A LOOK BACK AT 2024: FROM THE BADGER REGION

What an amazing year it was in the world of Badger Region / USA Volleyball in the Badger Region. While we wrap up a great 2024, we can’t wait to start all of our great programming and events that will define 2025.

January

Jan. 6-7: Badger Region Power League kicks off its fourth year at locations around the state. The debut of the Badger Region Power League Watch List also is made.
Jan. 11: The Badger Region hosts a Lunch & Learn focused on conflict resolution with Won80 founder Mark Horbinksi.
Jan. 19: Badger Boys Series celebrates its 10th year in a row offering competition for boys ages 13 and under
Jan. 25: Badger Region announces partnership with Team Snap as the official communication and fundraising platform for clubs.

February

Feb. 1: Amanda Marek wins the 2024 Badger Region Championship logo design competition. Her logo (above) was chosen from among 24 submitted for the contest, and the logo was used on apparel, newsletter and marketing for the 2024 event.
Feb. 1: Lunch & Learn with the Badger Region and the SideOut Foundation in preparation for the Dig Pink event at the Badger Region Championships
Feb. 8: Badger Region Board of Directors Meeting.
Feb. 10-11: Second weekend of Badger Region Power League. Winners from Weekend No. 2 in the Elite Divisions include I AM VBC 14-Red, I AM VBC 15-Red and Wisconsin Juniors 18-1s.
Feb. 23: Lunch & Learn with the Badger Region Hudl to help athletes and coaches with the recruiting, video editing process.
Feb. 27: Lunch & Learn with the Badger Region focused on the High Performance All-Star program that began with tryouts later that week.

March

March 2-3: Badger Region Qualifier and Dale Rohde Memorial Boys Tournament at the Alliant Energy Center in Madison, Wisconsin.
March 11-12: First weekend of the Badger Region Championships for Girls 11s & 13s at the Champion Center in Appleton. All three weekends of the event were Dig Pink events in 2024.
March 16-17: Second weekend of the Badger Region Championships held in Milwaukee at the Baird Center and in Green Bay at the Resch Expo Center.
March 24: Badger Region hosts a Milwaukee Dive vs. Milwaukee Gold men’s VLA match and a Madison Embers vs. Milwaukee Mayhem women’s VLA match at the Baird Center.
March 23-24: Third weekend of the Badger Region Championships.

April

April 5-6: Wisconsin Volleyball Championships (college club) held at the Milwaukee Sting Center
April 6-7: Final weekend of the Badger Region Power League and the announcement of the second annual Badger Region Power League All-League Teams. Winners included Eclipse 18-Solar, WI Juniors 15-Elite, Wisconsin Elite 15-Blue, Jr. Vikings 14-Blue and Adversity-WI 14-1.
April 7: Badger Region officials who advanced to Regional certification: Mya Kapalko, Jeff Lehnerz, Justin Flasch, Kyle Krivitz and Heather Couey.
April 20: UW-Eau Claire beats UW-La Crosse in the championships of the NCVF (college club) tournament in Kansas City, Mo.
April 21: The Badger Region Boys HP All-Star program kicks off at the New Berlin SportsPlex with a boys training date.
April 28: Francisco Torres Rivera earns his National official referee certification in Baltimore at the Girls 18-and-under National Championships.
April 26-28: Eight Badger Region teams compete at the 2024 Girls National Championships 18-and-under championships in Baltimore, Md.
April 30: Badger Region hosts a Lunch & Learn focused on the new summer tryout policy.

May

May 4: Badger Region Adult Championships at the New Berlin SportsPlex
May 8: Badger Region Board of Directors meeting
May 13: Sixteen athletes named Badger Region scholarship recipients. Two additional athletes named Frisco Mo scholarship winners for community service
May 22: Commissioner/Executive Director Jennifer Armson-Dyer receives the Dr. Neville A. “Doc” Booth Commissioners Award at the USAV meetings.
May 24-29: Fourteen Badger Region Adult Teams compete at Nationals in Columbus, Ohio.
May 26: Scorer Chair Erin Stalker earns the USAV Silver Pen Award

June

June 1: Kyleigh (Block) Neave, Breit Nelson, Bonnie Stalker and Patti Dawson win their respective elections for a seat on the Badger Region Board of Directors.
June 2: Badger Region announces fifth annual AVCA/Badger Region Coach of the Year and Club Director of the Year awards (Anne Frei, Sheila Green, Dan Dresen, Amy Wagner, Mary Blandino, Alexis Middleton, Mike Stevens)
June 11-12: 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 21-24: Thirteen Badger Region teams compete at the Girls 11-13s Junior National Championships in Dallas, Texas.
June 24-July 5: Thirty-four Badger Region teams compete at the Girls 14-17s Junior National Championships in Las Vegas, Nev.
June 27: The Badger Region Board of Directors elected Holly Jablonowski as the new president of the board, following the retirement of Jim Momsen.
June 30: OVC B15 takes second at USAV nationals in the 15 Open/USA division. Also: OVC B16s wins the 16-Club Division at nationals in Orlando. MKE Sting 16-3, Mamba 18s took second in their respective divisions. Epic 16-Black and Sting 17-1 took third in their divisions.

