UPA Newsletter: 1986 Jun

Vol. 6, No.3

June 1986

U. Mass WtnS College Nationals!

For the second year in a row, the University of Massachusetts, better known as ZJ:JO Disc, found themselves in the finals of the National Collegiate Ultimate series. This time they were viaorious by the score of 21-18 over Stanford University in a final that was noteworthy for its intense degree of competition and high level of sportsmanship.

This was the second time that these two teams fuced each other during the three day tournament. The first game of the first day in the first round found these two squads lined up opposite each other. In a game to 17, Stanford had the lead 16-14 and possession of the disc on the UMass goal line. A clutch point block and succeeding score signaled the Zi:Jo's comeback as they continued to play tenacious

~~jj;;te

defense and smooth offense, scoring the next three goals as well to win 18-16. No other team was to give UMass this much competition and they remained undefeated for the rest of the tournament.

The Ultimate spirit and goodwill that was displayed by all teams throughout the tournament was very evident in the final. The UPA extends its congrarulatioos to UMass and to all the competitors.

Special thanks to Stephen Smith for organizing a tremendous tournament.

Pool play accounts on page 11 A more in depth article about the tournament wi/J be in our next UPA Newsktter to be released midjuly.

Mass~chusetts~Zoo

Nati~:mal

1986 National Ultimate Champions University of Disc with Director Gary McGivney and Tournament Director/Central Reg1on Coordinator Steph~n Sm1th.

Photo by J1m Wygant

From the

Director's Desk

By Gary McGiveney

Well my fellow Ultimate players, the ~ring season is almost over, the summer leagues are ready to begin, and I'm feeling pretty gcxxi about everything that's been happening. The past few months have been eventful ones. We have taken some steps in ~ds to the growth of the sport, a couple of agencies have expressed an interest in sponsorship, some independent videos are being produced, and best of all, it seems that mo& players are observing the Spirit of the game more. In the games that I've played, the ones that I've seen, and the reports that I've received, it appears that Ugliness has been reduced. Not eradicated, but at least reduced. I conunend all of you who have helped bring this about, especially the captains that move in and defuse the volitile situations.

This observance of the Spirit was mo& evident at the College Nationals. Out of twelve competing teams, six were nominated by their opposition for the Spirit of the game award Calls and fouls were minimal, even in the closest games, throughout the weekend, and disputes were resolved quickly. The final could serve as a model for future competitioos.

With players getting flat or skying for every point, if not on every throw; with competition a<> intense as any I've seen, there were only a handful of picks, no travels and only three disputed foul calls that went to the observers.

My thanks to all those players who competed in the College Nationals for showing me that ideology can work, if it is worked at.

Now for a little updating in the area of growth and acceptance. The Cub Scouts are now going to be able to earn their physical fitness badges and pins playing Ultimate. They have taken T.K and hv Kalb's book, condensed it, added pictures of Cub Scouts instead of adults and are promoting it to all the t:r<:lq)S nationally, of which there are 50,000. This one act is going to go a long way in raising the awareness of our sport. These kids have to do some of the drills with their parents, so they'll hear about it. They'll probably suggest it to their gym teachers in place of European handball. They'll tell their friends. they're going to be exposed to it as a legitimate sport at a young age, some are going to get hooked just as we were. So how can we help? If you're an ex-scout, approach your continued on page 5

Around theNat/on Central Region

By Stephen Smith After the usual spring fluny of club team tournaments in the Central Region things started focusing o n the Collegiate Division which saw an increase of teams at the Sectional level. This increase in participating teams is a real indicator that the collegiate level of play is probably the future for Ultimate.

The Tunas from St. Louis are going to make their usual run for the club National title in the men's division while women's teams from Chicago (Nemesis) and the Fishheads (Michigan State) may be contenders on the National front.

Regional bids for the Central Regional Championships will be due by August 1.

Send the bids to Stephen Smith, 4031 Springfield, Kansas City, Ks. 66103. Of primary importance to all teams will be a central location within the region.

After years in the Queen City of the Ozarks, this Regional Office will be moving to Kansas City to attend the University of Kansas (first year doctoral student). A new list of Sectional coordinators for the Fall season will be mailed soon to teams and contacts within the Region.

Mid-Atlantic Region

By Eric Simon College Ultimate dominated the scene this spring in the Mid-Atlantic. CarnegieMellon went through the season (until nationals) undefeated in college play, although they did not get to play U. Mass or Cornell. In the collegiate regiooals, Princeton defeated de~ defending US Champs u.

Penn for secood place.

Besides the April Fool's tournament (story appears elsewhere), the major tournaments in the region were DC's May Day tournament (won by Kaboom; COGZ second) and Phllly's Mothers's Day tournament (R& B, a new NJ team, peat Phlly's Uprising in the finals).

In women's Ultimate, eight teams made appearances this spring, six of them played fairly often. Five will play at regionals. Two more would show, except that they are school teams, and school has let out. I predict that at least seven teams will play in this fall's regionals, almost double the four that played last fall.

Summer League has started in May for Mercer County (NJ), and in june for Philly (call Steve Nelson 215-482-8988) and DC (call Eric Simon 703-548-3479).

DC also hosted a High School championship under the direction of Byrne Kelley.

The finals, matching two perennial powers, were played less than thirty yards from the Hands Across America line. Stuyvesant High beat Bronx Science in a brilliantly exciting game 24-23. (See High School championship article in this issue).

Northeast Region

By Kevin Cande With the spring season drnwing to a close some Ultimate players may be asking themselves this question: What do I do Now? You could relax, but I'm sure that's out of the question. Another idea is summer league. New York City has a very large one, so does Boston.

I would like to know of any others in the N.E., small or large, so I can inform the members.

There will also be one started in Eastern Long Island. Anyone interested please call me, Kevin Cande, at 516-929-6573.

On a different n(l{e I would like to congratulate two people in the N.E. that have made an effort to start newsletters on their own. One is Maurice Matize from NYC. The other is Hoby Ebert from Sc(l{ia, NY. These people have put much time, energy and mooey into these newsletters. If you would like to receive these or a sample let me know.

Again, any new teams or old teams n(l{ on my captain's list, please get in contact with me.

Goocn:Jye until next newsletter!

Southern Region

By Dave Schuman The University of Texas continued with their domination of the Southern Collegiate division. This time they overpowered a University of Georgia team in the finals. Nine teams competed in our largest collegiate tournament so far. Unfortunately most college teams decided to skip the tournament again. Some other tournament results are as follows: Men's Division: Mudbowl -Chainlightning (Atlanta) over Agent Orange (Huntsville). Frostbreaker- Plan 9 (New York, N. Carolina) over Refugees (Miami). 路Springbreak -Miami over Savage Seven (Alabama). , Centex路 -Rivals (Dallas) over Anarchy (Albuquerque). T~ Rivals over Somas (Austin). Ultimate Bowl- Chainlightning over Dogs of War (Orlando). Savage Seven (Alabama) Hybrids (Arlanta, Huntsville) over What? (Huntsville).

Several southern teams competed in the St. Louis Classic. Dallas finished second and Miami made it to quarters.

lhetoorrmnerttresuhsfcrWCllllell'si>Miioo. are: Frostbreaker- Ozone (Arlanta) over Femirons (D.C.). Ultimate Bowl- Ozone over Shakti Nuns (Gainesville). Austin, Arlanta and Gainesville also competed in the St. Louis Classic.

Southern regionals will be in Huntsville, Alabama on November 15 and 16. I have moved and my new address and phone number are : 2923 SW 30 Ct., Miami, FL 33133; 305-443-7744. We are in desperate need of a collegiate regional coordinator and also a new GA-SC-TN sectional coordinator.

Western Region

By Peter Grossenbacher Good weather means much Ultimate!

Lots of tourneys coming up for the pleasure of an increasing number of teams. Let's welcome these newly-formed teams: San Francisco Women; UNR-Reno, NV; Cannon BallsClovis, NM; Fisters-King City, CA; Mental

Toss Flycoons-Missoula, MT. Special note about the group of young players from King City: in every team practice this year, each player had no drops or throw-aways!

It's time to teach younger folk our game. I am looking for players to pick a High School (alma mater or one near you) to adopt and get our sport into the lives of energetic kids who don't yet know what fun really is. Interested? Do more than think about it-- start reaching out now-- I can send you more specifics on tactics, etc. Anyone can get the UPA Ultimate Teaching Package by sending $25 to the UPA Treasurer. By September we should have a strong network of High School Contacts-- you can be one by either: (1) getting the P.E. Dept. to teach Ultimate, or (2) getting the students to organize teams for within-school and/ or betweenschool play. Did you know that the Boy Scouts of America now have a merit badge in Ultimate? The Wave is beginning.

