Great American Shoot-Out

By Ryan Gray

All across the country player numbers are on the rise, and a lot of that has to with start-up tours and leagues that offer players of all skill levels additional opportunities to compete close to home.

But that wasn't always the case. Just a few years ago, many associations were losing membership. An increasingly familiar sentiment across the country when it comes to outdoor volleyball is: “I can do better.”

We're not just talking about increasing that vertical or improving the turnout on your block. When it comes to attending, playing in and running beach tournaments, numbers are everything.

“Prize money in the pro division each year was getting smaller,” explained Wayne Gant, a former six-time AVP qualifier who began Great American Volleyball Tour in 2002 with current AVP qualifier A.J. Mihalic as an alternative for New Jersey players. “I thought I could do better.”

Often times, a new beach club or event starts out with such a dream, and in Gant's case about $50,000 out of his own pocket. But a tour developed by the two childhood friends that at last count boasted more than 200 teams and more than 20 events per season all across the nation is quite another. GAV and Mihalic kicked off the 2007 season on Feb. 24 at Playa del Rey, Calif., followed by several more events in March and April at the Manhattan Beach Pier.

But with them came controversy. Stepping into the Southern California scene turned some heads at the California Beach Volleyball Association, which has run the sport instate since 1965. Talk about standing up to the establishment.

“Personally, I think it's a bummer A.J. and those guys are deciding to do that,” said a source. “They could've come and worked with us.”

At issue are conflicting event dates, although CBVA says its entries are about the same this year over last, and if not slightly higher. And you can never underestimate the “local's only” rule.

“I feel it's a slap in the face for these East Coast tours to come in,” one CBVA'er told us.

“You hear a lot of that in California,” Mihalic responded. “I've played a lot of (AVP) qualifiers and heard a lot of people heckle players who just came from out of state.”

But it is a free country and a free beach, as long as county permits are done properly.

“They're both permitees of the county,” said Lynn Atkins, the director of beach permits division for the County of Los Angeles. “I had to let them know where the county stands. It's our job to permit and make sure there's public access. We're sympathetic (to CBVA), but it's not anything we'd be involved in.”

It's not just beach volleyball groups that occasionally fight over weekends and tournaments. Atkins said she's seen the same thing from the surf crowd.

“We just sit back and watch,” she added. “It's free enterprise. The county can't play favorites. It doesn't matter who's been around the longest.”

And, plus, these things have a way of working themselves out. What it comes down to is quality of tournaments and prizes awarded. The players themselves will dictate what events succeed or fail.

“I don't know what the CBVA's deal is,” Mihalic said. “It's funny they respond to our desire to run better tournaments as a slight to them. I've been out here for quite a bit and I know most of the volleyball players, at least the men. Before we even knew we were going to do GAV out here, we were talking about running some cool tournaments because we weren't happy with what we were getting. (So) a group of open players go together.”

Mihalic aired his grievances in a letter last year, and the CBVA responded by approaching him with an offer fill a tournament director opening at Playa del Rey. But he had other plans.

“From the vantage point of the sport, it's a bummer,” a CBVA director said. “Instead of promoting the sport, it's just splicing it up more. It just does everyone a disservice. At the same time, it's the United States, and it's a free country. People can do what they want.”

But there's news that CBVA has now increased its bonus pool to the top players for the season on the women's open side as well as the men. Basically, if you can finish in the top five you'll get your money back for the season. Great American Volleyball has been paying back 15 percent of its entry fees directly to the players at each event, while springing for such extras as a player's tent, a deejay and pizza.

Who said competition can't be a good thing?

The ladies compete during the March 24 Great American Volleyball tournament at Manhattan Beach Pier.

Also on March 24, up the street at El Segundo Dockweiler these ladies got there game on in a CBVA event.