Thank you for coming!

Land Acknowledgement

Laura: To begin today’s captain’s meeting, we acknowledge that we play on fields which are part of the unceded land of the Pocumtuc. In recognition of this violent history, we commit ourselves today to being good stewards of these fields, to respect the space and keep it clean, and, most importantly, we commit to supporting indigenous people in our community in the places and spaces where they request it. You will see a collection bucket for donations to the Ohketeau – the only Native founded and Native run cultural center in all of Central and Western Massachusetts. Their work focuses on uplifting the voices of Native peoples and dismantling unjust frameworks, replacing them with accessibility, equity, dignity, and wellness for our Native communities. They provide a safe place for Native people to gather regularly and educate their youth in impactful ways – a value we share and wholeheartedly support. Please visit the main tent to learn more about Ohketeau and make a donation if you are so moved.

I’m Josh, I’m the co-TD. 

I’m Lee, I’m the co-TD.

I’m Noel, the volunteer director and event program manager.

Josh: Find people who say yes to your big ideas. Find people who you like to say yes to, when they have big, grand ideas. My two yes people are Lee and Laura. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Noel: A HUGE thanks to the chairs that make this event happen:

Team Boxes: Connelly & Jim Stokes-Buckles

Traffic and Parking: Blair Barondes

Water: Sue Guswa

Merchandise: Gina Wyman, Kate Kruckemeyer & Noël Raley

Waste/Recycling: Sonia Bouvier

Main Tent Food: John Grossman 

Fields: Lee Feldscher 

Housing: Danielle Pedelaborde

Dinner and Party: Hannah Ray & Greg O’Donnell

Shopping: John Grossman & Rose Sullivan

Intern: Chloe Norwood

…and the army of volunteers that make the PVI possible. Please say thanks to all the volunteers you see… they are doing a ton of work! [Have them raise their hands, call them out.]

[Back to Josh]

This is Karin: She’s the scorekeeper. Send her your data. Please write neatly. Use the team name we use for you in the schedule. Text exact, specific data. She gets upwards of 700 data communications this weekend so… be clear!

My challenge to your whole crew: Aggressively thank these people that make the PVI possible!

A few more special thanks:

A massive thanks to VC Ultimate. They are just awesome. And they make THE BEST gear!

[The Oxbow Marina for letting us use these beautiful fields]

Okay… now to some logistics:

Our trainers are:        

Upper fields – Mieka Davis:  508-277-4156
Lower fields – Sarah Carver: 508-954-8123

Please add Mieka and Sarah to your contacts on your phone.

Who is at this event for the first time? Attended 3-5 times? More than 5? Who was here at the first one in 2014? Anyone attend one of the St. Johnsbury Academy Invitationals?

Some numbers for y’all:

64 Teams, 8 states, 2 provinces, 20 fields, 1,192 players, over 300 coaches, chaperones, and managers, 188 games, 20 acres, 4.3 miles of painted lines.

The big thing: Know the tournament schedule and program! Know where your team needs to be at what time. Understand how the schedule works. Understand how the event works.

Some important items:

1. Be careful on Island Road. Drive 15mph or slower. Only park on the grass in the designated parking areas. Please minimize trips to and from the Oxbow to reduce traffic on Island Rd.
2. Please know the schedule.
3. Please know the program.
4. Some of these fields are being used for the first time today since the spring floods, so there could be debris or trash on the fields. Also, the Oxbow is a natural place, so over the winter some wild animals may have taken up residence on the fields. Please have your teams line up on the back end zone line before the first games and walk the entire field to pick up anything that shouldn’t be there and mark any obstacles or unsafe areas before you start your game. There are trash bags in your team boxes you can use for trash and debris.
5. Start and cap your games on time.
   1. No softcaps
   2. No horns
   3. Text in your scores to Karin at 617-797-5627.
6. All games must be played.
7. Please set alarms on your phones for hard cap. 
8. No dangerous plays, spiking, poor language, or bad behavior. At all. Just don’t. I will eject your entire team.
9. Bring a full water bottle each day. We’ll have water towers all over the place and Gatorade at tourney central. Anything you can do to cut down single use plastic bottles would be appreciated. If you run out of water at your field please text 413-522-0324
10. Weather: 5 horn blasts = get to your cars, wait for call/5 horn blasts. Text/@PVInvite/Email will be sent out with updates.
11. Keep all sidelines clear. Nothing, at all — even players! — within 3 feet of any sideline. All hard objects — tents, chairs, must be at least 7 yards from any sideline. Some sidelines are very narrow. Do not store any gear or items on the narrow sidelines. That means most chairs and tents will need to be on the wider sidelines or out the back of the endzones.
12. You’ll find water on the sidelines. If your jugs are empty, call one of the posted numbers.
13. You’ll find extra food at tourney central.
14. Porta-Johns can be found near tourney central, on the lower fields, and on the far fields (near field 17)
15. When you leave a sideline, please leave it cleaner than you found it.
16. Opponent late? Assess a point for every 3 minutes they are late.
17. A chaperone must be with your team at ALL times. You cannot leave your team unattended at any tournament location or event.
18. Please, please, please return your completed spirit score sheet promptly at the end of your games on Saturday and Sunday. Please. You are bringing a hard copy of the sheet at the end of each day.
19. Thank you sponsors: VC, Discraft, Friction Gloves, Northampton HS Athletics, Baystate Hand and Wrist Surgery, LGA, The Nature Club, The Black Sheep, USA Waste and Recycling, Tandem Bagels and most importantly the Oxbow Marina. 
20. Please make sure you promptly report your game scores after each round to Karin at 617-797-5627. 
21. We have AMAZING merch made by VC! Make sure to visit the merch tent!
22. Please stay off the docks, away from the boats, and out of the water. There is no fishing.
23. The next PVI will take place on May 16th and 17th, 2026!
24. Everything I just said will be posted online and sent to you.

Have an AWESOME WEEKEND!