Several great tourneys are coming up (see listing under upcoming tournaments).

Anyone who wants to write up a tourney for the next newsletter should let me know- YOU can help out the newsletter. Notice that Regionals are now scheduled for October 4 and 5 in Corvallis, Oregon. This bid was very well planned by experienced tournament hosts, and could have beat out other proposals,except that it was the only bid received. Note the coed tournament in Santa Cruz August 5-10. Coed Ultimate is making a major comeback on the West Coast-- do we know how to have fun or what?Worlds in Santa Cruz begins August 27 and will host a cluster of informal workshops on important concerns in Women's Ultimate. This can be a forum for women nation-wide to get together on issues such as recruitment, fostering new teams, etc.

Contact your Women's Regional Coordinator or Margot Taylor (see tourney listing) for more info.

UPA Membership Special From now until August 31, 1986 the UPA is offering a Membership Special if you sign up as a team you will

receive seven memberships for the price of six.

Don't forget membership requirements for the 1986 UPA Fall tournament series will be 100%. If you read the last UPA Newsletter, you will recall that UPA Memberships are now based on a two expiration date policy (August 31 and February 28). If you are a smart Ultimate player you have also realized that you will get more for your membership dollars by signing up between now and August 31. If you sign up during the months of September, October your expiration date will be August 31, 1987.

So, take advantage and sign up now, as a team and start off the fall season with at least one part of your act together.

The UPA Newsletter is published by the t 'ltlmate Players Association.

.\lembership rare: $7.00 per year.

Editor: Shelley Scoggin Typesetting and Layout: Minergraphics Logo: Jay Cohen Printing:Norrh Fork Press Contacts Regi< ll1al CcxJrdinators:

Central · Men's: Stephen Smith l 41'i

'i

Pickwick, Springfield. MO 6SH040

Central - Women's: Sheryl Hirschbein 101'i \\ \\: 'e llingto n, Coach House, Chicagu, IL 6o6S7

Mid-Atlantic - Men's: Eric Simon 21 0 E. Custis A\'e., Al exandria, VA 22301

Mid-Atlantic- Women's: Mary Iannotti 4 Chern· HnxJk Or., Princeton.

NJ OHS40

Northeast- Men's: Kevin Cande RR I Remsen Rd .. Wading lti\'er. NY I 1792

Northeast Women's: Corinne Corrigan 1' 9

'ia 'i.'i<IU

St. Apt . H. Princeton.

NJ 000403

South - Men's: Dave Schuman 2923 30 Ct . Miami. FL 33133 South -Women's: Tamml Pellicane

'w

60 'i N.\X·. 52 Pl .. Gainse, ·ille. Fl. 3260 I

West - Mens: Peter Grossenba<'.her 56'i I Orinda St .. f-\11< > Alt<> CA 94 3o6 West - Women's: Ann Cohan I I 'i2 Amherst"'' · Ins Angeles. CA 'XX.H9 UPA Director: Gary McGivney PO Box ' 'i''i. Greenwich Cf o6H:\6. ( 203 l H'i4 ' i23'

Women's Director: Kathy Pu1ith.l RR I Remsen ltd .. \X 'ading l{i, er "!'>' 11'92. ( 'i 16 l929·6'i'3 UPA Treasurer: Carney Foy PO BOx 26m . .\1esa A7 H'i20<l i 6021H92 111111. i6021H_'IIIIH51

Collegial<' Coordinator: Mike Farnham l 'i'! Fred eti c St ., Stamfo rd CTIXJ902 . ( 211:li.'\4H l'i:\9

U. Vtrginia East Coast Champs \ta1· 10. Philadelphia. Pa. - In an expres''o n of that g<xld old college spirit, two le'dms turned up for the first ever East Coast \\ 'o men's College Championship in Fair mom Park on a heautiful Saturday morning.

TI1e l 'n i1·ersitY ofVirginia Boneless Chickens he:u rhe l 'ni1·ersir.· of Delaware Gnu Girls, I I ~ - in a game that pitted an experienced re-..u11 of l ' Va. Ultimate veterans against a rrul1· new team of up and coming players.

Conwarulations to the winners and runners up' \X here IYere the rest of the women 's col lege teams from the east coast?Your guess is a~ ~, xxJ as mine. Luckily for U. Va. and Del · J\\<I rc there were four women's cl ub teams 111 Fa inn< mt Park so that everyone got a lot of play111g rime.

Centex '86

By Michael Daniels

Cent ex 'H6 went off for once in non-rainy weather the weekend of March 1-2. The once-beautiful ur intramural fields were a bit dry and gravelly, but everyone could play at one site and enjoy that Ultimate luxury, adequate lighting for even ing games. As usual the heavy spring winds inspired all the local teams to play some zone, and as usual the tournament started Austin Ultimate time of about noon both days. The heady Austin night life takes its toll.

Eleven men 's and three womem's teams attended from five states. The men's Pool A had Dallas, Albuquerque Anarchy, Austin Snakes, Oklahoma City Jam and Denton (Tx.) Gangrene. Pool B had HoustonAeros, Austin Ether Bunnies, El Paso Somethingorothers, (what are you guys calling yourse lves this week?) , Texas A & M Aggies, Kansas Horrorzontals and New Orleans' Gang of Disc. The pools were slightly unbalanced due to unexpectedly weak teams from Kansas and New Orleans, but then it's a long way to go. The women had the host Supremes, the Grass Carp from Kansas (who were kind enough to pick up the lone Albu· querque Concentrix in attendance, despite ha1·ing 13 women of their own) and a team from Nort h Texa~ State in Denton.

Saturday's play wa~ fairly predictable in Pool A. with Dallas romping and Anarchy nipping the Snakes and the Jam in close matchesro finish second. Snakes were third and jam fourth as this pool finished exactly as seeded. Pool B wa~ less predictable, with Houston goi ng undefeated, barely beating Ether Bunn ies who took second. El Paso finished third and A& M fo urth . A close loss to Houston apparently wore o ur the highly touted hut thinly populated Gang of Disc, who finished o ut of the running, as did the Horrorzontals afte r being completely confused hv the Bunnies· shifting zone. Both teams had heen seeded at the top of the p<Xll. The women's teams played round robin on Saturday, with the Supremes romping handilv. You'd think a big populous state like Texas could support a few more women's teams.

On Sunday the new format (which has found e nthusiastic acceptance so far this season) had the top four finishers in each pool play off in a standard quarterfinal, with

the rest of the teams playing off in a B dil·ision. The Snakes outlasted the Ether Bun· nies and Houston sent the Jam home to Oklahoma in quarterfinal matches. In the other quarterfinal matches Dallas spanked A & M , and Anarchy barely recovered from an incredible attack of the drops to defeat El Paso 1513 after trailing 13-10. The roles were reversed in the semis as Anarchy roared out 13-4 over Houston (apparently the drops are contagious) and never looked back while Dallas barely outlasted the tough Snakes 15-13. It was to be the closest game of the weekend forcockyDallas. In Division B Gangrene improved steadily all weekend to beat an exhausted Gang of Disc for the championship. Gang of Disc had been done in by a long pre liminal)' game against the Horrorzontals, who, true to their name collected several Texas strawberries each.

Next year hopefully the Horrorzontals and the Gang of Disc will show Texas their true colors. Thanks again for making the long trip.

The finals saw the bizarre spectacle of a team from Dallas playing in the middle of Texas against a team from New Mexico in front of about 300 Texas spectators who were unanimously cheering their brains out for New Mexico. Does this tell any of you Dallas players anything about yourselves?

The climactic moment of anti-Dallas sentiment came after a timout during which enterprising Ausin players constructed a four layer pyramid of persons cheering I ustily for Anarchy, (who badly needed some cheering at the moment) which several Dal las players dove into, giving the top person a nasty fall.

Unfortunately for underdog fans eve!)'· where, Anarchy bent over for a humiliating 1H-5 whipping. Despite the earliness of the season and the absence of the famed Colo. rado mercenaries. Dallas looked to be in sharp midseason form , outrunning , outthrowing and outcatching their opposi· tion the entire weekend. Perhaps this year a National appearance will be within reach without American Airlines commuter ser· vice from Boulder.

In the women's division once again the Supremes were the team to beat in Texa'i Their rapidly improving disc skills and aggressive horizontal D will stand them in good stead this fall in their quest for a trip t< > Nationals in nearby Houston.

Ottawa: Canada's Ultimate Capital b1· ,John Baenziger You go horizontal for the disc and hit the hard baked grou nd . Yo u scrape your knees ..t11d nn 1·o ur e lbo\\· Yo u are hot , sweaty, th1r<,~Y and 1uu drop the disc. Is summer re-alh the 1deal season for Ultimate?

