Happy New Year!! I am not sure about you, but I am thrilled to start my polocrosse training and conditioning for the season! As we usher in the start of the new year, here is some critical news the APA has to share! World Cup and Nationals 2022: Due to the ongoing outbreaks and restrictions associated with COVID, The Polocrosse Association of South Africa has regretfully postponed the World Cup to July 2024.  In response to this, and the recent Nationals held in 2021, the APA board voted to cancel the 2022 Nationals. While there will not be a Nationals, this opens the schedule up for Zone Regional Competitions this year. Dates have not yet been set for these (or Mega Clinics) but will be during our Annual Board Meeting, so stay tuned. High Goal: Unfortunately, the High Goal Tournament set to be held in the spring was also a victim of the ongoing COVID crisis and related travel restrictions. We are disappointed to announce that has been canceled. Schedule: We have a very full season ahead! A current schedule of events is listed at the bottom of this email. Stay tuned for additions and updates. Website: The website is still undergoing a few adjustments. I promise, the results are worth the wait!!  That being said, 2022 membership registration has been suspended until the new site is ready.  Don’t worry, we will let you know when it will be unveiled!! (And we will still provide an early registration discount period!) International Tours: While full tours are still on hold, we are looking to utilize the Global Connect program.  We are currently discussing hosting 3-4 youth from Australia and the UK each.  If anyone is interested in hosting during the summer school break, please let Susan Hatch know. Furthermore, if anyone is looking to travel to another country, it is still possible, and we can work to help connect you with a host. Annual Board Meeting: January 22-23 is the board’s annual meeting in Charleston, SC. If you have any ideas or topics, you would like the board to discuss, please reach out to any of the board members. We are also looking for chair nominations for the following committees: Communications Committee; Business Development Committee; and Membership Committee.  If you or someone you know, is interested, please let Katelyn James know before January 19^th. Additionally, I am happy to announce that, Julie Mouton will serve as the Central Zone Representative for 2022.  Emma Strider has resigned from her position for the reminder of her term, as she has moved back to the Eastern Zone. The board confirmed the nomination of Julie to backfill the position at our December meeting. Monthly Field Side Chats: I have decided to host a monthly forum for Club Representatives (Club Presidents, Vice-Presidents, and similar roles). This will be a virtual meeting in which I can bring APA Board updates to our grassroots leadership as well as gather direct feedback and address any concerns the membership may have. I will be emailing these representatives a link for this meeting which will be held on the 3^rd Wednesday of every month at 7:30PM EST. The first meeting will be January 19^th, just prior to our Annual Board Meeting. Thank you for reading through these updates and please stay tuned for more from the Annual Board Meeting. It is the board’s single most important meeting where numerous goals and objectives are defined for the year. As always, we are looking forward to serving the membership and promoting a phenomenal year of polocrosse! Cheers, Katelyn & the APA Board