[caption id=“attachment_35073” align=“aligncenter” width=“800”]
USA Ultimate 2015 Beach Nationals. Photo: Kevin Leclaire – UltiPhotos.com[/caption]
USA Ultimate continues to recap its Competition Working Group meetings that help set the agenda for the upcoming year in each division. Here is a summary of the changes and suggestions from the Beach Working Group.
- The 2017 Beach Championships will be held on May 20-21, 2017, in Virginia Beach, VA. This will mark the third year of the Beach Championships and the third year in Virginia Beach. The event will host seven divisions: men’s, mixed, women’s, men’s masters, mixed masters, women’s masters and grand masters.
- USAU will add a second beach event in 2017: Beach Westerns, to be held on April 22-23, 2017, in Santa Monica, CA. The tournament will not serve as a qualifier, but is instead intended to offer a "playing opportunity for teams on the west coast to help build interest in the beach division." The event will host seven divisions: men’s, mixed, women’s, men’s masters, mixed masters, women’s masters and grand masters.
- There are new outreach initiatives planned, including "beach-specific content" on USAU's website (including video), a new marketing plan encouraging beach competition even for inland players, and more connections with youth and college players.
- The addition of qualifiers for the Beach Championships could come as early as 2018.
- This fall's US Beach Open sported a 4v4, gender balanced format that "received positive feedback." The format could be used at other events. The US Beach Open will return in 2017 with a college division.
Originally published at: https://ultiworld.com/2016/12/13/beach-update-championships-set-may-new-west-coast-event-college-opportunities/