Toccer..A Real Life Dynasty

[Young Drachma]

I've made a bunch of posts about the new sport I created this summer, while working at a summer camp in Connecticut. And weird enough, I got some interesting - and positive - feedback from people about this game.

This dynasty is a real life dynasty that will take you from Day 1, when we decided to play this, to where we are now and where we are going.

It's not everyday that a new sport gets created and even though it might seem weird, the people who play it - mostly kids, mind you..though I'm not a kid - are passionate and it makes me feel something like the people who founded basketball or sports like that felt when the first got started.

So, here is the story of a voyage that will likely last for as long as I can manage to do it.

[Young Drachma]

The summer of 2004 in Connecticut was a rainy one. Especially at hCamp Awosting where it seemed like we were getting buckets of rain over a particular few weeks. The rain really affected us in the tennis program more than any of the other 30 or so activities at camp, because when our courts get slick, it makes it difficult for us to do anything.

Here's some background on tennis at Awosting. Tennis was the camp's biggest sport for many years. But like many things, over the years it died down and things weren't so happenin' up at tennis.

When I came there in 2002, my first summer there, but my fifth year of teaching tennis, the program was in need of an overhaul. And that's what we gave it. Tennis was one of the 3 most popular activities at camp all that summer and parents and campers were thrilled that things went so well.

The best part of things, was that we really managed to get kids who didn't play involved, while catering to players with lots of talent.
They were old, but there wasn't anything that could be done about fixing them until next summer. So, we made do with what we had.

In 2003, I got a summer internship at the Boston Globe as a copy editor. So I didn't go back to camp. Tennis was ok, but didn't reach the heights it did in 2002.

So, in 2004, I decided I wanted to go back - though admittely, I wasn't really sure what else I could do to sustain what happened in 2002. I was two years removed from my success. I couldn't even be sure that some of the kids would remember me.

What would happen, was a complete surprise...

[Young Drachma]

Tennis didn't get worse in 2004. In fact, it was better. From Day 1, we were matching and surpassing the signup numbers that I thought I wouldn't be able to reach.

At camp, Waterfront and Sportsfield rule. Kids in the afternoon, have two elective periods they can sign up for. Generally, Waterfront and Sportsfield are #1 and #2, followed by other activities like Computers, Go-Karts, Climbing Tower or basically anything else other than tennis.

We cut into that during 2002, generally ranking somewhere in the Top 5 and peaking at #3.

So, it was a shock to me that in 2004, we managed to spend the entire summer at #2 and at times, even #1. But how we managed to do it, was a combination of the conventional program that I'd developed, with some tweaking and charisma to boot.

But it was the combination and merging of random sports, that made tennis - yes, tennis - the king of the court for a large part of the summer.

[Young Drachma]

Make no mistake, taking sports and merging them together was mocked. People thought I was crazy and even said, "Look, you're here to teach tennis. Not teach all these other games."

But what I realized each time we did it, was that kids would start playing the nutsoid games. But always seemed to make their way up to the courts to learn to play the real game. They wanted to do it, not because someone made them. But instead, because we managed to make it cool in their world.

Kids like being part of something different. Something that they can call their own and that no one else can necessarily understand. Why do you think we all had imaginary friends (or still do?) Hehe..

The truth is, I didn't think of all that. I just did it and when kids signed up, I knew they wanted more and so I managed to make up more for them, because ultimately it was their program.

That said, we always made provisions to offer lessons for tennis players and had our regular tournaments and other special activities. But the weather made it nearly impossible at times - plus at times, we had less people in camp because of trips and such - to do the normal events we run.

They would ask me, "you were successful two years ago and didn't need to do these gimmicks. Why now?" Because it was a different summer, a different year and ultimately, it got results and made the tennis program huge.

I didn't apologize for the popularity of the sport and ultimately, they saw it my way.

Here are a few of the sports we made up and played this summer:

Tasketball: Using tennis racquets to dribble tennis balls, players try to score into basketball hoops using their hands or racquets. One of two tennis games that has been used for the annual tribal competitions, some campers prefer this game over the others. It was the first of our "crazy tennis" games to have widespread camp popularity and spawned many more.

