CyberDarts
 The Original Darts News & Info Web Site ...est. 1994! |
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ADO AREA III YOUTH TOURNAMENT UPDATE
This is the latest information that I have on the 1998 Area III youth tournament. As mentioned in the previous bulletin, the tournament will be held in Houston Texas on June 20th. The location of the tournament is at the Compaq Center (formally known as the Summit), the arena that the Houston Rockets Basketball team, the Aeros hockey team and the Houston Thunderbears arena football team play in.
The youth tournament is being offered as part of a package plan. The plan consists of the following:
The arena will become available at noon, June 20. I would like to start as soon as everyone is signed up, certainly before 1pm. The blind draw tournament is scheduled to start a 1pm.
Cost of the package is $11.00 (plus $5.00 to play in the blind draw). As mentioned before, the American Darts Organization is going to pick up the $11.00 entry fee to those youths entering the youth tournament only. Family and friends accompanying the youth players must pay the $11.00 entry fee, and if they play in the blind draw, the $5.00 entry fee for that.
As before, the entry fee for the youth tournament is $35.00. The winner of this tournament will win a trip to Las Vegas in August for entry into the National youth tournament taking place at the North American Open. The age requirements are as before, the youth must not be 18 before January 1st, 1999. Boys and girls play together.
I must have the entry fee monies and a listing of participants by Sunday, June 7th. This is so we can purchase the tickets and get them back to you in time for the trip.
As this type event can draw the media, both printed and television, a dress code will be enforced. PLEASE don't travel a long distance and not be able to play. Cut-offs, pants with holes in them and tee shirts with inappropriate pictures or words will NOT be allowed. The better we look to the public the better it is for all of us.
I am including a flyer put out by the Thunderbears for those players not involved with the youth tournament. If you would like to come to play in the blind draw and watch the football game you can use the entry form on the reverse of the flyer. Remember though, those involved in the youth tournament MUST send their entries to me. If you are not pre- registered in the youth tournament, you will not play. Make all youth entry fees payable to the ADO. Make the other entry fees payable to the Houston Darts Association. You can still send them to me and I will forward them on in time for you to get your tickets.
I'm trying to add to the youth tournaments, hopefully making them more fun to enter, both for the youth players and those who have to haul them around. I hope this meets with everyone's approval. Next year I hope to have the tournament at NASA, at the Johnson Space Center. I'm still working on that one, trying to get some bugs out.
Here is how you can reach me. Dennis Aitken, ADO Manager, Area III
103 Asheboro
Katy, TX. 77450-1711
281-390-0103 evenings
281-392-0190 fax
kvgp42a@prodigy.com
e-mail.
Hope to see a great turnout.
Dennis
The Houston Darts Association has been invited to hold a $500.00 blind draw tournament prior to a professional Arena football game with the Houston 'Thunderbears' and they have graciously invited the ADO to hold the area youth tournament at the same time. The starting times have not been established yet, but the tentative schedule will be as follows: First will be the ADO youth tournament.
Hopefully we will start around 10:00am to 10:30am. The Houston Darts Association Blind draw tournament should start about 12:30pm and finish around 4:30pm to 5:00pm. During the blind draw tournament the Compaq Center will supply free pizza and soft drinks. Prior to the start of the football game there will be an awards ceremony on the field announcing the winners of both the youth tournament and the blind draw tournament.Those people who have entered either the youth tournament or the blind draw tournament will have special seating for the football game. After the game there will be some guided tours and hopefully player meetings. Also tentatively scheduled after the football game is a party/rock concert. This will be only for the dart players and their parties. What does all of this cost? Well the youth tournament entry fee is still $35.00. The winner goes to Las Vegas in August for entry into the youth National tournament at the North American Open. Entry to the Compaq Center, parking, the football game and the events following is $11.00. The entry fee for the blind draw tournament is $5.00. The American Darts Organization has decided to pay the $11.00 for each of the youth dart players who enter the Area youth tournament. Parents who come with the youth players will be required to pay the $11.00 entry fee and those who come for the blind draw tournament will be required to pay the $11.00 plus the $5.00 blind draw entry.
