Badger News

YEAR IN REVIEW: A LOOK BACK AT 2023’S BIGGEST STORIES IN THE BADGER REGION

Let’s take a look back at some of the top stories of the 2023 calendar year in the Badger Region.

  • Jan. 7-8: Badger Region Power League kicks off its third year at locations around the state. The debut of the Badger Region Power League Watch List also is made.
  • Jan. 20: Badger Boys Series celebrates its ninth year in a row offering competition for boys ages 13 and under
  • Jan. 23: The Badger Region/AVCA Coaching Education Tip of the Week and Badger Region/AVCA Recruiting Tips of the Week return for the fifth straight year.
  • Feb. 1: Badger Region Board of Directors meeting
  • Feb. 11-12: Second weekend of Badger Region Power League
  • Feb. 18: Concordia University Wisconsin hosts a Badger Region Night during its match against Lakeland University
  • Feb. 25-26: Badger Region Qualifier at the Milwaukee Sting Center, RecPlex and Wisconsin Products Pavilion at State Fair Park
  • March 1: Badger Region / AVCA Coach of the Year winners honored at the Milwaukee Bucks game at Fiserv Forum
  • March 8: Badger Region hosts an online Lunch & Learn focused on sportsmanship with our partner Mark Horbinski of Won80.
  • March 11-12: First weekend of the Badger Region Championships at the Wisconsin Center along with the Dale Rohde Memorial Volleyball Tournament
  • March 15: Badger Region hosts a Lunch & Learn focused on all things leading up to the 2023 Badger Region Championships
  • March 18-19: Second weekend of the Badger Region Championships at the Wisconsin Center
  • March 24: The Badger Region hosts an exhibition match between Milwaukee Dive and Chicago Icemen at the Wisconsin Center
  • May 25-26: Third weekend of the Badger Region Championships at the Wisconsin Center
  • May 25-26: Multiple officials received their promotions to in-training to provisional officials as well as eight officials who advanced from provisional to regional. These refs advanced to Regional at Badger Region Championships: Guy DeShaney, Rich Blocksom, Gary Miedema, Rebecca Gasper and Emily Nelson
  • March 30: Badger Region Board of Directors Meeting
  • April 1-2: Final weekend of the Badger Region Power League and the announcement of the first-ever Badger Region Power League All-League Teams
  • April 5: Badger Region launches a more mobile-friendly, searchable and aesthetically superior website. This coincided with other improved internal structures, new email system, new accounting system and new payroll systems. These initiatives were the product of the 2022 Strategic Planning sessions in the Region.
  • April 7-8: Wisconsin Volleyball Championships (college club) held at the Milwaukee Sting Center
  • April 13-15: National Collegiate Volleyball Federation Championships that saw the UW-La Crosse men’s team and UW-Eau Claire women’s team win national championships.
  • April 18: The Badger Region hosts a listening session for club directors interested in giving the Badger Region feedback on our various Region-hosted events
  • April 28-30: Eighteen Badger Region teams compete at the 2023 Girls National Championships 18-and-under championships in Columbus, Ohio. During that time, FC Elite 18-White brought home the Bronze Medal in the 18 Patriot Division.
  • April 23: Badger Region High Performance All-Star team tryouts for boys at the New Berlin SportsPlex
  • May 6: Badger Region Adult Championships at the New Berlin SportsPlex
  • May 10: Board Region Board of Director Meeting
  • May 11: Fifteen athletes named Badger Region scholarship recipients. Two additional athletes named FriscoMo scholarship winners for community service
  • May 13: Badger Region High Performance training session for boys at New Berlin SportsPlex
  • May 26-31: Twelve Badger Region Adult Teams compete at Nationals in Dallas, Texas
  • June 1: Jason Wheelock (club representative at Fox Valley Performance) and Jon Ellmann (UW-Oshkosh women’s coach and Spiketown USA club director) win the Badger Region Board of Director Election for At-Large positions
  • June 2: Badger Region announces fourth annual AVCA/Badger Region Coach of the Year and Club Director of the Year awards (Dave Bayer, Adam Campbell, Katy Matola, Rosie Wetstein, Patrick Bieser, Jeff Van Lannen)
  • June 3: Badger Region High Performance training session for boys at New Berlin SportsPlex
  • June 14-15: Badger Region hosts a pair of beach volleyball clinics at Bradford Beach in Milwaukee with the support of Tomas Goldsmith, owner of Volley-Life.
  • June 24-July 5: Fifteen Badger Region teams compete at the Girls 11-13s Junior National Championships in Minneapolis, Minn., the first time the 11-13s broke off from the larger 14-17s division of the event.
  • June 24-July 5: Sixty-five Badger Region teams compete at the Girls 14-17s Junior National Championships in Chicago. During that time Milwaukee Sting 15-Gold won the national championship in the 15-National Division. The Milwaukee Sting 17-Gold team won bronze in the 17-National division.
  • July 5: Official Rick Jones receives his Junior National rating from USA Volleyball at GJNCs in Chicago
  • June 23: Badger Region hosts a Lunch & Learn on Facebook Live focused on all things outdoor volleyball
  • July 9-11: Badger Region Girls High Performance Camp at UW-Oshkosh
