CEO’S MESSAGE
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CORPORATE PARTNERS ®
ne of the questions I was asked repeatedly while I was at the London Olympics was when is the U.S. going to launch a pro indoor volleyball league. Believe me when I say, it’s as im- portant to the rest of the volleyball world as it is to those of us who love volleyball here at home. A big reason why volleyball people in other countries are rooting for the U.S. to build a suc- cessful pro league is that they understand this: For volleyball – or any sport – to jump to the next level worldwide, it has to thrive professionally at some level in the U.S. That doesn’t mean it has to be the NFL or the NBA, but it does need a professional presence, one that provides gifted players with opportunities beyond college, helps elevate the club volleyball experi- ence through connections with regional pro teams and gives fans across the nation more chances to enjoy the game, both in person and through broadcasts.
SPONSORS / SUPPLIERS
Our desire to begin building a foundation for professional indoor volleyball in the U.S. is one of the reasons we’re so excited about the Premier Volleyball League (PVL), a new grassroots pro league sanctioned by USA Volleyball that got off the ground in May at the USA Volleyball Open National Championships in Salt Lake City, Utah, with the participation of women’s teams from 12 regions. These teams were stocked with former collegiate players, and they competed at a very high level. Next year, the PVL will broaden its reach by offering tournament play at various USAV Junior National Qualifi ers in addition to the USA Volleyball Open National Championships and perhaps the USAV Junior National Championships and/or USAV High Performance Champion- ships, where we’re expecting even more teams than last year and are planning to add a men’s championship.
The hope is that as the PVL establishes itself and more adult players participate, we will be able to expand the number of regions that enter teams in the Open and create a league where teams will eventually compete for attractive levels of prize money. USAV has also recently signed a long-term partnership with Grand Prix Entertainment, a company that has an impres- sive history of managing sports and entertainment and will work with us to build on what we are doing with the PVL with the eventual goal of creating a professional volleyball league in the U.S. The sky’s the limit on where this could lead us. The PVL is a great starting point, and we’re optimistic that it will steadily grow. Before too long, you may be watching domestic professional indoor volleyball matches on television or Internet.
LICENSING PARTNERS
All of this is good news for the game, and it makes me optimistic about a couple of things: First of all, it takes us in a direction where more players have professional options beyond their college careers. Equally important, more players could have professional options here at home. We currently have more than 300 former college players who are competing professionally for club teams overseas, including most of our U.S. National Team athletes. It would be nice to have some of them on teams here at home where we could enjoy watching them play more regularly. Secondly, it means that young players who are just beginning their volleyball careers will soon be able to follow top-caliber players competing in tournaments around our country. We want our juniors to have more stars than just our national team players to look up to as role models. Just like young basketball players can look up to local NBA and WNBA stars who play on teams near their hometowns.
TRAINING CENTER PARTNERS
As much as anything, a pro opportunity gives young players a chance to dream. There’s no guarantee that a talented 12-year-old will grow up to be a professional volleyball player, but you never know, and it’s never a bad thing to aim high.
Doug Beal
Pro indoor volleyball in the U.S.? Yes, please! O
PHOTO: USA VOLLEYBALL / BILL KAUFFMAN
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