UPA Newsletter: 2002 Fall

Uiti.!!!.i;)____ 7 41 Pearl Street Boulder, CO 80302 800-UPA GETH • info@upa.org • www.upa.org

BOARD MEMBERS: President Kate Bergeron • kate.bergeron@upa.org VICe Pres Dennis Karlinsky (NW) • dennis.karlinsky@upa.org Treasurer Joe Seidler • joe.seidler@upa.org Secretary Dan Revelle (SW) • dan.revelle@upa.org Paul Bonfanti (MA) • paul.bonfanti@upa.org Kurt Dahlenburg (S) • kurt.dahlenburg@upa.org Jennifer Donnelly • jennifer.donnelly@upa.org Tim Murray (C) tim.murray@upa.org Jim Pari nella • jim.parinella@upa.org Tommy Proulx (NE) • tommy.proulx@upa.org Dave Remucal • dave.remucal@upa.org Henry Thorne • henry.thorne@upa .org

HEADQUARTERS STAFF: Executive Director Joey Gray • ed@upa.org Assistant Director-Championships Will Deaver • will.deaver@upa.org Assistant Director-Junior Outreach Kyle Weisbrod • kyle .weisbrod@upa .org Assistant Director-Media & Communications Stephanie Kurth • stephanie .kurth@upa.org Administrative Assistant Melanie Byrd info@upa.org

NATIONAL COMPETITION DIRECTORS: Open Director David Raflo upa_nod@upa.org Women's Director Melissa Proctor upa_nwd@upa.org Mixed Director Jen Christianson upa_nxd@upa.org Masters Director Pete Giusti upa_nmd@upa.org College Director Lyn Debevoise upa_ncd@upa.org Juniors Director OPEN

CLUB REGIONAL COORDINATORS: Central Open Adam Goff upa_central_rc@upa.org Central Women DeAnna Ball upa_central_wrc@upa.org Central Masters Alexander Dee upa_central_mrc@upa.org Central Mixed Ron Williams upa_central_xrc@upa.org Mid-Atlantic Open Eric Prange upa_ma_rc@upa.org Mid-Atlantic Women Valerie Kelly upa_ma_wrc@upa.org Mid-Atlantic Masters Mark Cornacchia upa_ma_mrc@upa.org Mid-Atlantic Mixed Mark Licata upa_ma_xrc@upa.org Northeast Open Geoff Doerre upa_ne_rc@upa.org Northeast Women Lori Parham upa_ne_wrc@upa.org Northeast Masters George Cooke upa_ne_mrc@upa.org Northeast Mixed Ben Tapper upa_ne_xrc@upa.org Northwest Open Chad Walters upa_nw_rc@upa.org Northwest Women Sandy Angelos upa_nw_wrc@upa.org Northwest Masters Baird Johnson upa_nw_mrc@upa.org Northwest Mixed Ray Birks upa_nw_xrc@upa.org South Open Carl Parsons upa_south_rc@upa.org South Women Christina Robinson upa_south_wrc@upa.org South Masters J.R. Reynolds upa_south_mrc@upa.org South Mixed Stu Downs upa_south_xrc@upa.org Southwest Open Alex Bellows upa_sw_rc@upa.org Southwest Women Beth Thomas upa_sw_crc@upa.org Southwest Masters Randy Ricks upa_sw_mrc@upa.org Southwest Mixed Chuck Branson upa_sw_xrc@upa.org

COLLEGE REGIONAL COORDINATORS: New England Open upa_ne_crc@upa.org New England Women upa_ne_wcrc@upa.org Great Lakes Open upa_gl_crc@upa.org Great Lakes Women upa__gl_wcrc@upa.org Central Open upa_central_crc@upa.org Central Women upa_central_wcrc@upa.org Northwest Open upa_nw_crc@upa.org Northwest Women upa_nw_wcrc@upa.org Southwest Open upa_sw_crc@upa.org Southwest Women upa_sw_wcrc@upa.org Atlantic Coast Open upa_ac_crc@upa.org Atlantic Coast Women upa_ac_wcrc@upa.org Metro East Open upa_me_crc@upa.org Metro East Women upa_me_wcrc@upa.org

NEWSLETTER STAFF: Editor-in-Chief Stephanie Kurth • upa_newsletter@upa.org Graphic Design Cathy Maykut

Editorial: All submissions must be typed double-space and/or on a 3-1/2" disk in RTF format. Email your submissions to upa_newsletter@upa.org Submit full name, address and phone.

All editorial submissions become the property of the UPA. Photographs: Labeled prints and/or digital scans, black and white or color photos are acceptable. Please include all information on the back of each photo or in an email message: subject, event & name of photographer. Email photos as a jpeg of at least 300dpi to upa_newsletter@upa.org. Published photos become property of the UPA. Unused photos will be returned upon request if accompanied with a SASE.

Deadlines: Feb. 15, June 15, Aug. 15, Nov. 15 Circulation: 15,500

2

Ultimate Players Association

Fa/12002

Letters t:o t:he Edit:or So, I got a call last night from Jim Glynn in Hawaii. His team, Colorado's Old and In the Way, had just lost the masters semifinals to Seattle's Keg Workers-and Jimmy had just announced to his team that he was retiring.

And I have been thinking all day about the way Jimmy embodies all that is incredible, intense, passionate, wacky and crazy about our sport.

Jimmy is one of those unsung heroes who has played for over 20 years, bringing up the level of Ultimate in Colorado and nationally, simply because he BRINGS IT every time he gets on the field. He leaves nothing behind whether it is nationals or the first practice of spring.

Though he hasn't been decorated with Callahans or open division rings (but did bring home Colorado's only two golds thus far with Old), he is one of the best defenders in the country and 'that guy' who everyone wants to play with. He gets blocks with breathtaking (and preposterous) regularity. He has caught more goals than there are stars in the sky and then doubles as a cool and collected handler-and all with a smile on his face (er...well, mostly with a smile on his face.)

Meanwhile, he is one of those ridiculous natural athletes who make the rest of us nuts. Jimmy is 41, smokes cigarettes, hates working out and is still one of the fastest guys in Colorado. At his first nationals, he played with a broken rib, and in Hawaii this week, he played with his hand broken in three places. He refuels with American Spirits instead of Power Bars (not that this is a good thing)-and despite being captained

by America's King of Homebrewers, he drinks Bud. Pretty much, Jimmy brings badasstimate to a whole new level.

So, the point-even though it is super cheesy because he is my sweetie and super excellent because he will be mortified-is to say that the sport of Ultimate has been that much more amazing with Jim Glynn as a part of it and that he will be sorely missed out there on the field.

-Heidi Pomfret Colorado Ultimate

Letters to the Editor

What's the Biggest Issue Facing Ultimate and the UPA? In the last edition of the newsletter, we asked members what they think is the number one issue the UPA faces over the next five years. Below are a few of the responses we received.

