Pottstown >> Volleyball fans from around the country will converge on Pottstown later this month for what’s shaping up to be one of the biggest tournaments the area has ever seen.
The 24th annual Pottstown Rumble is set to hit the borough June 25-28. Thousands of people are expected to flock to Memorial Park and surrounding fields to watch as some of the top volleyball athletes in the country compete.
Registration for the games is already outpacing last year’s competition and Seth Kaas, this year’s Rumble organizer, said he’s hoping for a huge turnout.
“We’re on pace for a record year – the biggest year yet,” Kaas said.
The four-day event begins Thursday morning, June 25, with a visit from three-time Olympic gold medalist Misty May-Treanor, who will hold a youth volleyball clinic called “The Dream in Gold Clinic” with her father, Butch May, himself a 1968 Olympian.
“It’s her marketing tour across the country,” Kaas said. “She wants to give back to the sport of volleyball and give back to the youth. Outdoor volleyball is waning and she’s trying to give back to current generation and show that outdoor is where it’s at.”
The Olympic athlete will hold two sessions at Memorial Park, where she will work one-on-one with junior athletes ages 12-18 to help improve their game. The clinic is capped at 120 students, and there are less than 75 spots remaining for each session. To register, visit http://2015pottstowndig.eventbrite.com/
This will be the second time May-Treanor appears in Pottstown. She held the same clinic two years ago but was unable to attend last year’s event as she was pregnant at the time.
May-Treanor will also be in attendance as the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources announces its five-year outdoor recreation plan at the Pottstown Rumble.
Chris Novak, a spokeswoman for the DCNR, said while the final plan is not yet available, it focuses on helping people get active, visit parks and it promotes health and wellness.
A draft of the plan can be viewed at http://www.paoutdoorrecplan.com/. She said the Rumble will serve as a perfect backdrop for the announcement and May-Treanor will participate and serve as a special guest.
On Friday, June 26, volleyball action kicks off. Fans who work up a thirst from watching the games will be in luck as both the Sly Fox Brewing Company and Manatawny Still Works will be selling beer and mixed cocktails, respectively. Through the help of the Craft Ale House and the Pottstown Goodwill Fire Company, the Rumble will host a beer garden by center court on Saturday and Sunday and will feature seven Sly Fox beers on tap.
The games begin with the juniors grass doubles tournament. Registration begins at 8 a.m. and matches start at 9 a.m. Girls and boys ages 10-12, 14 and under, 16 and under and 18 and under will each compete.
Then in the afternoon and early evening, there will be an adult clinic lead by three time Rumble champion Hudson Bates and 2012 indoor Olympian Dave McKenzie. The first session will be from 1- 3:30 p.m. and the second will run from 5:30 – 8 p.m. Participants will work on strategy and technique to help improve their game.
On Friday night Kaas said the Rumble will hold its first ever master’s division two-on-two tournament for the 40 and over crowd.
“It’s for alumni of old who want to get out but don’t want to go against the young, very active players,” Kaas said.
Saturday, June 27, marks the start of the men’s and women’s doubles competition across Memorial Field, Sundstrom Field, the Police Athletic League field and a fourth satellite field at Coventry ball park.
“It’s going to be a big year,” Kaas said. “We’ve improved the infrastructure and streamlined the playoffs. There was some concern over player wait time. We’ve focused on improving play and starting the playoffs in a timely manner.”
The women’s competition will finish Saturday night, while the men will finish Sunday night. The top prize for the men’s professional division is $5,000 and $2,000 for the women. Sunday will also feature the coed doubles, gender blind quad and junior girls quad competitions.
Overall, Kaas said this year’s event promises to be one of the best.
“The staff have really stepped up,” he said. “We’ve got great people who’ve taken on additional responsibility. It’s more organized. We’re in a good spot and feeling good. We’ve got great merchandise and food vendors. The town should come out and check it out … It’s a great time.”
For more information about the Rumble, visit https://pottstownrumble.com/index.php or for more frequent announcements, visit the official Facebook page, which has a link attached to the main site.