posted Feb 8th, 2005 - The rumor mill, which has produced several stories as of the future line-up of DeLand Majik, will come to an end now. The team released an official statement with the details of the Majik near future. The new line-up consists of Solly Williams, Doug Park, David van Greuningen and Robert Healy, Jr. and promises to continue with the Majik team project and the performance level that the previous line-up set in place. This is the official press release:

World champion 4-way team DeLand Majik has added two new team members to its roster for the 2005 season. New teammates David van Greuningen and Robert Healy, Jr. will join Solly Williams and Doug Park on the 4-way team. Though team members Joey Jones and Gary Smith will focus on coaching and other career endeavors outside active competition with the team, both will likely continue to have a role in the DeLand Majik project. Videographer Graham Harding will not continue to compete with the team, and the video slot has yet to be finalized for the 2005 season.

The four-way team line-up for the U.S. Nationals in Perris will include Williams, who will move to the outside center; Park, who will remain in the inside center slot; van Greuningen on the point, and Healy on the tail. The team expects to make several hundred training jumps prior to Nationals, along with a comprehensive wind tunnel training regimen.

Both van Greuningen and Healy have years of experience in Open-class competition in their respective slots. A graduate of DeLand Genesis and DeLand PD Blue as well as several player-coach teams at the Advanced level, van Greuningen has recently relocated back to DeLand after spending the past two years living on the west coast.

Healy has competed on Frost, Elsinore Matrix, and most recently as a player-coach with NSL winning team Arizona Blade. Both were also members of DeLand Majik 9 during the 2002 season. Though Gary Smith and Joey Jones will not compete with the team at the US Nationals, both are scheduled to compete with Williams and Park at the World Games in Germany this coming July, representing the United States.

The primary focus for 2005 is to build a strong foundation for the DeLand Majik project that will position it for continued success beyond its original cast. Since winning world meets requires a level of commitment and unity of purpose that can take years to develop, the current team members believe they are moving forward with the right mix of experience and fresh perspective.

Another important component to securing the longevity of the project will be a renewed commitment to the team’s sponsors and its home drop zone. By focusing on coaching dates and events at Skydive DeLand, the team will be better able to give back to those who have provided such tremendous support to the team in the past. With its new line-up and home focus, the project’s competitors and supporters are optimistic about the 2005 season and beyond it.

DeLand Majik will train and compete side-by-side with the newly formed DeLand Fire in DeLand. This situation will surely help to push both teams to the limits. The NSL News will follow up with more comments and background information. The NSL Forum is open for discussion of the new situation in DeLand.