From the President: Board Updates, Club News, May 31

Greetings APA Members! Well the summer is definitely in full swing as everyone is out enjoying the beautiful weather – and the opportunity to get on their horses and swing some racquets!  In a continued effort to keep everyone updated on what’s going on, here is the latest from the APA Board, APA Programs, APA Committees and from various clubs around the country. Thanks – and enjoy the beautiful weather! Rob Caldwell APA President PROGRAMS AND COMMITTEES: Umpire Program Quarterly Report (Daniel Johnson): Our Chief Umpire, Daniel Johnson, shared with the Board of some things the Umpire Committee has been working on: ·  An informational packet will now go to all Tournament Umpires for them to use for tournaments, including the names of all rated umpires (associate, certified) so they will have names at hand in making the umpire schedule, ·  A packet will go to Tournament Umpires before tournaments so they will have specific things to look for during play, they can use it for the Friday night meetings, ·  All umpires have now been rated (whether they are associate or certified and what level), ·  There is now a closed Facebook page for the Umpire Body to use for learning and discussion on what is happening during play, what to look for, etc. ·  To assist with clarification around the Umpire Certification levels, the following is a list of the Umpire Certifications– o   Chief Umpire -Responsible for Umpire Program -Responsible in Certification of Umpires -Responsible for revising and implementing the Rules -Nominates Zone Umpires -Keeps records of incidents at tournaments o   Certified Umpires -Must demonstrate complete knowledge of the rules -Must be able to control the game at all levels including international play. -Must complete test (oral) -Must be familiar with “Umpire Program” -Has umpired or played in the past 24 months o   Associate Umpires -Umpires that have been witnessed to successfully umpire at a tournament by a Certified Umpire -May act as “Head Umpire” during a game -Must be an adult APA member o   Umpires -Anyone that umpires at tournaments Daniel reported that there has been concern about lower level umpires umpiring low level play.  Some D Grade matches, for instance, may be umpired by D Grade players.  This leads to a frustration situation.  They have attempted to fix this problem by mandating that there would be at least one Associate Umpire in all matches.  All this means is that at least one of the umpires in your game will be an adult that has been seen previously umpiring successfully. The Certified Umpires act together as the “Umpire Body”.  When there is an issue (rule changes, rule interpretations, inconsistencies in umpires’ calls, dangerous trends that are noticed, etc.) this group will discuss the issue and possible solutions.  They will come to an agreement and bring up the change to the membership at the tournaments following the issue.  If that is confusing, here is a hypothetical scenario: A player gets injured by a flat swing during the throw-in at a sanctioned tournament.  That “issue” will be noted in the tournament report made by the Tournament Umpire and submitted to the Chief Umpire.  The Chief Umpire notices that there have recently been multiple occurrences of flat swings being a problem during the throw-in.  The discussion is started with all the Certified Umpires on if we have a problem and how it should be remedied.  They agree that our umpires are not calling wild swings during the throw-in.  At the umpire meeting during the next tournament, the Tournament Umpire makes the membership aware of the issue and tasks umpires to be looking specifically for wild swings during a throw-in.  Umpires are made aware that the ball should not be thrown in until both umpires are back from the goal tenders to make sure there are 2 sets of eyes watching for wild swings.  When the players walk on the field, the field umpires will make players aware again that they are watching swings during a throw-in.  After the tournament, there will be mention of this issue in the tournament report to analyze if the problem has been fixed or if we need to look into other solutions. This will continue for the next several tournaments until the change is the “norm” for both players and umpires.  So, as a player, you should feel free to bring up potential issues or concerns you may have to Certified Umpires throughout the year.  