USQRA

2001 AGM

The United States Quad Rugby Association National Championships will be held on April 6-8 in San Diego, California.  All Team Representatives are encouraged to attend the AGM on April 5th.  If you are unable to attend, or send a team member in your place you may vote by proxy on the issues that are printed on the form in this newsletter.  Please fax your proxy vote to Bob Jackson at (630) 960-5850 by April 1st.

Nationals Seeding

Division I 1. Lakeshore Demolition 2. Texas Stampede 3. Tampa Generals 4. Casa Colina Buccaneers 5. Phoenix Heat 6. Suncoast Lightning 7. Sharp Edge 8. San Diego Bushwackers

Division II 1. California Quake  2. Portland Pounders  3. Denver Harlequins 4. NEPVA Boston Pitbulls  5. Texas Ruff Riders  6. Tennessee Titans 7. Chicago Bears 8. Carolina Crash

Quad Rugby Central

Open Board Positions

The positions of Commissioner, Vice President and Treasurer are currently available.  Below are the resumes of those interested in running for positions.

Tom Hamill: 

Please accept my announcement of my candidacy for USQRA Commissioner. During the current season, I have served as RAC for the Atlantic North Region. Through my urging and assistance, the Region has progressed from near dormant to providing each team with the opportunity to compete in more than 20 games within the Region. My contribution to the Region has been consistent communication and follow-up. These are attributes I would bring to the position of Commissioner. As Commissioner, I will work diligently to increase the level of communication to the teams, individual players, referees and classifiers.

I have been involved in the sport of Quad Rugby since the New Jersey team formed in 1992. During my time in the sport, I've been on a new team, been involved with an interest group in Richmond, Virginia and have been a member of an established team in Philadelphia. At various times I have been a player, team captain, team representative and coach. I have been Tournament Director of the last two Beast of the East Tournaments; directed a clinic in Philadelphia in September of 2000; have been team manager of the Philadelphia Rebels; and have run a regional ones team in conjunction with Morris RFC in northern New Jersey.

The greatest challenge facing the USQRA is the need to once again grow the sport. We need to go back to the areas where we no longer have teams and find ways to get interested players back into the sport. We need to identify cities and areas that will support teams and expose potential players, administrators and sponsors to the sport. We need to have open lines of communication to the existing teams so that when a key administrator or player is lost, the team is able to fill that void.

Professionally, I have been an attorney for 12 years. I have worked in a large law firm and as a sole practitioner, and for five and one half years I have served as a law clerk for a federal judge. My main duties are researching, writing and advising the judge on the law. My legal skills will translate directly to the Commissioner's duties as primary interpreter of the by-laws and rules of the USQRA. Through my personal ethics, and as the member of a team that stresses participation as an aspect of Quad Rugby that is equal to winning, I will always act in a manner that is consistent with the best interests of all of quad rugby.

Ellen Kaitz

I'm 41, a physician specializing in Rehab and Physical Medicine for children, and have played rugby since 1991. I started with Philly and then unsuccessfully tried to start a team in Richmond from 1994-7 with Tom Hammill and Brad Ramage. I've been in Ohio since 1997, as captain of the LowRiders. I'm running for VP for a few reasons;
1. I want to return something to the sport that has given me so much;
2. I want to help improve our marketing and public awareness;
3. I want to help improve the Board's accountability to the players and volunteers; and
4. I want to give a voice to the "weaker" teams, the ones who are not Nationally ranked, the more recreational players. I also support Bob Jackson's push to make rugby available to the juniors to improve the "feeder" system to rugby.

Jason Regier

My interest in the vice president positione for the USQRA comes from my passion for the game along with my interest to help promote and help this sport grow. On my team the Denver Harlequins I have taken the leadership role in trying to establish a solid organization that promotes rugby by being a team that is dedicated to playing the sport at the highest level possible.

After finding out about the position of Vice President of the USQRA, I realized that this position was the role that I had assumed with my team but on the national level. This position is the exact area that I would like to focus my attention on to help develop this sport.

I can help the USQRA by bringing my passion I have for the game and my experience in organizing and running a team to help keep the U.S. a leader in Rugby.