July

July 1-18: Badger Region offers “Retention Period” for clubs and athletes who played during the 2023-24 season
July 5: Anthony Chan earns his Junior National official certification in Las Vegas, Nev.
July 14-15: Badger Region Girls and Boys High Performance All-Star Camp takes place at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside for the first time.
July 18-21: Badger Region High Performance teams compete at the USA All-Star Championships in Des Moines, Iowa. All teams made their respective gold brackets. The G19 and G15 teams took home third place in their respective divisions. The B19 and B17s team took fourth. The G17s team took fifth.
July 20: The Badger Region allows summer tryouts to take place for the first time.

August

Aug. 3-4: The Badger Region returns to Bradford Beach in Milwaukee for the Badger Region Beach Championships
Aug. 11: The USA women’s indoor volleyball team wins the silver medal. The men win the bronze medal. And the women’s sitting team wins the Gold Medal at the Paris Olympics.
Aug. 24: Badger Region hosts a Player/Coach Clinic for middle school athletes and coaches at the New Berlin SportsPlex

September

Sept. 1: Badger Region/USA Volleyball begin their 2024-25 membership season.
Sept. 1-2: Fiserv Forum hosts the collegiate volleyball showcase featuring the likes of Stanford, Wisconsin, Texas and Minnesota.
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. 3: 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. 8: Badger Region Board of Directors meeting
Sept. 14: Badger Region hosts youth clinic as part USA Volleyball’s Try Volleyball for Free initiative at St. Marcus School on Milwaukee’s north side.

October

Oct. 1: Badger Region renews its partnership with Art of Coaching Volleyball which offers 300 free premium memberships to Badger Region coaches.
Oct 5: Tryouts begin for athletes 14-and-under
Oct. 12: The Badger Region runs its Second-Chance Tryout & Clinic at the New Berlin SportsPlex for athletes 14U who did not make a club during the tryout periods
Oct. 13: Badger Region opens tournament registration to club directors for the first time in October.
Oct. 15: Badger Region sponsors Dustin Bahn of Fox Valley Performance for AVCA Diversity Awards Program
Oct. 17: Badger Region hosts a Lunch & Learn focused on sportsmanship with Won80 founder Mark Horbinski.
Oct. 30: Badger Region hosts its annual boys open house at Pius XI High School in Milwaukee featuring a scrimmage between Milwaukee Gold and Madison Inferno VLA volleyball teams.

November

Nov. 1: Badger Region opens survey of membership looking for feedback on beach events in Wisconsin.
Nov. 7: The Badger Region hosts its first-ever Coaching Summit at the WIAA Boys & Girls State High School Volleyball Tournament at the Resch Expo in Green Bay.
Nov. 16: Fall tryouts open for high school athletes.
Nov. 16-17: The Wisconsin Volleyball Conference hosts its Leadership Summit in Madison, Wis.
Nov. 18: Badger Region Board of Directors Meeting
Nov. 20: The Badger Region runs its Second-Chance Tryout & Clinic at the OAW Sports Complex for athletes 15-and older who did not make a club during the tryout period
Nov. 24: Badger Region hosts an in-person officials meeting. Other follow-up meetings took place Dec. 8 and Dec. 10.
Nov. 27: Badger Region partners with Brian Kenney’s Team Extreme , a company focused on team building

December

Dec. 6: The Badger Boys Series begins for the 2024-25 season at the Milwaukee Sting Center.
Dec. 11: AVCA names Mary Blandino (Milwaukee Sting) as the boys coach of the year and Cooper Kemnitz (Inferno) as the boys club director of the year.
Dec. 12: Badger Region hosts an online Lunch & Learn for families new to club volleyball.
Dec. 12: Board Member Curtis Madson (Metro Milwaukee) is named to the AVCA Board of Directors

Other programs and events that happened en masse:

Six sportsmanship seminars with Won80 owner/founder Mark Horbinski
Five Coaches Coaching Coaches (3C) education events led by Director of Education Scott Spiess
Five high school grants handed out to schools who added boys programs this year (Waunakee, Madison Country Day, Hortonville, McFarland, Martin Luther)
Three boys club volleyball grants handed out to clubs looking to start boys volleyball (CrossCourt, Up North and Crossfire VBC)
Five individuals (athletes, coaches and officials) honored with Badger Region “Caught Doing Good” sportsmanship award
Dozens of parents and spectators receive “E.S.P” (Enthusiastic. Supportive. Positive) wristbands for great sportsmanship.

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