Plnure this : It is earlv March. The sun is h111111g and it's a perfeci ·2 ' C ( 30 ' F) . A four 111ch blanket of fres h po\\·der snow covers a pat ·ed pla1·ing field . The o range zone markef'> 'itand our hrill iantly against a white ha · rou nd. Yo ur \\'ater bottles are fresh and cool 111 a natural "snow bank cooler"..

This was the setting fo r the second annual "March Meltdown Ultimate Tournament" on Sunday March 2nd on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Canada. The tournament was kicked off, the night before with a keg party where many Ultimate Friendships from previous seasons were renewed. After the party it was time to catch a few hours sleep before competition began. The McGill University Ultimate team got the tournament underway with a 13-3 victory over the Toronto Hogtown Jowlers. This was followed up with a 1}8 victol)' over Ottawa's capital Punish-

ment. A tired Ottawa team fielding all its new recruits then bowed to the Jowlers, 13-7. A brief meeting was then held and winter was unanimously chosen as an ideal season for the sport. A subcommittee was formed to design the ideal disc.

You go horizontal and land in a soft powdel)' blanket of cool, fresh snow and this time you have the disc - now that 's ULTIMATE. See you July 12-13 for "No Borders Ultimate."

3

9th Annual April Fools Festival

By Sue Wallace The 9th Annual April Fools tournament saw the Fisheads and Hostage Classic, a rekindling of the Hostages who won Fools in 1982, play their way to the 1986 first place slots. The Fisheads, who have won every Fool 's tournament since 1983, fought it out with the Zephyrs in the finals, defeating the Philadelphia team 15-9. Hostage Classic beat New York's newest team, Spot, 15-13 in the final round.

Preliminary Rounds: In their pool, the Zephyrs were dominant, going 5-0 against Survival, Cool Mama Seven, Nemesis, Mudeaters, and Flying Squirrels, Survival, CMS, and Nemesis also advanced to the quarters, finishing in that order. In the other pool, BARF, Boneless Chickens, and Fisheads tied for first, (all were 4-1) , and Zulu also qualified for the quarters,defeating Squeeze and the Horizontals.

From the fo ur 6-team men's pools, Kaboom' (5-0), Windy City ( 4-1), the Boneheads (5-0), and Idz Delako (5-0) won their pools. In second place, respective to these pools, were Ufe Before Plastic ( 4-1 ), Plumbers (3-2), Spot (4-1), and Hostage Classic ( 4-1). Two of Kaboom!'s wins were dramatic come-from-behind victories. Prelim games were to thirteen ; Kaboom beat the Zombies (Conn.)aftertrailing 12-9, and the under-manned Void after trailing 10-8.

Quarters and Semis: In the women's quarters, BARF, a Boston combination, defeated Chicago's under-womaned Nemesis, and the Fisheads had surprisingly little trouble with New York's Survival. lNa's Boneless Chickens defeated Maryland's Cool Mamas, and the Zephyrs out-zeed Zulu (U-Mass) for their spot in the semis.

On Sunday morning, the Fishead zone put them squarely in the lead in their playoff against BARF, with a half-time score of 8-3. BARF opened the second half with a zone of their own, but were too far behind to recover. The final score was 15-8. The lNa-Zephyr semi was perhaps the most exciting game of the women's bracket. lNa took an early 7 · 3 lead, but lead by only 2 at half-time (8-6). When lNa pounced to a 10-6 lead at the beginning of the second half, things looked grim for the Zephyrs. But with amazing fortitude, the Zephyrs scored three in a row ( 10-9 ), then traded goals until the end when they scored four in a row to win 15-13.

In the men's quarter finals, Spot and Idz Delako (a Titanic-type team) played a very exciting game; with a cap at 15, the game was tied at 12, 13, and 14. As is their style, Spot bombed the disc to score the winnmg goal. Hostage Classic made their way to the semis by defeating their fellow Bostonians the Boneheads. Pittsburgh's Plumbers were no match for Kaboom! (15-3), and Ufe, ahead 8-1 at the half, held on to beat Windy City 15-11. Although it surprised no one that there were three Boston teams in the quar· ter finals, most were surprised to find three New York City area teams in the semis.

4

The Spot-Kaboom! semi-final was a real edge-of-the-fielder for the spectators. The two New York City teams traded goals until the end ofthe first half, when Kaboom! took an 8-6 lead. They quickly extended their lead to 10-6, but Spot managed to tie the score at 12-12. After giving up one more goal, Spot scored three in a row to win 15-13. The Hostage-life semi-final was sim· ilarly intense, with Ufe taking an 8-6 halftime lead. Once the Hostages got their momentum building, though, they were unstoppable. They tied the game at 10's, and continued on to a 15-11 victory.

Finals: The first half of the women's finals was exciting, as the Zephyrs and Fisheads matched zone defenses to a 6-6 tie. Theri the Fishies went person-to-person to take the half-time lead 8-6. The second half was, however, a Fishead-dominated finish. After reverting back to their zone, they scored four in a row, and eventually finished the Zephyrs off with a 15·9 victory. Both teams played intense Ultimate, but there was definite tension on the field, and several calls that were unbecoming of an Ultimate player.

In contrast to the atmosphere of the women's final , the Hostage Classic-Spot final was refresingly good-natured as well as exciting. The first half was a relative blow· out, with Hostage Classic taking an 8-2lead at half-time. Once again, however, Spot pulled it together. Using a zone defense, they forced several Hostage turnovers at the beginning of the second half. Spot scored five in a row to bring themselves within one goal at 10-9. After more goal-trading, the score was 14-13 Hostages, and they had the disc at their own goal line · just one pass away from the winning goal. Spot made a great diving block and worked the disc upfield when Hostage Classic answered with a diving block of their own and this time worked the disc in to win the touma· ment 15-13. The fact that these two teams played intensely competitive Ultimate while maintaining such positive "Ultimate spirit" (an almost-official count records only one foul call, undisputed, for the whole game) is highly encouraging, and opens ones eyes to the unique aspects of Ultimate that are sometimes so easy to forget.

CROCK By Rechin and Wilder I'M G?ING OUT BACK

AtJD TO.S.S 1H!:=

FRI~E?f£'3

WiiH ROV!OF2

California Happening

By Pete Grossenbacher Great weather showed Spring had arrived during the Davis Ultimate Invitational held March 29, 30, hosted by the Davis Dogs (mens) and Davis cats (womens) in lieu of April Fools West. Play between womens teams proceeded predictably, with SOlA (Los Angeles) over Pleides (Berkeley) fol· lowing round-robin play. The men's finals pitched Polo Club (LA.) against Daddy's Rangers, a combo team with players from San Diego and San Francisco Bay areas.

Rangers won a hard-fought but decisive game, 18-15. The "Kenny Dobbins; play, where an out of bounds pass is caught and thrown mid-air before touching O.B., earned Berkeley's East Bay Grass a goal against U.C.S.B.'s Black Tide when Steve Courlang got a must-dive-to-catch backhand off to Andrew Thomas. What will be the next Ultimate innovation?

The Stanford Invitational (April12,13) saw Pleides beat out Santa Clara Yeti in the wo men's finals. In men's, King City Fisters beat East Bay Grease. King City is actually a combo team with players from Condors and Circus, two great teams that have not manifested this spring. (King City is just midway along the 400 miles separating Santa Bar· bara and San Francisco. ) The wind blew strong both days. One month before States and 3 weeks before College Regionals, this tourney was an important testing ground for both club and college teams.

College Regionals May 3 and 4 in Santa Barbara was the windiest tourney on the West Coast. Between the two semi-final games, only one upwind goal was achieved!

Many games were played to a 3-point cap placed after 2 hours of play, because 15· point games might take all day... Results were Stanford 1st, U of Oregon, Eugene 2nd, U of California, Santa Barbara 3rd, Chabot 4th. The top three went to Nationals.

California State Championships (May 10,11) in Santa Cruz welcomed out-of-state teams from Boulder, Co. and Phoenix, Az. Weather was pleasant and spirits high. Chabot ( 1985 champs) beat Boulder in the Semis, while King City took out Santa Cruz Kaos, both very exciting confrontation. King City grappled the title from Chabot in a tough, convincing victory 21-15. In women's games, San Diego beat Sola ( 11-6) and Condors outplayed Pleides ( 11-4) in the semis. Santa Barbara then renewed their title as State Champions in beating San Diego 15-4. The Condors are unstoppably magnificent.

