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Post by Bookumdanoaloha on Jul 2, 2004 9:59:52 GMT -5
What does it take to bring the Mens Volleyball Team to the Southern California. Come on. Texas for an exhibition. You guys at USA Volleyball better start getting your act together. You've got a whole new generation of young volleyball players coming from volleyball hotbeds: Southern California, Hawaii, Wisconsin, Illionis and New York, and you bring the National team to Texas - What's with that. These junior players can't even identify with your roster. The college players from Hawaii, BYU, Pepperdine and Long Beach State have a better following of fans than the National Team. You guys cry about sponsorships and lack of funds, maye it's because you don't have a fan base. Look what AVP has done. They've found or created a fan for the Game. You guys haven't. Bookumdanoaloha
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Post by cardfan15 on Jul 2, 2004 10:48:29 GMT -5
I would like to add to this little rave. I am from Oklahoma and so it has been awesome to get to see the Women's National team (last October at TCU) and now the Men's team last weekend. However, I must say that USA volleyball puts on a crappy exhibition. I know their isn't a lot of money to go around, but come on get creative. If it weren't for the high level of volleyball, the event would be a complete bore. In Houston, the announcer was pitiful, he was about 55 years old and announced names and plays with about as much energy as my 75 year old grandma. What did they do during time outs and in between games? Throw miniature balls (resembling volleyballs) to the fans. One time, the announcer was like, "stand up for some free t-shirts." The chick threw out 2 t-shirts to a crowd of 2,000+. USA volleyball needs to consult with fans to figure out what the fans want. The show in Houston was lame. USA Volleyball needs some serious help.
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Post by Roofan on Jul 2, 2004 11:56:01 GMT -5
Bookum
You know I am a fan of yours, but I have to disagree with you on at least part of your post.
Should USA Volleyball do more in front of their fans in Cali..of course! Don't be shocked if in the next quadrennial (sp?) that the team moves back to Cali and makes their home at the brand spanking new American Sports Center. They should definately have more matches in the US in general, but for sure in Cali.
Now on to your beef with Tejas...this was a GREAT move on the part of USA Volleyball. Knowing your son played club volleyball, where else can the US showcase it's best product better than in front of their future? With the boy's JO's currently being contested in Austin, the US has a gigantic portion of boys 12-18 who LOVE volleyball. Throw in the fact that many of them are coached by people who love and support USA Volleyball and you have a great recipe for success. There is literally no way the US could reach all the different areas like Cali, Wisc., Il. etc., unless they could get them all in one area...which they have here.
It just makes good business sense. If I was selling a product, which makes more sense. Traveling every inch of the US, selling my product at each stop hoping to gain a following and make a profit at each stop. Or does it make more sense if I could find a way to get a huge amount of people to come to me, people who already love my product, and sell it that way?
You just have to put the Corona's down at the beach for a few days, come down to Tejas and not only see the USA team, but TONS of quality young men playing the game in the purest sense...for the love of the game!!!!
Roofan
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Post by doctordubya on Jul 2, 2004 12:02:37 GMT -5
If you are actually going to contact Paul Soriano of USA Volleyball, ask him if he could produce some goddamn decent match reports rather than the superficial flim-flam that comes out at the moment.
Let's seem some stats from the matches, at the very least. We all know the USA men use Datavolley (and so can calculate the number of shanks off jump serves to five decimal places), so the numbers are available.
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Post by My2Sense on Jul 2, 2004 17:38:06 GMT -5
I've heard the American Sports Center may indeed become the new home for the USA VB team. That would be very good indeed. And all the So. Cal kids and fans would be able to see them frequently, which would enhance the sport here more and more. (Of course, I sure hope the midwest and east folks don't start complaining.)
But, it is very good for them to be playing in Houston last week where the girls JOs were going on, and this week in Austin where the boy's JOs are going on. It's a smart marketing move, and actually, it's a no brainer. The Men's US team has been coming to the JOs for years. But, this year, they're playing Russia and Tunisia, et all... not in the JO's arena, but in a detached high school gym, where I'm sure, most of the JOs participants either can't get to it, or are too busy at the JOs to go to it. This is a mistake at the highest proportions. They should have it in the same convention center so the kids and parents can watch it.
The Men's team hasn't come to the So. Cal area for years now. The last time was in the Pyramid against Korea. It was a terrific evening and was an excellent show. They need to come more often. The logistics and cost are barriers I'm sure. But come they must.
