USA Men's National Team Anaheim-Bound after Unanimous City Council Vote

ANAHEIM, Calif. (Feb. 1, 2006) – The Anaheim City Council voted unanimously
Tuesday night to approve an agreement that would allow the USA Men's
National Volleyball Team to move its training program from Colorado Springs,
Colo., to Anaheim later this spring.
Riley Salmon

"We are extremely excited about the prospects for the men's team to relocate
back to Southern California and to the city of Anaheim for several reasons,"
said Doug Beal, CEO of USA Volleyball. "I think the partnership that exists
with the city is precedent-setting for USA Volleyball because it's the first
time that we have been in a relationship with a community. The community is
providing significant resources and support for one of our national team
programs."

From 1981 through the 1996, the USA Men trained in San Diego, Calif., and
enjoyed a great deal of international success. The team won gold medals at
the 1984 and 1988 Olympic Games and earned a bronze medal at the 1992
Olympic Games. The USA Women trained in San Diego from 1985 through 1996.
Both teams made the move to the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado
Springs in 1997.

"Southern California is a location where we have had tremendous success in
the past," Beal added. "Clearly the ingredients continue to exist for us to
be optimistic about the team's future success. Southern California is
clearly the area where we draw a majority of our athletes; it's the area of
the greatest concentration of collegiate programs that provide us with all
of our national team players and it puts our program in the center of the
men's volleyball world in our country."

The City Council voted, 5-0, to green light a six-year deal to assist the
team with expenses for relocation, lodging, meals and transportation.

"Sports are integral to Anaheim's vitality and I am pleased to say that
Anaheim will now be the official training site of the men's national team as
they prepare for the 2008 Olympics in Beijing and the 2012 Olympics in
London," said Mayor Curt Pringle. "This will benefit the City, the team and
the volleyball community as a whole and we hope that many other Olympic and
amateur sports programs will follow."

The players and coaching staff will arrive in April and will begin
practicing as early as May at the Anaheim-based American Sports Center, the
largest indoor court facility in the world.

"This is a great step forward for USA Volleyball and especially for its
men's national team," USA Volleyball President Al Monaco said. "Relocating
from Colorado Springs to Anaheim places the team ‘back' in an environment
that culturally fosters and supports volleyball.

"Anaheim offers USAV an opportunity to partner with a nationally known
destination city and to be co-located with a variety of major league sports
teams that call Anaheim home," he added. "And, it will open an avenue for
USAV to attract other sponsors and partners who can further the growth of
volleyball as a viable and recognizable sport property."

Team USA, the No. 5 team in the world, will train at the American Sports
Center, which will donate court time and build office space for the team.
California Athlete Training Zone will provide weight training and sports
therapy services for the National Team in the American Sports Center.

"We are very fortunate to have the American Sport Center as our facility
partner," said Beal. "The American Sport Center is the largest
volleyball-specific facility in the United States. It is not only the future
home of the USA Men's Team, but also the location where our Southern
California regional office is housed and a site for substantial youth- and
junior-aged volleyball activity almost on a weekly basis."

The USA Men flourished under the guidance of first-year coach Hugh
McCutcheon (Christchurch, New Zealand) last season, going 27-6 overall. The
Americans finished the year ranked No. 5 in the world and posted wins over
the 2004 Olympic gold and silver medalists during the year (Brazil and
Italy, respectively).

"There are so many potential synergies with the move," said McCutcheon. "The
benefits of being at sea-level and being in a volleyball community will be
wonderful. Anaheim, in general, is a big sports community and they are
generally enthused and excited about what we're doing. Also, to be in
amongst the whole collegiate scene down there is huge.

"For the development of boy's volleyball and men's volleyball, especially,
this gives us the opportunity to have a bigger presence in the volleyball
world," he added. "To be in Anaheim and to be in that facility – where there
are so many tournaments going on and where it is very accessible for people
to come and watch us – it's a huge benefit."

In July 2005, Team USA trained in Anaheim for two weeks. Following that
visit, the Americans stunned the world's best team, 2004 Olympic gold
medalist Brazil, to win the America's Cup tournament for the first time in
USA Volleyball history. The team went on to win gold medals at the FIVB
World Championship Qualifying Tournament in Puerto Rico and at the NORCECA
Continental Championship in Canada. In November, the team captured the
silver medal at the FIVB World Grand Champions Cup in Japan.

In 2005 Team USA posted the highest winning percentage of any men's national
team since 1988 (.818) and registered the most wins by a men's team since
2000 (27). The Americans finished the year by winning 18 of their last 19
matches, including 14-straight at one point.

"I think we would be remiss if we didn't acknowledge the remarkable support
we were provided for almost nine years during the time we were located at
the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs," Beal explained. "Our
men's team qualified for the Olympics both times [2000 and 2004], was a
medal contender once [2004] and I think a number of our athletes found the
community to be receptive and a wonderful place to live. We are going to be
leaving behind several athletes who own homes here and who have chosen to
make Colorado Springs their permanent residence."

Team USA's relocation is being made possible thanks to sponsorships from
area businesses including National Sports Grill, Mimi's Café, JT Schmid's
Restaurant and Brewery, Lucky Strike, Anaheim Chevrolet, Holiday Inn Anaheim
at the Park, Competitive Athlete Training Zone, Vince Otte and American
Sports Center. The City and USAV will continue to actively pursue additional
sponsors in support of the men's team.

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