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apr 2011 27

ZAMSTŪ NAMED OFFICIAL INJURY PREVENTION PARTNER OF MOUNTAIN PACIFIC SPORTS FEDERATION MEN'S VOLLEYBALL CHAMPIONSHIP

LOS ANGELES, Calif. (April 26, 2011) --- ZAMST®, the leading brand of injury prevention equipment in Japan since 1992 and used by professionals worldwide, has joined forces with the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) as the “Official Injury Prevention Partner” of the MPSF Men’s Volleyball Championships, to be held at the Galen Center on the campus of the University of Southern California. MPSF teams compete at the NCAA Division I level in men’s volleyball, with the tournament champion earning an automatic berth to the NCAA Division I Men’s Volleyball National Championship to be held May 5-7 at Penn State University’s Recreation Hall in University Park, Penn.

The MPSF sponsors men’s volleyball competition at 12 institutions, including 2010 NCAA National Champion Stanford University, Brigham Young University, the University of Hawaii, Long Beach State University, Cal State Northridge, Pacific, Pepperdine University, UC Irvine, UCLA, UC Santa Barbara, UC San Diego, and the University of Southern California. The 3-year agreement includes sampling of ZAMST products to member schools, a scholarship program for athletic trainers, and support of the referees and line judges as a key component of the promotional strategy, a first in the history of the sport.

“The Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) is proud of this exciting new relationship with ZAMST. They are at the cutting edge with exciting new developments in athletic support gear for elite athletes and their products represent the next generation of injury prevention on the court and on the field for athletes at any level. MPSF men’s volleyball is at the top of the collegiate game and ZAMST will help keep the athletes competing at the highest level. The MPSF and ZAMST are the perfect match,” said Al Beaird, MPSF Commissioner.

 
"MPSF Commissioner, Al Beaird (center in black) with one of the many MPSF officiating teams proudly supporting ZAMST, the Official Injury Prevention Partner of the MPSF"

“Our focus at ZAMST is on injury prevention to allow the athlete to perform at the highest levels on a consistent basis. We appreciate and support the great work of the many athletic trainers keeping the student-athletes injury free for peak performance,” said Dr. Gary Sato, D.C., a ZAMST advisor and current assistant coach of the U.S. Men’s National Volleyball Team. Sato, a graduate of UC Santa Barbara, is keenly aware of the high level of competition in the MPSF having coached with Dr. Marv Dunphy at Pepperdine University when the team captured the 2005 MPSF Conference Championship en route to winning the NCAA Men’s Volleyball National Championship. Since it was established in 1992, MPSF teams have captured the NCAA title a record 16 times, more than any other conference in the country.

Beaird and ZAMST executives will execute a new marketing strategy based on the company’s philosophy of supporting the “team behind the team.” In cooperation with ZAMST, the MPSF will announce the formation of a scholarship opportunity for men’s volleyball athletic trainers at MPSF member institutions. ZAMST will provide a $150 scholarship annually for the two trainers whose teams reach the MPSF Championship Final, to be used towards continuing education units or membership fees in the National Athletic Trainers Association (NATA). In addition, ZAMST will supply outfitting for the MPSF officiating teams, including product contributions of its unique bracing products for the back, waist, knee, and ankle. In fact, several referees and line judges have already begun wearing ZAMST with successful results.

“I have been using my ZAMST knee brace before and after my arthroscopic knee surgery and I love the support and comfort level my ZAMST ZK-7 knee brace provides. I was able to play right up to the day of my surgery and was back on the court only four and half weeks after surgery. My ZAMST knee brace gave me the support I needed and the peace of mind to get back on the court and to not worry about my knee,” said Tony Chan, an MPSF referee who successfully uses the company’s products.

“Few companies have ever supported the officials in any conference, so the MPSF men’s volleyball officials take great pride in being part of the ZAMST team. Our officials take their job very seriously, and take pride in being an important part of the ‘team behind the team’ along with the many athletic trainers and event management staff at each school,” said Ken Taylor, MPSF volleyball officiating coordinator.

The MPSF sponsors competition in men’s volleyball and 10 other Olympic sports serving 1,800 student athletes from nearly 40 universities in the 12 Western States. The MPSF was established in 1992 to serve the competitive needs of member institutions from the Big West, Pacific-10 and Western Athletic Conferences, as well as other selected universities in the western United States; and to provide championships competition for Division I intercollegiate Olympic sports in a conference setting. The founding principles on which the MPSF was originally formed were to provide enhanced competition and championship opportunities for sports without conference affiliation; to contain the costs of competition; and to ensure the survival of sports impacted by Title IX and other fiscal pressures. Since its creation, the MPSF has emerged as the nation’s premier conference in men’s volleyball, and has produced close to 60 volleyball Olympians (players and coaches) including 2008 Olympic Gold Medalists from Hawaii, UCLA, UC Irvine, UC Santa Barbara, Pepperdine University, BYU, Long Beach State, and Stanford.


"The USC Trojans, the number one team in U.S. men’s college volleyball, will host the MPSF Men’s Volleyball National Championship April 28 & 30 at The Galen Center, one of the premier sports venues in Los Angeles"

ZAMST is the leading brand of sports protective equipment in Japan and used by professionals worldwide. Based in Tokyo, Japan with offices in Europe and the United States, ZAMST offers a full line of high quality injury prevention products designed for its three tenets of “Effectiveness, Comfort, and Ease of Use” as they relate to the ultimate in sports performance. In addition to being the Official Injury Prevention Partner of MPSF Men’s Volleyball, ZAMST is a presenting sponsor of the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) All-American banquet, a Gold Corporate Partner of the National Athletic Trainers Association (NATA), an official sponsor of the Southern California Volleyball Association, and the official injury prevention partner of the M2 Volleyball Camps & Clinics owned and operated by 2-time Olympic Gold Medalist, Misty May-Treanor. For more information, call toll free 877-ZAMST-US (877-926-7887) or visit www.ZAMST.com.

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