Hopefully if they move to Anaheim, the expenses to train there will be less than in Colorado Springs all around and so they'll have more funds. And for sure they can have more exhibitions and bring the Russians to Anaheim. We'd beat a frick'n path to that door... for sure.
You can contact anyone at USA Volleyball cordially and they'll respond. I've had occassion to email and they always respond, including the director. They are very nice people and are more than accomodating. They will appreciate getting suggestions. They have to weigh costs since they have little budgets to work with, but they will listen to you if you have something to say.
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Post by mrvolleyball on Jul 3, 2004 23:27:43 GMT -5
It is disappointing that USA matches in SoCal have often not been well attended by American fans.
But then, I noticed that only two men's collegiate vball programs average more than 1-thousand fans per match: Hawaii and BYU.
Not UCLA, not Pepperdine, and some others. Those two schools are traditional powerhouses, too.
And I've wondered why more people don't go to matches in a part of that country that's known as a volleyball hotbed.
Part of the reason might be, that people in SoCal, blessed with beautiful weather and scenery, would rather do something, than sit and watch a sports event.
The LA Rams and Raiders both left in part because of that.
I also think that one reason the USA nat'l teams have not been in SoCal much the last few years, is that they tend to schedule matches in cities where there's less competition for the sports dollar.
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Post by Bookumdanoaloha on Jul 5, 2004 13:07:47 GMT -5
Hey Roofan
I'm aware of the efforts by USA Volleyball to get the Mens Program involved with Boys JO's. Even there they didn't really catered to the Junior Players.
A national tour by the Mens Program would be nice. I don't care if it's even at a High School Gym. There are some pretty big high school gyms around the country. I just feel that the marketing aspect by USA Volleyball is unsatisfactory.
I heard that the exhibition in Tejas was such a bore. Let the kids in free and make the parents pay. I remember when I watched Hawaii vs. BYU at Provo, with 11,000 BYU fans banging on their thunder sticks at the Marriott Center - what a event. Plus there were several side events: Bunge Volleyball Contest; Lip Snyc Contest; and Three on Three Matches vs. the BYU Third String. All this was only on during the breaks between games. Make it an event.
Hell. I'll set up something in San Diego. I know I could get 2,000 to attend. I just think USA Volleyball efforts are just not enough.
Hopefully, the move the Southern California is soon. That would be great news.
I haven't heard from VBCrusin. Last time I talked to him he was moving to San Clemente.
Bookumdanoaloha
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Post by Roofan on Jul 8, 2004 18:14:19 GMT -5
Bookum
Saw your brother and nephew in Austin...very good people just like you!!!
As for the event. I was there and it was a pretty good time. The venue wasn't too far from the Convetion Center where the kids were playing, maybe like 15-20 minutes tops. The cost was $5 a head...hardly scalping the people to see the US. They gave away the aforementioned "Thunder Sticks" and threw several ball, tee shirts, etc. into the crowd when there were breaks in the action. It was a nice event on the whole. The US winning was a great bonus.
Later My Seaside friend!!!!!
Roofan
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Post by simplycurious on Jul 8, 2004 18:38:27 GMT -5
The cost was $5 a head...hardly scalping the people to see the US. Well "Hell's Bells", they were charging us $10 a night for the matches in Houston during the Girl's JO's - what a load of crap!!  Oh well, I've got a lot of friends on the team and amongst the staff, so I suppose it's money well spent...but still!  |
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Post by Bookumdanoaloha on Jul 9, 2004 0:24:15 GMT -5
Hey Roofan
Watch out for my San Diego Juniors the next two years. Chase Budinger and Garrett Matutia are probably two of the top five sophmores in the the Country. Too bad they aren't on the same club team in San Diego.
Budinger will probably play collegiate basketball. Rumor has it that he's going to Arizona. Garrett will be a great one. Needs more competition to get motivated.
Been running beach volleyball tournaments in San Diego. Trying to teach junior players how to PASS THE BALL. Have a good summer.
Bookumdanoaloha
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Post by cyberVBmidwest on Jul 9, 2004 8:21:34 GMT -5
Well "Hell's Bells", they were charging us $10 a night for the matches in Houston during the Girl's JO's - what a load of crap!! In Austin, it was $10 with a $5 discount for those who held a JO's pass (players, coaches, managers, assistant coaches, etc...) |
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