My name is Nolan Dutton, and I play Ultimate on the Firedogs at Ohio Wesleyan University in Delaware, Ohio where I am a sophomore.

I read your article in the UPA newsletter, and I just wanted to give you my own opinion of where I would like to see Ultimate in five years. I don't know a lot about the subject, but this is what I'd like to see.

First of all, I would really like to see Ultimate televised. It would be great to catch a game on ESPN2 sometimes. Secondly, I would like to see Ultimate become a professional or semi-professional sport. I think the combination of these two ideas would help the rest of the public learn to accept that Ultimate is a real sport played by athletes. These are just my mostly uninformed and humble opinions, but since you want people to think of the UPA as a "we" organization, I figured I'd put my two cents in.

-Nolan Dutton

Many would claim that the biggest issue facing Ultimate is the age old observer controversy, but I would posit that the observer controversy is merely a proposed solution to the true biggest issue--one that is becoming more and more widespread with the growth of the sport.

I started playing competitive Ultimate only three or four years ago, when some friends and I founded the Pennsbury High School juniors team. In my very first readings on Ultimate, I came across a statement claiming that, "The day they put referees on the field is the day that I hang up my cleats." I found the statement to be one of tremendous power, stating not only a position, but also the consequences of an action, a willingness to give up a love should that love become adulterated.

Whether one approves of observers,

believes them necessary or hates the whole idea, the simple fact is that they are a precursor to referees. I've never played in a regionals much less a nationals, so I can' t make a judgment as to whether or not observers are necessary. What I can claim from reading the Spirit of the Game clause is that they shouldn't be necessary. Line judges-maybe they'd be helpful. But I lost a little bit of respect the first time I heard someone discussing strategy say, "Always contest the foul. I mean, why wouldn't you?"

I wrote my college entrance essays on the Spirit of the Game and how it's made me a better person. One of my first discs was a UPA spirit disc. I love Ultimate because it brings a sense of camaraderie between people. Yes, I would rather give up possession than risk injury to my opponent. Yes, I would rather be told I was out by a better perspective and respect that call than make the judgment myself. Yes, I would rather lose and play every point clean and honest than win at any cost.

A couple weeks ago I watched an Above and Beyond video of a UPA club championship. I watched every score get spiked. I watched one player assault his opponent, physically pushing him to the ground. And all I could think as I got another beer and rolled the dice in our Trival Pursuit game was that I wanted to be good enough to play on a national level solely so that I could refuse on moral basis.

I don't know what to do to make Ultimate players respect each other and love each other more. I'm not a psychologist; I take philosophy classes.

Maybe watching the opening voiceovers of the movie Baseketball.

Maybe realizing that no matter what level, we're still just playing a gamethe same game that kids play at summer camp and in school yards. The highest goal of any Ultimate player, and therefore of the UPA, should be to increase the number of people playing Ultimate. If poor spirit is causing or will cause people to not want to play, to hang up their cleats, then I claim that increasing spirit and stressing sportsmanship is the number one issue we face every time we take the line.

Peace, Love, Layout, Rich 'Fraggle' Coker

PLAYERS ASSOCIATION Fall 2002

Vol. 22 No.3

2002

Junior Worlds-

\No rids Coverage Honolulu, HaliVaii Aug 4-11

Hawaiian Outreach Project-

0 _c

f-

"'"'

bO

"' 0

Give a Kid a

0

>

.D 0

0

_c (1_

34 Gender BlenderKit Faragher Remembered

36 Board of The Ref Director Debate Candidate by ChTis BuTke Statements

Farricker Avvard

Innovation Grants

by Steve

by Ed Hsieh

Brutal Grassburn The Founding of a High School Team

Mooney

COVER: A Skeleton Crew player goes for the hammer.

Photo by Scobel Wiggins.

5

Championship Report

Š 2002 The UPA Newsletter, Vol. 22 Issue 3, Fall 2002. The UPA Newsletter is the official quarterly publication of the Ultimate Players Association. The UPA Newsletter relies on member contributions for its content.

Subscription Information: The UPA Newsletter is free to all UPA members. Single copy cost is $3. Membership rates per year: $30 U.S., $20 student and $15 junior. Send to UPA, 741 Pearl Street Boulder, CO 80302.

Change of Address: The UPA Newsletter is mailed non-profit rate and is not forwarded. To change your address, go to www.upa.org, call 1-800-UPA-Get-H, or write info@upa.org.

Table of Contents

I Fa/12002

www.upa. org I

3

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Joey Gray

"We the UPA" was the main topic of my last article, but I saved an important piece for this, Part II. That is, "we" is only half the story. Yes, "We the UPA" is real and powerful. It is so important for most players to understand that everyone makes a difference. The way Ultimate thrives is for each person to take complete responsibility for their actions and inactions, on and off the field.

But not everyone buys into that. Not everyone ever will. Of course, everyone belongs to the greater "we;' regardless of whether you like to accept the responsibility or not. But the fact is, we are also individuals in an admittedly individualistic culture. So here's what's in it for you.

If you support the UPA, through membership, a donation, telling other players to join, and-most people don't think of this one-sending contacts and ideas to the right organizer at the right time, you get:

Media Coverage

You can make it happen, or let it not happen-your call.

More pictures of yourself and the people you know on the web, in print, on video, and maybe even on TV. Better Newsletters. Glossier pictures. Quicker video production. The greater glory of the UPA is the greater glory of the self.

Think about that. This is important to a lot of people-it could even be one of the underlying reasons the UPA exists. No media can be done without resources provided by you.

Service The UPA staff-to-member ratio is 1 per 3,000 current members or 1 per 20,000 players if you go with a conservative estimate of 100,000 active players.

That is crazy! There is no way the UPA can provide a high level of service unless the ratio of members to overall players is improved, or at least keeps pace as the sport explodes in leagues and schools.

Just think, if even 10% of non-member players join, that's at least $200,000 to hire more staff to help you.

Quality Imagine the most well run event you ever participated in. You probably didn't even notice how well run it was because it was so good, the organization itself became invisible. You could focus entirely on the reason you were there-the play, the music, whatever-and how great it was. Now imagine the worst

4

Ultimate Players Association

Fa/12002

Executive Director

run event you have ever participated in and how problems were, or weren' t, dealt with. Before I go further, I sincerely hope it is easier to think of your most wonderful event.

Next, think about all the events you've participated in - Ultimate or other - that fall between your two extremes. That may be a lot of events if you include anything you've ever done with an organized group.

Now that you can imagine this range of event quality from your own personal experience, think about what it takes for an organization to increase the average quality of its events.

Improving quality takes evaluations, training and oversight. It takes being able to pay people at least market rates, if not better. It takes being able to pick new volunteers and staff from among many great choices. It means identifying best practices and spreading those throughout all events.

All that means more optimal events, for you and your team. You can make it happen, or let it not happen-your call.