These concerns will go directly to the Umpire Body for discussion. Player Development Progam: Adult Mid-Level Tour (Donna Ellis) This is a last call! Those working on the Adult Mid-Level Tour are trying to make a decision on whether or not to hold this event….they need to know the numbers of players who will commit (you must have two horses) so that the international players can be invited. One of your horses will go to the international player to play. The decision will be made next week if this event will happen. Please let Donna know ASAP if you want to commit to this FUN tour! donna@ellisdesigngroup.net Communications Committee Report (Kristy Gusick): The APA website continues to be upgraded so the site can operate at full speed. Problems were discussed by the Communications Committee and some changes are being worked on with the Website Committee, Donna Ellis and Kevin Duffey from the Website Development Firm, “29 Doors”. There will be a new system to replace PayPal, which will allow two of our payment and registration systems to work together better, including the online tournament registration system. Navigation is in the process of being audited and content on the site will be added. Nationals Committee Report (Laura Humphreys) Nationals 2016 is promising to be a fun event! The entry information document is just about ready to be mailed to you in a separate E-News, so be watching your inboxes. There is a lot of information in it, so please take the time to read through it and get the info you need to register. It will be posted on the website and Facebook also. We will let you know when the online registration is ready to go. Send your teams in October to Harvest, Alabama! Michele Morring has volunteered to coordinate the silent auction, so if you have something you can get donated for this, it will make that part of Nationals more enjoyable! Be watching for news on things donated and waiting for you to bid on….some of them could be exciting, big ticket things! Michele’s contact is: mmorring@bcmmorring.com The other exciting thing at Nationals is our awards. Other than the 1^st -3^rd, Best Player, Best Horse and Best Conditioned Horse for each division are the rotating awards….for those of you who do not know the background of these, read below. Who will win one? Will it be you? Good luck! Rotating awards are given at Nationals and began the 1980’s. Some have been added when there needed to be recognition for those who support polocrosse in a certain way. Some were named after the people who inspired the need for that particular award. Rotating are an honor given to those who are generous, who care and who exemplify high standards. These awards are different from the other awards at Nationals because they are chosen by the previous winners, as many who can be contacted. Past winners often converse prior to the event and can be seen discussing the merits of who might be selected that year. HORSE OF THE YEAR: What would we be without our horses? This award, started by the Texas Polocrosse Association, recognizes the truly great athletes of our sport. The speed, strength and above all else, great hearts of these exceptional horses make them stand out from the crowd. Participation in three APA sanctioned tournaments in the calendar year (Nationals can be one) is a requirement for consideration; signing up is done at Nationals registration, where the horse must be playing.  Prior recipients are: ‘Wronghand’ (Liz Pohl), ‘Steelrose’ (Amos Underwood), ‘J.J.’ (Mat Linson), ‘Iceman’ (Renee Thompson), ‘Hollywood’ (Susan Johnson), ‘Posh’ (Adriane Gill), ‘Elvis’ (Robby Shuttles), ‘Brownie’ (Jessica Lovelace), ‘Jezebel’ (Brianna True), ‘Brendar’ (Gregg Veit), Cricket (Susan Johnson), Cotton (Sam Pohl), Sonic (Kristi Johnson), Steely (Renee Thompson), Roza, (Renee Thompson), and ‘Remedy’ (Heather Shuttles). ESSEX ALL BLACKS: the Friendship Cup Named for an English Polocrosse Club, the cup recognizes the person or persons who have contributed the most to the development of polocrosse.  Previous winners are Marilyn Murphy, Paul Johnson, Mike Underwood, Adam Redman, Laura Humphreys, David Brooks, Deb and Jamie Zito, Victoria Prince, Jeeper Ragsdale, Jessie Reed, Donna Ellis, Dori Johnson, Jim, Tammy and Sara Risseeuw and Sarah Dancsisin. THE PADDY MEMORIAL TROPHY: Best Presented Team Spiffy counts!  For the team with the best presented colors and horse attire.  Sometimes winning isn’t the only thing.  