - all our Open teams' Team IDs are listed at our web site (linked from Juniors Section). They are also on your Trn entry forms (your team's).
  • (2) Send Entry check payable to "USA Junior Olympic Volleyball Championships" for $900 (if entering more than one team in your club, write a separate check for each team - they may not all earn bids). Include your team name and division on the memo line. If your team does not earn a bid, the check will not be sent to USAV and will be destroyed at Region Office (include a self-addressed, stamped envelope if you would like it returned).
  • (3) USAV is again offering another National Event for teams that did not earn their Region's bid to the Junior Olympics. This is the Junior Olympic Girls Volleyball Invitational and will be held in Phoenix, AZ June 26-29, 2003. The entry process for the Junior Invitational is the same as above (you'll probably be asked if you wish to be considered for an Invitational bid during the online registration process). The entry fee for the Invitational is $900. PLEASE NOTE: The Winner of our National Bid competition will win our BID to the JO Championships in Atlanta, GA. They MUST ACCEPT that bid and attend those Championships. The runner-up (or next highest finisher that indicated would go to Invitational will earn the bid to the JO Invitational in Phoenix, AZ. They MUST ACCEPT that bid and attend the Invitational. Again, the winners of the bids do not get to choose which tournament to attend. So, only return an entry form and entry check if you will accept the bid to the JO Championships in Atlanta, GA should you earn it (Do not assume that there is no way you will win the bid and submit it anyway. You may be the only one that submits the check and thus the bid is yours before the tournament begins.) And, only check the JO Invitational box if you will attend that Tournament if you do not earn the bid to the JO Championships. Reminder, you cannot choose to only enter the JO Invitational tournament - you must be competing for the JO Championships bid to be eligible for the Invitational. By sending in the Entry Forms and Check, you are committing your team to accepting the bid(s) you are competing for. You must accept the bid should you earn it, so please do submit an entry if you have not discussed all the implications of your commitment. Teams that withdraw from the Championships will lose their entry fee and the Region may lose our bid and not be able to replace you. Should a team/club withdraw after committing to attend, the Region may place future sanctions on the club when entering future National events.
  • (4) All teams that earn the bids will need registered chaperones. Your chaperone will need to download and fill out a form and mail it to USAV by May 21. To register a Chaperone with the Region, have them fill out a 2003 Carolina Region membership form and send to the Region Office with $15 (summer membership).

Please discuss this opportunity with your teams and parents NOW. If you would like to compete for our bid to the Junior Olympic Championships, please submit the above required items to arrive by April 3. LATE ARRIVALS WILL ONLY BE ACCEPTED AT THE DISCRETION OF THE JUNIOR DIVISION! Please get them in by the deadline!

On April 12, teams need to be ready to playoff for the National Bid if we need to. We will run the Regional Championships as a regular tournament with pool play and playoffs. The Highest finisher that has submitted an Entry for JO championships will earn our BID (next highest finisher that checked the JO Invitational box will earn that bid). If both teams in the Finals have submitted entries for the JO Championships and checked the box for JO Invitational, then no further playoff will be needed. However, if not all teams have submitted entries or checked off the JO Invitational box, then other playoffs may be needed (these would be separate from the Regional Championship determination). Teams competing for a National Bid should stick around until it is determined that they are no longer in the running for a Bid. Consult the Tournament Director before you leave the site on April 12!

For additional information on the Junior Olympic Championships, go to USA Volleyball's web site - www.usavolleyball.org and go to the "JUNIORS" section. The Pre-Tournament Entry Books for both the JO Championships and JO Invitational are now posted to the USA Volleyball web site. Teams may get a head start now filling out the paperwork and submitting their rosters online. April 23 is the National deadline, however, April 3 is our REGIONAL DEADLINE! We will submit the Entry Forms and $900 entry fees for all our teams by the April 23 deadline (and we will notify them of our bid winners after the April 12 Tournament). NOTE: Our Bids are in the CLUB Division (for JO's OPEN refers to bids earned at National Qualifiers).

Teams should note that the Region has not set aside any money to help pay for the team's entry fee, and all teams should plan on raising the full costs needed to participate in the Championships or Junior Invitational. Good luck with the rest of your season, and please call if you have any questions!

If your team wants to compete for a National Bid, submit Completed Entry Form and $900 Entry Fee by April 3 to:
Carolina Region/USAV, P.O. Box 1757, Clemmons, NC 27012
US Postal Service does deliver overnight to PO Box (waive signature). Other overnight deliveries to:
3770 Clemmons Road, Suite C, Clemmons, NC 27012 (waive signature)
Reminder - teams still need to enter the Regional Championships ($110 and entry form) by March 30, 2002!