To Be The One If you get one new person to join the UPA, or a lapsed teammate to renew, you 've already done more than all the people who may have big ideas and talk like they are going to make this big thing happen for the sport, or whatever. You are the one. Talk up the UPA.

Fans Sports with fans have staff dedicated full time to generating interest and to feeding the external media with info. Ever imagine playing in a full stadium, with thousands of fans cheering your name?

The money to generate and educate those fans has to come from somewhere, either directly from your dues and donations, or indirectly. Your support allows more staff to pursue outside sponsorships and grants, which attract attention.

To Win, Big You lift weights. You run, swim, stretch, and throw. You read every article on strategy and tactics you can get your hands on. You are on a team that practices two to three times a week, most of the year. You spend thousands for tournament travel. You play to win. You dream of being a UPA champion. That is, the champion of 15,000 players.

Wouldn' t it be cool to be the champion

of 30,000, or 100,000, players? Sure the road might be even tougher, but isn't that what it's all about?

A Job Imagine getting paid to coach. UPA activities undoubtedly lead to future coaching opportunities, indirectly and maybe even directly. Support of the UPA now means more coaching jobs throughout the sport, sooner. And other kinds of jobs, too. In just three years, we've gone from 3 1/2 to 5 1/2 staff members. Last summer, a college student stopped by HQ with his dad on the way to camp. He said someday he'd love to work for the UPA. And we'd love to be able to hire and train more staff - maybe you.

Legitimacy Ultimate is real. You and I know that already. This year, Ultimate even showed up in People magazine and on a daytime soap - so if "real" means "mainstream" to others, then maybe we're already there.

But concrete numbers add clout the way nothing else can -the size of our annual budget, the number of members, the size of the staff, the number of teams.

Those are questions every journalist asks. Those are numbers that open up doors or leave them closed. That is the weight that makes fields managers, city event planners, and school administrators listen. You empower the UPA to throw more weight toward your own local issue.

By now, those of you who actually know me may think I've lost it to talk like this. I've always been a proponent of the greater good and for Ultimate citizenship, not for its own sake but because it works, especially when people want it to. I think this is the case for most Ultimate players, and may even be a prerequisite. Some would argue that the Rules discourage selfishness by excluding win-at-all-costs behavior from the game. That may relate to the "we" oriented organizational behavior my whole last article was about.

So it is with some reservation that I appeal to your "1." But enough people don't realize that everyone who joins, and everyone who gets their waiver in without being hand-held, and everyone who encourages their whole group of players to join even if they don't "have" to, and everyone who passes on a lead to an organizer who can use it, not only helps "the sport," but yourself.

CHAMPIONSHIP REPORT

VVill Deaver

I just got back from worlds in Hawaii to a pile of boxes in my house, in my office, and a pile of emails in my inbox.

Can't complain though, because the experience was worth every moment I'm now spending trying to catch up with "real" life. Many of the emails I've been plowing through concern the club championship series. It's about this time of the year that the ideas start coming out of the woodwork. A lot of experienced players, coordinators, and tournament directors switch their brains into full on Ultimate mode in preparation for the fall.

The result is a brain dump of possibilities for the future of the championship series and Ultimate in general.

Probably one of the simplest yet most effective recent ideas has to do with field orientation relative to the wind. After playing in and watching crosswind games at worlds and headwind games at the UPA championships, it's clear that the crosswind games are more fun for just about everyone. It's so subtle yet obvious; no wonder I was inundated with this observation in Hawaii and since. Something for tournament directors to consider when field logistics allow and where wind direction is predictable. There are a lot of other ideas floating around out there as well.

Here's a sampling.

end out of the year. Is it worth the tradeoff?

Tiered Series Soccer does it. Premier league, class A, class B, etc. You work your way up or down from one to the other from year to year. Finish high enough the previous year, move into the next division. Don't do so well, and down you go. This would address the problems associated with competition between teams of vastly differing experience or ability. It happens at sectionals, regionals, and sometimes even the championships. A relatively new team has to play the reigning UPA champs. Of course, some people

Could roster limits force teams to focus more on developing locally, and would that be better for teams and the series in the long runl

UPA Championships: Showcase vs. Participation Some people argue that our championship events should be structured more for spectating than they have in the past.

Currently, participants tend to make up the bulk of the spectators, but they are often so busy participating, they don't get to watch much. Changing formats to include more bye rounds, or fewer teams, or fewer divisions, might serve to enhance the watchability of the championships. In addition to allowing participants more time to watch, this might appeal to non-playing fans as well. I mean, it's hard to find the time and motivation to walk around a giant field complex for three days and try to watch four games simultaneously. Of course, the concessions made in order to showcase Ultimate will be made by participants who will play less or perhaps be relegated to the role of "fan" for one week-

think that is a neat thing about our series.

But at the time, I'd bet either team would rather being playing someone else. I think most teams enjoy good, healthy competition. A tiered system would be designed to provide exactly that. But are the density and stability of teams currently at the level to support such a system? Should we wait until they are before we implement tiered competition, or should we set the system up and grow into it?

Roster Limits Perhaps roster limits are the answer to the questions presented above. More control over rosters in general might lead to more team stability, but roster limits would be most useful in developing more teams at the local level. Consider a team with a "bloated" roster of 25-30 players.

How much playing time do those last five

Championship Report

to ten guys actually get? And what are the five guys who did get cut doing with themselves? Wouldn't the series as a whole be better served by having two teams formed from this set of players, especially if it happened all over the country? Certainly the first team wouldn't be much worse off. The second team would probably be pretty good, and this scenario would create more opportunities for players to play and more viable local competition. Imagine the day where every sectional tournament is full of intense, competitive match ups. How nice will it be when you don't have to travel 500 miles and spend $400 to get a few good games?

Of course, the whole idea of setting limits doesn't appeal to the free-spirited ideals that are inherent in our sport. And while limiting rosters might work for the greater good, it really isn't in any existing team's immediate best interest. What about numbers for practices? With teams often pulling players from a large area, larger rosters help teams field numbers for regular practices. On the other hand, could roster limits force teams to focus more on developing locally, and would that be better for teams and the series in the long run? This is an interesting issue, and I'd like to hear your feedback on it.

Other Ideas Awards - The college division has the Callahan Award and now all-region teams. While these create storylines that the UPA can use to promote Ultimate, do they put too much focus on the individual over the team? And if awards are in fact good things, at what point does having too many awards overshadow the importance of any one?

Roster Deadlines for Regional Bids - Currently, pre-series roster deadlines are encouraged using a "carrot" (nationals wildcard) and a "stick" (late fee.) It's been argued that this carrot is not particularly appealing to many teams who don't have a legitimate shot at that wildcard.

Perhaps tying the deadline more closely to something they care about (such as bids to regionals) would provide a better incentive for timeliness and a more appropriate reward for teams who com-

CHAMPIONSHIP REPORT continued on page 6 Âť Fa/12002

www.upa. org

5

JUNIORS REPORT

by Kyle VVeisbrod

I'm sitting here in the new UPA office. Unpacked boxes are piled up around me. The rest of the UPA crew is still in Colorado Springs, packing up their personal belongings. (I've been pretty much living out of my car for the last month, so I didn't have much to pack.)