Now the catch. I must have the entry fees for all of the youth players and the people coming with them by June 1st. This is required by the Arena operators so the tickets can be mailed out. As more information becomes available I will endeavor to get it out to all of the clubs and those youth players who have expressed an interest in coming. I can be reached at 281-392-0103 in the evenings, 281-392- 0190 for fax or for the internet at KVGP42A@PRODIGY.COM. Because of the location and type of event, a dress code WILL be enforced. Please don't come a long way and not be able to play.
Dennis Aitken
ADO Manager, Area III
Contact Sandi Cain (949) 497-2680
ADO PREPARES FOR YOUTH PLAYOFFS
Anahaim, Ca The annual ADO Area Youth Championships are scheduled for the weekend of June 19-21. Clubs interested in sending youth to the playoffs need to select those youth players by May 31and notify the Area Manager. In turn, the Area Managers are responsible for setting the location of the Area Playoffs and are the people to contact for details of those events. Area Youth Champions earn a trip to Las Vegas to compete for scholarship money (all finalists earn scholarship eligibility in varying amounts). The National Champion will also advance to the World Youth Masters in London, England this December.
The Youth Championships were established in 1987 for players under the age of 18. Washington native Albert Mendoza won the championship an unprecedented four times in 1989-1992 and was followed by Kevin Luke, also from Washington, in 1993 and 1995. Last year's champion, Tennessee native Kevin Holden, was a semi-finalist last year at the Winmau World Youth Masters.
Contact Sandi Cain (714) 497-2680
$10,000 PRIZE FOR PERFECT 501 GAME TO BE OFFERED IN LAS VEGAS
Anaheim, CA The American Darts Organization will offer a $10,000 bonus to the first player to hit a perfect 501 game in the National Championships during ADO activities prior to the North American Open slated for the Riviera Hotel in Las Vegas this August. Only two players -- John Finnegan of Massachusetts and the late Glenn Silva of Florida -- have ever attained this feat in ADO- sanctioned tournament play. The award is offered in memory of Glenn Silva, a recent member of ADO international teams, who was killed in an auto accident earlier this year.
The National Championships are the culmination of the East-West All-Star team competition. The nine National Team members are automatically seeded into the competition based on their 1997 points finish. The remaining 10 men and five women gain entry to the National Championships by attaining the highest point per dart averages in the East-West All-Star competition. Both events will be held on August 14. All Regional winners from the ADO All-Star competition earn a trip to Las Vegas to compete in the East-West All-Stars. Regionals are slated for the weekend of May 8-10. Members of the press wishing to cover the National Championships should contact the ADO office at (714) 254-0212 or Sandi Cain at the above number or scainado@aol.com.
The National Youth Championships will also be held on August 14 at the Riviera. Association deadline for youth qualifiers is June 21, with Area Playoffs scheduled for the weekend of June 19-21. Contact Area Youth Managers or the ADO Area Manager for details.
The National Playoffs for this year's Winmau World Masters in London will be held Sept. 25 in Lake Tahoe in conjunction with the Truckee Meadows Autumn Open. The third annual National Cricket championships, for which regionals will be contested this November 6-8, will be held at the New York Open next January.
Because playoff dates have varied in the
past two years as the ADO worked to adjust to a four-playoff system,
the organization is making every effort to notify members and
tournament hosts well in advance of future playoff dates for 1998 and
1999. The slotted weekend should now remain the same into the
foreseeable future.
March
28, 1998
Contact Sandi Cain (714)497-2680
ADO BOARD LOOKS TO FUTURE NEEDS AT SPRING MEETING
Anaheim, CA The Board of Directors of the American Darts Organization had its eyes on the millennium at its recent spring meeting, taking action on a number of items designed to strengthen the grass-roots base of the organization over the next two years. A summary of major items addressed at the meeting follows:
Awards: The "deadeye" (3 center bulls) and "nine count" (three scoringtriples in cricket) that were tested at the recent Cricket National Championships were given the go-ahead by the board and will be available to clubs in the same manner as the 180 certificates are available. In addition,the 180 certificates will be redesigned this year to give them a new, updated look. In addition, awards (shirts) were chosen for the 1997 regional winners. Order information will be sent out shortly to those who placed first, second or third in their regions. The balance of the 95/96 awards, delayed again through default of the contracted provider, have been ordered through another provider and will be available for shipping by April 15.
