USA Volleyball has once more backslided into another sandstorm of controversy.
As stated within an internal memo released by a USAV board member this week, this national federation pulled the plug on its ambitious plans to host the Beach Volleyball Olympic Trials next summer. It has now flipped - reverting to the international qualifications standards requiring participation in 12 tournaments, with the top two American men’s and women’s teams qualifying for London 2012 Olympics.
This long-standing protocol, as prescribed by the FIVB international governing body, was successfully utilized by USAV for the Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008 Olympics.
Why the decision-making swirl?
As background, the now-defunct Association of Volleyball Professionals reached an agreement with the US Olympic Committee two years ago to partner in organizing these Trials.
Last year, on the heels of AVP’s tour cancellation announcement on August 13, and then its bankruptcy filing on November 2, USAV picked up the ball and ran with it – with energy and optimism.
At the time, USAV CEO Doug Beal said, “We have a model that we’re looking at, but is not complete yet. We have to get it approved and endorsed by the US Olympic Committee. So it should happen fairly soon, early next year at the latest,” in an interview with journalist Beverly Oden.
In the offseason, the wheels slowly began to churn, as USAV further worked on its proposal, all the while consulting with USOC and FIVB for feedback and issue resolution.
At the season’s opening this spring, all eyes were trained on USAV who was cranking out press releases on every other subject – save this topic, of import to dozens of pro beach volleyball players.
Player Uprising
Within this population, the elite athletes have long believed that their continued performance on the FIVB tour should be fully recognized as part of Team USA’s Olympics qualifying procedures. Misty May-Treanor, Todd Rogers, Jake Gibb, and Jennifer Kessy are among those who feel they have paid the price, and should be recognized for competing among the world’s best in grueling overseas schedules.
In the absence of officially released statements about these plans for Trials, several top-ranked athletes, including USAV board member Kerri Walsh, anxiously raised objections about the fairness of the process and the decision-making delays – extending into the London Olympics qualifying period.
Walsh said in a Volleyball Magazine story in May, “We’re definitely fighting against the qualification process. And we’re not done fighting, we feel like we’re just beginning.”
Despite these objections, USAV was completing a detailed “Athlete Selection Procedure” for USOC’s and then FIVB’s approval. In late July, the confident Managing Director of Beach Programs Dave Williams said, “The Olympic Trials were never a question. We are moving ahead with an agreement to produce the Trials. Subsequent agreements will be finalized with the host city, a production company, sponsors, and television.”
Reading the writing on the wall, numerous players further lashed out at USAV for what is perceived as a mismanaged, disorganized, and uncaring unit. At the London Olympics beach volleyball test event, Kessy said, “Right now we’re just focusing on the twelve FIVB events. I think all of the athletes are on the same page, and that is not the same page as USAV.”
Rogers, a player representative at the international level, admonished the poor communications, as several of his queries to USAV went unanswered this summer.
Fortunately, for these top players, the tide has turned.
While Williams reworks a simpler proposal, which he hopes will be approved by USOC this month, he acknowledged this about-face. Previously, he touted the Trials as being an equitable solution by opening up the qualifications to many, rather than limiting it to a few.
Yet now, Williams states, “When you look at the results of the summer, the top teams were way above everyone else, and only a few teams could meet the eligibility criteria (outlined in USAV’s proposal). By not holding the Trials, are we disadvantaging somebody who has a legitimate shot at the Olympics? The real issue became fairness.”
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