A team that comes to play and carries their colors with honor can be an inspiration for the sport. Past teams who have won are Santa Cruz, Rocky Mountain, Nor’Easters, Plano Posse, Pit Crew, Central Texas Chicks, North Cascades BB’s, Camp Stewart, Alamo-Crew, Pit Crew, Bucks County, Lone Star, Carolina and The Horse Lot Juniors. MOST FAIR AND BEST POLOCROSSE SPORTS PERSON: There is more to the game of polocrosse than knowledge of the rules and good eye to hand coordination.  This award celebrates those members of the polocrosse world whose conduct on and off the field sets the standard for honesty, open mindedness and hard work.  We honor, admire and like them.  Prior winners are:  Cathy Malcom, Nancy Alcott, Sally Kennedy, Star York, Teak Elmore, Kellee Campbell, Adam Redman, Janelle Weir, Laura Tangedahl, Britt Lovelace, Jim Byrd, Al True, Audrey Schmidt, Ryan Murphy, Dean Alcott, John Jameson, Jeeper Ragsdale, Kiki Pantaze, Kyle Young, Deb Zito, Liz Pohl, Braxton Hamlin and Nick Cheesman. SHELLY SHEARER MEMORIAL AWARD:  Best Playing Junior We often say that kids are the future of polocrosse.  This award acknowledges the skill and hard work that goes into making a star player.  Past winners are:  Krista Lucas, Jill Davis, Candace Frank, Cameron Frank, Jason Lynch, Amos Underwood, Rowdy Key, Jake Henderson, Heather Poldrack, Krii Hendricks, Daniel Harris, Jenny Johnson, Cody Gosch, Josh Lovelace, Ryan Trueblood, Brianna True, Kyle Young, Quentin Jameson, Sam Pohl, Tessa Rumel, Peter Balogh, G5 Bigsby, Paige Vallee and Megan Waggener. U21 BEST RIDER AWARD: Started in 2007 in Pinehurst, this plaque denotes the U21 Best Rider as a person nominated by their club who is nominated by their club, and who meets these criteria: 1)  Candidates will be someone who regularly comes to club practices; 2)  Covers the range of someone who trains their own horse to someone who rides loaners; 3)  Is a good to strong rider who uses all the aids to ask the horse to do things efficiently and humanely. This is not someone who just looks nice on a horse, nor someone who uses just hands or balances from the stirrups; this is someone who works with the horse in proper communication; 4) Candidates play in Nationals, where the winner will be named. APA officials from the PDP are asked to watch the players and select. Past winners are Andrew Diemer, Sara Cifelli, Sam Pohl, Derek Rumel, Braxton Hamlin and Anna Salas. TRICIA CANE AWARD: A polocrosse sportsmanship award: this award is named in honor of a caring, thoughtful young woman and is presented to the player who exhibits exemplary sportsmanship, has a loving and caring relationship with their horse, has a respect for the sport and thoroughly enjoys the friendship of other players.  Previously winners have been Pat and Su Lebs, Janelle Weir, Pam Roy, Jessica Lovelace, Nancy Alcott, Kiki Pantaze, Ryan Murphy, Susan Johnson, Seth Alcott, Phil Granger, Ryan Strider, Amy Keith, Dori Johnson, Laura Chamberlin, Sam Pohl, Sarah Dancsisin. THE BIG JOEY: This stately award was started last year in honor of Joey Venne who was killed in a tragic accident in 2012. The recipient is chosen by a panel that was established then.  Although this is an award for a Junior player, it is not necessarily an award for the best Junior player. Rather, it is an award to recognize a Junior who exemplifies the “whole” of polocrosse and all that it is. It will be awarded to the one Junior player who displays friendliness, helpfulness and a true love of the game and the people who play it, above all others. Past winners are M’Lehne Linson, Callie Williams and Olivia Uechtritz. BEST UMPIRE: We would not be able to play polocrosse without our umpires. These hard working sports people do their best to ensure our sport stays safe for horse and rider alike. This award deals with character, honesty, commitment and being fair to all sides at all times. Previous winners were James Hendricks, Abe Assad, Britt Lovelace, Bob Johnson, Adam Redman, Ryan Murphy, John Jameson, Al True, Jerry Grim, Greg Russell, Amy Keith, Prissy Rumel, Rob Shuttles, Gordon Duff, Zach Hulbert and Al True. CLUB NEWS: Heart of Dixie Polocrosse Club (Mary Ladnier): The HDPC is pleased to announce that the Harrison County Parks and Recreation has begun construction of a county maintained, public polocrosse facility.  It will be conveniently located to Interstate 10, restaurants, and hotels.  As of now, one field is laid out with two more in the works. Restrooms and concession will be onsite with 25-30 RV hookups to be made available.  This facility will be operated and maintained in conjunction with the Harrison County Fairgrounds. (http://www.co.harrison.ms.us/departments/fairgrounds ) where the Winter Classic and Deep South Region Pony Club Rallies are currently held.   