Dear AVP…Please Don’t

We don’t need the AVP.  We need a Federation.

I am going to be honest here.  I have written this post at least 5 times now, and keep deleting it.  There are so many thoughts and ways to go on the topic, that I felt like what I really wanted to say was getting lost.  The recent update the AVP website (www.avp.com) started all these thoughts in motion.  I want to be very clear (and it may seem harsh) on my thoughts.  I do NOT want to see the AVP come back to life.  The easiest way I can relate it is to compare it to Brett Favre.  Both were amazing and a huge part of their specific cultures years ago.  When you thought they were down and out, they made one good (maybe great) push to be relevant again.  Neither knew/know when it is time to walk away.  Let us live with the good memories and times we have in our minds.

I want to ask a very simple question.  What had the AVP done in the last decade that was “great” for the sport?  What did they do that 50 years from now, people will say “remember when the AVP did…”?  I am not saying this to rip on the AVP, I am saying it to be honest.  The AVP as a brand has not done anything relevant in years.  I would think that all the memorable matches that people are thinking of right now, would have happened with or without the AVP.  Sure, the AVP provided the courts for the battles, but who is to say CVBA or USAV could not have provided the same thing?

I also want to come right out and say forget the “business model” argument.  I am not sure there is a correct business model for this sport. I think the problem is we are in a sport that is divided amongst their own.  Old School vs New School, Leather vs Composite, Pool play vs Bracket play.  The list goes on and on.  This is why I think maybe the AVP should just stay in the sunset and not return.  As a tour at least.  I do not have the answer as to what is next.  I do have some thoughts.  Some are good.  Some are on a whim.  Some need some research.  I guess it is time to present my thoughts on a federation:

Create a federation.  Take all the regional tours (NVL, USAV, GAV, CVBA, EEVB, Toyota Pro Beach, etc) and have them come to some sort of joint agreement.  These are the rules we are going to use.  This is the format we are going to play with.  This is the seeding process.  I am not talking about prize money and such.  Just the formats.  That way there is some unity with all the tours.  Players would join the federation for a minimal fee ($50 a year).  You take those fees and create a point series with the money.  So you would get points bases on size of event and your finish.  The local tours would still set entry fees and prizes.  At the end of the season the top players would be paid.  If a sponsor is added, then you can add more to the hopper.  You can also take the average points of the two players and seed them for a year end event or even a step for the Olympic Qualifying process.  The federation would be open to any players of any nation.  If a local tour/promoter does not follow the uniform guidelines, they are removed from the federation.  They no longer would have access to the network for sponsors, money, point system, etc.  For a player, being the point leader at a local tour could help you get automatic bids in certain events.  For example, the point leader of the Toyota tour could get a main draw spot for the Manhattan Open.  Any event that is large enough for a qualifier, could set aside a number of spots for automatic draws from the local level.

As part of the federation agreement, you could ask the local tours to contribute to other things such as lover level courts (AA/A/BB) and maybe require the youth clinics are available.  I am not saying every tour needs to run youth clinics, but they should have the option if someone wants to run them.  I think where the AVP lost its touch is with the fans.  Sure you can do suites and free shirts, but what people want are experiences, not just swag.  How many people do you think would come to a pro event if there was some sort of Pro-Am event Maybe once the elimination round is over on Saturday, you can offer some of those players to play in a Pro-Am event on Sunday with some fans.  The one thing I think the regional tours have right, is that they know their region.  They know how to make a big event a destination event.  We need to get kids to force their parents in to making their family vacations based around volleyball events.  Youth camp Mon – Thurs, Pro-Am on Sunday, play all weekend.  Maybe even run junior events on the outer courts at the same venue.

Again, I know these are all random thoughts.  There is a lot more thinking and tweaking that would be done.  I think people like the NVL and USAV are started in the right direction.  My fear is that they are so bent on making it “right” for the players, that they are going to forget the fans.  If we forget the fans any more than we have in the past, we will not grow this sport past the recreational level it is at in most of the country.