ARA Meeting 6/16/2025

Meeting Minutes

Candidate Speeches

  • Jai: SPM rep and to promote more competitive events and balance growth and competitiveness

  • Aldwin: Annual championships

  • Dave: USPML and Sparrow’s Nest head. WRC NA head. Instructor certification, expanding wrc pro orgs to the US

  • Jenn: Pro ama meets like comic con and sparrow’s nest and collab between pros and amateurs

  • Luke: Riichi out website during pandemic. Catfood bowl runner. Educational materials to be able to pass a pro exam

  • William (Whale): Whale cup. ARA independence

Voting Open Until July 2nd

Working Group Updates

  • 2028 WRC Qualification Cycle

  • Tech

    • Join our weekly coding meetings!

  • Communications

    • Had an introductory meeting with Canadian Leadership

  • US Rankings

    • We are restructuring data into spreadsheet

    • Extracting seating charts and their round scores

    • Asking Gemini mostly, first name last initial as well as results are fed into AI. not super personally identifiable.

    • Should we just switch to player number?

    • The data source is 2024 tournaments

  • Education

    • Pairing fairness in next couple of weeks?

    • Etiquette at WRC

    • Rate play in Japan? Info is value

    • Maybe have a clean guide in ARA and can link to an informational blog by Luke blog

    • We have to be real about expectations, reduces harm

    • If you’ve been to belbird, shibuton, janyuu club, or m league stadium please DM Luke

  • Professional Organizations

    • World Riichi Pros

      • US WRL event June 28th, September WRL event.

      • Let Dave know about WRL minors

      • Can take applications post WRC

      • Sample test coming soon, Erik K with more info

    • Saikouisen

      • 51st test just happened. Cannot officially say how many passed, but can be proud for US pros

      • Rookie championships. Root for all the americans in the rookie cup!

      • Main pro league is starting.

      • Eric Chen accepted the invitation to Ryuousen in Japan for winning the US Ryuousen qualifiers!!!

      • Do you need to go to Japan to play? 

        • You are not required to go to Japan. You have opportunities to do so but are not expected to go

      • Hoping to do some east coast events, Pros are not expected to come to California.

    • ARML

      • Going strong! Spring season is almost over, C1 to be split into two leagues

    • Rules and judging

      • Mods have been reposted (they were erroneously archived)

    • Community engagement

      • Office hours to be held probably monday nights after WRC

      • Round tables for discussion topics from community

      • WRC player bios on instagram

      • Laura to be filming at WRC!!!

    • Charity

      • Airi: 122 sign ups for Pride Open 6/28

      • Ember and Hana also helping out

  • Reminder if you’re a club admin, please accept people to your ARA portal clubs!


Closed Session

  • National tournament discussion

    • Lot of steps before real plans can get made

    • Working group can be created down the line to start to address what a ‘US National Tournament’ to crown a ‘US Champion’ might look like

  • Tournaments to Certify

    • Chicago approved after changes

    • Toronto needs small changes then can be approved

    • Dallas approved

    • PML Open approved

  • Rochester and DC uploaded results

    • Reach out for DC observer report

  • Changes and release of Invitational Observer Report

  • Next Meeting is July 21st

  • ARA should have a privacy policy