12/12/2005
How to Apply as an expansion team in the USCL
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by IM Greg Shahade
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The US Chess League went quite successfully in it's first year
of existence and the league is ready to accept two new teams into it's
ranks. The following are the important guidelines if you wish for your
city/club to start a team.
PLEASE read all of the below very
carefully when applying for your team.
What
are we Looking for?
1. Fan Interest and Organization
- The two most important things that the lleague is searching for is
enthusiasm and organization. We want an area that is going to make
their USCL matches some of the most important chess events in the
community. We want fans who are willing to help and we want players who
are excited to play. On the other hand we need to have reliable
organizers at the helm of each team. This worked out
fantastically this
season as all eight managers were very reliable and there were very few
"glitches". In order for the league to remain successful, it's
important that this remains the case, and thus only those that have a
very solid organizational foundation will be considered.
2. Strength of Players - We
are of course looking for areas that have the most exciting teams to
field. If you have a Grandmaster whom is ready to play on board 1, then
this will surely help your chances. However if your city doesn't have
the organization and fan interest of another city with a slightly to
somewhat weaker team, then the weaker team will probably be more likely
to be accepted. However assuming a group of many well organized teams,
we will try to choose the teams that will make the league most
exciting and generate the most fan interest.
3. Playing Site + TD - We
would of course hope that each team has a playing site that can be
accessed by the public, and has a reliable TD that the entire league
would trust to ensure a fair match. The opportunity for the public to
watch the games is very important as this helps to ensure fairness.
It's also very important that your site has an appropriate number of
computers to conduct the match. It IS possible for a site to have less
than 4 computers and use a relayer for the players who don't have a
computer, however it's highly suggested that you have 4 computers
present if at all possible.
4. Team Writer - We are
looking for an enthusiastic team writer for every USCL team this
season. This writer would be expected to write up an article on their
team's match on the day after the match (or even sooner if possible!).
This season the USCL Commissioner wrote almost all of the articles, and
it will be much more exciting when the articles have more of a local
and varied flavor to them.
5. Sponsorship - Any team
that joins the USCL will not receive benefits from the league until
after they have been part of the league for 2 full seasons. For this
reason it would be looked upon as extremely favorable if your team has
your own sponsorship and will use it to pay your players. The above
means that if hypothetically the USCL receives $10,000 in sponsorship,
that will be divided amongst only the 8 original teams, to reward them
for getting the league off the ground.
6. Longevity - Don't forget
that once you are accepted into the league, your team is a member of
the USCL for good. That means that as long as you continue to show
interest, have proper organization and can field a halfway decent team,
your city will be part of the USCL. We are looking for teams that are
in this for the long haul and excited to become part of the USCL for
years to come.
(VERY IMPORTANT PLEASE READ
BELOW!)
7. Deadlines - We
need to receive all new team applications by March 1st. We then
plan to announce the new teams before April 1st. Anyone who applies
after the March 1st deadline will not be considered, so it's best not
to delay. It's possible that the league may decide to announce ONE of
the two new teams before March 1st (But not before February 1st). This
will reward those teams that apply quicker.
8. Team Logo + Nickname - Your
team logo and nickname must be approved by the league. We currently
employ an artist who was responsible for all eight of our original team
logos. If you do join the
league, expect to be able to choose a nickname and expect us to create
the logo for your nickname. If you have a specific idea of how the logo
should look or have an artist who wishes to do the design, this will be
allowed provided the logo is acceptable to the league. Do not suggest a
team nickname that is shared by any professional sports team in the
area or by any major college sports teams.
9. Flexibility of Playing Time - If
you are on the West Coast, its especially important that you are
flexible about when the league matches will start. The matches are
played on Wed evenings and the season will likely begin in late August.
If this is not possible for your team it's very unlikely you will be
accepted into the league. In the west coast, it's often important that
you are ready to begin your games at a minimum of 6 pm (Although 5:30
pm is preferable), as its not possible for many East Coast teams to
start late on a work night.
10. Internet Connection - If
you are a new team, do not attempt to join the league with only one
Internet connection. It is mandatory that you have some kind of backup
Internet in case your first Internet should go down. This was a problem
for one of our teams this year, and they were able to solve it. We
don't want this to be a problem in the future, and with many months
until the season begins, it should be no problem for any interested
city to take care of this.
11. Entry Fee - There is no
entry fee to join the league.
12. Forming a Team - To apply
for a team, you must have FOUR players whom have already agreed to be
part of the team. Your roster will consist of eight players, but only
commitments from four of those will be necessary before the application
deadline. It's possible to start forming your team today as the USCF
December Rating List will be used for all ratings.
The rule about the maximum team average rating remains the same,
as all teams must have their four active boards for a match fall under
a 2400 USCF rating. There will be a 10 point bonus to your average if
you use a female in your lineup, and anyone rated above 2590 will count
as only 2590 towards your team average. Last year the above number was
2600, but we are going to lower it to 2550, at the rate of 10 points
per year, thus rewarding the highest rated "superstars". Please contact
me if you are inquiring about a prospective team member who is unrated
or provisional USCF.
13. Final Notes - Based on
the success and excitement that the USCL showed in 2005, combined with
many messages that I've already received, it's likely that the
competitive will be fierce for the two new league spots. Do not take it
personally if your team is not chosen, as based on what I've heard,
it's very possible that there will be many overly qualified teams. We
are still trying to build this league slowly and aren't ready to rush
things by adding many teams all at once. I would love to involve as
many cities as possible as soon as possible, however this just isn't
feasible from an organizational standpoint. Please be aware that we
plan to add two new teams every year for the unforeseeable future, thus
if your city doesn't join the league this year, there is always next
year and the year after and so on. Teams that have previously applied
yet haven't been accepted will be seen in a positive light as it will
be clear to the league how devoted your city is towards forming a team.
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