SJA Invite - FAQ
Note: The structure of this FAQ and much of its text has
been lifted directly from Jim Pistrang and Tiina Booth's every so
succinct Amherst Invitational 2007 FAQ. If you have a question that isn't answered in this faq, contact
me.
How do I submit a bid? Please see the bid submission page right here.
Which teams have been
accepted into the tournament? Accepted
teams will be notified by Monday, February 11th, 2008.
What's the tournament format? The girls and open divisions will each be comprised of 16
teams
each, divided into A and B divisions of 8 teams each. More information
on tournament structure
will be posted in the weeks leading up to the tournaments.
When is the tournament?
The tournament will be held on Saturday and Sunday, May 17th and 18th,
2008.
Who
is allowed to play in the tournament?
Like at the Amherst Invitational, we will (for
the most part) be using the UPA Juniors Team Guidelinesto
determine if your team is eligible to attend our tournament. The
guidelines state that ALL members of a team in the Open or Girls
Division must
attend the same high school. We may consider an
exception to the rule for a team in the Girls Division, a newly created
team, or for a team traveling a great distance to the tournament. If
you'd like to be granted an exception to the single-high school rule, please
ask.
Do
players need to be UPA members?
The St. Johnsbury Academy Invitational is UPA sactioned. This means
that all players must be UPA members. You can sign up on
the UPA
web page.
Accepted teams will need to submit a roster for UPA membership
verification by Friday, April 13th. (Note: Make sure you are signing up
for a 2008 membership. The Youth (high school)
membership rate for 2006 is $20.) All teams
will be REQUIRED to use the UPA's online rostering system to submit
their roster.
Who
is in charge of this tournament? The tournament coordinator is Josh Seamon. All decisions
regarding eligibility, acceptance of bids,
seeding, and
rules will be made by the tournament coordinator. He can be reached via
email at
or by phone at 802.748.9857.
How do you
decide which bids to accept? Our goal is to create a geographically diverse tournament
made up
of organized, enthusiastic teams. We are also specifically looking for
teams that have contributed to the growth of Ultimate in their school,
town, or area. We are also impressed by organized teams that respond to
emails promptly.
Where
is the tournament?
This year we have secured fields at St. Johnsbury Academy and at Lyndon
Institute, about 15 minutes up the road from SJA. Directions
can
be found here.
(Where each division will play will be set in February.)
What
do we get for our money? The money we collect goes towards trophies, team boxes,
lunches,
trainers, field fees, discs, program printing fees, tents, as well
as many other miscellaneous costs.
Where will we stay in St.
Johnsbury?
Housing will be provided for all teams that travel a distance to the
tournament and need to stay overnight on Friday, Saturday, and/or
Sunday night. Your hosts will be St. Johnsbury Ultimate team members
and their families. Teams must indicate in their Bid Form
whether or not they need housing, and how many people are on the team.
Some teams will be able to stay together at one house, others may be
split between two houses. Visiting teams must bring sleeping bags,
pillows, etc. Most likely you will be sleeping on a floor. (All showers
will be taken at St. Johnsbury Academy, not at host families houses.)
After you are accepted into the tournament you will be contacted by our
Housing Director. All teams that are assigned hosts must stay with
their hosts.
Do
we need an adult chaperone?
Absolutely. You must have an adult chaperone if you want to play in the
tournament, and the chaperone must be with your team for the entire
weekend. Failure to have a chaperone may result in expulsion from the
tournament.
Who's submitted a bid?
Girls teams:
St. Johnsbury Academy Varsity Girls, VT (webpage)
St. Johnsbury Academy JV Girls, VT (webpage)
Open teams:
St. Johnsbury Academy Varsity Boys, VT (webpage)
St. Johnsbury Academy JV Boys, VT (webpage)
+ = bid not complete. Contact
me to find out what you're missing.
When
are bids due?
Bids must be postmarked by Friday, February 1st, 2008.
When
will accepted teams be notified?
Accepted teams will be notified by Monday, February 11th, 2007.
What happens if it rains?
The SJAI has never been rained out. We have been rained on, but our
fields are pretty resiliant and our AD isn't as jumpy as some. That
being said there is always a chance that some sort of terrible weather
will roll in. As it says on the bid form: "As with all outdoor sporting
events, the St.
Johnsbury Academy Invitational can be canceled or shortened due to
weather. The tournament is held on athletic fields used by
many teams
during the spring and cannot be permanently damaged. Because of the
size of the
tournament, it is impossible to arrange a rain-date and many of the
items
needed to run the tournament must be paid for well before the event. If the tournament has to be
shortened or
cancelled due to inclement weather we will not be able to provide
refunds."
What happens if my team needs to
drop from the tournament?
If you need to withdraw from the tournament after you have been given a
spot you will only be given a refund if another team can take your
place and you notify the tournament coordinator of your withdrawl
before Friday, April 11th.
I
want to submit a bid but I don't know how many players I will be
bringing to the dinner!
If you don't know how many players you'll be bringing to the
dinner, put down an estimate on your bid form with a note saying you'll
be sending in your check for the dinner at a later date. Dinner checks
are due by Friday, April 11th.
FAQ 
