Yankee Board Meeting Minutes

Wednesday, October 22, 2003

 

Board attendees: Judy Katalina, Ann Reidl, Lora Loyall, Lynn Jones, Paul Santos, Helen Taylor

Other attendees: David Castanon

 

Accepted minutes from last meeting

 

Debbie Finnigan is due to deliver Feb/Mar ’04, she will need someone to take over as Tournament Coordinator – Paul Santos volunteered.

She will also need help with grass roots tournaments next season.

 

Officiating:

Steve Webster has set up a number of ratings opportunities for new refs.

Kudos to Glenn Corwin for his NOVA implementation – makes it very easy for TDs to check ref status, and for refs to sign up for tournaments. Still need new refs.

 

Registrar:

Registration is up from this time last year, (may be due to more tournaments early in the season).

 

Grass Roots:

2 tournaments so far, both went well. At the second, 8 of the 10 teams had 7 players – good turn-outs, (hopefully no-one minded subbing).

New numbered shirts were have been given out.

Extra jackets from last season’s qualifiers have been given out.

Debbie will need help with GR tournaments next season.

 

Newsletter:

Postcards went out last week for members to request snail mail copies.

E-news looks good.

 

Web:

Tom not here – site looks good.

 

Rick Pierce tournament:

David gave heads-up – this will be Al Austras’ first time to run the RP.  He may need help. Neither he nor Tom Klemas will be in town.

Committee – Tom Sweeney, Ann Reidl, Patty DesMaisons, Sue and Tom Wilson, Darryl Bullock and Helen Taylor.

Have had nominations – need to put out another blast.

Need to make sure we have a sound system for presentation, family is invited, and award winners will be present.

Family doesn’t want to renew the perpetual plaque (it’s full), we just need to get the small plaques for the winners.

 

NERVA:

David confirmed the new ‘U-volley’ division for 2004 Nationals, for the ‘vertically challenged’. He’s not certain of the exact measurements, but these can be found on the website. The nets will be normal height for each gender.

There will be A/AA and B/BB divisions for men and women (one each half).

We need to make sure the membership is aware of the possibility of playing both halves, as this doesn’t conflict with the rules not allowing you to play 2 levels of club. (Like age groups)

NERVA has changed its insurance company. However, coverage will stay the same.

Jrs. The requirement for national background checks for coaches, club directors and chaperones has not been implemented yet, but is progressing.

 

Championships:

We have had feedback from a number of players who were disappointed with their lack of playing time from April through May.

There is also great concern about running championships due to fewer facilities available this year. Several colleges have already been unreliable and tournaments have been cancelled or had rushed relocations, due to last minute pull-outs.

(David did suggest the possibility of approaching college club teams to host tournaments as colleges are more receptive to supporting their own teams efforts and thus less likely to cancel availability. BU has supposedly finished a new sports facility with 4-5 courts. This may have potential for hosting 1 or 2 date championships.)

Regionals must be held, they could be moved up to April if qualifiers and champs aren’t held. David told us that there will come a time when Nationals will reduce the numbers of teams accepted, so our regionals will work to select teams who qualify to go. At the moment he and Judy seed the teams applying.

If regular tournaments are held through May, there will be more opportunities for the members to play.

Lynn asked for feedback from several people, most don’t want or don’t care, a few liked them as a culmination of the playing season.

Ann agreed, she proposed a ‘trial year’ of no champs, we can always re-instate them next or future years, if necessary. Lora would like to see championships continue as closure for teams not going to Nationals. Helen would like to see a change, would prefer to keep as many people playing for as long as possible in the season. Paul can do without – would consider running them on 1 or 2 weekends if we had the facilities.

Judy suggested we might put it up for the draft, that TDs can run a ‘championship-like’ tournament, running AA/Open and B/BB using Nationals mappings. It would need a 3-court facility.

Helen - propose we not hold championships this year.

Judy – second

In favor – Helen, Ann, Judy, Lynn, Paul

Against – Lora.

The ratings freeze will remain March 1st, so teams can prepare for Nationals.

 

CR ratings:

There was a proposal to change the rule from +2 per gender, to +3 per gender, (but not allowing balancing of overall ratings by low ratings of opposing gender)

Paul: move to change gender maximum to +3

Ann, Lynn, Lora second

In favor – unanimous

Opposed – 0

 

Other:

Non-sanctioned tournaments seem to be increasing – partly last year due to qualifiers and championships, people were wanting more playing time before nationals, others e.g. college teams using them as fundraisers. David suggested contacting the TDs and offering a low fee (e.g.$10/team) for a 1-day membership into Yankee and run the tourney as a ‘hybrid’ or 1-day ‘league’. This way everyone is insured, it’ll be posted on the Yankee schedule and there will be officials. He sees the advantage of increasing future membership with former students, now aware of Yankee, plus accessing new facilities. It’s preferable to have them on ‘our’ side at low cost rather than having them compete against us.

Judy will draft an e mail to the BAV-P to curtail other types of N/S tournaments.

 

Spring draft:

Wednesday December 3 LSHS, 7pm.

 

Next meeting:

Thursday December 11, 7pm, LSHS