Rugby backgrounds and Board of Directors history
I've been playing rugby since 1997
National team alternate 1999
Denver Harlequins wheelchair rugby president-2000
Founded Board of Directors -Aug. 2000

Board of Directors-
Jason Regier -Founder and Head of the board
Beverly Infante - Director of Human Resources
Humberto Treuba -Business Development
Raymond French-Chief Operations Officer
Patricia Dean-Lawyer
Brad M. - Quadfather
Steve Pals - Team rep.

I put together a Board of Directors to bring a business approach to our clubs and organization. I selected business and community leaders that understood our passion for the game and the impact it has had on our lives. When I formed the Board of directors I gave them my vision and goals for the next five years. My vision was to make our club a model club for new teams and existing teams to follow.

Year one-form the Board of Directors, develop promotional and marketing materials, raise $25,000 and put in a bid to host nationals in 2002. Year two-become fully funded and raise $50,000 per year. Year three-Help other teams establish organizational structure and a solid foundation for fundraising.  Year four-help develop and promote rugby and increased membership throughout the U.S. through clinics, education, and demonstrations. Year five-promote rugby in other countries through demonstrations, clinics and wheelchair giveaways.

My main focus as Vice President will be to maintain a high standard of rugby while promoting the game and developing player and coaches.

AGM AGENDA

I.          Approve Minutes

II.         Roll Call

III        President’s Report 

IV.       Commissioner’s Report 

V.        Treasurer’s Report (Proposed Budget)

VI.       RAC Reports                       

1                                            Atlantic Terry Vinyard and Tom Hamill

2                                            Heartland Paul Levasseur

3.                     Mountain Brad Mikkelsen and Terry Gumbert

4.                     Pacific Terry Luxembourger and Lynn Nelson

VII.            Committee Reports

A.  Officials           

B.    Classification

·        IWRF vs. USQRA Classification

C.    Wheelchair Specification Committee Report

VIII. Constitution and Bylaws

·        Canadian Inclusion

·        Revote last year’s transfer rule

·        Criteria for forming new teams (1 below)

·        Player transfer fee (2 below)

·        Schedule change fee (3 below)

·        Increase dues to $350 (4 below)

·        Change roster date for foreign players from Dec 15^th to Jan 15^th (5 below)

·        Regional tournament hosting (6 below)

IX.   Rule Change

·        Change to 7.5 points on the floor (7 below)

·        Maximum wing height of 15 cm (8 below)

·        Wings must be tubular in nature (9 below)

·        Spoke guard as widest point of chair (10 below)

·        Clarify meter rule (11 below)

X.        Old Business

XI.       New Business 

XII.            Elections 
A.        Commissioner
B.         2^nd Vice President
C.        Treasurer

XIII.            Regional, Sectional, and National Bids

Proposed Rule Changes and Bylaw Amendments

Each proposal is separated with a horizontal line

1) A new team may be formed only if there is no more than two members from a preceding team, including the Coach, otherwise they may change their name at any time but will not have new team status unless they meet this criteria set.

2) Teams that gain a player from a registered team via a transfer must pay a $500 transfer fee which will go to the player's former team. Existing transfer rules will still be in effect. The team must pay this in order for the player to be eligible in Post Season. If the player sits out post season his new team would not have to pay the transfer fee.

3) Any schedule change to accommodate a team in the post-season must be approved by the Host, RAC and the USQRA Commissioner. If approved, the team involved will pay a $200 fee to be divided by the league and the host.

4) Due to several protests in the past year, it has become apparent that the USQRA needs to purchase Directors and Officers insurance. In order to cover the cost of this insurance, dues need to be raised to $350.

5) Section 2 - Requirements of rostered players
a) Notice of teams intention to add, substitute or transfer must be sent to the Commissioner's office by December 15 of the current season. Players may be added after December 15 as members in order to receive benefits but will not be eligible to compete in sanctioned tournaments.
b) No player may be listed on more than one national member team's roster.
c) All rostered players must participate in two registered games prior to post season play defined as February 1st. Except for extenuating circumstances which may be brought before the Executive Committee. All International players must have played in two games with rostered team by December 15th.

Change: December 15th to January 15th.

Reasoning: To allow international players the option to make one trip to the USA as many countries have VISA restrictions allowing only a 3-month stay. This would allow international players and US club teams the opportunity to play with experienced players at a reasonable financial cost.

