Piranhas News
MEDIA CONTACTS:
Carol Senechal, Communications, 757-619-4343
Marcie Laumann, President, 757-572-1592
March 6, 2008
Hampton Roads Piranhas Power Soccer Teams Are Off To Atlanta...Two Club Sides to Compete in East Coast Power Soccer Regional Championships
The Hampton Roads Piranhas’ are sending two teams, the Tidewater Piranhas, to compete at the 2008 East Coast Power Soccer Regional Championships in Atlanta Georgia, March 7th – 8th. Eighteen teams from Virginia, Indiana, Tennessee, Maryland, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, and Missouri will compete for the title of East Coast Champions and the chance to compete at the US Power Soccer Association (USPSA) National Championships in June. The Hampton Roads Piranhas partnered with Virginia Power Soccer and formed the Tidewater Piranhas in 2005.
The Piranhas' success at the 2007 National Championships, where they finished second in their division, drew additional to the organization allowing the club to form two teams. The first team has moved up to Division 1 and has been named the "Tidewater Piranhas Red Fish". The new team will compete in Division 2 and has been named the "Tidewater Piranhas Blue Fish".
Stephen Belechak of Virginia Beach coaches both teams, with assistance from Steven Churm of Chesapeake. "I hope that both teams play their best and have fun", said Belechak.
USPSA (www.powersoccerusa.net) governs Power Soccer in the United States and was recently granted affiliation with the U.S. Soccer Federation (USSF). The Fédération Internationale de Powerchair Football Association (FIPFA, www.fipfa.org) is also working with the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) for affiliation. FIPFA hosted the first World Cup of Powerchair Football in Tokyo Japan last October where the United States won the inaugural Cup in a stunning victory over France.
From the VPSA website: Power Soccer is a most exciting new and dynamic development for power wheelchair users. The competitive sport has been played for more than 16 years, but is just now coming to Virginia. 16 states and 9 countries are currently fielding teams and tournaments. It’s a team sport played by individuals with various disabilities of both sexes and all ages. The game is played on a regulation basketball court, occasionally outdoors. Two teams of 4 attack, defend, and maneuver an oversized soccer ball in an attempt to score goals. The game is non-stop action similar to an indoor soccer game.
Power soccer is the first competitive team sport designed and developed specifically for power wheelchair users. This action packed team sport combines the skill of the wheelchair user with the speed and power of the chair itself, to participate in an extremely challenging game. Participants include people with quadriplegia, muscular dystrophy, multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy, head trauma, stroke, and other disabilities. The will to win, the competitive challenge, teamwork, and the total competitive spirit of the athlete are in no way limited or diminished because of their use of a wheelchair. As in all sports - win, lose, or draw - the thrill and joy is in playing the game.
From the USPSA website: The mission of the United States Power Soccer Association (USPSA) is to govern the sport of Power Soccer in the United States. USPSA promotes the sport on a national and international level through tournament play, referee certification, training and growth. It is the mission and hope of the USPSA that all persons who use power wheelchairs will have the "opportunity" to play and experience Power Soccer. Power Soccer is a team sport that helps build important qualities in people, such as: teamwork, communication, hard work, perseverance, good sportsmanship. The USPSA is also committed to make Power Soccer an internationally recognized sport that will one day be in the Paralympics.
For more information about the 2008 Hampton Roads Piranhas, please call 757-572-1592 or visit www.hrpiranhas.com. For more information about the Virginia Power Soccer Association, please call 757-482-4981, e-mail vapowersoccer@msn.com or visit www.freewebs.com/vapowersoccer.
USL News Release - TAMPA, FL - Piranhas acquire PDL team...Team to fulfill 2007 schedule established for Submariners...
United Soccer Leagues announced today that the PDL franchise rights for the territory of Hampton Roads, including Virginia Beach, have been acquired by the Hampton Roads Piranhas, a 13-year member and 2003 champion of the W-League. The club will begin play in 2007, assuming the schedule previously established for the Virginia Beach Submariners. The club also unveiled its new logo.
The Piranhas were among the pioneer clubs in the W-League when it was officially launched in 1995. Led by W-League Executive Committee member Marcie Laumann, the club has helped raise the benchmark for excellence in the league, winning numerous awards and hosting the W-League Championship on two occasions. Laumann, her husband Doc, and the club were inducted into the USL Hall of Fame in 2004 for their years of service as Builders in USL.
The new Hampton Roads Piranhas men's team will assume the PDL schedule previously established for the Submariners for the 2007 season as members of the Mid Atlantic Division. The club will also provide 2007 season passes for both the PDL and W-League Piranhas to 2007 season ticket holders of the Mariners and Submariners. The PDL team will play at site to be announced and will be coached by former Submariners coach Jon Hall. Hall coached the team to a division title last year and is re-loading the roster for the 2007 campaign.
