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After seeing the success of the 1997-8 Vrevok Men's team, Bring It Promotions is now in the process of building a sister club in the women's half of the Dutch Premier Division. For many companies, the women's side of volleyball is a much more attractive investment than men. There is more media coverage in the domestic market and there are certainly more female players active in the sport.
The club we have chosen, Martinus, is one of the oldest and most respected clubs in Holland. Located in the Amsterdam suburbs, the club has a strong backing from the community and is the center of social life for the over 300 members of the club. The team will be participating in European Cup play in the 1998-1999 season and our exposure will be enormous for a Dutch club. This will be the first ever women's team of any sport with five Americans and we expect the media coverage to be even greater than that of the men's counterpart.
Once again, Bring It Promotions will head the selection of the team (and coach) and be responsible for the initial funding of the team. We are again fortunate enough to have a principal donor for the bulk of our costs, but it is imperative to add a strong sponsor base to provide longevity and continuity to the plan. We have a good start on the coming season and will attempt to add a new head sponsor and a selection of second tier sponsors to the club.
It is important to note that the motivation behind building both Martinus and Vrevok into top level clubs with American players is not financial. Bring It Promotions is trying to provide players from the USA and Canada with a solid, safe, and fun place to play in Europe to make up for the fact that there is no high level organized volleyball after the university level. Some clubs in Europe are run by presidents, managers, or coaches with limited experience. Teams can fold without notice and some players go months without pay. The team situation that we are trying to supply is an organized and productive one. We are trying to build teams where our players can enjoy the culture and other good things that life in Europe has to offer along with a strong volleyball experience where they can learn and compete at a high level. Assimilation and acceptance is stressed through volleyball clinics, coaching other teams in the club, team promotions, and other community outreach efforts. All steps to these goals are non-profit and the concept can only work with help from donors and sponsors alike. |
