USPSA E-newsletter for April 2010

President's Letter

Dear Members and Friends of the USPSA,

Regionals are now completed and invitations have been sent out to those teams who have qualified for the national tournament. There was some great competition at all tournaments, which speaks to the success and impact of this great sport. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Far West Wheelchair Sports, Courage Center, Fernando Foundation, Turnstone Center, and Team Royalty who each hosted these regional competitions. I would also like to thank each of the organizations and teams who hosted events like the Power Blast, Ameristar Tournament, and the various league programs that are keeping the sport growing and our players, coaches, and referee's active.

I want to also take this opportunity to recognize the work of Tracy Mayer with the further development of our referee program. Tracy and Chris Mulholland have worked together to make improvements in the processes and training of one of the most important parts of our organization, our referee's! Their work always lends credibility to the game, for without them, our time would be merely recreation.

Soon, I will be sending out a mass email outlining the reorganization of competition. This process was started at last years AGM. There has been good discussion about the process and we are now ready to introduce the concept and process to all of our members. The goal is to address competition at all levels and maintain the integrity of competition throughout the sport soall players at all levels will have equitable and stimulating competition. We will also be able to install a system of competition that is flexible enough to grow with the sport well into the future. It will allow for teams to move throughout the levels of competition based on the results of the team in competition. We will start with five competitive conferences and one non-competitive conference. More details will be explained through email distribution to all members. Please read through it and share your thoughts, support, and recommendations. I hope to have this approved at this years' AGM so we can start this coming season in September.

On the international front, there are now 12 members of FIFPFA and several more waiting in the wings. Some of the newest members are, Scotland, Ireland, and Australia! FIFPA has also been granted IPC Recognized International Federation designation. It is the next step towards a goal of inclusion into the Paralympics. I will keep you updated as more information becomes available.

I hope to see as many of you as possible in Indianapolis.

Dominic Russo
President

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Congratulations - 2010 Nationals Invited Teams

Congratulations to the top twenty teams in their division who qualified for the national tournament. The event will take place June 17-19th in Fishers, Indiana at "The Fieldhouse". The national tournament in the USPSA's premier event where the top 10 teams in each division will battle it out. Schedules and game times will be posted 10 days prior to the event. Good luck to all!

DI- 10 Qualifiers
(in no particular order)
Atlanta Synergy
Atlanta Tigers
Tampa Thunder
Circle City Rollers
RHI Sudden Impact
Ball State Cardinals
San Jose Steamrollers
BORP Bay Earthquakes
Arizona Heat 3rd Degree
Tampa Crossfire

D1 Waiting List
Hollister Freewheelers

DII - 10 Qualifiers
(in no particular order)
North Georgia Screamin' Eagles
Carroll County Dominators
Lakeshore Courage Thunder
RHI Indy Cruisers
Madison Mauraders
BORP Bay Crushers
Arizona Heat 2nd Degree
Santa Barbara Rollin' Rebels
Ball State Fury

D2 Waiting List
DASA Firecrackers

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2010 Annual General Meeting

USPSA's Annual General Meeting will take place in Indianapolis during the national tournament weekend. Team representatives from your teams are your voting voice at the annual meeting. Be sure to ask your team representative what issues are set for this meeting and be sure your team's voice is heard.

Thursday, June 17, 6:30 pm
Sheraton at Keystone Crossing
Metro Suite
Indianapolis, IN

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Executive Committee Elections Update

Nominations for Executive Committee positions extended until April 30, 2010

The Executive Committee Elections will be held this year during Nationals in June at the annual USPSA board meeting. The Executive Committee officers up for election this year are:

• President
• Executive Vice President
• Secretary

Any individual, 18 years of age and older, who is a member in good standing of USPSA, regardless of race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin or physical disability, may be eligible for office to the United States Power Soccer Association.

Each officer shall be elected for a term of 2 years. An officer may serve as many terms as elected.

Below is a short summary of the duties of officers up for election:

President: The President is directly responsible to the Executive Committee and the Advisory Board for all business and operations of the USPSA.The President is the liason between the USPSA and International organization, FIPFA.

Executive Vice President: The Executive Vice President will oversee the general business of USPSA as directed by the President. The Executive Vice President is responsible for marketing and development of the organization and will oversee the committees pertaining to those areas.

Secretary: The Secretary will be responsible for keeping the records of all meetings of the Association and the Executive Committee, and distribute said minutes according to the policy and procedures of the Association. The Secretary oversees and managers all member registration, is responsible for all communication to the membership.

For a more detailed description of duties please review the
United States Power Soccer Association (USPSA) CONSTITUTION AND BYLAWS
Article VI - ORGANIZATION
Section 3: Executive Committee.

You can find the USPSA Constitution and Bylaws at powersoccerusa.net under downloads.

