|
DETAILS
OF U.S. INTERNATIONAL TOURNAMENTS USA:
THE 9th ANNUAL NARCh FINALS - July/August 2002
The
most famous and best established tournament in the world and the
tournament all teams dream of participating in will take place at one of
the best venues in the United States - full details will be announced soon. Every
year the annual NARCh Finals involves around 300 different top amateur
teams in every age group from every corner of the United States and Canada
plus teams from overseas. The NARCh Finals are open to any top-ranking
team from any country around the world. A
growing number of international teams have taken part in the NARCh Finals
over the years. Without exception, these teams have returned home with new
found energy and excitement for the sport and eager to put into practice
all the new skills and strategies that they have picked up. Every
international team that has played the NARCh Finals has benefited hugely
from their experience and now you have the chance to take advantage of the
matchless experience on offer at the 2002 NARCh Finals. International
teams are always given an extremely warm and very friendly welcome!!! There
are two divisions: Gold Division and Platinum Division. The
first half of the tournament schedule will be for the Gold Division and
the Platinum Division occupies the second half of the schedule. The way
the NARCh Finals works is that every year, between April and July, there
are around 24 Regional Qualifying Tournaments throughout the USA and
Canada and only the winning teams in each of the various age groups
advance to play in the NARCh Finals. Therefore, the quality of inline
hockey in every age group is high and the excitement and enjoyment of
playing amongst so many good teams is very high also!! The
various amateur age groups at the NARCh Finals are: Atom - 8 and under; Mite
- 10 and under; Squirt - 12 and
under; Pee Wee - 14 and under; Bantam
- 16 and under; Junior - 18 and
under; Senior - 18 and over; 35
& Over; a Women's Division and a Pro Division. The
age cut-off date will be 31st December 2001. There
will also be a big Equipment Expo at the NARCh Finals where all the
major manufacturers will be showing off their latest skates and hockey
equipment. This is always a very hands-on type of show where players are
encouraged to try on and try out the latest products and where the company
bosses listen to what the players have to say. It is also the place where
many company decision makers are also present and are ready to chat and
talk and find out what you think of their products. USA:
DISNEY'S 5th ULTIMATE INTERNATIONAL INLINE HOCKEY EXPERIENCE -
August/September 2002 The
tournament is the 5th in an annual series and will be held at Disney’s
Wide World of Sports Complex, near Orlando, Florida from
August 29 - September 2, 2002.
It
is intended for grassroots amateur teams of all abilities and all age
levels. No elite or professional teams will be taking part. - it is not
their kind of tournament!! The
actual venue of the tournament, within the sports complex, is called The
Fieldhouse and teams will be using 3 full size rinks each with a Sport
Court surface. There is seating capacity for 5,678 spectators and plenty
of refreshment outlets on hand and abundant locker rooms and other
facilities for the players as well. The
age divisions are:
8 and under; 10 and under; 12 and under; 14 and under; 17 and under and 18
and over. There is also a women’s division and a college division.
Players must be the correct age as at 31st December 2001 and
proof of age will be requested. Teams will be seeded into different
groups according to ability and in the first round each team will play the
other in its group. Teams will progress in the competition depending on
their first round results. It's
easy to participate in the Disney tournament since every team just
purchases a complete two-step package. The first step is to enter the
tournament by paying the fee - which is just US$275 per team. The second
step is to select one of the specially discounted accommodation packages
on offer. That's all. THE
DISNEY PACKAGE The
Disney player's package consists of entry to Disney's 5th Ultimate
International Inline Hockey Experience; Discounted Team Accommodation at
one of several hotels near to the venue; PLUS Theme Park Passes to
Disney's Magic
Kingdom® Park, Epcot®, Disney-MGM Studios, and Disney’s Animal
Kingdom® Theme Park plus admission to your choice of one of the three
WALT DISNEY WORLD® Water Parks, Disney Quest® indoor interactive theme
park, Disney’s Pleasure Island plus other attractions. THE NEXT STEP
If you
are interested in playing in either the 2002 Disney Tournament or the 2002
NARCh Finals your next step is to contact me stating which event
you want your team to enter and to reserve your place. Play Hockey Abroad
is the only agency authorised by the various tournament organisers to
invite international teams to take part. You will be placed on an
e-mailing list for all the latest information as soon as it is announced
such as the tournament dates and location of the venue. Please
avoid contacting Disney or NARCh direct. Play Hockey Abroad is here to
answer all your questions and to help solve any problems you encounter and
to take the workload off the shoulders of the busy people at the Disney
and NARCh offices. THINK
AHEAD If your
team is interested in playing abroad then I advise you to think as far
ahead as possible. Many teams are interested and tournament places are
always limited. It is also important to plan well in advance if you are
interested in obtaining the cheapest and most flexible travel packages
available for your team/s. PLAY HOCKEY ABROAD
Play
Hockey Abroad is a FREE service to hockey teams everywhere. It
exists to encourage and make it possible for teams in all age groups and
of all skill levels to have the excitement and experience of playing top
class inline hockey in another country AND have tons of fun at the same
time. SPREAD THE WORD It would be very helpful if you could
tell other teams you know, especially those without an e-mail contact,
about Play Hockey Abroad's free service to hockey teams. AND FINALLY…. If you are planning a tournament and would like to
host international teams Play Hockey Abroad can make it happen for you and
can take all the worry and the problems off your shoulders in return for a
modest fee. Let's make inline hockey as international as possible!! Alistair
Gordon PLAY
HOCKEY ABROAD
|