Twidditch: Without flying brooms, but still the same concept of Quidditch for Harry Potter-philes of all stripes at camp. This game uses tennis balls, racquets and yes, brooms to make a fun, fast-paced game in which players must use teamwork and talent to block the ball from being scored in one of three hoops.

Tennis Dodgeball: A game where two teams are separated by the halfcourt line on a basketball court. A gamemaster decides throughout the game, how many racquets each team will be alloted, with no less than 4 tennis balls on the court at any time - to be thrown by hand - to attempt to hit the players on the opposing team. Each team gets a player called "the chosen one'. If he is hit, that team loses. But the opposing team is not informed of who the chosen one is on your team. If the chosen one catches the ball on the fly, all the players who were hit and out of the game return.

Rovers may cross the halfcourt line, without racquets, and try to hit the opposing team's players with a ball in their own territory.

TowerTennis: A new game, players climb the climbing wall and after climbing, use their racquets as they go down the zip line to hit a ball tossed up by a partner to score in one of the zones on the ground.

WaTer Tolo: The game former known as Water Polo, gets a tennis scrubdown with racquets and tennis balls. Zany, but lots of fun for everyone.

[Young Drachma]

The day toccer was created was much like other days. It was soggy, the courts were too slippery to play on.

I had a group of kids, I think from Cabin 9 or something, most of whom I knew pretty well. I asked them what they wanted to do for their morning lesson. (in the mornings each day, different cabin groups come to 50-minute lessons. In the afternoon, the kids select their own activities for 1-15 minute periods or something).

One of them said, "Let's play toccer." When I asked him how we'd play it, he said he didn't know, but we could figure it out.

The other group of kids, about five went to the sand volleyball pit we have and tried to play "tennis volleyball." But eventually, we had more fun playing the nascent version of toccer, so they came over and joined us.

There was one rule in the beginning. Don't use your hands. You tried to score, which - even for pretty decent tennis players - was difficult with just dribbling on your racquet and such.

So I instituted the second rule shortly after getting started. You can pick the ball up, but you have to make sure its dead on the ground first and once you pick it up, you can't run with it.

And for a long while - at least two weeks - those were the only real rules we had. There were only two positions - field players - and the goalkeeper.

I didn't embrace the game at first. We played it on days when it was wet or eventually, when kids - who generally didn't play any tennis - bugged me to offer it for one of the afternoon elective periods.

So I would and each day, we'd get a consistent number of signups. Even on days when we offered it the previous day, we still had a solid number.

When we had a fourth session group, largely comprised of new kids who had no idea what the sport was, I figured the interest would die down. But instead, it peaked and that's when I realized we had something special on our hands.

Understand that at camp alone, we had kids from about 12 states and 8 different countries, as well as counselors from another 12 or so countries and maybe 10 more states. This diverse group - not only embraced the sport - but were just flooring me with their interest and desire to play it whenever they could.

Once I realized the sport had developed and progressed, I decided to officially write rules. We'd played with more and more informal rules that I'd developed to make the game fair, more interesting, etc.

But now it was time to write them down. We created positions, teams were comprised of 8 players each, and after writing the rules I promised the kids that after the summer was over that I'd get a domain and we'd start spreading the sport - so long as they did their part.

So, that's what I did. The TPA cropped up shortly thereafter and the game, that was nothing more than a rainy day diversion, was a real sport.

[Young Drachma]

After camp ended, I bought the domain and worked really hard to get the site up, so kids would have somewhere to go and look at it. My plan worked and I got the site up a week after camp.

Then, it was time to kick things into gear. I left for Oregon a week after that, for a fall internship. Also immediately, I began working to get a local toccer league started. After about three weeks - almost at the time I decided I was going to go - we managed to get a small group started at a local middle school, but this was unique, because it was a team for adults.

I was too busy at my internship and too broke to really do anything with it. Which sucked, but I did get a few inquiries from random press people about the new sport and if I'd stayed there, a few stories might have developed. We also got some interest from the state games there, that would've added us had I stayed too. That would've been awesome. But at least we know.

I came to Wyoming in October and really had no clue if the sport would have any shot of doing anything. I'd planned to work on it some and then leave in January to head back to college and finish up in Illinois.