  • July 10-11: Badger Region Boys High Performance Camp at Lakeland University
  • July 20-23: Badger Region High Performance teams compete at the USA All-Star Championships in Fort Lauderdale, Fla, taking bronze in the Girls U13 division.
  • July 29-30: The Badger Region returns to Bradford Beach in Milwaukee for the Badger Region Beach Championships
  • Aug. 1-10: Badger Region offers “Retention Period” for clubs and athletes who played during the 2022-23 season
  • Aug. 1: The AVCA names Joe Banske (Motion Volleyball/Waukesha Fusion Boys High School Coach) the Girls 14-and-under Coach of the Year.
  • Aug. 9: Badger Region Board of Director Meeting
  • Aug. 11-12: Badger Region hosts a coaching clinic featuring John Kessel and Eric Hodgson for new coaches at St. Marcus School on Milwaukee’s north side. It was followed the next day by clinics for all ages that started at 9 a.m. and went to 5 p.m.
  • Aug. 17: Badger Region announces partnership with the Sideout Foundation for a Dig Pink event at the 2024 Badger Region Championships.
  • Aug. 27: The Badger Region runs a unique player/coach clinic for all coaches and athletes who were planning to participate in a middle school league. This was done in cooperation with Milwaukee Dive.
  • Aug 27: Badger Region Junior Club Director Meeting in Brookfield, Wis.
  • Sept. 1: Badger Region/USA Volleyball begin their 2023-24 membership season – the fourth using Sports Engine
  • Sept. 3: Badger Region renews its partnership with Won80 and owner Mark Horbinski who works with Badger Region clubs to educate coaches, parents and athletes on the importance of sportsmanship.
  • Sept. 5: The Badger Region partners again with Frisco Mo to highlight boys high school volleyball better than it ever has in years past. The Region and Frisco Mo sponsored the weekly Top 10 coaches poll as well as all the awards, plaques and honors associated with the boys being named All-State.
  • Sept. 10: Badger Region hosts a pair of club volleyball open houses: One in DePere and one in Appleton to allow athletes and families to meet clubs and coaches while their kids participated in a youth clinic
  • Sept. 13: Badger Region is given the opportunity to host a club volleyball open house at Fiserv Forum prior to the Marquette vs. Wisconsin Women’s NCAA Div. I volleyball match.
  • Sept. 17: Badger Region hosts a clinic and open house at New Berlin SportsPlex in partnership with Milwaukee Dive
  • Sept. 27: Badger Region partners with Zone 7 and owner Kevin Brylski as a company and individual who educates parents and fans about expectations about culture, conflict resolution and all things outside the lines.
  • Oct 7: Tryouts begin for athletes 14-and-under
  • Oct. 12: The Badger Region runs its Last Chance Tryout & Clinic at the New Berlin SportsPlex for athletes 14U who did not make a club during the first tryout period
  • Oct. 25: Badger Region hosts its annual boys open house at Pius XI High School in Milwaukee featuring a scrimmage between UW-Whitewater and UW-Milwaukee men’s volleyball teams.
  • Nov. 2: Badger Region is chosen to host the 2025 USA All-Star Championships in the City of Madison
  • Nov. 5: Badger Region allows boys 15-and-older to try out as many prepare for a large tournament in Chicago that would take place Nov. 11-13.
  • Nov. 11: Tryouts begin for girls 15-and-older
  • Nov. 14: Badger Region hosts an online Lunch & Learn focused on using Parents as Resources
  • Nov. 15: The Badger Region runs its Last Chance Tryout & Clinic at the New Berlin SportsPlex for athletes 15-and older who did not make a club during the first tryout period
  • Nov. 19: Badger Region hosts an in-person officials meeting. Other follow-up virtual meetings took place later that night and Dec. 10
  • Nov. 19: Badger Region helps to coordinate its first-ever National Team Development Program Accelerator at the Milwaukee Sting Center featuring top athletes in the state getting looks from USA Volleyball’s NTDP coaches
  • Nov. 20: Badger Region Board of Directors meeting is held where the board voted to allow an additional summer tryout period
  • Nov. 29: Badger Region board member and HP All-Star Coach Jon Ellmann wins the AVCA Div. III NCAA Women’s Coach of the Year helping to lead the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh to a 30-1 record and the Quarterfinals of the NCAA Tournament.
  • Dec. 4: Viterbo University women’s volleyball advances to the National Semifinals of the NAIA Tournament taking place in Sioux City, Iowa.
  • Dec. 5: The first of many Coaches Coaching Coaches takes place in the Badger Region, where elite mentor coaches come out to clubs and work with coaches to help improve their practice planning and fine tune their philosophies.
  • Dec. 8: The Badger Boys Series begins for the 2022-23 season at the Milwaukee Sting Center.
  • Dec. 14: The Wisconsin Badgers make the NCAA Div. I Women’s Volleyball Final Four but fall to national champion University of Texas in the semifinals.
  • Dec. 15: Former Badger Region Board President Julie Voeck wins the PAVO Award.
  • Dec. 16-17: First Badger Region tournaments of the 2023-24 season begin
  • Dec. 21: Badger Region hosts an online Lunch & Learn with Kevin Brylski from Zone 7 focused on conflict resolution and de-escalation