Hi All,
I wanted to give everyone an update as to where we are all at with indoor for this season. As you know we were working on many different financial models based on different re-opening possibilities as our shut down continues. We have run several different scenarios and are continuing to try to plan for the worst and hope for the best.
PSR Bid Tournament (Tentative May 30-31)
The PSR region continues to be hopeful that they will be able to run the Bid Tourney and Regionals in May or June. They have tentatively scheduled the bid tourney (U12-U17) for May 30 & 31 with each division playing a single day event.
PSR Regionals (TBD)
PSR Regionals are slated with a TBD Date. The hope is to be able to play this tournament when we are opened back up.
West Coast Cup (May 23-25)
The West Coast Cup has not officially cancelled the tournament as of yet. They have announced that they will make a determination on May 4th. I’m sure many of you have received notices that your hotel reservations have been cancelled by the hotels directly. Many of the local hotels did close up entirely until June 1st and cancelled reservations directly with those who held reservations. With an official expiry of the Shelter in Place order on May 15th for the South Bay Area it seems unlikely that we would be permitted to gather in such a large group at the Convention Center one week later. I will update all as I receive more information.
ECC (Cancelled)
Emerald City Classic has been cancelled due to the organizers being unable to secure locations for the event to take place. As UW will remain closed through the end of the school year, their gyms are unavailable. The organizers did attempt to get space at the Seattle Convention Center and the Tacoma Dome to no avail.
USA 18s GJNC Nationals (June 23-25)
USA Volleyball has rescheduled Girls USA 18s Nationals for June 23-25 in Reno, NV. Our teams have been accepted into this tournament in the Patriot Division.
USA U12-17 GJNC Nationals (June 23 – July 4)
Nationals are still on the schedule between June 23 and July 4th in Dallas, TX. While our bid tournament has yet to occur I will send a survey to all to see how families feel about pursuing this bid. There are many issues that many families need to consider and we are ALL in a different situation. A decision to attend would entail considerations of travel, practice, whether PSR has their Bid tournament and much more.
AAU Nationals
I bring this up because AAU has made the decision to hold Nationals from June 16-28 in Central Florida with the following safeguards. I bring this up because while we are closed up in Washington and on the West Coast there are plans in place to begin re-opening our sport across the country. Personally, if you asked me today if I felt comfortable in today’s climate to take a group of girls across the country in planes and staying in hotels to participate in a huge tournament in Florida I would likely say no. If anyone were to get sick or bring sickness to a family member who could not fight Covid-19 I don’t think I could live with myself. But I also recognize that we all have VERY different ideas of what we feel comfortable with. My idea of what I feel comfortable with may look very different in a week, 2 weeks or even a month from now.
Considering what we know today and what comes in the upcoming weeks I’d like to ask everyone to give some thought as to what they would be comfortable with in regards to the possibility of playing in travel tournaments at this time. I will be sending a survey to all to get a feel for the wants and desires of all of our club members. I would like to get “a temperature of the room” as we start forward down the road of re-opening. Keep a look out in your in box for emailed surveys asking about desire to participate in tournaments.
All in all it’s not much of anything. With the expectation that Gov. Inslee will extend our Stay at Home guidelines on Friday much of this will likely change. There continue to be so many ifs to consider. We continue to do all we can and we hope to be safely back on the courts soon.
Please keep an eye out for additional information from us as things in the volleyball world continue to change.
Much love and Aloha to all!
Chris & Ariana
Below are the criteria for AAU Nationals, currently scheduled for mid June.
No Spectators – No International Teams – Face Covering
To limit the number of people in the facility, spectators will not be allowed. Each team can consist of 15 players, 5 bench personnel and 10 chaperones. In addition, each match will have one referee. Teams will need to provide the down referee. Due to travel concerns, there will be no international teams. We encourage some type of face covering being worn whenever possible.
Watch Remotely: BallerTV will be providing coverage to help ensure the safest possible viewing experience for athletes, parents, relatives and the volleyball community. In an effort to encourage families to enjoy the action in the safest and most responsible way possible, BallerTV will be offering discounted packages and promotions for viewers of the event. Each court will be streamed daily. For BallerTV-related questions, email support@ballertv.com.
Fever Check Extensive Screening Measures – Temperature Check
Athletes, coaches, chaperones, officials and event staff will be screened. Temperature checks will occur at the beginning of each age group’s session. Teams will be assigned a time and location for the temperature check.
Social Distancing Measures – All Matches at OCCC
There will be many changes at the venue. All matches will be played at the Orange County Convention Center. The volleyball courts will be spaced farther apart to increase the walkways and increased seating space will be added as well. Doors shall be marked for entrances and exits to assist in limiting interaction. There will be a limited number of vendors to allow more space for courts and limit areas where teams gather.
No Handshakes Limited Interaction – No Drink Stations – No Handshakes
Teams are encouraged to bring their own water. Water or sport drink stations will not be provided. There will be no handskakes before or after matches and teams are discouraged from having gift exchanges this year.
OCCC Disinfecting Procedures – Handwashing & Sanitizing
With a strategic on-site preparedness plan, the Orange County Convention Center (OCCC) is implementing rigorous cleaning and sanitation measures to enhance daily routines already in place to promote a clean and healthy environment. More details on the sanitation strategy can be found here.
Additionally, the courts will be disinfected between sessions. Additional hand washing and sanitizing stations will be available within the facility. The balls will be sanitized between each match. Sanitize There will be additional protective equipment such as masks, gloves and wipes available to the event staff.
No Opening Ceremonies
There will not be an Opening Ceremony this year, but tickets for the Disney theme parks and the water park parties are still available online.
