Governor DeWine made the announcement recently that gyms and recreation facilities will be permitted to open with some very specific conditions on May 26, 2020. Unfortunately, I will not be reopening the Paragon. Many of you know that several months ago, I made what I thought was a good decision to sell Glass City Athletics, and also provide the last component I felt our athletes needed-training. The potential buyers could not meet the financial requirements that the contract required; the largest being taking over our current lease and signing their own lease for the Paragon. Since they were not able to assume our lease or provide the agreed upon down payment-I cancelled the sale.
We have 4 ½ years left on a lease agreement that has gone from bad to worse. When the sale fell through, I tried repeatedly in good faith and without success to renegotiate the lease with the landlords. Requesting deferments not abatements, as many other clubs have done successfully until our doors could open, they have not budged. Since the quarantine began, Larry and I have covered the lease payments out of our own personal funds. Together, we made the decision that this is no longer a tenable situation for us. My personal health and our financial wellbeing is too important in these uncertain times.
Although the governor is allowing gyms to open, how volleyball facilities will be able to operate has not yet been determined. In order to meet the financial obligations of the onerous lease and other expenses, we need to be able to resume the activities that provides an income stream at pre-Covid levels. I am not sure that will ever happen. For that reason, as of June 1, 2020 Glass City Volleyball will cease operations at The Paragon.
This is a great disappointment to me. I have spent the past 40 years working with youth athletes and feel that we offered an excellent product with a tremendous coaching staff
I have given it much thought and talked with people I trust as to what the options could be going forward. What makes the most sense to me as it relates to my volleyball families is to encourage the Glass City Volleyball players to align with a club in town that shares Glass City’s values, goals and commitment to the betterment of volleyball for the youth in this community. That club in my opinion is Toledo Volleyball Club.
I have worked out an arrangement with the board and staff of TVC to offer a credit toward 2020/2021 fees to any Glass City player who elects to play for TVC next season. This credit will be determined by 6/30/20. I will give TVC a list of the players who played on our travel teams this past season, so that they have that information prior to tryouts and can make adjustments to your accounts if you accept an offer from TVC. I believe that TVC is an honorable club and will treat the Glass City players fairly and without prejudice when it comes time to set the teams in the fall. This is a one-time arrangement I made with TVC. I am unable to offer credits to other clubs or cash refunds at this time. I expect that once this news is common knowledge in the volleyball community, players and families will be contacted by the various clubs in town. The way the current OVR rules are written, Glass City Players cannot sign early commitment contracts with any other clubs until tryouts in November. If clubs tell you otherwise, they are not being truthful.
TVC will be reaching out to the Glass City Volleyball Coaching Staff in the next few weeks to discuss potential coaching opportunities with TVC. I hope the coaches will give every consideration to the opportunities at TVC.
I appreciate the support and loyalty I have received over the years from the wonderful Glass City families and coaching staff. If there was another way to keep Glass City Volleyball going, I would do it. I know many of you will have questions for me, and I will do my best to answer them for you. If so do not hesitate to email me at dahooper@roadrunner.com.
If you have questions about the opportunities with TVC, please contact Jason Reilly at jason@toledovolleyballclub.com .
Dana Hooper, Owner
Glass City Athletics