6) 1. To promote rugby in 3 major regions during the year. The USQRA should SPONSOR and SANCTION three tournaments in these areas:
a. West Coast
b. Plains
c. East Coast

The idea is to form a CONSISTENT tournament each year that is run by members of that region working together to host a multi level tournament every year. The USQRA would lend nominal funds to tournament hosts, waive any sanctioning fees, and would lend support from all board members working on committee's throughout the year to coordinate dates and compatibilities with other tournaments. The goal is to provide 3 KNOWN tournaments each year that teams could budget, train, and work around to improve calendar tournaments. It also would be beneficial in hosting referee and classification clinics throughout the year.
Rules

7) A formal proposal to change from 8.0 points on the floor to 7.5 points. This is based primarily on U.S. numbers with international numbers to support. You may want to read the article out of QRT  by Peter Schreiner.  Download Peter Schreiners research

8) Change the maximum wing height from 30 cm to 15 cm from the ground.

9) A proposal that wings be tubular or of rounded nature. For safety reasons they cannot have an edge on them created by plates or by using channel style metal that has an edge. There are a lot of plated wings that create a safety issue.

10) If player has no push rim, the widest point of wheel may be the spokegaurd. This will allow players to take weight off the most important place, the wheels thus allowing Rugby athletes to perform at a higher level and increase speed.

11) Art. 36 - Violations of the Throw-In

The following violations can occur during a throw-in:
a) A player who has been awarded the ball for a throw-in, cannot (after the throw-in) touch the ball on the court before it has been touched by another player.
b) The inbounding player cannot consume more than 10 seconds before the ball is released and touched by a player on the court.
c) The inbounding player may not come onto the court until he has clearly released the ball.
d) The inbounding player may pivot but not move laterally from the throw-in spot. Note: This does not apply for a throw-in after a goal.
e) After it has been released, the ball may not touch the out-of-bounds before it has been legally inbounded; however the ball may be bounced once if it is to be batted onto the court.
f) No player on the court (defensive or offensive) may be within a one (1) meter radius from the point of the throw-in. The neutral area outlined by the radius is required to permit the inbounding player to enter the court after the throw-in. A violation will result in a one (1) minute penalty for the defense and a loss of possession for the offense.
g ) A defender may not obstruct the inbounding player from completely entering the court after a throw-in. To do so will result in a one (1) minute penalty.
h) The inbounding player must enter the court at the point of the throw-in.
Penalty: for violating a,b,c,d,e,h - loss of possession

Change: add section i)
The inbounder cannot cause a meter violation by moving down the baseline. If a player moves along the baseline to inbound the ball thereby putting players on the court within the meter, he must wait for the players on the court to clear the space before entering the court.

Classification

Proposal One - We propose that the international classification (IWRF) supercede any USA classification (USQRA). An athlete may protest the international classification at the next tournament where the proper international panel is present, but will play in the US with the international class.

Rationale
Our ideal suggestion is that the IWRF Classification of an athlete stand until it is challenged by another international panel. Wheelchair rugby is an international sport with full Paralympic medal status and increasing exposure and growth throughout the world. We feel it is important to uphold and respect the international classification process. We believe international classifiers are well qualified to make objective and accurate decisions regarding class. The classifiers involved at the international level average a minimum of six years involvement in wheelchair rugby and have ample experience at international tournaments (i.e. tournaments where more than one zone is present). The current IWRF classifiers are very skilled at both bench testing and court observations, which are imperative to performing the current rugby classification system properly.

We recognize that a considerable time and cost factor may be involved in this scenario. However, it is our opinion that at this time when the sport is expanding throughout the world and also becoming increasingly competitive internationally it is in the best interests of the USA to hold their athletes to the same standards as those athletes in other counties. Setting our system apart and above those throughout the world sets a dangerous precedent of superiority that will only harm our reputation in the world sphere.

Proposal Two - A US athlete has the option of protesting an international class should there be a discrepancy between the USQRA and IWRF class that the athlete does not agree with. Our alternative recommendation would be that the athlete be seen by at least a qualified upper level panel (i.e. USQRA level III-IV). Until the proper panel can be arranged and the protest completed, the athlete would play as the IWRF class. Once the protest is conducted, if the appropriate protest panel of USQRA classifiers arrive at a different class than that of the international panel, the athlete would play in the US with the new class from the protest, a class different than his/ her International class.

