National Dart Association Installs 2015 Board Names Alvin Gerlach President

Photo:Pictured, from left, are NDA's lvin Gerlach, Mary Lynn Lavine and Shawn Smith.

Joining the NDA board are Ricky "Rabbit" Stoddard, Rabbit Darts (Ypsilanti, MI), and Trevor Foster, Amusement Services (Billings, MT). The new board members began their duties on Jan. 1.

NDA's 2015 president is Alvin Gerlach of Hub Music & Vending Co. (Aberdeen, SD), and Mary Lynn Lavine, Bullseye Inc. (Madison, WI), is vice-president. Shawn Smith, J&J Ventures/Kentuckiana Vendors (Evansville, IN), becomes treasurer.

At its first meeting of the year, the full NDA board of directors discussed plans for the organization and the future of electronic darting industry as a whole. All concurred in emphasizing the importance of reaching a new generation of darters, expanding tournament opportunities, and increasing educational opportunities and resources for members.

"The board of directors is actively working to enhance NDA programs and propel the industry forward, one dart at a time," Gerlach said. "I am honored to serve as president as we head into a milestone year for Team Dart and get closer to other exciting tournaments and events."

The annual NDA Junior Tournament, first staged in 2014, is one of the group's initiatives designed to boost participation by younger players. It's open to NDA-sanctioned contestants up to 20 years of age who meet the qualifying requirements. This year's Junior Tournament will be held from June 19 through 21 in Bloomington, MN.

Enhancing online engagement is another NDA imperative for reaching younger players and will continue to be a focus for NDA as technology advances. Promoting the fun and safe environment that playing darts provides to junior players is central to this initiative. Among other attractions, players can download a cutout of "Junior," the tournament mascot, pose with him and post to social media for recognition.

Soft-tip dart players and operators have benefited from NDA regional tournaments through the additional local opportunities to compete that these events create. Classifications are based on skill. Last year, the regionals produced more than 300 winners, the board reported, noting that players have a great chance of winning, whatever their level of play.

The NDA has also announced the locations and dates for this year's round of regional tournaments, which kick off in the fall. | SEE STORY

Additionally, the board observed that, by offering members education and resources to help enhance their businesses, NDA protects and strengthens the industry as a whole. Launched late last year, the educational program enables members to subscribe to weekly marketing tips for business development, and for raising the awareness of electronic darts in their communities.

NDA will celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Team Dart program at this year's tournament, which is set for May 1 through 9 at Bally's Las Vegas. As part of the promotional buildup for the festivities, instructional and informative videos about Team Dart and other tournaments have been posted on NDA's YouTube channel and at the group's website.

The board said that the association also is looking forward to increasing the available resources as planning begins for the League SMART 2016 biennial education conference, organized in conjunction with the Valley National 8-Ball League Association. Details will be forthcoming as plans for this event coalesce during the year ahead.

Information about NDA, its membership and its tournament programs may be found at ndadarts.com or by calling (800) 808-9884.

NDA represents approximately 250 vending operator members and 45,000 players worldwide. It was formed by and for coin machine operators, to promote the sport of electronic darting exclusively on operator-owned equipment. In addition to AMOA, its sponsors include Arachnid Inc., Cyberdine d.o.o., Gaelco Darts S.L. and NSM-Löwen Entertainment.