The next couple of weeks are going to take a lot of work. Deciding where we are going to put everything, hauling heavy boxes to their designated locations and unpacking all of the boxes. It's an opportunity to start anew, place everything where it belongs so that future work is convenient and easy.

And so we are also in the same place with juniors Ultimate. High school and middle school teams, PE programs, coaching certification and manuals, nationwide camps and clinics, juniors state coordinators-all of them are just a bunch of unpacked boxes waiting for us to decide how we will organize them, put in the work to move them, and then open them up.

Here we are, surrounded by our unpacked boxes of juniors Ultimate, and we are in the middle of taking that first step. Where should all of these boxes go? How should they be organized?

Which ones should we open first and where?

These are the questions that I am to answer over the next five months.

Of course, there are many of you out there who have already opened a box or two. Or others of you who may know of some boxes that are buried behind other boxes that have important ideas and programs in them.

I am sorry if my metaphor is getting a bit unwieldy. The first group I'm talking about is coaches, organizers and players who are familiar with juniors Ultimate. You already have experience with some of these programs, and you can help in determining which are most important. If you have coached a team or planned an event, let me know.

Tell me what resources the UPA could provide to help your team or program, or

what resources the UPA could have provided when you were first starting out to make the process easier.

The second group I am talking about is teachers and other adults and youth involved in youth organizations. Perhaps you know of some opportunities for the UPA with a school or youth organization, or you have connections with people who make decisions on what programs get implemented. If you have special knowledge or connections with any youth organizations, like the YMCA, summer camps or the Girl Scouts, please let me know. We can utilize that knowledge and those connections to make growing juniors Ultimate easier now and in the future.

So, if you think that you might know something that will be beneficial in this process of planning out our juniors programs, don't hesitate to contact me.

At the same time, keep in mind that there are many, many ideas and potential programs. We can't open all of the boxes at once, or we won't be able to deal with their contents. So, if you suggest a program, and it is not one of the first programs that we focus on, please don't get frustrated. I have yet to hear a bad idea, and hopefully over the next few years, we will be able to open all of the juniors boxes.

you're coming up with a solution to a specific problem, try not to think about it in isolation. Recognize the common threads and ripple effects.

Let me close by saying that most, if not all, of these ideas have their merits, and just as many have a downside to consider. Most are also incredibly interesting to discuss with other Ultimate addicts via email, on rec.sport.disc or on the sidelines. I would like to encourage everyone to think about these and other possibilities for the championship series and to let me know what direction you want it to take.

At the same time, I would encourage you to help UPA staff implement changes effectively and efficiently by coming to us with your ideas at the right

time and in the right forum. Your mind may start thinking Ultimate full-time in August, but discussions about a new wildcard system or new regional boundaries simply can't happen at that time of year. For one, it's usually too late to do anything for the current season. On top of that, the people who will be instrumental in effecting any changes (UPA staff and volunteers) are busy organizing upcoming series tournaments. So, hold those thoughts and try to retrain your brain to think about making changes in the off-season. You know you really need to spend that extra energy this fall focusing on that crossfield thumber you've been working on.

See you on the field, Will Deaver

Tell me what resources the UPA could provide to help your team or program.

ÂŤCHAMPIONSHIP REPORT continued from page 5 ply. This would also allow sectional coordinators to know before their tournament exactly how many bids their section has, which will generally improve the quality of the event.

Strength Bids to Regionals - The current size-ratio formula is simple, fair in a democratic sense and does encourage growth.

But should traditionally stronger sections get a share of bids based on regional performance? If so, how should

the strength allocation work? One big difficulty is again the inconsistency of teams and rosters at the club level.

Where three good teams existed one year, they might combine to form one powerhouse for a shot at nationals.

As you look back at these ideas and come up with some of your own, notice how many are related to each other. Often when you make one change, it has an impact on another aspect of the series. While

Often when you make one change, it has an impact on another aspect of the series.

6

Ultimate Players Association

Fa/12002

Juniors Report

HOST A UPA CHAMPIONSHIP IN 2004 OR BEYOND! The UPA is looking for host sites for its 2004 Junior, College and Club Championships (aka Nationals.) The interest and cooperation of fired-up local Ultimate organizations are essential to pulling off UPA championship events that are a highlight of the Ultimate year.

Running a championship tournament

with the UPA can be an exciting, challenging and ultimately very rewarding experience. Benefits include exposing the Ultimate community to your little part of the world, exposing your little part of the world to some amazing Ultimate, financial opportunities both for your club and your city (think about

getting the local CVB or sports commission involved), and the intangible rewards that come with teamwork and the smiles on the faces of Ultimate players as they chase their dreams on the fields that you set up.

The Junior and College Championships are held in late May, and the Club Championship is held in late October.

2003 EVENTS All bids for 2003 have already been awarded: Junior Championships- Birmingham, AL College Championships -Austin, TX Club Championships - Sarasota, FL

2004 EVENTS Junior and College Championships- Bid deadline 12/31/2002. (End of this year!)

Club Championships -Bid deadline 5/31/2003. (Start thinking about it now.

Polo fields anyone? Sites in the west?)

Go to http://www.upa.org/events/bids/championship_bids.shtml, or send an email to headquarters to get bid outlines for these

events. If you have questions regarding the bid outline, bid proposal or bid process, please contact UPA headquarters. Look forward to hearing from you and bringing great Ultimate to your town!

For questions and/or to submit a bid, contact: Will Deaver Championship Director Ultimate Players Association 741 Pearl St, Side Suite Boulder, CO 80302 1-800-UPA-GETH (303) 447-DISC (3472) (303) 447-3483 (fax) will.deaver@upa.org

REGIONAL AND SECTIONAL EVENTS Interested in hosting a qualifier for the UPA Championships? Contact your regional or sectional coordinator about possible dates and what your site has to offer. Coordinator contact info is located in the front of the newsletter or at http://www.upa.org/upa/contacts/contacts.shtml.

Event organizers hard at work.

Run a tournament.

Get to drive a sweet go lf cart!

Joey, Lyn, Will and Mike

Host aUPA Championship

Fa/12002

www.upa. org

7

HEADQUARTERS MOVE TO BOULDER The UPA Relocation Committee started its search for a new headquarters with thirty major US cities and a set of primary and secondary objectives. These were outlined jointly by the administration and board of directors at the January 2002 board meeting.

The comprehensive site search was launched to coincide with the expiration of the UPA's three-year lease and the landlord's sale of the current office building. After years of rotation among various volunteers' homes, the first UPA headquarters were estab-

The door to UPA headquarters ... hence the 'side suite' in our address.

