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Mid-Atlantic Regional Announced

by IQA Staff | September 22, 2013

The IQA is excited to announce the date and location for the Mid-Atlantic regional championship.

Photo by Deanna Edmunds

MID-ATLANTIC REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP: NOV. 23 - 24 IN LEESBURG, VA.

Regional and Tournament Director: Alex Krall ()

Loudoun Soccer Park in Leesburg, Va. will be the site of this year’s Mid-Atlantic regional competition. The park, which opened in March, features two lighted, turf fields and one grass field.

leesburg_va_collagePhoto courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Krall gave us his view on why this location was chosen and the expectations for the event.

- Why did you choose this particular site for regionals?
As many people know, the Mid-Atlantic region had a difficult time garnering a location to host its regional championship this year. There were not any bids that came to fruition in the initial phase, which then meant we would have to do much of the tournament out of pocket. A call for bids then went out to the teams, and the region responded wonderfully! Tips, bids and contacts came pouring in from people around the region. From there we were able to track down venues, culminating in a few choice locations that had phenomenal support from their respective convention and visitors bureaus. After evaluating costs and benefits, we finally decided on a brand new sports park (their grand opening was in March 2013) located centrally to the region in northern Virginia.

- What do you hope teams, players and spectators take away from the tournament?
As already mentioned, the region really came together in the quest for a championship venue. It is comforting to know that even in uncertain times the Mid-Atlantic community is there to watch everyone's back, and I'm sure that this camaraderie will shine through the fierce competition at this season's Mid-Atlantic regional championship. As for spectators, we expect to reach many more eyes compared to last year's championship due to the higher population density of this DC suburb and surrounding northern Virginia area.

- How can individuals get involved in planning the tournaments?
WE LOVE VOLUNTEERS! Firstly, if you were thinking of applying for the Regional Championship Committee but have not for whatever reason, now is the time! Even if you do not want to be that involved with the tournament but still want to help out, there will be many more day-of volunteer positions opening. Already this season I have met a lot of new prospective snitches and refs. We are definitely looking for you as well and encourage everyone to sign up for their ref and snitch certifications.

 The following regional championship dates have been previously announced:
Midwest Regional Championship: Oct. 26 – 27 in Rockford, Ill.
Northeast Regional Championship: Nov. 16 – 17 in Rochester, N.Y.
Oceania Regional Championship: Nov. 30 – Dec. 1 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Western Regional Championship: Nov. 23 – 24 in Tempe, Ariz.
Southwest Regional Championship: Feb. 22– 23 in Tulsa, Okla.
The league is evaluating promising bids for the Canadian, European and South regional championships and will announce more information about these bids in the coming weeks.

 If you are interested in helping to plan your regional tournament, apply to be on our Regional Championship Committee. There will also be more opportunities to lend your services to the regional championships posted in the future, so keep an eye out!