Youth: The Board voted to expand the youth program to bring more youth through the playoffs to the finals in Las Vegas beginning in 1999. In addition, Area Managers will undertake to establish a youth series of tournaments in Areas for which these do not currently exist. Funds permitting,the ADO will send a team (one boy and one girl, as mandated by World Darts Federation rules) to the first Youth World Cup to be contested in Durban South Africa in 1999. Sponsorships for next year's World Cup teams will be sought.
Membership cards: The issue of ADO membership cards that would enable the ADO to provide more discount opportunities to the general membership will again be considered at the fall meeting.
Regional/Area alignment: Shifting dart demographics will result in the board looking at any needed regional or area boundary changes that would be beneficial to the membership at the fall meeting. Any member clubs that would like to suggest changes may submit those to their Regional Directors or Area Managers by Sept. 15 so that reasonable realignment plans may be drawn up ahead of the October meeting.
National league format: A committee was formed to present a proposal for anational ADO league format that would be an option for clubs to use in their own operations. In a survey two years ago, an overwhelming number of members indicated a desire for this type of program. The program would offer new clubs a built-in format to begin operation, and would allow existing clubs to add an ADO league night if they so choose. The league structure will encompass point per dart averages in some form. Any input on structure for this format may be sent to Area IV Manager Charlie Forrester.
Tournament default: The default policy, suspended for reworking last October, was reinstated with minor revisions that include assistance from the ADO with any legal steps necessary to obtain guaranteed funds for players who are not paid on site as promised by the advertised purse. New copies of the default policy will go out to members hosting tournaments.
World Cup point year: The calendar
point year for World Cup points was altered by one month to better
accommodate submission deadlines imposed by host countries. World Cup
points will now run from July 1 through the following June 30 instead
of August 1 through the following July 31. For the 1999 World Cup,
points will begin to accrue on July 1, 1998 and conclude on June 30,
1999. The 12 best finishes will still be the basis on which the team
is selected.
March
21, 1998
Contact Sandi Cain (714) 497-2680
ADO MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP FUND BENEFITS YOUTH
Anaheim, CA In 1995, the ADO entered into a standard Trust Agreement with three non-board member trustees (two former National Youth Managers and Della Fleetwood) to administer the ADO Memorial Scholarship Fund. To date, the trustees have completed the steps to achieve 501 (c) (3) tax exempt status for the fund whereby donations are now deductible under Section 170 of the IRS code. They have deposited the funds into an interest-bearing PaineWebber account. They have also developed a communications plan by which young players will be reminded of the value of the scholarship awards they have won and how to claim them, both after they participate in the National Youth Championship and -- if unclaimed -- again six months prior to the youth's 21st birthday.
Currently, there are 24 youth darters eligible to receive funds, and potentially eight could be added each year, requiring donations to meet or exceed $6,000 per year to maintain the pace. For the last three years,donations to the fund has averaged only $3,759.29 per year. Still, the total value of the Scholarship Fund currently stands at $33,909.84. This money is in a separate account from general ADO funds, is managed by different individuals, and has never been touched for any purpose other than payment of scholarship money -- nor is it the intent to ever use it for another purpose besides to the benefit of young darters.
ADO members are reminded that the Memorial Scholarship Fund was established in the memory of darters who have passed away. Frequently, donations to the fund are received in memory of a friend or loved one.
With donations lagging over the past three
years, it is the ADO's wish to reverse that trend and encourage
members to run charity boards, raffles, special challenge shoots or
other activities, or to donate in memory of someone special, to
benefit our future darters. The Trustees and the ADO board express
particular gratitude to the Savannah Area Darting Association and the
Portland Area Dart Association for their ongoing commitment to and
support of this program.
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