USA Men's National Team Anaheim-Bound after Unanimous City Council Vote

ANAHEIM, Calif. (Feb. 1, 2006) – The Anaheim City Council voted unanimously Tuesday night to approve an agreement that would allow the USA Men's National Volleyball Team to move its training program from Colorado Springs, Colo., to Anaheim later this spring.

"We are extremely excited about the prospects for the men's team to relocate back to Southern California and to the city of Anaheim for several reasons," said Doug Beal, CEO of USA Volleyball. "I think the partnership that exists with the city is precedent-setting for USA Volleyball because it's the first time that we have been in a relationship with a community. The community is providing significant resources and support for one of our national team programs."

From 1981 through the 1996, the USA Men trained in San Diego, Calif., and enjoyed a great deal of international success. The team won gold medals at the 1984 and 1988 Olympic Games and earned a bronze medal at the 1992 Olympic Games. The USA Women trained in San Diego from 1985 through 1996. Both teams made the move to the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs in 1997.

"Southern California is a location where we have had tremendous success in the past," Beal added. "Clearly the ingredients continue to exist for us to be optimistic about the team's future success. Southern California is clearly the area where we draw a majority of our athletes; it's the area of the greatest concentration of collegiate programs that provide us with all of our national team players and it puts our program in the center of the men's volleyball world in our country."

The City Council voted, 5-0, to green light a six-year deal to assist the team with expenses for relocation, lodging, meals and transportation.

"Sports are integral to Anaheim's vitality and I am pleased to say that Anaheim will now be the official training site of the men's national team as they prepare for the 2008 Olympics in Beijing and the 2012 Olympics in London," said Mayor Curt Pringle. "This will benefit the City, the team and the volleyball community as a whole and we hope that many other Olympic and amateur sports programs will follow."

The players and coaching staff will arrive in April and will begin practicing as early as May at the Anaheim-based American Sports Center, the largest indoor court facility in the world.

"This is a great step forward for USA Volleyball and especially for its men's national team," USA Volleyball President Al Monaco said. "Relocating from Colorado Springs to Anaheim places the team ‘back' in an environment that culturally fosters and supports volleyball.

"Anaheim offers USAV an opportunity to partner with a nationally known destination city and to be co-located with a variety of major league sports teams that call Anaheim home," he added. "And, it will open an avenue for USAV to attract other sponsors and partners who can further the growth of volleyball as a viable and recognizable sport property."

Team USA, the No. 5 team in the world, will train at the American Sports Center, which will donate court time and build office space for the team. California Athlete Training Zone will provide weight training and sports therapy services for the National Team in the American Sports Center.

"We are very fortunate to have the American Sport Center as our facility partner," said Beal. "The American Sport Center is the largest volleyball-specific facility in the United States. It is not only the future home of the USA Men's Team, but also the location where our Southern California regional office is housed and a site for substantial youth- and junior-aged volleyball activity almost on a weekly basis."

The USA Men flourished under the guidance of first-year coach Hugh McCutcheon (Christchurch, New Zealand) last season, going 27-6 overall. The Americans finished the year ranked No. 5 in the world and posted wins over the 2004 Olympic gold and silver medalists during the year (Brazil and Italy, respectively).

"There are so many potential synergies with the move," said McCutcheon. "The benefits of being at sea-level and being in a volleyball community will be wonderful. Anaheim, in general, is a big sports community and they are generally enthused and excited about what we're doing. Also, to be in amongst the whole collegiate scene down there is huge.

"For the development of boy's volleyball and men's volleyball, especially, this gives us the opportunity to have a bigger presence in the volleyball world," he added. "To be in Anaheim and to be in that facility – where there are so many tournaments going on and where it is very accessible for people to come and watch us – it's a huge benefit."

In July 2005, Team USA trained in Anaheim for two weeks. Following that visit, the Americans stunned the world's best team, 2004 Olympic gold medalist Brazil, to win the America's Cup tournament for the first time in USA Volleyball history. The team went on to win gold medals at the FIVB World Championship Qualifying Tournament in Puerto Rico and at the NORCECA Continental Championship in Canada. In November, the team captured the silver medal at the FIVB World Grand Champions Cup in Japan.

In 2005 Team USA posted the highest winning percentage of any men's national team since 1988 (.818) and registered the most wins by a men's team since 2000 (27). The Americans finished the year by winning 18 of their last 19 matches, including 14-straight at one point.

"I think we would be remiss if we didn't acknowledge the remarkable support we were provided for almost nine years during the time we were located at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs," Beal explained. "Our men's team qualified for the Olympics both times [2000 and 2004], was a medal contender once [2004] and I think a number of our athletes found the community to be receptive and a wonderful place to live. We are going to be leaving behind several athletes who own homes here and who have chosen to make Colorado Springs their permanent residence."

Team USA's relocation is being made possible thanks to sponsorships from area businesses including National Sports Grill, Mimi's Café, JT Schmid's Restaurant and Brewery, Lucky Strike, Anaheim Chevrolet, Holiday Inn Anaheim at the Park, Competitive Athlete Training Zone, Vince Otte and American Sports Center. The City and USAV will continue to actively pursue additional sponsors in support of the men's team.

Source: http://www.usavolleyball.org/VolleyballNews/news.asp?id=1206