USA Water Polo announced on Monday, in a joint press conference with USA Volleyball and USA Badminton at the Anaheim Convention Center across the street from Disneyland, that it had entered into a four-year agreement with Sports Anaheim. The three organizations came together to sign partnership agreements with Sports Anaheim, a division of Visit Anaheim that works to bring professional and amateur sporting events to Anaheim and Orange County.
“Anaheim offers such a distinct experience to visiting sports fans and as our official travel destination will add so much to our fans time in Orange County,” said Marty Samuels, COO, USA Water Polo. “We’re really excited to be partnering with the team at Sports Anaheim and the city as we start gearing up for the upcoming Junior Olympics in 2017 and 2019.”
USA Water Polo is domiciled in Huntington Beach, California, one of the few national governing bodies not located in Colorado Springs, Colorado. During the press conference, both Samuels of USA Water Polo and USA Volleyball representatives, National Women’s Coach Karch Kiraly and Men’s Coach John Speraw, warmly welcomed USA Badminton to Southern California. USA Badminton’s Board Chair, David Simon, explained the organization’s relocation to Anaheim. “We are excited to be headed to Anaheim where we will benefit from being closer to so many of our members and athletes,” Simon said. “The sport is experiencing tremendous growth in California. This move puts us close to both current and prospective sponsors and by being on the Pacific Rim we will be a nonstop flight away from many major badminton nations.”
While USA Volleyball’s organizational structure is located in Colorado Springs, both the men’s and women’s national teams have been headquartered in Anaheim for a number of years. That relationship will now extend through 2020. “USA Volleyball could not be more pleased that our USA National Women’s and Men’s Teams will be calling the City of Anaheim home for another four years,” said Kerry Klostermann, Secretary General, USA Volleyball. “The Men’s team relocated to Anaheim in 2006 and the Women followed in 2009. The Olympic medals won by the teams in 2008, 2012 and 2016 are attributable to the generous support provided by the City of Anaheim and its citizens.”
Visit Anaheim’s President and CEO, Jay Burress, summed it up by stating, “It is an historic day in Anaheim, for Sports Anaheim and the amateur sports community. Today marks an important turning point for Sports Anaheim and the faith that USA Water Polo, USA Volleyball and USA Badminton have placed in our organization and ability to build a game-changing amateur sporting event destination. The agreements signed solidify Anaheim’s place in the growing amateur sports community.”
From the Press Release:
At an event today at the Anaheim Convention Center, officials from USA Water Polo, USA Volleyball and USA Badminton came together to sign agreements with Sports Anaheim. The agreements signed today include:
USA Badminton: Anaheim will now serve as USA Badminton’s national headquarters and training center. The organization will relocate from Colorado Springs, CO.
USA Volleyball: Sports Anaheim will be assuming the contract between USA Volleyball and the City of Anaheim. The extension will be valid through 2020.
USA Water Polo: Anaheim will now be the official travel destination for USA Water Polo (e.g., USA Water Polo National Junior Olympics 2017 and 2019 tournaments will be held in Anaheim).
About Sports Anaheim
Sports Anaheim was established to bring in local, national and international sporting events into the destination, and serve as a resource for local organizations needing support in their bid to attract sports business. Since its launch in March 2016, the division has forged partnerships and inked deals to bring the following events into Anaheim and Orange County:
- American Athletic Union: First West Coast office in Anaheim
- 2017 International Weightlifting Federation World Championships
- 2017 USA P&G Gymnastics Championship in Anaheim
- LA24 Bid for 2024 Olympic Games
- 2017 USA Weightlifting American Open
- 2017 USA Fencing North American Cup
- North American Chinese Invitation Volleyball Tournament
- Varsity Spirit Corporation
For more information on Visit Anaheim, please visit: www.visitanaheim.org/sports-anaheim.
About Visit Anaheim
Founded in 1961, Visit Anaheim is a 501 (c)(6) nonprofit destination marketing organization. Visit Anaheim’s mission is to develop, market and sell Anaheim benefiting the economic vitality of our communities. Follow Visit Anaheim on Facebook (Facebook.com/VisitAnaheim) Twitter (@Visit_Anaheim), Instagram (Instagram.com/VisitAnaheim) and LinkedIn (VisitAnaheim).
CIF finals were at Woollett? And Newport Harbor is another locale for water polo i think. These people in suits have no idea what they are talking about. OC can always use more swimming pools how about dual 50M pools in the parking lot at anaheim stadium?
There is no world class or even close to world class aquatic facility in the city of Anaheim. Where are they gonna hold the H2O polo matches? Esperanza or Canyon High Schools? Who are they kidding? JMHO.
Anaheim wanted to built a new pool like Santa Ana did about 7 years ago but that was delayed off. The only pools they have are high school and maybe its the Anaheim Hills ones.
Anaheim wanted to built a new pool like Santa Ana did about 7 years ago but that was delayed off. The only pools they have are high school and maybe its the Anaheim Hills ones.