Today: Part II of THE DAILY's two-part feature on the
future of the WPVA with a look at the sport's Olympic debut.
ON TO ATLANTA: Beach volleyball's ascension as an Olympic
sport should presents both long and short-term benefits to the
WPVA and its sponsors. WPVA Exec Dir Nancy Lengel views the
Games as an "educating process" -- a means of introducing the
sport to new viewers and attracting a "broader base of fans"
through the showcasing of top players. WPVA sponsors tend to
view Atlanta as more of a "long-term gainer." Following the
Games, repositioning the WPVA -- as WPVA Information Dir Tim
Simmons puts it, "from a lifestyle to the mainstream" -- is the
immediate goal. To do so, Lengel and WPVA Tour Dir Le Valley
Pattison plan to: Preserve the current system of player
ownership; elevate the existing $1M prize money fund through
larger events and continued sponsorship growth; expand into
untapped FL and NJ markets; generate more foreign interest; and
get involved in new grass-roots programs. Lengel adds the WPVA
has no interest in merging with the men, as they view women's
beach volleyball as an independent entity (THE DAILY).