8

Ultimate Players Association

Fa/12002

lished in Colorado Springs in 1992. At the time, a stay of 30 months was projected. Now, ten years later, we will move from a relatively remote highway intersection to Boulder's downtown with services within walking distance.

All primary search objectives were correlated with at least one quantitative data set and thresholds were computed for each set of data. The finalists were the only cities out of the initial thirty that passed all the primary objectives. These three cities, Boulder, Portland OR, and Atlanta, were

HQ staff trying to stare into the sun without squinting.

Headquarters Move

investigated further in the next phase.

OBJECTIVES Primary • Within 45 minutes of major Ultimate center • Within 45 minutes of major airport • Medium-low cost of living • Medium-low cost of corporate rental space • Close to major university(ies)

Secondary • Proximity to sponsorship connections • Strength of non-profit community • Climate

Before the desks arrive ...

The new city was finally determined by: • Use of secondary priorities to differentiate the top three • Search for a real site HQ can move to and prove the site fits within our budget • Finalized budget items and Finance Committee approval.

Upon selection of the Boulder-Denver area, a more targeted search for actual office space was launched in North Denver, Westminster, Louisville and Boulder. Criteria for selection of the new office space were availability, cost, square footage, and proximity to services. To request a copy of the detailed relocation report, contact board member Jennifer Donnelly jennifer.donnelly@upa.org or UPA headquarters at info@upa.org.

BOARD OF DIRECTOR CANDIDATE STATEMENTS

CENTRAL REGION CANDIDATES

this experience to help shape the course of our dear sport.

ERIC ZASLOW

SOUTHERN REGION CANDIDATES

I, Eric Zaslow ("Zaz" to the disc crowd) , am running for the board of directors of the UPA as central region representative. I have 25 years of Ultimate experience, both as player and captain, at every level of the game, and continue to play at every level sometimes all within the same point!

More than my own opinions, I will bring to the board a creative and analytical approach to decision making , with the greater Ultimate community in mind. For example, the thought that Ultimate has to grow from its grass roots is widely appreciated.

How best to spur this growth is a combination of creative ideas Qunior scholarships, funding coaches, creating clinics, getting parents involved) with a strict analysis of their efficacy when allocating resources. I know the concerns and experiences of high schoolers, spring leaguers and players at the national and international level.

I am an associate professor of mathematics at Northwestern University. As an academic, I spent many years studying and reflecting upon mathematics and physics before teaching it to others. Likewise, I have been amassing experience and observations about our game for quite some time (sometimes reporting these to the newsgroup or the newsletter) and feel confident and comfortable drawing on

Pete Giusti, National Masters Director

LAURA FROST Hello Ultimate players! My name is Laura Frost (alias, Laura DeLong.)

I was asked to run for the UPA board of directors seat in the southern region. Below is my Ultimate career in a nutshell, and from this you can decide if you know me and if you want me to represent you.

I started playing Ultimate in Philadelphia in the summer of 1988 before PADA actually existed in name.

I have been playing since then, except when I've been injured.

nationally and internationally.

Administratively, I have participated in the past with UPA headquarters in editing both rules (9th edition amendments) and what is now the present approved tournament formats. I have also served as an official observer and am now the sectional coordinator for the south/east coast section.

Professionally, I am a college chemistry professor at Georgia Southern University in Statesboro, GA. I currently reside in Savannah, GA with my husband Baxter, a dog named Dixie and two cats. I like to think of myself as a fair individual (my students seem to) , and I don't take decision-making lightly. If you elect me to the UPA board of directors , I will do what I think any elected official should do- make an individual decision after careful, thoughtful consideration of all the information. Thank you , play on.

TODD DEMETRIADES

Board Member Jim Pari nella and National Open Director David Rallo

I have had a range of experiences working in local Ultimate organizations. I have been involved in the Ultimate organizations of Philadelphia (PADA), Atlanta (AFDC-treasurer for four years) and most recently Savannah (Savannah Ultimate Network-current president.) As far as Ultimate experience goes, I have played and helped run summer leagues in both Philadelphia and Atlanta. I have experience playing Ultimate in both the college series (UPENN-Venus, we actually went all the way to nationals a couple of times!), mixed (Smoothie) , and the women's club series (Ozonefour years , Fetch-four years.) I have played our sport locally, regionally,

My name is Todd Demetriades, and I would like to submit my name for consideration for a position on the UPA board of directors. My Ultimate days began in 1989 in Chicago. During that time, Ultimate has given a lot to me: an amazing wife, a wonderful daughter, many friends and a wealth of experiences. I would like the chance to give something back.

I currently live in Orlando, Florida with my wife and daughter. I am attorney and have been practicing law (commercial litigation) since 1996. I have played on many different levels (pick up , hat, summer league, mixed, college and open) and had the privilege of playing on teams that went to the U.S. National and World Club Championships and the Orlando Summer League Finals. I have been the tournament director for the southern regional and Florida sectional tournaments. I have also assisted with site location for nationals and helped coordinate the Orlando Summer League this year.

I believe that as a board member, I could make a positive contribution to the UPA. With my commercial law

Candidate Statements

At-Large Representative Jennifer Donnelly

background, I would contribute the legal perspective on board issues. My profession requires that I be able to communicate with others sometimes as an advocate, other times as a moderator. I feel that this is a must for any director. I have also had previous experience with non-profit organizations, and I currently sit on the board of a non-profit organization in Orlando, Florida. I think that because of my many different Ultimate experiences, I would approach all issues with an open mind.

I also have email.

It would be an honor to serve on the board of directors, and if elected I will do my best to serve the needs of the entire Ultimate community. Thank you.

AT-LARGE CANDIDATES DEIRDRE ABRAHAMSSON Hello, my name is Deirdre (Morris) Abrahamsson, and I am applying to be a member of the UPA board of directors. I first started playing Ultimate in the Philadelphia Summer League in 1995 , and I was hooked. Ultimate has taken me all over the US and Europe, allowing me the good fortune to experience new places and to make new friends along the way. I have played in three World Championships (Vancouver 1997, Germany 2000, and Hawaii 2002.) Currently I am living

Continued on next page I

Fa/12002

I

W;WJ.upa. org I

Âť 9

ÂŤ

continued from previous page events in our community as well as tournament results. I would also like to work on creative ways to increase our revenues, so as to increase our resources and expand the UPA's scope of work and its ability to serve its constituents. I would like to represent members of the UPA at all levels of play and to adequately address and meet their needs. I feel that I am an ideal candidate to help grow and develop the UPA, making it one of the premier amateur sports organizations in the country.

GEORGE COOKE Board President Kate Bergeron, Secretary Dan Revelle, and Central Representative Tim Murray

in Salt Lake City, playing with the mixed team Persuader.

Professionally, I have worked extensively in the sports and events industries, focusing on program planning and implementation, event operations and logistics. I have worked for non-profit groups such as the American AIDS Rides, New York City Parks and Recreation and the Women's Sports Foundation. On the corporate side, I helped organize a nationwide driving program for BMW. For the past two years, I worked for the 2002 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games in Salt Lake City, serving as General Manager for the Team 2002 Processing Center.

