B.A.D. Represents USA at World Masters Games

Bill Kauffman
Manager, Media Relations and Publications
Phone: 719-228-6800
E-mail: bill.kauffman@usav.org

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Oct. 9, 2009) - A United States-based volleyball team will be competing in the 50-plus age division of the World Masters Games being held Oct. 11-18 at Sydney, Australia.

Using the team name B.A.D., the squad begins competition on Oct. 11 at the Sydney Olympic Park Sports Halls and will provide frequent blogs about the competition and what it is like to represent the United States at the World Masters Games. The team is placed in Pool B and will play a round-robin schedule against two Brazilian teams and an Australian squad. Pool play and crossover maches will be best-of-three matches played to 25 points, while the gold-medal contest will be a best-of-five format.

The World Masters Games, governed by the International Masters Games Association, are the world's largest participatory multi-sport event. Motivating a goal-oriented and long-term attitude toward sport, physical fitness and health, the World Masters Games bring together men and women for the simple joy of competing with their peers. A total of 1,181 competitors are registered to compete in the volleyball events at the 2009 World Masters Games.

Additional information on the 2009 World Master Games can be found at www.2009worldmasters.com.

The team's first blog, written by Karin Thomsen, provides some insight into the team members competing on the B.A.D. team. To read the blog, click here.

Shawn Hoover, a setter on the United States' B.A.D. team, has provided some insight into the team's organization and goals at the World Masters Games.

USAV: How did your team get together?
Hoover: Several of us have played together for 20-plus years at the USA Volleyball Adult Open National Championships (in progressively older age groups!), but we have all played with or against each other for at least 10 years. Because age groups are in five-year increments, every year someone else moves into or out of an age group and teams need to reconfigure based on who is the right age at the right time. So this team got together from that kind of natural evolution. That being said, the most important part about putting a team like this together is making sure that the players are all GREAT people...regardless of their volleyball skills. At this age, while winning is very important, it's equally important that the people on your team are people you want to hang out with, go to bat for and play with. Not just anyone is asked to play on this team...we're very picky. Last year most of us played at the Hunstman Games in St. George (we won that event!) and it was an almost magical experience because we bonded so well. We're looking for a repeat experience in Sydney. Members of this team are: Toni Clubb, Linda Wilson, Laura Coleman, Linda McLellan, Reba Spooner, Therese (Tee) Butler, Karin Thomsen, Ursula Geiger, Jana Landel, Rose Rahn and Shawn Hoover.

USAV: How did you choose the World Masters Games?
Hoover: Four years ago, a Canadian women's team against whom we have played year in and year out at the USA Volleyball Adult Open National Championships event, raved to us about the World Master Games (WMG) in Canada and said the competition was great and the whole experience incredible. Unfortunately, we found out about it so late that we couldn't get a team together. But we talked about it and dreamed of going to the next one, wherever it was held. When we found out it was Sydney, we started recruiting, saving our money and here we are!

USAV: What are your expectations in Sydney?
Hoover: There are actually two different perspectives on what to expect. First, from the perspective of competition that we'll see, it's a tough question because we really don't know. We've heard rumors that the Huntsman Games has some really strong international teams at its Global Cup which is held at the same time as the WMG, so we're not sure what to expect in Sydney. While we're not sure, we have heard that the Canadian team which raved about the 2005 WMG is actually going to the Global Cup at Hunstman instead. It's probably the economy keeping some teams closer to home. Regardless, we know there will be some great teams and we're really looking forward to our first international event. None of us on the team are past Olympians or former National Team members, so we haven't had any international playing opportunities.

The second perspective on what we expect at the WMG has more to do with the "experience." Three of our members played in the Edmonton games; Toni Clubb, Linda Wilson and Rose Rahn. According to them, the international feel of a multi-sport games format is like no other experience they have ever had and probably as close to an Olympic experience as anyone from our team will ever get! Also the World Masters Games are two to three times larger then the Olympics, so some folks say it is an amplified version of the Olympics without the security restrictions. Also the experience of seeing a foreign country and embracing the local culture is exhilarating. We're going to go there and feel like (older!) Olympians and soak in the experience!

USAV: Anyone competing in any other sports?
Hoover: A couple on the team (Tee Butler and Jana Landel) are also playing in the beach volleyball event, but that's it.

USAV: Any spouses or other family competing?
Hoover: We have two spouses who are playing, but they are playing for a New Zealand team (Rob Landel and Scott Spooner).

Tags: Adult, grassroots, World Masters Games