The Beach Volleyball World Championships, played last
week at UCLA, are examined by Michael Bamberger in SI under
the header, "Sand Blast. The First World Championships Of
Beach Volleyball Were A Hit, But The Struggle For the
Sport's Future Continues." Bamberger writes that the event,
"promised to be the first meeting of all the best players"
in the world, was still "threatened to break down at times
because of petty haggling." But Management Plus' Leonard
Armato, the event co-promoter, said off-the-beach events
will mark the future of the sport. Armato: "To watch beach
volleyball at the beach, you have to schlepp across sand ...
and try to find a place to sit. Corporate America isn't
going to do that. And you need corporate America if you're
going to grow the game" (SI, 9/22). More Armato: "Where
sports start and where they end up are two totally different
events." He added that organizers would follow the model of
hosting tournaments in an amenity-filled, in-stadium
setting, "utilizing modern venues and marketing principals
to create interest in a unique event" (THE DAILY).
