Outdoor Tournament Reviews

[BHitterDPasser]

I've had the oppurtunity to play in several tournaments this summer and figured I'd start a thread reviewing the different sites where I've played. Up first will be Hudson Valley Volleyball in Beacon, NY

[BHitterDPasser]

Tournament: Hudson Valley Volleyball
Website: Hudson Valley Volleyball
Location: Memorial Park in Beacon, NY
Google Maps Website: Memorial Park
Formats: Men’s 2’s/Women’s 2’s (Saturday)/Reverse Coed 2’s (Sunday)
Cost:$20/per in advance, $25/per day of, $5/per if arriving after 8:30 a.m.
Facility: Memorial Park is a great place to play with many many flat courts. There are a lot of tall trees with very high branches and leaves that provide moving shade throughout the day for when players are not on or working. The level of play is fairly tough with a lot of teams showing up. It’s not uncommon for there to be ~50 pairs of doubles at one of these events.

I have not found many nearby facilities so it is best if you bring your own food and PowerAde. Traditionally, Frank has supplied bottle water but I have noticed that this has run out in recent events. He will be switching from individual bottles to larger jugs so be sure to bring your own container at a minimum. There is a Dunkin Donuts and a gas station/convenience store about a mile to the east of the park on Bus 52. There is also an ice cream shop across the street. At most tournaments, you get a coupon for free ice cream. Don’t forget to tip the person who gave you ice cream.

While parking is free, it can be a problem at some of the events that have larger turnout. I had to park down the street at the last two events simply because I got there late.

Rules of Play:

• The traditional leather AVP ball is preferred but if both teams agree, any ball can be used
• Side out scoring
• No let serves
• 1.5 rotations on sets in B, BB, & A. Tight clean sets in Open

Misc: One really cool thing about HVVB is the online registration. Once you register online, it automatically adds you to the "See who's playing" page so you can see how many teams are registered for each day.

Up Next: Sherwood Island

[BHitterDPasser]

Tournament: Sherwood Island
Website: Southern Connecticut Volleyball: Home Page
Location: Sherwood Island, Westport, CT
Google Maps Website:Sherwood Island
Formats: Men's 2's/Women's 2's (Saturday)/Reverse Coed 2's (Sunday)
Cost: Prepaid $45 (team), Phone Registration $50 (team), Day of Tourney $55 (team). $5 per person late check in fee (after 8:45)
Facility: Sherwood Island is an interesting place to play. The first thing that you will notice is that there is a parking fee to get into the park. This can range from affordable for CT residents during the spring to outstanding for non-residents during the summer. There is a nearby park-and-ride facility. I recommend carpooling or meeting up there to split the parking fee.

Turnout varies with them having to combine divisions at some tournaments to running almost 20 nets at others.

I haven't found much in the way of food establishments nearby but if you have 2 games off, you can normally drive out to US-1 and there are a lot of restaurants, supermarkets, etc.,.. Keep your parking ticket or you will have to pay to get back in to the park.

There are two bathrooms that are normally open. They're probably a good 1/4 mile walk or so from the play area.

The field you play in is normally pretty good. The ground is fairly level but you will notice that there is always a tilt. You do switch sides every few points to even this out. The biggest complaint I have is that sometimes there is a fair amount of proof that the canada geese have been there. The last two years I have not seen this as an issue. Maybe the park is keeping after this.

Overall I like playing at sherwood. The people who run it are friendly. The level of play is normally competitive and they run enough different divisions where most people can find a level where they belong. I'm also biased because this is one of the closest tournaments for me.

Rules of Play:

• SCV: Tournament Information

Up Next: No Beach Volleyball, Red Cross Benefit