[Young Drachma]

Toccer was really just an online event in October. We worked with a company in Texas to get portable field lines for the sport sold on their web site. We worked on a site redesign, but I wasn't focused on it too much because I wasn't familiar with the state, the area and didn't think it'd do very well here.

I managed to get a job at a prep school for delinquents and on my first day, the kids and I ended up talking briefly about toccer. The more I talked about it over the days, the more interested a few of them were. With the cold weather coming, we weren't going to be able to play until the summer.

But the first time we went to the gym for their open gym time, we played without racquets. That's when I realized their zeal and enthusiasm for the sport. So, with their help, we refined the indoor rules for the sport. I had drafted some initially, but they were really nothing more than the outdoor rules condensed. As we tried it once or twice, it just wasn't feasible.

So a game with fewer racquets on the court and fewer players, made things a lot more interesting.

The indoor toccer game is thriving. In January, we'll be presenting to a group of physical education teachers in Calgary and we're already working on an indoor league for this winter here in Wyoming, if not a spring league, too.

Our new web site went up last week - here, with the unveiling of our new logo, too.

[Young Drachma]

It was frustrating because the kids were being a bit more obnxious than usual. And my new camera, well..I wasn't sure how to use it all that well. I've figured it out now, though.

Anyway, I did manage to get a few decent shots.

Here goes:

[Young Drachma]

I knew that eventually, I'd have to go the route of Arena Football's founders and create a marketing arm that would develop the sport in ways the founding organization couldn't.

While I currently have no plans to patent the sport or anything, I did want to be able to do a lot more flexiblity wise and with Omnivore Sports Development, we'll be doing that.

We've already contacted racquet makers to get toccer racquets designed and we're producing our own shoe, too. Not just for toccer, but an actual sports shoe.

So, that's where we are now. Progress is one of those elusive, two steps forward, one step back type deals. But we're getting there gradually.

[Young Drachma]

The business plan for Omnivore Developments is almost complete. Exciting stuff, but then comes the part of putting it before the bank and seeing what we'll be able to get done there.

We've already recieved more contact via the web site this month than at any point. We simplified the rules to indoor toccer, by creating a one page sheet that anyone with no background could read and go forward with.

New leagues are cropping up. It's cheaper than a lot of conventional sports and kids LOVE it. So, hopefully, we'll continue to promote that message.

[Young Drachma]

Football, Lacrosse and Hockey have their helmets...we, have goggles. Awesome ones.

We got an order in for these earlier today, after a kid got hit in the eye with a tennis ball. It wasn't even a big deal - and he wasn't playing toccer, he was just throwing around a tennis ball with other kids - but, this is what they wanted.

Far quicker than I expected!

Omnivore X-Zero Toccer Sunglasses/Goggles - Prequel



# This goggle in a sunglass concept provides incredible eye protection.
# Our system utilizes Seal-Lox (tm) technology to hug the inside of the ocular ridge, and work like a goggle but look like a sunglass.
# Lenses are scratch resistant and anti-fog coated providing all weather, all terrain protection.
# Elastic, mini strap, attaches to the temples through docking securing the glasses, giving the ultimate fit.
# 100% UV protection.

[Young Drachma]

Things have changed over the past few days. We released the newest outdoor rules edition (v.5), I'm going back to Connecticut, this time to work with 3 camps instead of one, meaning that I'll be able to expose toccer to over 1,000 kids of all ages, rather than just a few hundred during a summer. I can't wait!

In other news, we're going to be offering a weeklong camp in August in Wyoming that will among other things emphasize healthy lifestyles and a self-esteem and teamwork building module for at-risk teens, as well as a program for the developmentally disabled as an introduction to one of our modified versions of the sport, that should be a hit. Finally, we'll have a symposium and introduction to the sport for gym teachers and others who maybe interested.

In the fall, I have some big plans too. I'm planning to patent a different version of the sport, that actually turns the game into a contact sport - away from toccer's non-contact tendencies. The game will be more polished, refined and ultimately, made for American TV consumption, rather than the certain level of finesse required in say, toccer.