This past summer, I worked as business director for the World Ultimate Club Championships in Hawaii, overseeing budget, event finances, awards and player registration. At the WFDF conference held in conjunction with the WUCC in Hawaii, I was appointed to the Ultimate Committee.

I would like to contribute to the success and growth of the UPA by sharing my experience and administrative skills with the rest of the board and the administration. I would like to help elevate our sport's profile by increasing our public relation and sponsorship efforts. I would like to see improvements made to our newsletter and web site, allowing for more timely coverage of news and

10

Ultimate Players Association

Fa/12002

Hello! My name is George Cooke, and I am running for an at-large position on the board of directors. I started playing Ultimate Frisbee in 1976. I developed an early passion for the sport; my friends and I formed our own high school team, and we proceeded to win the Cornell fraternity tournament one year. I played for one

Southern Representative Kurt Dahlenburg

year on the UMASS/ Amherst team before taking time off to pursue a career in music and audio engineering.

I came back to Ultimate in the mid 1990's, and I have played in the mixed and masters divisions for the past few years. In 2000 I was an assistant coach for the Newton North high school team, and this past May I was hired as the youth educator for the Boston Ultimate Disc Alliance (BUDA) Youth Program. The BUDA Youth Program seeks to build aware-

Candidate Statements

ness and interest in Ultimate in the metro Boston area. My responsibilities as youth educator are to run clinics in schools and youth programs, as well as develop a database of contacts and resources for the metro Boston area. I currently serve as the regional coordinator for the NE masters diviSIOn.

My interest in being on the board lies in wanting to work within the UPA to build awareness and support for players as they move through the transitions in their career. My involvement in many of the divisions as both a player and a coach has made me understand that players face a number of difficult decisions that will directly impact their participation in Ultimate in both the short and long term.

Juniors players need to decide what college they will go to. How much will Ultimate impact that decision?

Many players find that after college it is very difficult to balance the demands on one's time and still play Ultimate. What are the factors that make a player decide between masters or retiring? This is a broad issue that can be addressed on many fronts. The UPA can continue, for example, to work with local organizations like BUDA, so that robust leagues are available to players who are deciding if they want to play club Ultimate.

Decisions involving the college wildcard system result in juniors players making choices about colleges as they move out of high school.

If elected to the board, I will bring a broad perspective that focuses on supporting initiatives that assist players in times of transition. Thanks.

MATT HEALEY My name is Matt Healey. Throughout my Ultimate career I have played at many levels from casual pick up to competitive club. This experience has made me realize that this sport is currently facing several opportunities.

We have grown significantly over the last five years, and all indications show that this growth will continue.

Juniors Ultimate is experiencing a surge in participation, mixed has gone from an experimental series to a full

Mid-Atlantic Representative Paul Bonfanti

fledged championship division, and the college division has become one of the largest championship series.

These growth opportunities present significant challenges to the organization. We need to manage this growth intelligently. This means putting in place organizational structures that enable us to capitalize on the opportunities we are facing.

As a former UPA board member, I have demonstrated that I can put these necessary structures in place.

As treasurer, I was instrumental in overhauling the finances. This resulted in increased revenue and improved quality of services. Further, through conversations with several current board members I have learned that the board is looking for a candidate who can serve as treasurer. It is this demonstrated record of success that I feel the board needs.

However, while developing and maintaining organizational structures is important, it is not the only responsibility a board member has. As a board member, you are constantly facing challenges regarding the future of Ultimate. You must decide on issues regarding everything from spirit to competition. Having played for many years at multiple levels, I feel that I bring a well-rounded point of view to these questions.

Given these qualifications, I feel that I am the ideal candidate for the

Continued on next page

Âť

ÂŤ

continued from previous page

board, and I hope that the membership will give me chance to bring my business and Ultimate experience to the board by voting for me for the UPA board.

Board President Kate Bergeron , UPA Server Guru Mike Gull, and baby

KELLEY KNEIB First and foremost, I am an Ultimate player. Not a basketball or softball player, swimmer or cross country runner that I once was-but an Ultimate player.

It is truly a sport unlike any other. Unbeknownst to me when I started playing in just 1999, this sport would dramatically affect countless aspects of my life. Not only have I grown to love the game, but I have met amazing people, visited beautiful places and discovered parts of myself that I never knew existed.

I have just begun to give back to the Ultimate community to show my appreciation. I coached and captained the KU women's Ultimate team in 1999-2000 and ran the Lawrence Fool's Fest tournaments in 2000 and 2001. The responsibilities that came with that role taught me so much about recruiting, budgeting, fundraising, communication and respect.

Though at times it was stressful to organize, I loved helping other people have a good time and perhaps infecting someone else with the Ultimate bug. I have a passion sometimes I feel like no one else.

I have a lot of experience with youth, which explains my interest in the future of juniors Ultimate. I have worked as a challenge course facilitator, a care super-

visor in an at-risk adolescent shelter, and as a public education assistant at a KU museum.

Besides my experience with the public, I am also very artistically inclined, which explains my interest in the image and media functions of the UPA. At my internship at a web and print media firm in Lawrence, I was able to gain valuable graphic design experience. While working at the KU Endowment Association, I was further exposed to graphic design, press release and grant writing and the evolution of major fundraising campaigns.

I feel that being selected for the board of directors would be an opportunity for me to help the UPA promote and legitimize the sport in the United States and abroad. Currently, I am attending the University of Colorado for a masters degree in Integrated Marketing Communications. What's that, you ask? Well, it's a new approach to marketing that focuses on building relationships with customers, stakeholders and suppliers versus just making a profit. Forgive the cheesy pun, but my ultimate goal by pursuing this degree is to work for the UPA in marketing. Every sport in existence has been in its grassroots stages, and I am willing to do whatever it takes to take this sport to the next level-whatever you, the Ultimate community deems necessary.

A few things on my platform: To seek out major sponsors and financial support for the UPA. To promote club, college and juniors outreach through increased public exposure via media and awareness-building events (i.e. tournaments and clinics.)

Increased interaction and participation of UPA representatives with the Ultimate community.

To improve the accuracy, quality and overall appearance of the UPA newsletter.

Use of observers and X- rules in national and worlds competitions.

To move the mixed series back to the summer.

Thank you for your consideration!!

Ultimately, Kelley Kneib

ELIZABETH MURRAY My name is Elizabeth Murray, and I am running for one of the open at-large positions on the UPA board of directors.

Northeast Representative Tommy Proulx

I am a founder and one of the co-directors of the San Francisco Ultimate League, which currently has a membership of over 500 players. As well as hosting and directing multiple hat and club team tournaments each year, I was tournament director of the fifth annual San Francisco Revolution, the largest tournament in the Bay Area. I believe the skills and experience I have gained directing these events and working as a volunteer for the SFUL would make me an effective addition to the UPA board of directors.

