USQRA

December, 1998

ISSUE NO. 9899.02

**THIS ISSUES CONTENTS**
Secretary Greeting Requirements of rostered players Team Withdraws Regional Transfers Seedings Nationals Site announced Dues and Insurance Policy	Classification Information 1999 Team USA Information Open Board Position Hall of Fame USQRA Athlete of the Year Spirit of Achievement Wheelchair Specifications
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Secretary Greeting

I hope you are enjoying the 1998-1999 rugby season, and that your holidays went well. This newsletter is only being sent to one team representative. Please make sure that YOU read, copy and share it with your fellow team members ASAP. As your teams representative, YOU are responsible for distributing this information in a timely manner.

Please read the following information that pertains to post-season play:

Excerpt from: BYLAWS AND INTERPRETATIONS OF THE USQRA

Section 2 Requirements of rostered players

a) Notice of team's intention to add, substitute or transfer must be sent to the Commissioners office by January 15 of the current season. Players may be added after January 15 as members in order to receive benefits, but will not be eligible to compete in sanctioned tournaments.

b) No player may be listed on more than one national member team's roster.

c) All rostered players must participate in two registered games prior to post-season play defined as February 1^st. Except for extenuating circumstances which may be brought before the Executive Committee.

d) All International players must have played in two games with rostered team by January 15^th.

PARTICIPATION CAN ONLY BE VERIFIED BY SIGNED OFFICIAL SCORESHEETS SUBMITTED TO THE USQRA OFFICE

Team Withdrawal

Any team that withdraws from post season play after January 1^stwill be fined $100.00. Teams will not be allowed to join the following season until they have paid their fine.

Regional Transfers

Transfers have to be submitted by January 15^th. Teams wishing to transfer into a different Section must qualify in one of that Section’s Regional Tournaments. A check for $50.00 must be submitted along with the request for transfer in the Commissioners Office no later than January 15^th. All requests received after that date will be returned to sender. The Commissioners office will designate transfer placement by January 22^nd. The Team has one week to accept or deny the transfer. The fifty dollars is not refundable. Please mail transfer requests and payment to Brad Mikkelsen. For a team wishing to transfer to a different region within their section, the same time line and fee's apply.

Seeding

Seeding is done by the USQRA Executive Committee. Seeding is done for competition in Regional, Sectional and Nationals. Invitational tournaments can be seeded by the USQRA Executive Committee, but only upon request. Post Season Hosts, after following the guidelines for play, should submit their playing schedule to the Commissioners Office for approval.

Nationals Site Announced

The USQRA has accepted the bid submitted by the Phoenix Heat to host Nationals on April 15-18, 1999 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Annual General Meeting (AGM) will be held there on Thursday, April 15th. This is where your voice is heard for information pertaining to the USQRA and your team. Please make an effort to send a representative from your team to this meeting!

IMPORTANT POLICY
Effective Immediately
Re: Dues and Insurance

Dear USQRA Members,

Each team needs to be aware of several important things pertaining to your USQRA dues, and the liability insurance provided through Wheelchair Sports USA. Please read this letter carefully, then share and discuss it with your fellow team members.

Team dues and rosters must always be received by the USQRA Secretaries office on or before October 31^st of each year. Anything received after that date is considered to be late, and will be subject to a $100 late filing fee.

Your paid USQRA membership provides your team with one million dollars worth of liability insurance arranged through Wheelchair Sports USA. Policy coverage runs from January 1^st through January 1^st of each year. Call WSUSA @ (719) 574-1150 for more information.

Only players that are listed on the USQRA roster submitted with your team due’s are covered by the insurance policy. If your roster is incomplete, or it should change due to the addition of new players at any time during the year you must do the following.

Notify Wheelchair Sports USA immediately of any changes in writing.
Notify the USQRA Secretaries office immediately of any changes in writing.

Failure to make proper notification to both organizations will leave all new players without insurance protection. It is important to remember that your policy is in effect even during the off season. Any new members should be added to your policy immediately, regardless of the time of year.

Any team that is not current with their USQRA dues is uninsured. These teams and players are ineligible to participate in any USQRA related event. A list of non-registered teams as of this letter is included. A current listing can be obtained through the Secretaries office.

The USQRA forbids any non-registered team and/or player to participate in any tournament or scrimmage represented as a USQRA event. This includes all US Tournaments listed on the USQRA Web-site Calendar found at http://quadrugby.com - Any team or person that disregards this policy could possibly loose their USQRA Membership. Please contact a USQRA board member if you have any questions regarding this policy.

Respectfully,
The USQRA Executive Committee

Classification Clinic and Classifiers Information

Any team that has a doctor, physical therapist, or occupational therapist who is interested in classification should contact Diane Bulger (817) 491-3638, or e-mail at DBTOTR@aol.com or Angie Seals (509) 893- 0339, e-mail quadrugr@worldnet.att.net. There will be a Classification Clinic in Birmingham, Alabama on January 28th. Contact Kevin Orr for more information.

Team USA Players and Staff

We will be contacting the RAC’s and Coaches shortly for their recommendations on the selection process for the USA Rugby team for 1999 International competition, and for the 2000 Paralympics.

Board Positions Open

Brad Mikkelsen will be stepping down as the commissioner of the USQRA following this season. Anyone interested in applying for the vacant position may send their resume to Kevin Orr by February 1, 1999. Thank you Brad for bringing us this great sport!

Hall of Fame Nominations

The final date for submitting USQRA Hall of Fame nominations is January 15^th. If you would like to nominate someone please contact Allen Seals at (509) 455-5515, or via e-mail at quadrugr@worldnet.att.net for details. Ballets and the Hall of Fame Criteria can be found on the USQRA web-site at http://www.quadrugby.com/resources/hof_criteria.htm or by calling Allen Seals.

USQRA Athlete of the Year

The USQRA would like to select an Athlete of the Year for the 1998-99 season. The selected athletes’ name will then be submitted for consideration as Wheelchair Sports USA’s Athlete of the Year.

If you would like to nominate someone for this award please fax your nomination ballet to the USQRA secretaries office at (205) 868-2283 no later than March 1^st. Please take into account the following when making a nomination: Sportsmanship, All Tournament selections, MVP selections, National Team participation, and contributions to the sport of Quad Rugby. A nomination ballet is included.

Spirit of Achievement Award

Nominations for the Spirit of Achievement award are now being accepted. This award is presented each year in recognition of a volunteer’s unselfish contribution to the sport of Quad Rugby. You may nominate anyone who is in the sport as a support person, coach, classifier etc., as long as they are a volunteer and not in a paid position.

If you would like to nominate someone for this award please fax your nomination ballet to the USQRA secretaries office at (205) 868-2283 no later than March 1^st. A nomination ballet is included.

If you have questions about any of the above topics please contact Kevin Orr at (205) 868-2281, or via e-mail at supersports@mindspring.com

Wheelchair Modifications Information

The wheelchair modifications committee has allowed for a new design for the front bumper and wings this season. Specific details can be received by contacting Dan McCauley at (619) 651-4069. Details will also be found on the USQRA web-site soon.

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