A New Chapter for the UpState APA

As many of you are already aware, Rosanne and I have officially sold the Southern Tier portion of our league and will now be focusing exclusively on the UpState APA.

This was not a decision we made lightly. However, as we carefully evaluated what was best for our host locations, our members, and our own personal well-being and family, it became clear that this was the right path forward.

In our farewell message to the Southern Tier, we shared the reasons behind this difficult decision. Those players, captains, teams, and host locations will always hold a special place in our hearts and will forever be considered part of our APA family. While it was bittersweet to say goodbye, we're excited to begin this next chapter and devote our full attention to building an even stronger future for the UpState APA.

So, What Does This Mean for the UpState APA?

Quite simply—it means more opportunities.

With our focus now solely on the UpState area, we'll have significantly less travel for joint events such as the MVP Tournaments and Showdown Series Tournaments. That opens the door for more tournaments, more special events, and more opportunities specifically for our UpState members and host locations.

Since we will no longer be running Southern Tier qualifiers, we'll also gain several open weekends throughout the year. Those weekends will allow us to introduce some new, creative tournament formats and fun events that we've wanted to offer for quite some time.

We're incredibly excited about what's ahead and can't wait to share these new opportunities with all of you.

New Processing & Delivery Schedule

Many of you may have already noticed some changes to our weekly processing and delivery schedule.

To help keep operating costs under control—and avoid increasing weekly league fees—we've adjusted our score sheet pickup and delivery process.

Jamie will now be making one pickup and delivery each week instead of two. Previously, she picked up and delivered score sheets on both Wednesdays and Fridays. Reducing those trips saves both time and fuel costs while allowing us to keep league fees where they are.

The One Downside

The only negative to this change is that patches will now typically be distributed one week later than before.

For example:

• A patch earned during Week 1 would have previously been distributed in Week 2.
• Under the new system, that same patch will generally be distributed in Week 3.

Since we now pre-print the following week's paperwork before all online score sheets have been submitted, delaying patch distribution by one week helps ensure patches aren't accidentally missed or duplicated.

While an occasional oversight may still happen, this new process should greatly reduce those issues.

The Big Positive

Beginning July 20, we'll also begin processing league results the day after play.

That means:

• Tuesday matches → Updated standings and statistics by Wednesday evening
• Wednesday matches → Updated by Thursday evening
• And so on.

The only exceptions will be during larger Regional events, Las Vegas events, or the Aloha Challenge in Hawaii, when updates may occasionally take a little longer.

We believe this is a major improvement and one that many members have been asking for.

Being More Present

One thing I'm personally looking forward to is simply being around more.

Trying to oversee 22 different divisions spread across two league areas made it difficult to consistently visit teams on league nights.

Now that we're focused solely on UpState, I'll be able to rotate through different divisions and host locations much more frequently. My goal isn't just to occasionally jump on a team and play—it's also to be available to help resolve issues, answer questions, and reinforce what APA league nights are really supposed to be about...

Having fun.

I'm hopeful I can continue leading by example.

I've even had new "I Beat the League Operator" challenge coins made exclusively for the UpState area. I'm currently playing Tuesday nights in the Fulton area and look forward to joining a Syracuse-area team this fall.

Although...after my performance at the Northeast Challenge, it's probably a good thing I stocked up on those coins!

What About the Aloha Divisions?

Since we've already completed two sessions jointly, the upcoming November Aloha LTC at Brick House will remain a combined tournament with both the UpState and Southern Tier members.

Before the Fall Session begins, we'll also hold an Aloha Division Meeting to discuss the future of the division.

We have several ideas that we believe could breathe new life and excitement into the Aloha Division while helping it continue to grow and build upon what we started back in 2015.

However, before making any decisions, we want to hear directly from the teams, captains, and players. Your input will help shape the future of the division.

Inter-League Regional Events

With the Southern Tier now operating independently, the UpState APA will naturally receive fewer entries into events such as:

• Border Battle
• Northeast Challenge
• Montreal Invitational

In previous years, any unused Southern Tier entries could be passed along to UpState teams. That will no longer be possible.

Because of this, we're exploring the possibility of bringing back another Inter-League Tournament Division during the 2027–2028 league year to create additional opportunities for teams to qualify for these events.

Ladies Divisions

One request we've heard repeatedly is for a Ladies-Only Division.

This is currently one of our highest priorities.

Before the Fall Session begins, we'll hold a player meeting to discuss the format and gauge interest.

One option we're considering is a division that plays either once or twice each month, making participation easier for many players.

We'll also be confirming all National APA requirements to ensure the division qualifies for an official Ladies Team Championship slot to Las Vegas.

Doubles Divisions

We've also received a lot of interest in Doubles Divisions.

While this is absolutely something we'd like to introduce in the future, we want to be transparent that it isn't our immediate priority.

Right now, our primary focus is getting a Ladies Division established since that currently provides the only opportunity to earn a Ladies Team Championship berth to Las Vegas.

Once we've successfully built that foundation, we'll shift more attention toward expanding doubles opportunities.

Looking Ahead

Rosanne and I are genuinely excited about everything the future holds for the UpState APA.

Over the next several weeks, we're still finalizing the final details of the Southern Tier transfer with Colleen while helping ensure she gets off to a successful start as the new Southern Tier League Operator. We want to do everything we can to help set her up for a long and successful career.

Many of you also know that our long-term goal has been to eventually move to the north side of Syracuse. Doing so would make league travel much easier while also allowing me to be closer to my son.

For now, however, those plans have been temporarily put on hold as we work through an important family matter.

As with any major transition, there will undoubtedly be a few small bumps in the road over the next several weeks. We simply ask for a little patience while we navigate these changes, finalize the transition, and prepare for what we believe will be an exciting Fall Session.

Thank you for your continued support, your understanding, and for being part of the UpState APA family.

We truly appreciate each and every one of you, and we can't wait to begin this exciting new chapter together.