The October 10, 2007, meeting of the Potomac Valley AAU (PVAAU) was held at Falls Church High School in Falls Church, Virginia. PVAAU GBB Chair Jody Patrick called the meeting to order at 7:35 P.M., asked all in attendance to sign-in with Johnnie Mae and Colonel Armstrong, and for all to take an agenda from the sign-in table.
The following clubs were represented at the meeting:
Arlington Matrix
Athletes for Excellence
Cardinal
The Classics
D.C. Heat
Fairfax Stars
Germantown Lady Panthers
Great Falls Liberty
Maryland Flames
No Limits
Potomac Fusion
Showtime Youth
Team Select
Team Sol
The Potomac Valley Vogues
Western Fairfax
The following seven clubs were certified as being eligible to vote at the meeting: Arlington Matrix (Jim Butler); Cardinal (Stan King); Classics (Andy Stadnik); Germantown Lady Panthers (Milton L. Kimbrough); Maryland Flames (Mike Baker by proxy for William McDermott); Team Sol (Saladin Reese); and Potomac Valley Vogues (Jody Patrick).
Ms. Patrick asked the group to review the minutes from the August 29, 2007, PVAAU meeting. At 7:47 PM a motion was made by Jim Butler of the Arlington Matrix to approve the minutes of the August 29, 2007, meeting. Mr. Butler’s motion was seconded by Mike Baker of the Maryland Flames. The motion to approve the minutes was approved by a vote of 6 to 0.
Next, Ms. Patrick led a discussion of the dates for the spring 2008 PVAAU Regional Qualifiers. Ms. Patrick told the members that the window could be from March 31, 2008, through May 31, 2008. A suggestion was made that the discussion of dates should be postponed until later in the meeting after the group discussed the new July 1 cut-off deadline for AAU age groups, which was approved at the recent AAU National Convention.
Ms. Patrick reported that the measure to change the dates for AAU age groups had passed at the National Convention with only one dissenting vote. She noted that many at the meeting had been concerned with the recent fall in AAU participation and that some at the meeting seemed to think that AAU’s age deadlines set at January 1 was part of the problem.
There was some discontent voiced among many clubs about the decision to change the birth date cut-off for age groups and how the process to make the decision was made with little opportunity for formal input from individual clubs.
The following comments were made at the meeting:
. This decision hurts teams such as the Flames who have already had their tryouts for the upcoming season.
. There should have been an effort to get grass-roots support before a decision of such magnitude is made.
. A true grade-based system would have been better than simply changing the date for the age groups to July 1.
. In the short-term such a change could create confusion and actually cause AAU participation to fall even further.
Ms. Patrick told all at the meeting to send their formal comments to her by Friday, October 12, 2007, so she could compile them and provide feedback to the National office.
Ms. Patrick had Jim Butler of the Arlington Matrix briefly discuss the progress he is making with the PVAAU web site. Mr. Butler said that he has selected Demosphere Corporation to use in developing and hosting the web site. Mr. Butler said that the company has a lot to offer and that the web site will have a strong team-centered approach.
At 8:40 P.M., Ms. Patrick returned to the prior discussion of the window for PVAAU Regional qualifiers for 2008. Mr. Stadnik of the Classics proposed a motion to have the window for the 2008 PVAAU Regional Qualifiers from April 18, 2008, to May 19, 2008. Mr. Stadnik stated that these dates would encompass 5 weekends to allow flexibility for teams to schedule the tournaments. Mr. Stadnik’s motion was seconded by Stan King of Cardinal Basketball. After no further discussion, the motion to hold the 2008 PVAAU Regional Qualifiers from April 18, 2008, through May 19, 2008, was passed unanimously with a vote of 7-0.
Ms. Patrick told the clubs that all bid forms for the 2008 PVAAU Regional Qualifiers would be due by the December PVAAU meeting which is scheduled for Wednesday, December 12, 2007, at 7:30 P.M. at Falls Church High School.
Colonel Armstrong spoke briefly about the need for all clubs to go to the ??web site and access changes in rules. He also noted that teams will be able to obtain information on prospective players via the internet.
Just before the close of the meeting, Ms. McCormick-Dix of the Fairfax Stars voiced her displeasure with the sanctions that were imposed on her club by the PVAAU members at the August 29, 2007, meeting. Ms. McCormick-Dix contended that she did not receive proper notice of the meeting and that the sanctions were considered and enacted against her club, without a Stars representative present at the meeting. Ms. McCormick-Dix said that the additional sanctions imposed at the August 29 meeting should be revoked.
Ms. Patrick said that an authorized voting member could bring forth a motion regarding the sanctions at the current meeting. However, no members offered a motion to rescind the sanctions against the Fairfax Stars that were voted for at the August meeting. The meeting was adjourned at 9:02 P.M.