I'll have more on that over the next few months, but suffice to say, this is an exciting potential break for me at this time and that's why I'm excited about what's happening.

Here are some video highlights of recent practice in gym toccer. Not the same or as fine tuned as say, an outdoor game with players who have racquet skills. But still, pretty fun anyway.

Link

[Radii]

about halfway through this up to this point, very interesting to read

[Young Drachma]

That's me playing...

[Young Drachma]

Originally Posted by Radii

about halfway through this up to this point, very interesting to read

Thanks for reading!!!

[Young Drachma]

Me in my Omnivores...

[Young Drachma]

[Young Drachma]

Ever since I came up with toccer and started refining the game, I knew there was another way to make the sport "more exciting" or at least, to change the game to appeal to a different type of audience. It's taken me at least six months to refine the idea. And now, I have devised another sport that will build upon what toccer has created. The sport is called...




Viperball is a contact version of the sport, that will eventually be similar to the development of sports like American football have from its roots in games like soccer and rugby or like netball and its close cousin, basketball.

I think the game has an interesting potential, but would appeal mostly to US audiences because of the way we've changed to sport. I'll explain more later about the game and how it's different.

But we're not abandoning toccer, nor diminishing the committment to it. They're different sports, with ultimately, different paths ahead of them.

I just wanted to share the excitement

[Young Drachma]

Scoring in Viperball:

Strike - 7 points (A goal in conventional toccer)
Raindrop - 5 points (A player catches the ball inside the possession zone (outside of the goalie box..but inside the dotted opposing team hash marks) from a player outside of them.
Solo - 5 points (Scored when a player catches the ball in their own territory and runs it back to the opposing team's possession zone before getting tackled)
Challenge - 3 points (A player drops his racquet at midfield and has 3 seconds to throw the ball past the goalie. He can hold it for longer - up to 10 seconds - but after 3 seconds, the opposing team can attempt to tackle him. Prior to that, player vs. goalkeeper.
Stamp - 4 points (Scored the same as conventional toccer. A player runs up to the penalty area (called the possession area in toccer) and carries the ball trying to get past the goal line - and the goalkeeper. No one else may intervene, it's mano a mano.
Throw - 1 point (Scored when a player throws the ball into the goal from behind the possession line)

In toccer, a goal (a strike in viperball) is worth 4, a challenge is worth 2, a stamp is worth 3 and a raindrop - called a grab in toccer is worth 3, too. A throw is worth 1. The solo hasn't been adopted officially in toccer and probably won't be, as the stamp will probably be abandoned too, since they're both contact plays.

[Young Drachma]

So, it's official.

Through my company, Omnivore Developments, we're working to get the game off the ground - along with a variety of other projects - and plan a launch of the sport in Feb. 2006, probably the week after the Super Bowl. We're not exactly certain about what cities we'll be going to, but we're leaning towards a "smaller" release during Year 1, in places that most folks aren't going to go to, to get the game refined and work out a lot of the bugs.

Then we'll take a tour in 2006, showing the sport off after the season - rather than an All-Star game, we'll showcase the league's top talent on tour.

Then we'll get down to business in '07, hopefully expanding into some slightly larger markets, but still, not rushing the growth of the sport.

There are two sites up, one is the National Viperball League (NVL) and we won't have anything much on there for a while, mainly because we'd like to have video footage of the sport before unveiling the site.

In the meantime, there is already a fan site and message board, up at theviperstrikes.com, where we'll pass on releases we send out sometimes and basically, a place for people - once they find out about the sport - to stop, in ask questions and learn more about the game and its development.

We figure that's the best way to get the game out there, but it's going to be a long process and we're working hard at it. But it's still really exciting.

[Young Drachma]

NEW SPORT TO MAKE A PROFESSIONAL DEBUT IN 2006

A racquet, a ball and smash mouth contact? Might seem like an unlikely combination, but in the sport of Viperball, it’s par for the course. The newest pro sport on the scene will to be unlike anything else.