Directors Desk ... continued from page 1 old pack and offer your services to help them get started. If you ' re not, call your local Boy Scout Council and search out a new troop and help them. Women can search out the Girl Scouts or Brownies and help them using the Cubs as a model. Once again it comes down to how involved does one 'W'ant to be and how much of oneself do you 'W'antto give. In this case it's a little easier to get started because the groundwork has been laid. I'll tell you something and it's from my personal experience. Young children are ripe to learn this game. Their bodies are just getting it together and they 'W'ant to run, throw, and, catch, which is exactly what we do in this sport.

They're also innocent enough to absorb the Spirit of the game with little question. The best part about teaching them however, comes after you've got them set up and they're out there competing. With all their ineptitude, they make a wonderful effort to play the game. They laugh, they squeal, they giggle, and they rarely argue. They truly emlxx.ly the joy of play and have some very big fun. And I get to have it too by teaching them. I hope some of you decide to go out and experience it as well.

On another front, in our next issue, the UPA is going to offer the USAmateur card to our members. This is a travel card that is good for discounts on airfures, rental cars, hotel rooms and some sporting goods. This card is used by 36 other amateur sports organizations in the U.S including Olympic athletes and committee pecple. So, besides• the discounts ito individual cardholdeers, it places our organization legitimately in the realm of amateur sports.

Specifics and applications will appear in the next newsletter. What I need from our membership and specifically the tournament directors and coordinators, is a list of every tournament that..occurs in the U.S. This list should start with all the major tournaments that occur pretty much the same time and place each year, (i.e. Boulder july 4, St. Louis-mid March, Santa Cruz-end August) and then move on to other listings. We need to give the listing of these tournainents to the U&<\mateur pecple

60 clays in advance in order to get the discounts of 40-45% off airfures. Discounted fures are only good if you fly to a registered tournament. So let's get on top of this. It will be to everyone's advantage to have their tournament UPA registered. Let yur regional coordinators know when yours is. Oh yeah, the cost of this card. It's going ot be $25 for UPA members and $50 for non-members. You'll save that on your first trip.

Now, I also said we have had a couple of agencies express interest in sponsorship. Sad to say that the first, a mineral water, was only looking for a California image and market.

After a number of discussions it was determined that we were not what they 'W'anted at this time, but perhaps the Santa Cruz tournament was. They checked it out and it is. Those of you who attend that event will see this mineral water in evidence. If all goes well and they expand their market: nationally, they hopefully will consider us again. The second proposal is still moving through the corporate channels, so it would be premature to say much about it now. Suffice to say that yes there are companies looking at us and more will do so as time goes on. That's another reason for us to be aware of our behavior on and off the field. If we 'W'ant to encourage some one to help pay our way, we have to show them that we are a worthwhile choice, that they will gain by aligning themselves with us, that we will be good for their image. And you can be assured that I will always ask if they are good for ours.

In closing, I would like to allude to the group you see below. On a cold northeastern weekend in February we got together and talked Ultimate gmls and directions for two clays. This is your coordinating committee, past and present members, and they represent the whole United States. These people put in a lot of hours doing work that most ofyou never see for reasons that most would not understand. I value these people very highly and you should as well. So the next time you se€-One of these laces, tell them thanks for what they're trying to do, that you appreciate their effort even if you don't always agree with the policy, and if you feel so inclined, offer to give them your help.

Coordinating CommiHee Past and Present left to right: Gary McGivney, Dave Schuma~, Carney Foy, Peter Grossenbacher, Eric Simon, Kathy Pufahl, Stephen Smtth, Kevtn Cande, Ken Foote, Brian Murphy.

Ultimate Adolescence

By Pat Pohl My involvement with Ultimate began in 1978. At that time my view of any athletic endeavor was prejudiced by my professional background as a physical educator and athletic coach. At first I viewed this "toy" sport as a new curriculum offering at the college level. As my involvement progressed with Ultimate, I began to realize what the sport had to offer. Besides the psycholO?ical and physiological benefits, the umque socialization that Ultimate produces IS distinctive. The fact that athletes govern themselves, even in times of high emotional states, demonstrates the values inherent in the game.

Those players on the west coast who know me, are familiar with the political bat· ties and logistical problems I had to overcome to install Ultimate into the college curriculum at Chabot College. With the growth of the Collegiate level of play many of the battles I once fought alone now are being shared with other interested individuals. In my profession Ultimate is becoming an accepted "real" sport. The immediate feedback has been very positive and the fast growth has caused more problems which the Ultimate communiry wi ll e\·entually solve.

I have long been tOfQ,between encouraging Ultimate to become more of a real. respected sport yet still trying to preser\'e the unique individuality of the .. alternati\'e to athletics" beliefs pre\'alent in many sectors oftoday's game. It may be time to allow the game to leave it's youth and become a mature segment among the other sports. I know there's a great deal of suppo rt for this but also am aware of the opposition. I would like to suggest the following ideas only for those levels of competition of the highest type or most exposed to the public.

Image: First the Ultimate community needs to realize that in our society a book is judged by it's cover. At Chabot College we have always strived to maintain a team image. Our school sees our team photos. action shots and our uniforms. We come across as a real team and sport ( those who really play know that we're faking it) It has helped to get the support both financially and status-wise that is needed. Our local press and community reacts in the same way. If nothing else we need to be conscious of our appearance and behavior. Un iforms help, even numbers are required in other team sports. It would help in the keeping of statistics or for a sports writer.

Demeanor: Closely related to image is our demeanor of behavior patterns. When Chabot goes out to do a local high school demonstration, we try to produce a good image. We try to look and act accordingly. In Ultimate, if we continue to fight and swear over foul calls, openly get stoned on the sidelines, and wear bizarre apparel, we're hindering our growth. Those who play for Chabot may drink, smoke and swear (except

continued on page 8

5

Letters to the Editor Editor's Note: We appreciate and encour-

age letters to the Editor and will endeavor to print all of them. Accordingly we ask you to be precise and to the point (under two typewritten pages) and most especially legible!

If your thoughts are really complex feel free to write an article instead. We will be happy to print it.

Letters must be signed with UPA member's fu/J name and address.

Editor: Having seen darkness nearly end the men's final at the Nationals the past two years, I think it is appropriate to abolish Frisbee time for at least that one game. In general, we Ultimate players could be more prompt. And for what is the biggest game of the year, a rule such as 'The final game must begin no later than 4 hours before the sun sets, or one point will be assessed for every five minutes late" is not unreasonable. It may be a difficult rule, but in the long run everyone will be happier.

Speaking of the Nationals, the two fields used for the men's semis and both finals were atrocious. The tournan1em was generally well run, but I suspect there was a decision made as to why to use those fields that deserves attention. It was stated to me at the time that the availability of the stands, for purposes of providing a good setting for press coverage, led to the decision. I applaud efforts to have Ultimate recognized by the public, but that should NEVER happen at our expense.

More and more the question is raised: How much do we want to sacrifice for increased public exposure? I have played in a few tournaments in which the players were screwed in efforts of publicity. I feel Ultimate is OUR game, and largely because of that it maintains its magical quality. In time I believe the sport will catch on, and box scores will appear in major sports sections, but trying to rush that has and will cause unhappiness. Don't lose sight of our ability to be as we wish; eventually we won't have that luxury, and while we may be getting paid by then, money isn't everything.

Dan Weiss

Editor: Every year concerned players urge their colleagues to play morally, not to make intentionally bad calls, and not to argue excessively over an opponent's call perceived as being bad. I would like to point out some mechanisms that have evolved to minimize arguments, which had had a doubled-edged effect.

First and most important is the so-called "cardinal rule" of the Eighth Edition Ultimate Rules, which calls for any unresolvable controversy to be checked back to the thrower.

The cardinal rule, especially as used for

6

disputed foul calls, disputed stall counts and disputed line calls, has been effective in eliminating the kind of 25 minute no-play argument that marred the 1979 National Finals in College Station, PA This is clearly a great leap forward for the sport. Not only are arguments shorter but they are less intense.

A long session of 'Yes you did"-"No I didn't" left both teams feeling cheated and hostile no matter what the final resolution, sometimes for the rest of that game, sometimes for a season or two. The cardinal rule effects a compromise between the extreme positions of the two players, and makes each feel he's given something and gotten something. Grudges aren't held as long.

There has been, however, an insidious side effect of this rule; the devaluation of calls. In recent experience the stall count has been completely eliminated from the game except as a means of forcing a rushed pass. No matter when the disc is released, either the marker "counted too fast" or the thrower "had it off." Play recommences with two seconds left in the count. I follow the Director in urging players to hand the disc over to the defense when they have been counted down rather than claiming a replay.

Another example is the receiving foul. A receiver may feel less inhibited about calling a sleazy touch foul if he knows the defender has the option of contesting it and returning it to the thrower. Conversely a defender may clobber a receiver in the end zone and contest the obvious foul for positional advantage. I urge players to aspire to a higher level of integrity; make only those calls that are warranted.