The SFUL has worked with the UPA from the day it was founded. I believe our success is a good example of how local leagues can benefit from affiliating with the UPA. If elected I'd like to help other local leagues connect with the UPA so they can reap the same benefits that the SFUL has, and I'd also like to assist in guiding the UPA to be more responsive to the unique needs of leagues.

From the moment I was introduced to the sport, Ultimate has struck me as being one of the more worthy things a person could give their time to. I would be honored to serve on the UPA board of directors.

JOHN O'CONNOR My interest in Ultimate started in 1995 when I was invited to join a group of friends for a hike and a game of "Frisbee." I knew nothing of the sport, let alone the UPA before that time. What started for me as a social activity in the

Candidate Statements

form of pick up games and summer recreational leagues has turned into a key passion in my life. I love the sport and culture of Ultimate. Like so many other Ultimate enthusiasts, I've changed vacations, work schedules and other activities so they fit into my Ultimate life. I've gotten up at 4:00a.m. for early morning television Ultimate demonstrations, cashed in frequent flyer miles in order to participate in regionals, and driven from Galveston, Texas to Delafield, "Disconsin" in 23 hours to make the first pull at Cooler Classic. I've committed a significant amount of time over the past four years to Ultimate-as a league organizer, association commissioner, open player, captain and mixed player. I'd like to take

At-Large Representative Henry Thorne

my involvement to the next level as a member of the UPA board of directors.

As a board member I will bring significant skills to assist in the further effectiveness of the UPA. I started in the sport later than others, but I feel my age and business experiences outside of Ultimate, combined with my experiences in the sport will help me assist the board of directors exceed their mission. I am an entrepreneur and loyal friend. I am persistent and goal oriented. I'm an effective communicator with tremendous organizational skills and a fun-loving spirit. I own a small consulting business specializing in personnel and human resource issues related to recruiting, hiring and retaining staff. I am also the business man-

Fa/12002

www.upa. org

11

ÂŤ

continued from previous page

ager for a group of three physicians. I was involved with the creation and start-up of a medical/sports rehab supplies company and remain a partner in the enterprise. I am a big brother in the Big Brothers Big Sisters program. I am an outdoor enthusiast and am an active in issues I believe are important. I have experience in fundraising , volunteering, public speaking, professional writing, marketing, team building and organizational development. I am an active participant in life and love a good party.

I am running for the board because I feel strongly about the future of the sport. I believe our organization needs to be much more active in developing youth programs and supporting recreational leagues. I also believe we can bolster our usefulness by working closely with tournament directors to ensure they are successful. I support the expanded use of observers but also want to maintain the uniqueness that is Ultimate. I believe the more people we expose to the sport, the more we will add to the ranks of committed players who choose to play beyond the recreational level.

I welcome your questions and ask for your consideration and support.

Thank you.

SAMANTHA SALVIA I have been involved in the sport of Ultimate at various levels (college player, club player, observer, tournament organizer) for six years and would now like to serve the Ultimate community as

At-Large Representative Jim Parinella

12

Ultimate Players Association

Fa/12002

and club tournaments. I have even been a member of the UPA board of directors.

My Ultimate career began while I was known to play a little disc golf (but don't hold that against me.) studying at Oxford on a Rhodes Scholarship. Since then I have played for StanIn my non-Ultimate life, I am a techford Superfly (captain, 1999 College nical writer in Silicon Valley (I write software manuals.) I have been doing National Championship team) and Fury (1999 Club National Championship this for the past ten years. I worked with team, captain 2001 , 2002.) I have also the UPA this past spring when I edited been an observer at a variety of colleand formatted the rules booklet for the lOth edition. giate tournaments (including college nationals), and directed the April Fools Organization and communication are skills I have developed in my profesWest tournament. sional career that I will use as a UPA When not playing, I work as a water resources specialist for the Contra Costa board member. I also plan to use my Water District in Concord, CA. I have high tech knowledge and experience to degrees in engineering and economics. I help the UPA continue to upgrade its think my professional experience, partictechnology.

Acting Treasurer and At-Large Representative Joe Seidler ularly in project management, will be an I would also like to help continue to asset to the UPA board. Specifically, my expand the scope of the UPA beyond the Ultimate since approximately 1987. I professional skills have prepared me to fall series. I would foster growth by started playing in Pittsburgh, PA in the implementing a program to promote combine strategic thinking about UPA mid-Atlantic Region. For the past ten clinics run by experienced players. policy issues with the pragmatism to take years I have lived on the west coast in I am a fan of (and I voted for) the an idea through to implementation. My the northwest region (but I don't whine, priorities as a board member will include really.) lOth edition of the rules. I would like to improving the observer system, develophelp revising the rules to eliminate any I played in college at Carnegie Meling sponsorship opportunities, and creatareas of ambiguity and improve the lon. I have played all levels of Ultimate, ing a more robust IT infrastructure that game. from lunch time pick up to national and incorporates services like online rosterMy passion for the game gives me the international competition. I have played drive to succeed. Please vote in the ing. I also plan to put my championshipwith many different teams; open, mixed caliber roshambo techniques to use, as I upcoming election and while you are at and even (sigh) masters. I have also it, please vote for me. understand this is the method the UPA served as an observer for a few college board uses to make most major policy decisions. I hope 23, 2002 you'll give me the opportunity to repreThe board approves the 2002 budget with cursent you. rent revisions, Bergeron (Thorne) APPROVED 9- 0- 1 (Donnelly abstains) The board authorizes HQ to offer to pay dues CHRIS of up to $5000 a year to WFDF. The board also SHERWOOD authorizes HQ to make a one time donation of My name is Chris money up to $3000 from the international budget Sherwood (some of this year to WFDF, Thorne (Dahlenberg) you may know me as APPROVED 10- 0- 1 (Karlinsky abstains) Wood or Woody.) I am running for one of the at-large positions on the UPA board of directors. I am running for the board to help improve the UPA. I feel that the UPA has taken some solid steps in the past few years, and I will help continue the trend.

I have been Joe Gorman and At-Large Representative Henry Thorne David Rallo and Championship Director Will Deaver attempting to play

UPA Board Votes, july

Candidate Statements

THE HISTORY OF THE GREAT REFEREE 0 EBATE

by Chris Burke, FUTURE Task Force Chair Everyone knows that Ultimate is the sport that doesn't have referees. From the beginning, referees have been deliberately excluded from the game, with personal responsibility of the people on the field and respect for other players being the paramount ideas. Recently, a few hotheads who don't understand Ultimate, or who don't care about its roots, have proposed adding observers or referees to the game. These proposals have caused needless, endless controversy.