Derived from the sport of toccer – the first racquet sport to be played on the field – Viperball pits two teams of six players against each other. Players score in a number of ways. One method, called a strike, includes using their racquets (dubbed “lances”) to hit the ball (called a “viper”) into a 5 ft. x 8 ft. goal – Others include stamping, which is a two-on-two matchup of pure skill. A player must advance the ball past the goal line before getting tackled by a defender or the goalkeeper.

The equipment used is similar to that used in tennis, with a few variations. Players are equipped with protective body armor and padding, as well as eye protection, helmets (optional) and gloves.

The game is played on a turf field inside in arena, with dimensions similar to indoor lacrosse or football. The field measures 65 yards long by 25 yards wide. There are no “out-of-bounds” meaning the ball is almost always in play.

Players not in the match reside in “the pits.” Similar to hockey, Viperball does not stop the clock for substitutions. There are also penalty boxes for various infractions committed on the field during the match. A National Viperball League match lasts 36 minutes, divided into three 12-minute periods called phases. There are five minute intermissions between each phase. Teams are allotted two timeouts per phase.

“There is nothing else like it,” said Ron Bronson, Jr., creator of Viperball and Commissioner of the NVL. “We envisioned a sport that combines both finesse and intensity. [Viperball] has all the action that the fans are craving.”

###

[Young Drachma]

VIPERBALL FIRST PRO FIELD SPORT CREATED BY AN AFRICAN-AMERICAN

When cowboy legend Bill Pickett invented the art of “bulldogging” in 1903, he probably had no idea that it would be the last time an African-American would invent a sport for over 100 years.

In 2004, Ron Bronson created the sport of toccer, an exciting hybrid sport that incorporates racquets into an exciting field sport balancing power with finesse. The sport continues to grow throughout the world, with players in nearly a dozen countries worldwide and being played throughout the United States. Almost instantly, he thought of ways to make the sport more “American.”

“Toccer was not devised to be a contact sport, but that’s the direction it was headed as the game developed,” he said. “So, what I realized rather quickly was that I needed to take a look at [toccer]. As we looked at the rules and saw the game played in different venues, it was evolving into something different – like say; football did when it broke from soccer or netball from basketball… And it was exciting.”

The result was Viperball. A fast-paced, explosive sport with non-stop action and lots of scoring – and contact. Rather than start from the amateur ranks and grow, the sport is going straight to the professional ranks. “The Toccer Players Association is doing a fantastic job of growing [toccer.] We believe that bringing Viperball to the national and international stage through a professional league is the best thing for the future growth and development of both sports,” said Bronson.

Bronson, 25, is originally from New Jersey and has years of experience in sports development – including founding a youth baseball league when he was barely a teenager and later, heading a successful summer basketball league. He has spent the past seven years as a tennis coach.

“I’ve been studying the business of sport for over a decade now. Some kids dream of being pro athletes, I always dreamed of being a GM or an owner. I never imagined in my wildest dreams that I would invent two sports.”

He said that he is very mindful of the legacy of the pioneers of the past. And not just those in sports. “I have a great deal of respect for people who paved the way for minorities in sport. Not just on the playing field, but in the front office and the owner’s box.”

Viperball should appeal to a cross-section of people, he said. “The sport should appeal to a variety of different groups of people. We’re very interested in a sport that can readily take its place among the top pro sports in the nation. It’ll be a competitive sport and an exciting game that will keep fans interested,” he added.

The National Viperball League will debut in February 2006, with an exhibition tour scheduled for sometime later in 2005. Information regarding tryouts and teams will be available at a later date.

###

[Young Drachma]

So, I guess the next question is...do we put up a site that explains information, when we know that people are going to have a hard time understanding the sport?

Or do we just wait and possibly lose interest from possible visitors?

Our original position was to wait before putting our site up, because we wanted one that was first-class and that people could be able to really understand the game from.

But we've talked and now, it seems like getting something out there is better than nothing.

Thoughts?

[Young Drachma]

We're looking at a 14-game season, but the unique thing is..Viperball matches are only 36 minutes. There are only 2 timeouts per phase (like periods..there are 3) and 5 minutes between phases.

But each match is a double-header. Meaning, that fans pay a few bucks and get two games for the price of one.

So, we've spent at least the past few months looking at potential cities to start the league off in. And there was some debate as to whether we'd go with a few large cities or whether we'd just have a small league in some other cities.