If you or anyone you know who meets the requirements is interested, please return the completed nomination form to me by March 31, 2010. The nomination form will be e-mailed to your team representative and also be available at powersoccerusa.net under downloads.

Don Gorman
Elections Committee
DonGorman [at] tampabay [dot] rr [dot] com

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USPSA Committee Chairs Recruitment

As outlined in our by-laws, committee chair positions are held for 2 years. All committee chair positions will be open this year and I am reaching out to all members of the organization to solicit persons who have the skills and ability to lead a committee.

Please contact me if you are interested and what you feel your qualifications are that would make you a good choice for the position.

Athletes Advisory
Legislative and Bylaws
Development and Marketing
Equipment Specification
Finance
Hall of Fame
Juniors
Nominations and Elections
Officials
Player Classifications
Rules
Tournament Selection
Competition Commission

For more information, please see Article 4 Page 18 in the Bylaws found under downloads and organization.

Please let me know as soon as possible.

Dominic Russo
President
United States Power Soccer Association
317-706-8977
uspsapresident [at] aol [dot] com

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Team USA

The next Team USA training camp will be held at at the James Kenney Recreational Center, 1720 8th Street, Berkeley California 94710 on April 15, 16 and 17th. Although the training is closed to the public the 1st two days, the team welcomes fans on April 17th from 1pm to 5pm for exhibition games. For more information check out the Team USA website at: www.powersoccerteamusa.org.

Thanks for your support!

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Power Soccer Camp in Florida

The 2nd Annual City of Safety Harbor Summer Power Soccer Camp will once again take place this summer. It will be held most Sundays in July and August from 12 to 4PM (final dates to be announced). It's a non team specific camp. The camp will focus on power soccer skills and fun.

Power Soccer Camp Games include modified versions of these games played with a soccer ball:

• Dodge ball
• Tennis
• Wall ball
• Soccer scrimmages
• Anything else we can think up

We also have a separate gym where athletes can focus on their power soccer skills and individual skill coaching may be possible.

Last year's camp went very well. We averaged 12 + athletes each week. This was handled very much like most playground or schoolyard sports or games. The athletes or assistants chose up teams or drew straws to decide the teams.

The camp will be at the Safety Harbor Community Center, 650 9th Ave South, Safety Harbor, Fl. 34695. Guests from outside the Tampa area are welcome. If you're in Florida over the summer you are welcome to come. Just give me a call and let me know.

The camp games and soccer scrimmages were always great. Athletes from different teams got to play together on the same team. Sometimes the team that looked like an obvious favorite got their butts kicked!

A registration form is being made by the City of Safety Harbor and all fees will go to the City. It should be about $50.00 for the full camp and attending every week is not required. Lunch is not provided so plan to bring your own.

I will be seeking volunteers for running drills, shagging balls, scheduling and anything else. The idea is to keep this fun, improve skills, make some new friends, reacquaint with some old friends and have soccer fun in a relaxed environment.

A very limited amount of loaner equipment is available for new athletes.

Please contact Don Gorman at 727-726-4657 or dongorman [at] tampabay [dot] rr [dot] comif you are interested.

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Request for Power Soccer Athletes to Participate in a Physical Activity Study...

My name is Esther M. Ortiz-Castillo and I am doing dissertation research for a Doctoral Degree at The Ohio State University. The topic of interest is physical activity among individuals with physical disabilities. The purpose of the study will be (a) to describe the physical activity patterns of individuals with physical disabilities, and (b) determine the factors influencing their participation in physical activity. The primary target population for this study consists of adolescents with physical disabilities between the ages of 12 through 18.

It is our hope that you take part in this study as your input is essential to learning more about the patterns of physical activity and the factors promoting and hindering the participation in physical activity of individuals with physical disability in urban communities. If you will like to participate, you will be asked to complete two questionnaires related to physical activity and factors that influence your participation in physical activity. You will also be asked to complete a demographic form in which you will indicate your gender, ethnicity, school level, information about disability, and use of assistive and/or ambulatory device (if applicable). This procedure will take about 25-30 minutes.

If you agree to participate in the study, at no time will you be asked to give any personal identification information on the questionnaires. You are free to end your participation and to withdraw from the study at any time. If you decide to end your involvement, all data collected will be destroyed. You may also refuse to answer individual questions. If you would like further information about the study and/or would like to participate, feel free to contact me by telephone (787) 688-9211, (760)750-7357 or email ortiz-castillo [dot] 1 [at] osu [dot] edu; eortiz [at] csusm [dot] edu or Samuel R. Hodge at (614)292-8364 or hodge [dot] 14 [at] osu [dot] edu (my academic advisor).

Sincerely,
Esther M. Ortiz-Castillo
Ph.D. Candidate, Adapted Physical Education
The Ohio State University