| June 20, 1999 | ISSUE NO. 9899.07 | ||||||||||||
Each year several companies generously contribute funds and product to help support the
USQRA's Post-Season tournaments. Their participation does not go unnoticed. We ask our
membership to thank these fine companies for their continued support of our sport. When
you see or talk to them during the year, let them know that we appreciate them. Special
thanks to: PVA - Sunrise Medical - Sportaid - Invacare - Eagle Sportschairs A little more than a year ago at the 1998 AGM, a motion was made that recommended the USQRA purchase a trophy that could be awarded each year to the National Champions. It was suggested that the trophy list all previous winners of National tournaments, as well as the location and dates of the competitions. Winners of future National Championships would then be awarded the trophy until the next year's National tournament took place. One year later, at this years AGM, the USQRA proudly unveiled its new National trophy to the membership. The people in attendance demonstrated their approval with a rousing round of applause, as it was uncovered. The trophy itself has a tall black marble base, on which stands a large Silver Cup. The overall height of the award is about three-feet tall and is quite impressive to look at. Having a National trophy is nice, but without a proper name, it's just another trophy.
Things like this are not always easy to name, but in our case, knowing what to call it was
obvious right from the start. The trophy will not only honor the USQRA's past and present
National champions each year, it will also honor the founder of our association. Without
his remarkable dedication to this sport from day one, it is safe to say that quad rugby
would probably not exist today. Therefore, our National trophy will forever be known as
"The Mikkelsen Cup." Thank you Brad! Two Tier Rugby At this year's AGM, the membership established a new National Championship structure.
We will now have two National Championship Tournaments, one for Division I and a second
for The AGM will be held at one of the two tournaments. A banquet will be held at both tournaments. The two championships will be a minimum of two weeks apart, though a bid could be accepted for one site to host both tournaments. The new structure should provide a more competitive atmosphere at both tournaments. It
will also give many more teams a realistic chance to advance to a National tournament.
Teams should keep this in mind while planning and budgeting for the upcoming season. Congratulations The USQRA is proud to recognize two of its members that stood out from the crowd this past season. Both of these people lead by example and are excellent role models for others to follow. Angie Seals of Spokane, Washington was awarded the 1999 Spirit of Achievement Award for her unselfish dedication to the sport of Quad Rugby. She is closely involved with helping to keep our Classification Committee well organized, and also offers her expertise as a physical therapist and trainer to all athletes for the asking. Angie exemplifies what the Spirit of Achievement award is all about. The 1999 Athlete of the Year Award was presented to Rick Draney of San Diego,
California. Rick is a class 2.5 rugby player with Sharp Shadow. He has played an intricate
role in helping guide his team to 3-consecutive National Championships in 1996, 1997 and
1998. Rick's athletic skills have been demonstrated not only on the rugby court, but also
on tennis courts around the world. We are honored to have Angie and Rick as a part of our
organization, and congratulate them both on their awards. Paralympic Coaching and Staff Positions Anyone interested in applying for a Coaching or Staff position for the 2000 US
Paralympic team must submit his or her written application by July 16th. Applications
should include both a resume and a cover letter. Submit applications to the USQRA
Secretary's Office c/o Bob Jackson, 18 W. 741 Avenue Chateaux North, OakBrook, Illinois
60522. The selection criteria for both athletes and
staff are available on the web page for review. Post-Season Tournament hosts sought The USQRA is actively seeking bids from teams that would like to host a post-season tournament for the 1999-2000 rugby season. With the introduction of two-tier rugby this year, Regionals will still be held where necessary, and the four Sectional tournaments will continue to be played. The big change is that we will now have two National Championships, Division I and Division II. Hosting these tournaments provides a great opportunity for you to showcase your team and the sport in your local community. The USQRA has been successful in recent years in helping provide some sponsorship money to post-season tournament hosts. A properly planned tournament can turn into a nice fundraising opportunity. If you would like to host one of these important competitions, please contact Ed Suhr
for more information at (503) 238-1324. A written bid must be submitted to the USQRA
before it will be seriously considered. All bids to host one of the National Championship
tournaments must be submitted by September 30th. Clinic Requests The USQRA is actively seeking bids from teams or organizations that would like to host a PVA/USQRA camp or clinic in the summer of 2000. We are currently planning to hold two advanced camps, one on each coast. The camps will teach advanced rugby techniques on both the individual and team level. Hosts must have at least a two court facility and housing for up to 35 participants. Housing can be at a hotel or dormitory facility. We will also hold basic clinics, as needed. In order to host a basic clinic, teams should have at least a one-court facility and at least 12 players who will attend. One of these clinics is a great way to jump-start a new team, or rejuvenate a struggling one. If you would like to host a camp or clinic, call Ed Suhr for more information at (503)
238-1324. Notes from the AGM The USQRA's 11th Annual General Meeting (AGM) and National Championships were held April 15-18th, in Phoenix, Arizona. This year's tournament was one of the most competitive Nationals to date for our organization. Each of the twelve teams that participated displayed exceptional playing skills, and demonstrated that they were all worthy of competing at Nationals. Congratulations to all of the participants. As tradition dictates, on the day prior to the start of Nationals team representatives, interested parties, and the USQRA Executive Committee all gathered together in one room to discuss and vote on the association's business. Reports were given from the Commissioner, President and Treasurer, as well as from the four Regional Assistant Commissioners (RAC's). The Classification and Referee committees also addressed the membership to share their observations and recommendations on the growth of our sport. Teams not attending the AGM miss an important opportunity to participate in the development of their association. This year's agenda was filled with many proposals ranging from rule and equipment revisions, to restructuring the way post-season play takes place. Listed below are a few of the highlights that will affect the upcoming season.
USQRA Wheelchair Rule Changes and Clarifications Art. 13 WHEELCHAIR BUMPERS i) The maximum allowable height of the bumper is 30 cm. from the floor. WINGS i) Wings cannot extend laterally beyond the center of the rear tires. Note: Any chair not meeting these specifications must be properly corrected before to the start of the 1999-2000 rugby season.
Important Date Changes The membership voted to move the date of many deadlines from January 15th to December 15th. This date change will help the organization function more efficiently by avoiding confusion due to the Holidays. It will also finalize regions and sections earlier, which will allow post season hosts more time to prepare for their tournaments. Following are the bylaws affected by this change: -Article 1 Section 2a: Notice to transfer, add, or substitute players, December 15th USQRA Top 20 list as of 6/1/99 1. Lakeshore Demolition
Note: The 1999 AGM Minutes can be downloaded in the File Library
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