The system of four passive observers watching important games and resolving disputes between the teams was a good idea. When properly used by experienced players and observers, the process could literally be completed in seconds. A call is made, the opponent disagrees, they talk it over, if unresolvable the captains discuss it, then the observer steps in and makes the call; play resumes immediately. There were many drawbacks, however. Four experienced players are needed to observe, and the teams competing needed to be fumiliarwith the system. This made the system unworkable in preliminary rounds of tournaments because all the experienced players were either playing or selling T-shirts. Also, the passive nature of the system led many observers to lay back and relax causing them to miss calls because they might never be called upon. Passive observers are a step in the right direction, but it appears at present to be a failed experiment.

Another rule that has lessened disputes is the rule allowing a pass to stand up despite a pick call if the pick did not affect the play.

Once agio the rules have effected a compromise. The picked defender gets a check and can set up. The offensive team starts from where the pass was completed with a new stall count, rather than from the original thrower. Neither team feels cheated.

There are still arguments about whether or not the pick affected the play, but it has been

a step in the right direction.

A rule that has been completely effective in elimiating disputes is the Austin pull rule, whereby an out-of-bounds pull is brought to the middle instead of thrown over. There have been some sleazy side-effects, such as tired teams whaling the pull out of bounds to get a few seconds of rest or set up their defense, but all in all a small price to pay for expedited play.

I would like to urge a clarification of traveling rules. It is my opinion that everyone drags their feet somewhat when throwing bombs, and rather than eliminating these exciting moments from the game we should allow dragging unless it is used to go around a marker. If you've faked out your marker or burned him by ten yards a sixinch foot drag won't affect the play either way. Sort of an NBA traveling rule.

Ultimate players have demonstarted an ability to improve the game by experimenting with new rules and abandoning the unsuccessful (the cardinal rule, modified pick rule and Austin rule). We must continue to try to correct problems we see in the game with better rules where possible, (modified traveling rule) with communication among and between teams about calls, and most importantly, with each and every player doing his or her best to make honest and correct calls only, and respecting the suspect calls of our opponents.

Get horizontal, Michael Daniels Albuquerque Anarchy PS. Have you checked out the new Ultrastars

by Discraft with ridges? Awesome!

Editor: Enclosed with my UPA renewal is a suggestion that I feel every enthusiastic Ultimate player from Santa Barbara to St. Louis would enjoy and support. Every sport has its outstanding athletes and crowd pleasing players who make watching the sport almost as much fun as playing it. These are the individuals who set the standards of play for many of us. By grouping these players together on an All Star Team, be it Ultimate, soccer, football or basketball, the level of intensity and competition within the sport increases. I think this could benefit Ultimate by providing a chance for great players in each state to compete in sort of a local/ national jamboree. Each team could nominate two players to represent their section in a regional tournament. Personally I'd be honored if given the opportunity to compete in such a tournament and I'm sure many players out there would make a commitment to play as well if given the opportunity. A good player plays to the potential of the team. I encourage you to solicit a response from other players. Any feedback at all would be appreciated.

Dan "Bud" Martynn CORE Ultimate S.LO. Ca.

Editor: We are writing in response to an article in the March 1986 issue of the newsletter, "Women's Update: The Big Picture" by Kathy Pufahl which summarized a series of decisions made concerning the growth of women's Ultimate. Kathy referred to a Coordinating Committee meeting held February 22 , 1986 where the agreement was reached to allow ten women's teams at Nationals by 1987 if there were a total of SO active teams nationwide.

First, we would like to say that we are pleased there is a forum established to debate issues of interest of growth and its relationship to increased participation in national competition. It is apparent that the members of this committee have the best interests of the sport at heart. However, this article left a few questions in our minds which we feel bear consideration.

Basing growth on the number of teams who come to regionals may not be realistic.

How many active women's teams are there nationwide? Maybe it would be more representative of the growth ofwomen's Ultimate to look at how many teams were in attendence at each sectional tournament. Having two number bases to compare does not help players to see that the goal is realistic.

Do 20 new teams need to be present at regionals or simply active in the nation. The article concedes that not all teams were able to attend regionals. If minutes of the committee's dialogue were available, it may be easier to see the progression of this logic.

Players of the Pacific Northwest look forward to the forthcoming definition of what will con~itute an "established" team. That will help to clarify the growth question.

Another issue we would like to address is the idea of placing the burden of growth for the entire nation on 路individual regions.

Each region can be responsible for its own growth, but it is unreasonable to assume that one particular region can necessarily affect the growth of another region. Distance and money prohibit attending innumerable tournaments across regional boundaries. Although most Ultimate players agree that going to tournaments is of primary importance, the dedicated players attend regardless of the financial struggle. An alternative suggestion would be to allow each region to grow independently based upon sectional and regional expansion. Using the House of Representatives as an example, we propose that increased numbers at Nationals should be proportional to the total number of active teams per region. That way regions that do grow will be rewarded for their efforts and not penalized by the lack of growth in areas they have no control over.

The responsibility of growth would not fall on the shoulders of one or two regions, but more adequately reflect the growth that does occur. Finally, searching for an immediate solution to the problem may serve to positively affect growth both now and in the future. Ifa greater number of teams perceive going to Nationals as an attainable goal then perhaps they would be more

motivated to field competitive teams. What the Ultimate Players Association has done is given us a wonderful format to display out athletic skills and competitive drive. You can't ask us to wait forever.

Mary lowry Jorgenson Ronda Erickson Seattle Sky Editor: For almost as long as I've been playing Ultimate I've witnessed the debate as to how many women's teams should participate at Nationals. Most people feel that women's Ultimate is "not ready" for ten teams, that it would be "a waste." I've always disagreed, and after competing in two Nationals and spectating at one, I disagree more than ever. I think the women's Nationals should be an eight- or ten-team tournament,with a two pools-quarters- semifinals format, for the following reasons: 1. EXPOSURE: Competing in a prestigious tournament against teams from faraway regions is an exciting and valuable learning experience. Let's get some new faces involved. The opportunity for two teams to go, and the maturing effect it has on a team, could only generate excitement, stimulate competition and raise the overall level of play in a region. Right now we're waiting for these things to spontaneously happen before we allow ten teams.

2. COMPETITION: Five-team advocates point out that the competition at Nationals is already lopsided between teams from strong regions and those from weak regions, and that with ten teams the inequity would only be worse. Weak! The top teams' easv games would probably be easier, but they would also get a chance to play more goorl teams. Under the present format many excellent teams don't get a chance to go.

I've been told by a number of people the San Diego team is unquestionably the second-best (at least) team in the country but they have to stay home.

3. FORMAT: Let's face it, thewaythe tournament is set up now is Bo-ring! And for a three-day tournament, you sure don't get to play very much. Four games against more or less the same people each year, and then the top two teams play each other again in the finals. Easterns, Worlds, or even many Regionals (to name a few) are a lot more interesting and dramatic. In a larger tournament the truly best teams in the country will have a chance to play each other, and to play up to seven games.

In brief, making women's Nationals a tenteam tournament could only improve it. It would also improve contact and communication between regions, as more teams would ~et to meet and play each other. Why not do it this year, ifHouston can provide the Field space? In fairness to women's Ultimate, bids should not be accepted from cities that don't have the room. Holding out the promise of a ten-team Nationals is a silly way t0 encourage the growth of women's Ultimate. Other more direct means need to be undertaken. Let's stop being elitist and

short-sighted about Nationals. If teams are willing to travel and psyched to compete, let's give them a chance.

Sincerely, Catherine Hartley Boston, Ma.

Editor: I've just finished reading the March 1986 UPA Newsletter and I'm just a little bit miffed. The stories/ articles are very "'ell written, points are very clearly made, and one idea is predominant: Ultimate is losing its individuality as a sport with the purpose of promoting " ... honesty, integrity and respect ... " as well as a good time for participants. Every article in the newsletter alludes to that fact.

So here's where I get confused. If the people who run the UPA, and the people who write for the Newsletter, and the women who answered the survey at the Eastern Captain's Meeting, and the "fans" that contributed so much at the Nationals in D.C.Iast fall all feel discomfort in the direction the game of Ultimate is heading, what could be done to drive these issues into the minds of the pi;lyers that are contributing to this discomfort? Will there be changes this spring and fall? If not, what's the next step? Since many of these players are "good" they've found their niche in the Ultimate community.

Sure, the opposing team may express dislike or frustration and teammatc::s may mumble for their silence, but is anyone really encouraging the individual that calls the "stall-travel-pick-four" on 3 consecutive possessions by the opponent to sit down until he or she can get back into the spirit of Ultimate? Can those relatively lew compettive individuals be made aware that they are causing many more players to seek other forms of exercise and entertainment?