There may also be future plans for paddocks on site.  If you look at the attached map you can see that the fairgrounds are about a mile from the field. After speaking to the director, Greg Whitfield, he is very interested in hosting not only local tournaments, but also Nationals and Regionals from this facility with hopes of one day also hosting World Cup.  If there is anything that you feel may have been missed, please contact me and I will make sure that Mr. Whitfield is informed.  He is excited to be bringing polocrosse to Harrison County and plans to market it to the public.  This could be exactly what the sport needs to get more public awareness and support. While not an asset to all of APA, the local clubs will be able to use the facility for practices (for free) as it will be open to the public when there is no tournaments scheduled.  The County will maintain grass and striping.  HDPC has talked to several local players who are interested in having a demonstration at the facility as a Grand Opening.  This is tentative of course and will have to be approved by the County. This is all exciting news for everyone involved.  HDPC will keep everyone updated with the progress of construction and a tentative date of completion. Carolina Polocrosse Club (Michele Lahr): The CPC spring tournament is this coming weekend, May 28^th – 29th  in beautiful Pinehurst, North Carolina. Organizer Contact Information: Michele Lahr 9105852562 or labsec247@yahoo.com .  If you are planning on attending, remember that the U16 team is asking for your support.  Please contact Erin Barnes if you want to sign up for tails braiding or paddock cleaning to support the U16. Also Friday night dinner tickets for the U16 still available $15 contact Erin to order. Minnesota Polocrosse Club (Kristi Johnson): The Minnesota Polocrosse Club was pleased to host their annual ‘Introduction to Polocrosse’ clinic on Saturday, May 21^st at the Washington County Fairgrounds. They held their clinic from 1pm – 4pm and many of the club members were on hand to assist riders and non-riders with racquet and riding skills. The club is also hosting a three-day camp and PlayDate on June 24^th – June 25^th featuring clinician, Dori Johnson. Spots are limited so interested riders are encouraged to sign-up as soon as possible. Registration is available via the club’s website at http://www.mnpolocrosse.com/ . Lake Effect Polocrosse Club (Tammy Risseeuw): Wild Wind Farm is hosting a Pony Club / Polocrosse combined clinic with Dori Johnson on June 18^th, 19^th & 20^th.  Adults and youth are invited to participate! They are tentatively planning to have Polocrosse Skills & Playday, Dressage & Jumping, Intro to Working Equitation, Video Analysis Clinic, Mounted Games- prep for LSR Rally & Champs! On-line registration deadline June 6, postmarked payment & releases June 7. Link to Wild Wind Farm website www.wildwindlakeeffect.com  . More Questions? Call or text Tammy Risseeuw at 920.946.1809 or tammyrisseeuw@gmail.com . Durango Polocrosse (Judy Hendricks): We are excited to announce that Britt and Betsy Lovelace are offering their field for Durango Polocrosse for our very first Polocrosse tournament in (too many) years! The Tournament dates are July 30 & 31st with a Beginner’s Clinic on Friday, July 29th. A special ‘Thank You’ to Susan Hatch, Zone Rep Extraordinaire, Timothy Doust and his family, Star York and Greg Russell who helped us with the 4 Corners Youth weekend last year… (we are hoping we will have lots of players traveling to the tournament who will also help us with the ‘Beginner’s Clinic on Fri, July 29th) . And to Robbie Noiles for donating racquets. If you plan on coming to the tournament and would like to help with the clinic, please let me know as soon as possible… Hope to see many of our old friends …. We are also pleased to announce that we had a successful turnout, despite the rain and snow, for our May 1^st Polocrosse clinic. Durango Polocrosse is on the rise again!! Tennessee Valley Polocrosse Club (Linda Walker): TVPC is hosting their annual tournament on June 11^th and June 12^th at ‘Outback at Wolf Gap’ – 2718 Tarpley Shop Road, Pulaski, Tennessee. Entries are now being accepted for that tournament – late entries start May 28^th.  Please check their Facebook page or the APA website for entry forms. NOTE: If you did not see your club’s update, tournament or clinic information in this E-News, please contact Kristy Gusick (kristy@psm-marketing.com  ) or Laura Humphreys (katelyn.p.james@gmail.com ) to ensure your update is in the June E-News issue. Thank you!