Toronto Flying Tigers

I'm the director of a documentary about the North American Chinese Invitational Volleyball Tournament (NACIVT) called "9-Man" and I'm doing some research in preparation for the national tournament in Los Angeles. Below is a questionnaire, and I would be very grateful if you took the time to respond to it as completely as you can. Your answers will be kept private, so feel free to be honest and real. Perfect grammar is not important – just express yourself! Please let me know if you have any questions at all. I can be reached at ursula@9-man.com or 917-686-4991. Attached is a similar questionnaire in Chinese that I am hoping will make its way to players who feel more comfortable writing in Chinese. Please forward this email widely to any 9-Man players, past or present.

Responses can be sent directly to me at ursula@9-man.com.

Thank you in advance for your help!

Sincerely,

Ursula Liang

Director/Producer
"9-Man"
www.9-man.com

9-MAN QUESTIONNAIRE (please send your responses to ursula@9-man.com)

NAME:

EMAIL/PHONE:

TEAM(S):

YEARS PLAYED/INVOLVED:

AGE and HEIGHT:

POSITION PLAYED:

1. When was the first time you heard about or saw 9-Man being played? Who was playing and what did you think about the game back then?

2. Does anyone else in your family play? What did they say about the game? Was that a big influence on you deciding to play?

3. Why did you decide to start playing? Who recruited you?

4. What was it like the first time you played? What's it like – how do you feel – when you're playing now?

5. Has 9-Man changed your life? How has playing 9-Man changed the way you feel about yourself? Has it changed your relationship to your family? How about your relationship to your peers and other people who don't play?

6. What has your experience as a Chinese-American male in North America been like?

7. What's the best thing about playing the game? And the worst thing? Does anything frustrate you about 9-Man?

8. What's your relationship like with your teammates?

9. What are some of the best stories that you know or that you've heard – funny, outrageous or even not-so-funny or sad – about some of the players and about the game?

10. Skills aside, who do you think are the most memorable characters in the 9-man circuit (English-speaking or players who are not fluent in English)? Why?

11. Why is 9-man so important in Chinese communities? What impact does the game have there?

12. How do you feel about people playing on 9-Man teams who are part-Chinese or not Chinese at all? Should they be allowed to play?

13. What is the most important thing that you'd like to tell people about 9-Man that they may not understand?

14. Where are you from? Where is your family from and what is your family life like?

15. What is your social circle like? What do you do for a living?

16. Are you planning on playing/attending this year's national tournament in Los Angeles? Next year's in Boston? Is it difficult to commit to 9-Man?

17. Is there anything that makes your experience playing 9-Man special?