Somehow it doesn't seem quite right that such a small (but highly talented) group of individuals should discourage the rest of us.

I've been actively involved in the sport of Ultimate Frisbee for something like eight years now. I've played on college co-ed teams, a college women's team, a club co-ed team, and with a women's "pick-up" club team. They were all a lot of fun. Sure, there were personality conflicts, there were individuals who were only concerned with winwin-win, and there were disappointing losses; but the overwhelming attitude in every situation was to have as much fun as we possibly could and see how many new people we could get psyched about the sport. There were very few people that left any of those teams because of dissatisfaction with attitude or morale. The attitudes found now during tournament play were not tolerated.

So now I'm living in a small town in southwestern Virginia where Ultimate is centered around the Virginia Tech "Fresh Produce." These folks have a lot of fun, but I'm not eligible to play in tournaments with them because of the 1986 College Players continued on page 10

7

News Briefs • The Northeast is proud to announce the fonnation oftwo new teams this spring season. They are: u. Vermont -contact: Heather Morris, P.O. Box 199, Underhill, Vt 04590; and Williams College - contact: Kristen Andrews, SU box 1032, Williams College, Williamsto'M1, Ma 01267. U. Vm. competed in the U. Mass. tournament April 19-20 and Williams had 8 players at the New Women's Tournament also at U. Mass. on May 4th.

• Forry letters were sent out in February to colleges and universities in the NE in a search for seeds ofwomen's Ultimate teams Of those forry, nine contacts were made although the number of women playing at each institution did not allow them to compete as a full team this season. They are as follows: SUNY, Binghamton ; Syracuse, SUNY, Purchase; Bates; Rochester; Keene State College ; Trinity; M.I.T. ; and Bro'M1. If you live near any of these schools, look for contacts in the fall and report them to the regional coordinator. We've got to get these women at tournaments' • The Santa Barbara lady Condors were featured on an ESPN 1V show special "World Class Women." The tape is 5-6 minutes and it is available from Kathy at World Class Women, PO Box 14685, Baton Rouge, La, 70898; 504-769-2996.

• After two years of research and writing, Kip Sharpe has finished his book on Ultimate in Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas and Tennessee. The book consists of two parts: Team Profiles and Game Summaries. It is two hundred pages of crazy stories, pictures and serious research. He guarantees you will enjoy his book, Ultimate: Southern Style. Only 100 copies; first come first served. Send $17. to Kip Sharpe, 4009 Old Shell Road, C-11, Mobile, Alabama, 36608 • This fall the position ofWestern Regional Coordinator will come up for election by UPA members. If you want your name on the ballot, and expect that you will have the time and energy for the job, then please, contact Peter Grossenbacher, 3651 Orinda St., Palo Alto Ca 94306; 415-856-8221.

• The Southern Region is in desperate need ofa Collegiate R.eglooal Coordinator. They also need a new GA-SC-TN Sectional Coordinator. Contact Dave Schuman, 2923 SW 30 Ct. , Miami, FL, 33133; 305-443-7744.

• More than 200 Girl Scouts, aged 9-12, participated at the Rhode Island Girl Scout Council's 7th Annual Junior Sports Day. Troops competed in six Olympic-style field events, deck tennis and our very own Ultimate Frisbee • Two Canadlanteams, Ottaamand Capitol Punlsbment, competed for the first time at the Northeast Regionals in Amherst, Ma. Their presence was the highlight of the tournament as they captured the hearts of all. We look forward to seeing the Canadian women participate in the women's division of upcoming tournaments.

8

The CoUision Mentality

By Michael Pace - Seattle Ultimate The topic of this letter has concerned me a great deal over the past few years. It has been the topic of many, many conversations among Northwest and West Coast players and I am a bit surprised at the absence of letters to the UPA Newsletter voicing concern about this aspect of Ultimate. " It is the responsibility o f all players to avoid contact in any way possible." Have you ever heard this statement before? Of course you have; it is the first item in the Eighth Edition under the heading, Positioning (see XVIII-I). This is the real reaso n I am in love with Ultimate. Ahh, a sport where one can run and jump and throw and dive and have a lot of fun. This rule allows me to play hard knowing no one is going to attempt to flatten my face while a referee isn't looking. I can hurtle across the field knowing contact will be, at most, incidental and/ or accidental...or can I? There is a segment of the Ultimate player population who hold the view that if the defensive (or offensive) player can get to the disc before an opponent does, any contact which follows does not constitute a foul. This is in direct contradiction to Rule XVIII-I. The "spirit of the game" requires we follow our agreed-upon set of rules and not abandon our responsibility to care for the safety of all players involved.

I have seen many instances where a defensive player get a hand on the disc only to have his/ her momentum result in a collision with an offensive player whose eyes are trained on the disc. Disputes often ensue if a foul is called--with various outcomes and often hard feelings, especially if the colli-

Ultimate Adolescence... continued from page 5 Brian Springer) but they are very aware of the potential visit by a Chabot Administrator, faculty member, student or parent, so they try to refrain from it publicly. If reports worked their way back to o ur campus, we could say goodbye to Ultimate. Even though the "real" sports have their drug problems and Ultimate players generally aren't hypocritical, many elementary, junior high and high school Ultimate programs are being retarded because of poor examples of role • A complete list of all the Women's teams in the country is available through Kathy Pufuhl.

Send a self-addressed stamped envelope to her for a copy -- RRI Remsen Rd., Wading River, NY 11792.

• UPA members with a 'J" on their expiration sticker can be expecting their new membership cards and minis to be in the mail to them anydaynow.

• The 1986 College National finals are available on video tape. For further infonnation, contactJumpin' Joe Enck at 1025 Murray Hill Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15217. ( 412) 362-6422.

sio n was a bone-crusher. The argument against the foul is "I got the disc first ; so, no foul. " I have seen this argument used successfully during both men's and women's games. Hey! There is no such mle' Rule XVI-2 (The player initiating contact is guilty of a foul ) rypically refers to players o n defe nse and further illuminates their responsibility to get to the disc withoutmaking contact. The player who is poaching is often the one who blind-sides the intended receiver. There are no less than six rules in the Eighth Edition which speak to the theme of safety and player contact (see also XVII-6, XVI-4A, XVI-4C and XVI-40).

It is not my intent to be a purveyor of gloom. My wish is that everyone realize their responsibility for the safety of our fellow players. It is no fun getting hurt, especially when it was caused by reckless play.

The four months last year it took me to recover from a dislocated elbow was truly no fun ; the catch was made and then I was blasted. I believe Ultimate is a contact sport --you can have all the contact you want with the ground. If you don 't think needless injury could happen to you ....

I feel the rules speak clearly enough on this topic. However, it is my understanding there exists regional differences in their interpretation. This does not surprise me due to the varied philosophy found within just the Western region. Players feel strongly about "their" interpretations and understandably so. Intensity in competition is not unique to Ultimate but self-government during play is. Perhaps this topic should be an area of focus for the Ninth Edition. Play hard, but remember: be careful out there.

models in the current environment. I'm not recommending that we all get haircuts, drin~ Gatorade, abdicate parrying, and volunteer to help in the United Way endeavors, but we need to take a look at ourselves from the outside and the image we produce.

Organization: If we want to elevate o ur sport, tournaments need to better organize the ingredients for basic tournament needs.

We need to start on an agreed time and be ready to enforce it. We need to have restroom and shower facilities as a minimum requirement for site selection. Finals should be glorified as much as possible. This is our showcase. Scheduling of major tournaments and leagues need to be done at least a year in advance. We need to encourage and nurture new teams.

In closing I would like to apologize for sounding too righteous. I think the world of the Ultimate communiry and will always support and be involved with its evolution. I am only suggesting these ideas for consideration and would like to see the sport of Ultimate receive the status it deserves.

Feeltn' Good at Centrals

By Eric Simon Windy City and, urn, Sutvival, sort of, won the "5th" • Annual Centrals held at Michigan State this past Memorial Day Weekend.

Windy City played good, hard, relaxing, fun Ultimate, and swept through the tournament, beating Spot in-the finals 21 -16.The other semifinalists were COGZ and Coffee and Donuts. The scores of both seim-final games were 18-10. The game that came closest to being an upset was the MadisonSpot quarterfinal game. Madison was up 1110 before losing 15-12.

The women's division was more interesting. First of all, the field of six womens' teams was the largest of any Centrals. The Repo Women (from Minnesota) and P.M.S. (Partial Mama Squeeze, a conglomeration from DC) were two of the newer teams, and Sutvival made their first -ever venture to the Mid-West.

