COWLITZ VOLLEYBALL CLUB
Volume 12, Issue 1
January 2003

Welcome to the Cowlitz Volleyball Club.  This is our twelfth year at producing a newsletter in an effort to keep athletes and parents informed of upcoming events, club happenings, etc.  As an informed educator once said, "It seems that the mission of all teenagers is to keep their parents in the dark about upcoming events, school, etc."  This newsletter is an effort to partially eliminate the athletes from the loop, and create opportunities for coaches and parents to communicate directly.  In addition, thanks to the stellar work of Coach Rick Woodruff, we have an outstanding web page for you to reference about upcoming events. Check it out at www.cowlitzvolleyball.com - it is AWESOME!!  The first practice of each month is designated as parent night.  Either before or after practice (check with coaches), each coach will hold a parent/athlete meeting, distribute the newsletter, and attempt to go over events of interest to parents.  Hope to see you there.

The season is off and running, and as you might have noticed, we will get your daughter into competition ASAP, since the season tends to fly by.  Hundreds of hours have been logged already putting together the season for your daughter.  Let us know if there is anything we can do for you, and certainly let us know if you are willing to volunteer your time to assist us with fund raising, transportation, tournaments, concessions, etc.  We are an all volunteer organization, and any help is greatly appreciated.

The region has a "Power Tournament" format which calls for us to be involved in one Power Tournament a month.  Locations have been narrowed down to two or three spots and can be viewed on the CEVA web-site www.columbiaempirevb.com. This can also be reached through our web-site. It is certain that we will be hosting Power Tournaments at some time during the regional season. We have been given several dates for our consideration. We will announce next month after we have secured adequate gym space.

DRESS GUIDELINES

Each athlete is furnished with top quality uniforms, equipment and accessories. A check with other clubs reveals that many neighboring clubs ask their athletes to pay additional monies for uniforms, etc. We have chosen not to do so and have worked with ASICS, Subway, Pro-Image, and Bill Hatch Sporting Goods on team sponsorships for our athletes. In view of this the following are our expectations while your daughter is in a Cowlitz uniform:

• Shirts are to remain tucked in at all times
• No tank top / sleeveless shirts will be worn
• No "boxer type shorts" are to be worn while in uniform
• Any shorts worn by athletes will be worn at the waist and will not be sagged!
• No "devices" are to be used to fasten sleeves or hold them up
• The length of socks will be determined by the coach and all athletes on the team will wear the same length white socks
• As dictated by USVBA and for safety reasons - no jewelry at practice or matches

PICTURE NIGHT

Our tenth annual picture night will be held on Wednesday, January 8, 2003 in the cafeteria at Monticello Middle School.  Information on packets, and photo times for teams were distributed in late December.  Bell Studios from Rainier will once again be doing the photos and the team booklets which he provides for free, as a sponsorship to athletes, parents and sponsors.  The information is about our Club, and its players.  The first booklet of its kind in the Pacific Northwest, we still maintain our simple no gloss appearance where athletes are not required to solicit ads, etc.  For those athletes that do solicit sponsors, they will be recognized in the booklet provided that the information is received prior to the deadline.

CONTRACTS

All athletes, parents and coaches MUST complete the signing of contracts before participation in tournaments.  A special thanks to all parents for their support in helping their daughter live up to the expectations of the contracts.  We have initiated a pay by mail system to centralize payments.  Coupons were included in the team assignment letters.  Please mail all payments in a timely fashion.

TOURNAMENTS

**NOTE ~ Final season schedules will be out by the end of January. Power Tournaments, Rose City, Yakima Jamboree, Longview Tournaments are firm. Regional dates are determined by previous Power Tournament placements, and cannot be finalized until April.

The Cowlitz Volleyball Club hosts more tournaments than any other club in the Northwest, with over 330 teams participating in Longview tournaments last season.  Our ambitious approach to tournaments is done for several reasons, the most obvious reason being that it guarantees our teams entry into tournaments, with minimum travel time for athletes and parents.  But also, it should be mentioned that the influx of 330 teams into our community is most beneficial to local merchants, etc. in terms of dollars spent in our community, and it is a plus for our very supportive and knowledgeable volleyball community.  It should also be mentioned that both the Longview School District and Lower Columbia College are very supportive and helpful in the use of their facilities for tournaments and practices.  Running the tournaments also generates income for the Club which allows us to provide the best possible program for our athletes while keeping costs to a minimum.

TRAVEL TALK

One of the benefits of Club participation is the opportunity to travel to different communities, cities, and states in pursuit of volleyball competition. This section of the newsletter each month will update you on the latest travel information as the events come up. Our major trips include Las Vegas in February, Sonoran Desert Classic and Yakima Jamboree trips in March, the Emerald City Classic in May, and the Davis Festival Tournament in June.  Along with Power and area tournaments, it promises to be a very busy season.

• Sonoran Desert Classic
  16's Black : February 14, 15, 16
  Cowlitz ASICS : February 14, 15, 16, 17
  Amerisuites, Tempe will be our headquarters hotel.  Final travel arrangements are pending.
  

• Las Vegas
  February 14-17
  Cowlitz ASICS will depart on Friday, February 14 on Alaska Airlines at 9:49, arriving in Las Vegas at 11:52.  The Aladdin Hotel will be the headquarters for our three day stay.  Transfers to and from the hotel are included.  The return flight will be on Monday, February 17 on Alaska Airlines departing Las Vegas at 6:35 and arriving in Portland at 8:54.
  
  
• Yakima Jamboree
  Depart Friday, February 28, for Yakima, returning March 2. Parents, coaches, and athletes will be housed at the DoubleTree Inn, Yakima. We have contracted for 100 rooms. This tournament affords athletes two complete days of competition where they are matched up with teams of equal ability. It is a very well run tournament, and a lot of fun for family and athletes. Limited housing ~ complete coupon and get to your coach ASAP!  FIRST COME, FIRST SERVED!!!
  
  
• Volleyball Festival 2003
  Will be held June 29 - July 5. This marks the 19th year of this national caliber tournament, where each year 10,000 athletes and 600 teams compete over a seven day period. The opening ceremonies are held at the Arco arena in Sacramento to accommodate the 17,000 people expected each year. We have had numerous top sixteen finishes in the past. The trip will begin on June 25 this year, and will involve hotel stays in Redding, Santa Clara and Sacramento over an eleven day period. All of the housing contracts have been signed, and we are looking forward with great anticipation to the trip. More info later.

12's Black  Tuesdays  7:00  Castle Rock
12's Blue  Tuesday night  7:00  Monticello|
14's Purple  Tuesday night  7:00  Monticello
14's Red  Tuesday night  7:00  Cascade
14's Blue  Wednesday night  7:30  Mark Morris
14's Black  Wednesday night  8:00  Olympic
16's Red  Wednesday night  6:00  LCC
16's Blue  Wednesday night  8:00  LCC
16's Black  Wednesday night  8:00  LCC
18's Blue  Wednesday night  7:00  Monticello
18's Black  Wednesday night  7:00 Monticello

WEBMASTER

Rick Woodruff is definitely the "Master of the Web". The site is updated almost daily and is well worth your time to check it out. Coaches will rely more on the Web this year to communicate information to you.