Long-time volleyball publicity expert and NCAA & Olympic Games television statistician Michael Sondheimer has been selected as the Executive Director for the Southern California Indoor Volleyball Hall of Fame (SCIVBHOF), a 501c3 charity (81-3695316) headquartered at American Sports Centers in Anaheim.
Sondheimer, who did statistics and research for NBC Sports for three Olympic Games Indoor Volleyball competitions (1996, 2000, 2012) and worked television courtside for the NCAA Volleyball Championships from 1974-2013, had served as the interim SCIVBHOF Executive Director since July of 2016.
“Michael Sondheimer is a person with vast knowledge of Southern California indoor volleyball and we were very pleased with job he did over the past 12 months in bringing the hall of fame idea to fruition,” said Mike Gallups, President of American Sports Centers and the SCIVBHOF. “He has completed all of the tasks and personal deadlines we discussed in hiring him to begin work on this project and I am confident he can bring greater recognition for indoor volleyball from San Diego to Santa Barbara in the future through his work ethic.”
Sondheimer, a long-time member of the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA), was named as one of the early winners of the Grant Burger Media Award for his service to the sport. He has been involved with the United States Volleyball Association (USAV) going back to working publicity for the 1975 NORCECA Games in Southern California. He has been honored with both the USAV’s Douglas Boyden and Viggo Nelson awards for his national and international volleyball media work and publications.
“Michael was the driving force behind our first induction ceremony last May and will be in charge of our second ceremony on May 6, 2018 at the Highway 39 Event Center in Anaheim,” said Gallups. “Our Hall of Fame walls are now up at the Sidelines Café at American Sports Centers for public viewing as we raise funds for supporting the future of the indoor sport.”
“I can’t thank Mike Gallups enough for giving me the opportunity to implement an idea for a sport I love and have been involved with for over 40 years,” said Sondheimer. “We are off to a good start, but we still need to make a lot more people in the volleyball community aware of the SCIVBHOF and what are doing to secure the future of the sport throughout the area.”
Sondheimer will be responsible for initiating the new SCIVBHOF website at www.socalindoorvolleyballhof.com and Facebook site (socalindoorvolleyballhof) to go with Twitter/Instagram @scivbhof as the SCIVBHOF moves into year two of non-profit operation.
Press Release courtesy of SCIVBHOF.
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