Rationale
The athlete playing at a higher IWRF class (when there is a discrepancy between international and country class) until an opportunity for protest is available, may play most of a season at the international class (if, for example, the protest cannot be arranged until sectionals or nationals). Playing at the international class (especially if the IWRF class is higher than the USQRA class) may limit a player's playing time in the current team plan. The player will have limited playing time and consequently will not develop the skills and abilities in the sport. By allowing the player to play at his current USQRA class in the USA, and his IWRF class if in international competition, playing time may be greater.

Proposal Three - Any USQRA classified player who receives an international classification which is different from their US class shall continue to use his/her USQRA class for all US tournaments until such time as their international classification can be reviewed by an appropriate US panel. Once the review has been conducted and a classification difference continues to exist the player will maintain their USQRA classification for all US play and their international classification will be in effect for all IWRF sanctioned events, team USA try outs and all team USA play. (A US panel cannot override an international classification for international play)

7.5 Resolution

Any individual game or tournament prior to post-season competition during the 2001-2002 season may, at the tournament director's or organizing committee's discretion, be run with a maximum point value of 7.0 or 7.5 points. The change in point value for the tournament shall be announced to prospective teams at the time they are invited to the game or tournament.

Any game or tournament held pursuant to this resolution shall still qualify for hosting and participation requirements for the 2001-2002 season.

The tournament director or organizing committee shall report to the Commissioner any relevant data resulting from the change in maximum point values, including: (1) any teams not able to play under the lower point maximum; (2) any perceived changes in the dynamics of on court play, such as greater or lesser value to high or low point players; (3) any comments by players, coaches or spectators; and (4) whether the USQRA should consider adopting the lower point value as a permanent change. Individual recommendations may also be forwarded to the Commissioner.

The Commissioner shall gather tournament reports, individual reports and poll the RACs as to the success of the experimental maximum point values. The Commissioner shall consolidate all information gathered and file a report and any recommendations to the Rules Committee, on or before February 15, 2002.

Player Transfer Proposal (revote from last year)

Any player in the USQRA may transfer to another team if they wish. However, if a player chooses to transfer, both the player, and the team they transfer to, must agree to the following guidelines:

1) The proposed transfer must take place prior to October 1st of the upcoming rugby season.

2) The transferring player must notify the Commissioner and Secretary's office in writing of the proposed transfer no later than October 1st.

3) A written resignation letter must be given to the current team's coach or representative by September 15th. Copies of that resignation letter must also be sent to the Commissioner and Secretary's office, and be received no later than October 1st.

4) The transferring player must take up permanent residence within 150 miles of the city in which the team they are transferring to is located. Furthermore, the transferring player must obtain, and maintain, a valid driver's license or State ID from the state that they are transferring to. The license must show their new address of record. A copy of the new driver's license must be provided to the Commissioner and Secretary's office by December 15th of the year in which the transfer takes place. If a player does not live within 150 miles of a team, the player must choose one of the two closest teams to play with.

5) If a player transfers to a higher ranked team, the transferring player will not be allowed to play in any USQRA post-season tournaments such as Regionals, Sectionals or Nationals in the first full season of their transfer. If a player transfers to a lower ranked, the player can play in post season play.

6) The transferring player can participate in unsanctioned tournaments with his new team in the first year of play. Results from tournaments where the transferring player has participated may, or may not, be considered when ranking teams, or seeding tournaments for the USQRA post season.

7) Any player that has transferred to a team in the past must abide by the 150-mile rule, and must also hold a valid driver's license or State ID from the state in which they live. The driver's license must show their current address of record, and can be asked to be presented at anytime by a board member as proof of compliance. Failure to comply can result in an immediate temporary suspension pending a formal hearing.

8) International players must abide by these same rules with the exception of taking up residence, and obtaining a local driver's license. If an international player chooses to change teams at the end of a season, and the team they are transferring from has no objections, an exemption allowing post season play the next season may be allowed by the Commissioner's office. International players must continue to meet dates and specifications currently outlined in the bylaws.

9) The Commissioner's office must give all transfers final approval.

• Download Proxy Ballot
• Download Peter Schreiners research

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