Association of Volleyball Professionals

The Association of Volleyball Professionals (AVP) is an American beach volleyball federation. It represents the interests of professionals in this sport and organizes since 1984 an own tournament series. 2010 became the AVP due to financial problems in an existential crisis.

Association

The AVP was founded on July 21, 1983. At that time there were already beach volleyball tournaments in the United States, but the players were unhappy with the marketing. Although their sports gradually woke commercial interests, they benefited financially not because the organizers kept the income largely for themselves. The new association should the professionals offer new ways to assert their interests.

Following a strike American player in the unofficial world championship, the 1984 AVP introduced its own tournament series. After it had in 1986 given first television reports about the competition, the live broadcasts ensured at NBC in the early 1990s for a boom with increased interest from sponsors and increasing prize money. After the first tournaments were solely reserved for men, were first introduced in 1993 Competitions for Women, who had previously organized in the Women's Professional Volleyball Association ( WPVA ).

Financial problems led at the end of the decade to a first crisis of the tour. 2001 united the AVP competitions for men and women. Thus they provided a better marketing with sponsors and media. Six years later she created with the "Hot Winter Nights " the first beach volleyball series in the hall with 19 tournaments in January and February. This novelty, however, came too late, as the produced in the U.S. international financial crisis impacted on the AVP Tour. In summer 2010 the series before the Open tournament in Manhattan Beach had to be stopped suddenly. The last four stations were canceled due to bankruptcy.

2011, the AVP was renewed with an altered concept. First, however, only one tournament is scheduled in October in Huntington Beach.

AVP Tour

The AVP tournament series takes place at the FIVB competitions in parallel. It comprises several tournaments that are played distributed in various American cities throughout the spring and summer. The number of stations varied in the past decades. In the financially successful years up to 26 tournaments were held.

The AVP awarded in recent years, numerous individual awards for the Most Valuable Player ( MVP ), the best offensive and defensive players, and the most successful offspring ( Rookie of the Year ).