Business is Good, USAV Board Pushes for Growth

Bill Kauffman
Associate Director, Communications
Phone: 719-228-6800
E-Mail: bill.kauffman@usav.org

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (June 1, 2011) – The USA Volleyball Board of Directors met on May 27 on the final day of the USA Volleyball Annual Meetings that started May 24 in Dallas.

The Board meeting revolved around the central theme of growing the game within USA Volleyball.

“Every key measure of our business points to continued revenue growth and expanded program offerings,” USA Volleyball Board of Directors Chairman David Schreff said. “Our Board, national management team, Regional Volleyball Associations (RVAs), media and corporate marketing partners are steadily fulfilling our goal to provide athletes the means to enter our sport at the youngest ages, and to continue playing it through high school, through college and for a lifetime.

The Board, as well as the various annual meetings during the week, focused heavily on the four-part theme of medal performance, member growth, media attention and marketing partner enhancements. Schreff thanked the Board and regions for adopting three key member initiatives: new, free membership for children aged 8-and-under; a new, low-cost college club team member category; and a new outdoor member category to focus on continued interest in the sport.

“This Board Meeting was extremely productive and positive,” USA Volleyball Chief Executive Officer Doug Beal said. “The creation of the new membership categories will go a long way to stimulating growth in the youngest age levels and outdoor play, while creating a bridge for young adult athletes to continue USA Volleyball membership in college after their junior eligibility is over. We continue to believe this is a sport that offers a healthy lifestyle and fun opportunities for both recreational play through elite levels of competition.”

Schreff views the free membership for children eight-and-under as a key demographic for the continued advancement of the sport.

“USA Volleyball is totally in sync with today's call for getting kids moving and physically active,” Schreff said. “As a low-cost sport with simple rules and a non-contact, low injury sport that affords outstanding physical conditioning while teaching excellent sportsmanship skills in a competitive team environment, we are building upon our theme of growing the game.

“At these USA Volleyball Open National Championships in Dallas, we are all awed by the fact that we have competitive teams still playing at all ages - even including our 75-and-over men’s division. The depth and breadth of volleyball is nothing short of amazing, and all of us on the Board are thankful to CEO Doug Beal and to the many professionals, club owners, coaches, officials and volunteers nationwide who dedicate so much time to offering unique ways to grow this wonderful sport.”

Schreff pointed to the ongoing unique appeal of volleyball to girls and young women.

“For corporate partners investing in sports, volleyball remains the single-best way to reach aspiring girls and young women while providing an all-age dual gender appeal through our three disciplines of indoor court volleyball, outdoor volleyball played on beach/sand and grass, and seated disciplines. So we are glad to see supportive companies helping us tell the remarkable volleyball story by seeking us out to work with us for the next quadrennial cycle.”

As part of the four components the Board geared toward for the big and long-term interests of USA Volleyball, international success was not lost in the discussion.

“Over the next 15 months as the world spotlight turns to volleyball and to the remarkable indoor court, beach and Paralympic athletes seeking medals at the London Olympics and Paralympics, we expect that their dedication will be an inspiration to the many local, regional and national initiatives underway to grow the game,” Schreff said. “In the buildup to London, we will all enjoy seeing our indoor national teams playing World League competitions starting now and airing on Versus, NBC Universal and Internet web streaming. We will enjoy seeing our beach athletes playing in the newly created USA Volleyball beach series and FIVB competitions oversees. Both are a continuing reminder of how the USA has the world's attention and the world's best performing volleyball athletes.”

Tags: 2008 Paralympic Games, Annual Meetings, board, David Schreff, Doug Beal, USA Volleyball Board