What we've decided is to go with a bit of a mix. We're a bit leery to go totally with smaller cities, because the league will feel far too "minor league" and considering it's a new sport that people are not going to be familiar with, we're keen on exposure and being in places where there is a likelihood that people will at least check it out and be interested.

Whereas in small places, it's either hit or miss - it might be that way somewhere large too, but...we figure that's just a risk we take. Matches are once a week and take place on either Fridays or Saturdays.

So that's where we are.

We're looking at a concentration of teams somewhere in the Midwest, Southeast and Mountain West...at least that's the idea for right now. We're still evaluating markets, but are seeking places that have lower competition for entertainment, with arenas that can support the sport - generally with a proven record of at least one successful team in the area.

[Young Drachma]

Fan Site is online

[Young Drachma]

NVL and TPA have released a rules draft. It won't be the official rules of the sport, as the league will change them and add lots of other gobblygook to them regarding league play and such.

But here is at least a working idea of how the sport is played.

Link

[Young Drachma]

We've already begun plans for creating two "ambassador" teams if you will, to introduce North America to Viperball. We've contacted facilities and are trying to figure out where we'll "unveil" the sport and when.

A recent change to the game:

Our playing field will be a "Sport Court" surface, basically similar to that played for roller hockey inside an arena, rather than arena football-like turf.

The next challenge for us, is trying to figure out, what we're going to do about the league ownership. We have a business plan and interest.

We're thinking of our first tryout somewhere relatively small at first, simply to get some gauge of interest and the like. So, we'll be working on that.

[Young Drachma]

On the site..Link

[stkelly52]

This sounds great. I look forward to hearing more about the new league. I would go see a game if one came to town.

My one thought is that calling a period a "phase" and calling the ball a "viper" just seems like too much. I would call them "period" and "ball" and avoid faddish terms in the sport in general. Just my .02

[Young Drachma]

You're probably right We'll never mention that in any of the language. It's hard enough to learn a new sport, as is.

Thanks for the feedback.

[Young Drachma]

We're actually looking at doing the test match for Viperball a lot sooner than I originally said. We'll be doing one probably as early as May, somewhere. The idea is to get a product out there, so people can see it, we can gauge interest (roughly) in random cities and most important, be able to show a product to potential investors.

So, that's where we are now.

[Young Drachma]

I'm putting up the NVL site, to be able to disseminate more information about the league, about where we're gonna do the exhibitions and other information that I think needs to get out there. So stay tuned for that.

[Young Drachma]

NVL Site

I think it looks pretty cool and we'll be doing a lot more with it later.

[Young Drachma]

Single entity v. Individual Ownership

I posted about it on the main board. Doubt many responses will come, but we're taking a look at this. We've identified our cities and at least, our initial franchise sites. The idea of naming them now is to get some press in those cities, as well as create an identity for the team, since we'll be on tour next year and will go there to play or whatever.

As far as single-entity league ownership, we'll probably go this route at first, because we believe that it will minimize the risk of investment in some of the more major cities we're going to attempt to play in.

Plus, it absolves us of having to scour for local ownership in places where it might not be feasible, but it's still desirable for us to have a team at. We can always find it later, once the sport has better established itself - or just we figure out that it's not going to work in that particular market - and so we can get the hell out of there and do something else, without having to force an owner to sell or without getting maximum value for what we think the franchise rights are worth.

But that's just it for now. We might end up going a different route after tomorrow.

[Young Drachma]

We posted this on the site Link and hopefully, this will help a bit.

We're still trying to come up with the best method for delivering the information and letting people know about the game before we have pictures and the like. That's why we've pushed up our exhibition debut date so quickly, because we want to get this stuff together.

[Young Drachma]

As advertised, here are a few clips of indoor toccer - the close cousin to viperball. About the only thing missing, is tackling.

Strike! is worth 7 points and is scored when a player hits the ball into the goal.

Another strike

A throw is worth between 1 and 3 points, depending where you are on the field.

Getting some air

Attempting to score a raindrop A raindrop is essentially a touchdown pass. A player throws a ball into the zone where a teammate tries to catch it for 6 points.

