Well, another season is winding to a close. It seems they go by much faster each season that I have been associated with the Region. Right now, we are preparing for the Power and Club Regional Championships on March 23. Soon after that the Adult Regional Championships will be held on April 6 & 7 and then finally the Junior Open Divisions' Regional Championships on April 20. Good luck to all our teams as they wind up another USAV season.
We have continued our streak of increasing registrations with over 3100 members and counting. The Juniors are leading the way again with more and more teams. This year we were able to add a separate division for the 12's and 13's teams. We will have THREE courts of 12's and 13's playing on March 23!! Our sport continues to take off! Our thanks to the many Tournament Directors, facilities, parents, and coaches that continue to step forward to meet the demand of our increasing membership and teams. Without these dedicated individuals, we would not be able to accommodate as many teams as we have been able to. We rarely have to turn away teams (so far) on tournament weekends and that is a testament to our wonderful Tournament Directors that find courts at the last second and are always willing to do what they can so our teams can enjoy this sport. Please say thank you to the Tournament Director at the next tournament you attend! I am sure it does not get said enough to them at our tournaments.
With that being said, I would like to echo a sentiment Chuck raised concerning facilities. We have had some messages come back to us from some Tournament Directors and facilities about the behavior of some teams at our tournaments. Tournament Directors and Facilities are free to make any policy they need to so that we can have access to their gyms. That means no Food or Drinks in many of these facilities (you know how basketball coaches are!). If a Tournament Director states No Food or Drink in the gym, PLEASE respect that and keep it in the designated areas. Tournament Directors may kick spectators, players, or coaches out of the facility if their policies are not followed (meaning some teams may have to forfeit out of the tournament). They can also penalize a team by awarding points to their opponents on their next match. We do not want it to get that far. Please respect the policies of the facilities we are able to get so we do not lose these facilities in the future. If we lose facilities, it will jeopardize our efforts to accommodate all teams and no one wants that. And please, when you are leaving the tournament at the end of the day, PICK UP your area that you "camped out" in. Coaches and parents should be setting a good example in this and it is not happening. Thank you for your attention to this.
We have a lot of results and info to share in this issue. A reminder that there is much more information on the Region at our web site. Check it out!