"With the twists and turns of the past few weeks, I am thrilled that the team will be playing," said Hall. "We are proud to be a part of the Piranhas organization."
"I am thrilled to have Jon back at the helm of the PDL Piranhas," said Piranhas General Manager Marcie Laumann. "He did an amazing job with the PDL team last season and we are fortunate to have him as part of the Piranhas organization."
"We are grateful to Marcie Laumann and those individuals behind the Piranhas for stepping in and making the commitment to ensure PDL soccer continues in Virginia Beach," said USL Executive Vice President and COO Tim Holt. "With their excellent record on and off the field, the Piranhas were without question our first option and proven operators of a successful soccer team."
The Piranhas, who recently created the Piranhas Youth Foundation with several youth soccer organizations, previously added Boys and Girls USL Super-20 League teams for the 2007 season as part of their growth into a vertically-integrated club.
"It was my goal in forming this foundation that the Piranhas W-League team, and our new boys and girls youth teams work as one in the pyramid system USL has provided across North America," said General Manager Marcie Laumann. "It is a huge undertaking, but with the commitment we have from our youth affiliates we can now pursue the highest level of USL opportunities available for both the boys and girls teams as well as the adult player."
"Although there are unique challenges to adding a PDL team on short notice, we firmly believe that this will help the foundation provide a complete platform for player development for both boys and girls in the Hampton Roads area and look forward to the challenge," added Laumann.
In conjunction with the announcement today at a press conference at the Virginia Beach Resort Hotel, the club also unveiled its new logo, which features a newly designed piranha graphic in a Native American motif.
"It was time for an update," said Laumann. "Although our original Piranha with long eye lashes and a fat tummy was loved by our fans, the new logo better represents our commitment to both the men's and women's side of the pitch.
Hampton Roads Piranhas Add United Soccer Leagues (USL) Super-20 Men's and Women's Teams to Player Development Model
The Hampton Roads Piranhas are pleased to announce they will support both men's and women's Super 20 teams to begin play this summer 2007. United Soccer Leagues (USL) created the Super-20 League in 2006. The league is designed as a graduating youth league for elite players from 17-20 as they advance beyond the traditional youth bracket to the senior professional and amateur development leagues. The league will debuted in the summer of 2006 with teams representing all levels of US and Canadian soccer from elite youth clubs to first division professional teams in the US and Canada. Some of the teams included in the league are: Ironbound SC (Super Y-League), Brooklyn Knights (Premier Development League), Cleveland Internationals (W-League), Harrisburg City Islanders (USL Second Division), Toronto Lynx (USL First Division) and the New York Red Bulls (MLS) to name a few.
The Super-20 League, for men and women, has replaced the U19 age bracket of the Super Y-League, which now ranges from U13-U17 for boys and girls. The date for the birth year has been changed to the international standard of January 1 from the previous date of August 1, which now provides an additional six months of eligible players on teams' roster, extending the bracket into the range of 20 year olds. The league will, ultimately, contain the top 80 teams in each of the men's and women's divisions across the US and Canada . In addition to the USL Super-20 League completing the model for club building and vertical integration, it will aid US Soccer and the Canadian Soccer Association in identifying the top U20 players for international competition ranging from U17 to U20.
Marcie Laumann, Hampton Roads Piranhas Owner and GM says, “The addition of our new Super 20 teams will allow us to continue building locally the pyramid system the USL has provided across North America . It is a huge undertaking but with the commitment we have from our youth affiliates we can now pursue the highest level of USL opportunities available for both the boys and girls teams as well as the adult player”.
Andy Walker, Virginia Beach Travel Soccer, Inc. (Beach FC/NYSL) states, “The Hampton Roads Piranhas Youth Foundation supports the USL efforts with youth development, and the U20's will allow the Hampton Roads Piranhas to provide opportunities to further develop players after their experience at the club level. The Super 20 teams will draw from a large player pool that includes local high school players, and college players who are preparing to play at the highest level. The addition of the Super 20 teams will take us a step closer to reaching the goal of full club vertical integration.” The Hampton Roads Piranhas look to add boys and girls Super Y teams from ages 13-17 in 2008.
The league was designed to cater to the top of the youth ranks in the US and Canada for players aspiring to play professionally and to serve as a reserve division for USL's Premier Development League and W-League teams, who have increasingly taken youth development of this age range under their auspices the past few years on a smaller scale. PDL and W-League teams will now be able to add USL Super-20 teams to expand their development goals as well as their player pool for the senior team.
The Super 20 men and women will play an 8 game schedule. The teams will compete in the South-Atlantic Division, one of the toughest in the Super 20 League.
For more information visit the Piranhas web site at www.hrpiranhas.com .