Another attempt at a raindrop

[Young Drachma]

Well, my partners and some others talked today and we came up with a few things for next season, Viperball and decided what the plan is going to be - at least for now.

1. Scrap the tour
We decided that the viability of the league long-term would be much better suited for being in an area, growing the sport or just figuring out that after a year or so, there isn't interesting and going on to something else. But ultimately, it just made more sense to do that in a formal league structure, rather than messing around with a tour that might or might not be successful.

2. Regional League
We're going to setup the NVL as a league in the Greater Midwest/Mountain West area. Because we only play matches once a week, the travel considerations that other leagues have - while still an issue for us - aren't quite as bad as they could be, especially by bus, etc. We're looking at an initial lineup of up to 10 teams, but more likely 6-8.

3. Single Entity
At this point in the game, we're going single-entity. We've decided that - after some rankling - that it just made more sense, as this was the original plan we had anyway. It just makes more sense for the league, keeps things centralized and allows us to do a lot more, for a lot less - with fewer headaches. Our ultimate goal, of course, would be something else.

4. Exhibitions this year, but in much smaller venues
We're going to do a tour of sorts, but what we're really looking to do, is head to indoor soccer facilities and the like, promoting the game through exhibitions that will showcase the game. It'll be a way to generate interest, especially in cities where teams will either be at or nearby, as well as work the bugs out of the sport for next season.

The 2006 season will actually start next May or June, with the season ending in August. We'll stick to our base region, with a range of small, mid-major and major markets, with the idea that we'll be able to get more people interested and more important, some media attention and lots of pictures and such alike.

So that's where we are. A press release announcing our initial cities - four now, the others later - is forthcoming.

[Barkeep49]

I have been following this off and on and wish you the best of luck.

[Young Drachma]

Link
Tuesday, 15 March 2005
COLORADO SPRINGS - The National Viperball League (NVL) today announced four of its inaugural cities today for the 2006 season. League officials said the other cities - reportedly another four - will be released in the coming weeks.

The four cities are Everett, WA, St. Paul, MN, Fort Collins, CO and Sioux Falls, SD.

The league will begin play in June of 2006, playing a 14-game season with teams playing double-header matches on weekend days. "We're entertainment for the entire family and look forward in the coming months to introducing our member cities to the sport of Viperball and preparing them for the excitement that awaits them," said NVL Founder Ron Bronson, Jr.

"We're excited about the opportunity to establish the sport in the West, where it began," said Chris Klinesmith, who was recently named VP of Public Relations for the NVL. He said the league would working in each of the member cities to create programs aimed at introducing a modified version of Toccer - the sport Viperball is based on - called Viper Rules that will introduce the game in schools and in the community.

"We truly believe the sport can gain popularity and we're going to do the grassroots work necessary to ensure its success long-term," said Bronson.

The league opted for mid-market cities, rather than large cities under the premise the sport needed to grow first. "We believe it makes far more sense to start smaller and grow the game. Even if it takes longer that way, we believe that long-term the sport will benefit," said Bronson.

[Young Drachma]

The first week of April, we're taking Omnivore Gear to a shoe show in Nebraska. Not exactly a booming metropolis of a region, no, but it's a huge first for us. We'll be there with lots of other shoe manufacturers - but in terms of athleticwear companies - it'll be Nike, New Balance, Reebok, Adidas and...Omnivore. Yes, I'm really excited.

In addition to that, we'll be also be announcing some other Viperball stuff shortly.

[Young Drachma]

Friday, 25 March 2005
In conjunction with Dark Cloud Media, the National Viperball League (NVL) will produce a weekly show giving fans a glimpse of all areas of a professional sports league - from the front office, team buses, to inside the locker room and on the field. The show is being called Inside The Game and will be broadcast from the league's web site. There are also talks of a broadcast on national television, but no information has been released at this time.

The weekly hourlong series, will begin during the league training camp in 2006. "We're excited about this opportunity," said League Founder Ron Bronson, Jr. It will be the first reality series broadcast by a professional sports league, giving fans unparalled access to the ins and outs of the sport.