Club Mich (actually a Club Mich/ Club Mich alumnae team) arrived with eight players and promptly lost one to injury ~efore the first game was over. Two games laterthey lost their seventh player. Their final two opponents consented to playing six -onsix. The six-women team had the disc at 12-12 against the Fisheads, but a point block at the Club Mich goal line gave the · game to the Fishies, who finished pool play at 5-0.

In the semis, the Fishies beat Nemesis who had gone 2·3 in pool play. Sutvival, i~ an admirable move, consented to play Club Mich six-on six for the semifinal. Unfortunately for Sutvival, though, they must have thought that what almost happened to the Fishheads couldn't happen to them. It did.

Club Mich was awesomely inspired and beat Sutvival13-8! But, Club Mich lost their sixth player, and would have to play the finals with five.

Sutvival and Club Mich agreed to a type of "retroactive forfeit," placing Sutvival in the Finals, but the Fisheads agreed to play Survival only if the game didn't count.

No one played as though the game didn't count. Sutvival, spurred by the memories of a humiliating April Fools' defeat, and the fact that the Fisheads didn't want the ga.rne "to count," played inspired. Both teams played hard, and without much controversy.Sutvival took a 7-6 lead at half. the second half was fairly even until the end, when Sutvival pulled away to win 13-10.

After the game, Sutvival cheered the Fishheads, and the Fisheads cheered Survival, and gave Sutvival the first-place trophy. Survival then gave the trophy to Club Mich.

Club Mich took the.trophy and then gave it back to Sutvival. All three teams were very classy about it, and are to be commended for their spirit. So then, who won? Well, 1 suppose it was good that Survival ended up with the trophy. But the team that really won the tournament was Fisheads/ Sutvival/Club Mich.

"There have been tournaments ca/J.ed Centrals at Michigan State from 1980 through 1986

...--Upcoming Tournaments--....

Mid-Atlantic R e g i o n - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - July 4, S and 6 - 9th Annual Mars Ultimate Classic.

For more information contact Ken Scott, Box 320, Mars, PA 16046 NortheanRe~on

_____________________________________

June 14 and 1S- Gateway National Park Open, Staten Island, NY. For more information contact Tony Prevosti at (212) 481-8097

July 12 and 13 - No Borders Ultimate.

For more information contact Brian Guthrie, 117 Bellwood Ave., Ottawa, Ontario, Canada (613) R2356416

Southern Re~on --------------------------------June 14 and 1S- Dallas TIC For more information contact Terry Fowler at (817) 640-8019

September 1 and 2 - Orlando, FL For more information contact Rick Mellin at (305) 425-4183

Western

Re~on

______________________________

June 21 and 22 - Summer Solstice, Eugene OR. For more information contact: Joe Milan (503) 484-5011, 323 High St., Eugene OR 97401

July 4, S, and 6 - Boulder Ultimate Classic, Boulder CO. For more information contact: Mark Orders (303) 988-7561, 1985 S. Xenon, Lakewood CO 80228.

July 19 and 20 - Portland, OR For more information contact TurfTerrace (501) 233-9525,4203 Yamhill Rd., Portland OR

August S-10- (coed) World Flying Disc Classic, Santa Cruz CA For more information contact: Tom Schott ( 408) 462-5293 or Craig Drizin ( 408) 427-2682, 81 Front St., Santa Cruz CA 95060 Special Forum on Women's Ultimate - to share ideas on recruitment, growth, and other vital issues - Contact Margot Taylor (use Craig's address.)

September 3-9 - Worlds in Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA For more information contact Craig Drizin ( 408) 427-2682, 81 Front St., Santa Cruz, CA 95060 October 4 and S - UPA Open Western Regionals, Corvallis, OR For more information contact Jay Sexton (503) 753-6097, 5475 NW oak Creek.Dr., Corvallis OR, 97330

East Coast High School Championship

By Byrne Kelly New York area high schools dominated the Open Invitational East Coast ltigh School Championship Tournament held over Memorial Day weekend in Washington D.C. Stuyvesant's Sticky Fingers overcame arch rival Bronx Science's Green Grass & Shade in overtime at the sudden death ceiling, 24-23. Moscow State from New Rochelle managed to achieve third place when their formidable opponent, Frisbee Youth, from Northfield Mt., Hermon, Massachusetts, had to leave early for the long ride back Known to some as "Buzz's kids," it was disappointing that they had to go so soon after coming so far, behaving so well, and playing like stars. NMH gave Bronx Science a good testing on Saturday but lost 15-10 to an extraordinarily well disciplined (but not as well behaved) team.

For Sticky Fingers it was a well desetved victory rlayed at the level where it gets no

better. It could easily have gone either way but, just as it happened two years ago, Stuyvesant upset Bronx in the finals after losing to them regularly during the rest of the school year.

A more comprehensive article and photos of the tournament will be published in the forthcoming edition of this newsletter.

Meanwhile, all you members out there please: 1) Recruit High School students to play in your summer leagues. 2) Encourage High School teams to play/ practice with your club or college team. 3) Contact me with names and addresses of any potential or existing high school teams in your areas.

4) Become a volunteer Area Representative. }ustannounced: Fall Championship Series, High School Division, Championship Tournament late October at SUNY Purchase, N.Y. contact me at 301-588-1196 for more information. E2u, Byrne.

9

Letters... continued from page 7 Eligibility Requirements. I've given pretty serious thought to moving to an area of the country where women's Ultimate is more available, but I'm concerned that the internal "politics" will overshadow the satisfaction of playing the game of Ultimate. I thing a little investigation would show that there are many ex-Ultimate players who had similar reasons for finding other ways to spend their time.

In short, I hope we can reverse the trend toward making Ultimate Frisbee a spectator sport requiring a team of referees and keep it for the majority of participants that seem to be expressing themselves in the UPA newsletter. The opinions in the newsletter are those of the majority of Ultimate players.

However, these opinions are not being reflected in the trends within the sport of Ultimate Frisbee.

B.L Hall

To the Hoboken Huckster I was so pleased to see your column in the most recent UPA Newsletter (Vol VI, No. 2), and I was delighted to find that we share so many random thoughts. We have a great deal in common, Huck. I too feel somewhat cheated by the Newsletter's coverage of Ultimate in that they don't print enough of my views about my sport. I too have questions and observations which I feel compelled to share.

Take spiking for instance. I heard tell this winter of a move to ban spiking from Ultimate. Que! denouemont en vivant! I mean let's face it, Huck. Tension comes in many forms in this wacky world of ours. In our modem times Huck, the opportunity to release tension rarely presents itself. Allowed to build unchecked it most certainly leads to disagreements, lengthy discussions, bickering, even manslaughter. Such unpleasantries are merely the product of the Lebensangst from which we all suffer. What better way to ease our suffering and avoid such unpleasantries than to engage in a healthy spike every now and again. Outlaw spiking? let's make it mandatory!

And another thing, Huck. Why do these would-be equals malign our "win at all costs" attitude? Ultimate is a competitive sport. Competitive sports, from chess to football to synchronized swimming are played to win. It's the nature of the competition we so love and it's this competitive spirit that made this country great and makes this sport great. Anyone who can't see this has a pretty narrow Weltanschauung. Don'tyou think, Huck? When we play Ultimate, we play to win. Through the years the costs have been tremendous -jobs, health, time, thousands of dollars, dozens of girlfriends. If in the course of our pursuit of victory we must add our opponent's feelings to the list of costs, so be it.

Victoire n'a qu'tm ami. Moi! Stop, Huck I knowwhatyou'rethinking.

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'What about spirit of the game?"Well, what about "spirit of the game," Huck? I'll tell you what. One man's spirit is another man's mixer. Their spirit isn't our spirit Huck, and they can no more impose their interpretation on our teammates than Muammar can tell Ron to take his fleet and flee. Eighteen years ago, in Maplewood, New Jersey, there was a uniformity of opinion as to just what "spirit of the game" meant. It meant nothing.

No one had ever heard of it before. Times change Huck, and the game must change.

What was once an amusing way to pass the time while too "high" to shoot hoops is now a competitive sport played from the great cultural centers of the world -- Athens, Rome, New York -- all the way to Hoboken.

The coffee's brewing, Huckster. Smell it!

I know some will hope we rot in Ultimate hell for what we're saying, Huck. But I've seen Ultimate hell, and it works.

Signed, The Fort Lee Wizard P.S. I strongly feel opposing viewpoints are sorely Jacking in the Newsletter. If you feel, as I do, that the Newsletter has a responsibility to be a forum for players to discuss the sport they love, you will print this letter in its entirety. It will stimulate discussion and, perhaps, amuse.