"Fans deserve to see what's really going on in the game, we're going to give them that view in a presentation that's fun, insightful and interesting," said Bronson.

Link

[Young Drachma]

SPOKANE, WA - An impromptu contact and subsequent visit to the city, the National Viperball League Founders Committee named Spokane, Washington its 5th member city today. "We're excited about the addition of Spokane to the NVL," said Ron Bronson, Jr., NVL Founder. The league begins in the Summer of 2006.

The league believes the region fits with the other cities targeted for the league. The team is the league's second team in the stae of Washington, with Everett being the other. "Creating a natural rival in the state is something we're pleased about," said Bronson.

The NVL plans to name its remaining three teams in the coming weeks, with logos and team names being unveiled. "We're thrilled about the progress the league is making and will be working harder in the next few months to establish the sport of Viperball in each of our member cities."

[ScottVib]

Interesting read, good luck!

[Young Drachma]

Link

The National Viperball League (NVL) is preparing in the next few days to announce its historic First Match, to be held in Billings, Montana. The game would be held at the MetraPark Arena sometime in early June.

Viperball pits two teams of six players against each other. Players score in a number of ways. One method, called a strike, includes using their racquets (dubbed “lances”) to hit the ball (called a “viper”) into a 5 ft. x 8 ft. goal – Others include stamping, which is a two-on-two matchup of pure skill. A player must advance the ball past the goal line before getting tackled by a defender or the goalkeeper. In all, there are six ways to score and each ranges in value from 1 point to 7 points.

League officials said two teams will face off - names will be released shortly - in a typical NVL-style doubleheader. All matches are 36-minutes long, but teams will doubleheaders. "Not only does it give fans more for their money, but it also allows us to spend more time sharing our product and letting people see what we have to offer," said NVL Founder Ron Bronson, Jr., who said he might just play.

"Some people are talking about having the founder on the field. I just haven't decided whether or not, it'll be behind a bench or not."

An announcement is expected related to the First Game, sometime early next week.

Related links: NEW SPORT TO MAKE PROFESSIONAL DEBUT IN 2006

[Young Drachma]

It looks like June 17, 2005 will be the historic first match of Viperball in Billings, MT.

[Young Drachma]

We're putting the Viperball exhibition on ice. Basically, I've spent the past week and a half meeting with incubators, business development folk and such. They're excited - very - about an idea that we've been sitting on since the winter, but developed as I was driving from Nebraska to here from a shoe show.

Anyway, it looks like we'll be going forward with that idea. I decided to put the exhibition on ice, because as it were, we were going to have to scale it back from what I originally wanted it to be. I wasn't happy about that, since this sport is all about - creating something that's different and an unparalelled experience in the athletic arena.

So, I decided that if anything, it just motivated to make money so I could inject the type of money - or attract it - that would make the sport that we're envisioning a reality.

We're still working on it, just behind the scenes.

Exciting times are upon us.

[Young Drachma]

The ice melted.

This summer, we're unleashing "Summer Strike 2005." We're doing lots of grassroots stuff, scheduled a few summer camps to have players visit and games at a few arenas mostly in the Midwest, but throughout the country.

We shall see.

We're also changing the site around.

[Young Drachma]

Official Rules of Viperball

They're streamlined and hopefully, simplified so that people will understand. We've had no problems teaching people how to play the sport, thus far.

[Young Drachma]

I'm interviewing for a position there that I'll tell you about if I actually get it.

But anyway, it'll be the prime place for us to do our tryouts sometime late this summer. We've already been in touch with some people who are interested in trying out. We've just been trying to figure out where we'll be operating things out of.

But if we do end up there - and I'll know fairly soon - we're going to setup a whole weekend for the potential investors for the league, too, including the essentials of a "fantasy-type" camp deal where they actually get to get on the field and try the sport on. Hopefully they're not really old and obviously they can opt out. But we want them to know the product, from a first-person perspective.

Should be fun.

Hopefully, I'll have more to share when I get back from Denver.

[Young Drachma]

We've done a fairly good job attracting minor league tennis players, as we'll be able to pay more under our salary structure than the minor tour circuit can. I hadn't considered them when we first started looking. We'll also have a new web site fairly soon, too.