Delaware Women's Tourney

By Ann Dungan Our first big tournament of the season, March 22 and 23, saw some great competition for women's teams in the Mid Atlantic region and beyond. We were delighted to have such a turnout. Six of the eight Mid Atlantic teams and even one team from up north made the trip to Delaware. Saturday saw a meeting of the GNU Girlz (Del.), Squeeze (Wash.), Cool Mama Seven (BaitWash.), the Zephyrs (Phil.), and the BoneJess Chickens (UVa.) The play was mostly an effort to get to know the new teams. Games were played as a round robin rather than with eliminations. The most exciting play of the day came from UVa. in close wins over CMS ( 13-8) and the Zephyrs ( 13-9). Squeeze also came through against GNU Girlz ( 13-11) to reverse the previous weekends results.

Regrettably the Boneless Chickens could only stay one day, and missed playing on Sunday with Survival (NYC) and Shiva (Muhlenberg). Survival showed us all how it's done with three victories, though the Zephyrs made them work for it (13-9).

Zephyrs also had a tough one against CMS in the best match up of the day(13-9 Zephyrs).

The weekend proved to be a great first tournament. The new teams were out in force and the established teamswere verywilling to help. We all got the first sunburn and sore muscles of the season. And everyone had fun.

Maurldo... I Disagree By 'T' MacPherson The article entitled Pick Travel Foul Strip

by Mauricio Matiz in the January '86 Newsletter was unsettling to me. I take exception to the suggestion that throwers be allowed to drag their pivot foot when throwing. Mauricio contends that "all" of us move our pivot foot (particularly at full extension ) when throwing. I'm not sure if he means that we all do it once in a while, or that we all do it regularly. If he means we all do it regularly, then I feel sorry for his ignorance.

We do not all do it regularly or even frequently. I understand that on occasion virtually everybody that is playing hard will move their pivot foot. These things happen and are honest mistakes. Many players make a concerted effort to keep their pivot foot in place. I have noticed that certain players don't make much of an effort at keeping their foot in place. They obviously use this tactic as a means of getting around a markers block. It is a sleezy move. It should not be condoned.

Why not let the thrower move anywhere he wants with the disk? The point of keep路 ing the pivot foot in place is to put a limit on the area a thrower may throw from and to allow for increased chances at hand blocks.

When we add on the extra distance afforded by a slide of the foot, things can get extremely difficult on the marker. The thrower starts a throw, sliding the foot. The marker dives. But the thrower holds the disk and then fakes to the other side. The marker has no choice but to try and stop the throw, diving (or expending much more energy than the thower) with each fake. Are we continued on page 11

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Nemesis vs Survival 1985 April Fools Tournament

Mid-Atlantic New Players Tournament

By Milly Iannotti On April 12th five Mid-Atlantic women's teams met at Lum's Pond, Delaware to play in the Mid-Atlantic new player's tournament. The concept was to divide into teams of experienced and inexperienced players in o rder to allow women who never play with widely experienced players the benefit o f playing with, instead of against, expe-' rienced players.

Participants of the round-robin tourname nt were the GNU Girlz (DE), and two Squeeze teams (Washington DC) , and one team consisting of Exploding Plastic (NJ) and Muhlenberg College (PA) Cool Mama 7 ( MD) split up among the teams to assure an equal balance o f experience and inexperience. Teams were encouraged to let new players try new positions and handle the frisbee as much as possible.

The atmosphere was fun and relaxed, with women in the Mid-Atlantic working together to suppo rt the growth of women's Ultimate. New players were able to enjoy the "spirit o f Ultimate," something which seems to be lacking in women's Ultimate.

The presence of the powerhouse MidAtlantic teams was sorely missed. The new player's tournament will be a priority tournament each season. I hope those teams who missed the tournament will realize how imporant it is for all players, both new and experienced, to participate and will make a point of being there in the future.

In order to justify having ten women's teams at the 1987 Nationals we need to see SO% growth in the number of women's teams in the country. At the tournament, we outlined the criteria which constitute a team and will count toward the growth rate for which we are striving. A team must play 25% of the total number of weekends of play in Fall '86 and 50% in Spring and Fall '87. The team has to play in the Fall regionals in '86 and '87 and they must have an established contact every season. The team must have a substantial number of players (more than just 8 or 9). The Mid-Atlantic already has two new "established" teams and are well on their way toward contributing to the 50% national growth.

I Disagree... continued from page 10 going to allow the thrower to abuse the marker in such a manner? It is difficult enough as it is to block a throw. How often do you see a marker's hand block in a game relative to the number of other blocks that occur?

Mauricio's observation that the traveling call and the pick call are two new defensive weapons is accurate. But they are used as weapons by players of questionable character. True, many of us make an occasional mistake or, once in a while get too carried away. But the frequent abuse of the rules by some players is distressing and not in the spirit of the game. What it comes down to is that if people chose to flaunt the rules, there is nothing the rest of us can do (short of violence, and that is taboo). With every player a referee, we will never be able to stop someone from acting like a jerk if he chooses to do so. We have to depend on good sportsmanship and hope that those who don't give a damn somehow get weeded out or grow up.

Women's Division: What Are Your Thinking?

By Kathy Pufahl One season has virtually passed since the inception of the Ten Team National/Fifty Team Quota Plan (See Newsletter Vol. 6 No. 2) and so it is only logical to wonder if any benefits have been realized by the Women's Division. I'd like to share with you some random thoughts on the issue and I invite your response.

The Fifty-Team Quota Plan was based on a hope that older, powerhouse teams would bear some responsibility for growth in their regions before receiving the privelege of an(){her National's berth. New teams are apparently springing up all over. I have received more new contacts this spring than in the previous full year. The issue is whether or n(){ these fledgling teams are getting the support they need. I know there are many individuals strMng to increase the number of women partid~ting in the sport. Withott these devcted

players, the Women's DMsion would certainly have no future. I am concerned, however, by a thought expressed to me by a new team captain; ''We take the field to get our tails kicked so that the strong teams in our region can have a better chance at Nationals, when it is actually in spite of them rather than because of them we are even in existence." What do you think of that?

The Western Region has always been a forerunner in the development of Women's Ultimate and their current spring team list indicates a continuation of that trend. Acmrding to Ann Cohan, the numbr of teams in that region now numbers 24, nearly half of the nation's quota. That number fur exceeds the number that had been anticipated for the West Is it then reasonable to con<;ider growth on a region by region basis? If a region were to boast more than 16 teams, thereby necessitat-

lng sectional competition, should they gain an adiitional National's spot?

The "support of new teams" is a phrase often repeated in reference to the Women's DMsion. When new team captains were asked what the best vvaywas to "support" their team, the answer was nearly universal and very simple - "help us have fun out on the field" These teams do n(){ enter tournaments with any expectations of winning it all. They come to meet new people, to score a few goals and to have fun. So, for all of you who thought that "supporting new teams" meant going to great lengths to provide assistance, now all you have to do is remember why you ever started playing the game- to have fun. Ifwe take the field with these new plavers emtxxlying the positive aspects of Ultimate, the camaraderie and the sportsman(women)ship, we will have supported that new team and the integrity of the sport as a whole.

1986 Collegiate National Pool Play U. OF CALI FORNIA SAN TA BARBARA CORNELL OREGON KAN SAS CAR NEG IE MELLON U. U. of GEORGIA U. MASS STANFORD SOUTHWEST MISSOURI STATE u.

MIT PRINCETON lJ. U. OF TEXAS

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SMSU vs. U. of Texas Princeton vs. M.I.T. Stanford vs. U. Mass.

SMSU vs. U. Mass.

Stanford vs. Princeton U. of Texas vs. M.I.T. Stanford vs. M.I.T. U. Mass. vs. U. of Texas Princeton vs. SMSU M.I.T. vs. SMSU Stanford vs. U. of Texas U. Mass. vs. Princeton Stanford vs. SMSU U. of Texas vs. Princeton M.I.T. vs. U. Mass.

17-12 14-17 16-18 13-17 17-10 17-14 17-10 17- 9 11-17 16-18 17-15 17- 5 17-12 15-17 11-17

CMU vs. Oregon U. of Kansas vs. U. of Georgia Cornell vs. UC of SB CMU vs. UC of SB Cornell vs. U. of Kansas Oregon vs. U. of Georgia Cornell vs. U. of Georgia UC of SB vs . Oregon U. of Kansas vs. CMU U. of Georgia vs. CMU Cornell vs. Oregon UC of SB vs. U. of Kansas Cornell vs. CMU Oregon vs. U. Of Kansas U. of Georgia vs. UC of SB

17-14 17-10 16-18 1Q-17 18-19 17- 9 17- 11 19-20 14-17 17-12 17- 8 17- 7 17- 6 17-12 5-17

路ucss finished first and Cornell took second by virtue of a tiebreaker, with Oregon beating Kansas allowing Cornell to advance.

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