Right? Wrong. The idea of using referees in Ultimate has been with us from the beginning. The very first edition of the rules mentions using refs if players can't agree. Even as the Spirit of the Game (SOTG) clause was being added to the official rules, the role of observers was being developed and added to the rules. Over the years, tournaments (UPAsanctioned or not) have been held under widely diverse sets of rules, from no observers or third parties of any kind to active, fully empowered referees making calls on everything. At numerous times in the history of the UPA, the role of observers or referees has been debated thoroughly. Each time the question was put aside without anyone reaching a

definitive answer. It is more correct to say that the twin ideas of player responsibility vs. referees in any form have served as a source of creative tension throughout the development of Ultimate. fu 1970, the first official rules of Ultimate were published; these were nearly the same as the 1971-72 "Columbia High School (Maplewood, New Jersey) presents Ultimate Frisbee Official Rules," which were "IFA Approved." Both sets of rules allowed for referees: "If no referee is available, the two teams play on an honor system, settling disputes by flipping a coin or by some other such method."

By 1976, the "6th Edition Ultimate Frisbee Official Rules" stated, "A referee or referees may officiate, and their decision must be final.

If no referee is used, the two teams play on an honor system." These rules contained, in a prologue, a sort of embryonic form of the Spirit of the Game clause: "The sport has a great deal of freedom and informality implicit in the rules. Primary among these is the spirit of sportsmanship, which enables the honor system to be effective."

It was in the 7th edition, published in 1978, that the SOTG clause made its first appearance. The prologue states: "Highly competitive play is encouraged but never at the expense of the bond of mutual respect between players or the basic joy of play... such actions as taunting of opposition players, dangerous aggression, intentional fouling or other 'win at all costs' behaviors are fouls against the spirit of the game and should be discouraged by all players."

The 1982 8th edition, which was the first set of rules issued under the auspices of the UPA, expanded on the concept of SOTG with three paragraphs in the preface and introduction. You can read these paragraphs yourself, because they survived with only minor modification in the 9th edition (1989) and the lOth edition (2002.) The statement that goes to the core of Ultimate is in the preface: "The

integrity of Ultimate depends on each player's responsibility to uphold the spirit of the game, and this responsibility should not be taken lightly."

What was happening in the sport itself while these SOTG statements in the rules were being refined and strengthened? It may come as a surprise to most of today's players, but there was a fundamental change in the rules that occurred in the early 1980s. Up to that time, games were played to time, not to points. A game would last exactly 90 minutes, say, and whoever had the most points at the end was the winner. In lopsided games, scores like 29-6 were common. In close games, disputes about how much time was left and whether intentional stalling was occurring were also common. Teams were supposed to keep track of the time themselves, but exactly how this could be done fair! y was unclear. Sometimes an impartial third party kept time.

The UPA came into existence in December of 1979, with Tom Kennedy as director. The first few UPA newsletters contained competing articles about referees, so this issue was already on the table. An article by Bill Nye said referees in any form were unnecessary and were indeed contrary to the SOTG. Another article, by Greg Sharp, said referees were a good idea, especially at the most competitive levels of the sport.

Two other articles, one by Tom McNiven and another by Greg Sharp, outlined the idea of observers--third parties not actively making calls, but settling disputes when players could not.

One of the main pro-referee points was that some impartial third party had to keep track of the time. This certainly could not be argued with-someone did need to keep track of time. The argu-

ment was settled, not by making a decision to go with referees or not, but by changing the rules of the game. Games would be to points, not to time. Keeping track of the score was much easier, and less prone to argument, than keeping track of the time. Officials, or at least timekeepers, were not necessary, so the referee argument was settled in favor of having no referees. The observer idea was adopted, however, for high level competition, and observers made their first appearance in the 1982 8th edition rules. Within a few years, nearly all Ultimate games were played to points.

The issue seemed decided for a few years. But in the late 1980s, articles began appearing in the UPA newsletter again. Players and teams at high level tournaments were not abiding by the Spirit of the Game, these articles and letters said. Players were intentionally violating rules to gain an advantage.

Closely contested games turned into call fests and dragged on for hours; some games like this were called "Uglimate." Glenn Corwin wrote an article calling for referees, saying SOTG would be preserved by referees keeping the "win at all costs" players in line. Bill Penrose wrote an article saying that unless players cleaned up their act, referees would come and ruin the game. Gary McGivney, executive director of the UPA from 1986 to 1988, wrote about the importance of SOTG in nearly every issue of the newsletter.

The solution this time was to institute the Certified Observer Program, to use observers at high level tournaments such as UPA regionals and nationals, and to start a yellow card/red card system that would eliminate the most egregiously aggressive players. The 1989 9th edition rules spelled out more clearly what observers could do. There was no

The idea of using referees in Ultimate has been with us from the beginning.

Continued on next page Referee Debate

I

Fa/12002

I

www.upa. org

I

Âť 13

ÂŤ

continued from previous page

mention of the card system in the rules. This was a system in place at UPA tournaments only.

Again there was relative peace for a few years. The sport grew considerably in the 1990s, especially at the college level. Players began to think that the Olympics, television coverage and NCAA tournaments were possible in Ultimate's future. Wouldn't referees be necessary to achieve these goals? In 1993, Neal Dambra, the UPA executive

director at the time, wrote about the needs of television. Referees were not needed in order to interest television networks in Ultimate, he said. The game merely needed to be speeded up, observers had to make sure the viewers knew what was going on after calls stopped play, and some cosmetic changes such as the adoption of standard uniforms would be helpful. In any event, no TV coverage was forthcoming, and none of these changes were implemented in Ultimate.

Except in college. In 1998, the X rules, or Callahan rules, were widely adopted by college teams. These rules differed from the standard set in that there were specific time limits between scoring and pulls, and at other times.

The idea was to speed up the game, with

14

Ultimate Players Association

Fa/12002

more action and less down time.

Observers became a critical part of the college game. The X/Callahan rules also specified penalties for missing the time deadlines. Ultimate had previously been a game with almost no penalties; now it seemed like they were all over the place.

Meanwhile, the game at the UPA level drifted a bit. Work on the lOth edition rules began in 1990, but bogged down. At least one complete failure occurred, with a total turnover of staff on the Standing Rules Committee. The UPA itself had its executive director resign; he was replaced by an "acting" director, and he in turn was replaced by an "acting acting" director.

The membership grew, but a lack of vision and leadership hampered the UPA. In the late 1990s, most Ultimate was played without observers-including league games, many tournaments and pickup games.

The UPA was holding its tournaments the way it always had, under the 9th edition rules, some with observers, some not. The college series was using the X/Callahan rules. And Dennis Karlinsky started having elite level tournaments in California with fully empowered referees; these tournaments got good reviews from the participants. The sport of Ultimate seemed chaotic.

The lOth edition rules were finally pushed through in 2001, with strong leadership from Troy Frever, then Chris Van Holmes, successive chairs of the Standing Rules Committee. The final edition of these rules was a compromise. Some of the earlier objectives - such as a "guide to interpretation" - were not even attempted. However, the lOth edition adopted many of the X/Callahan rules, such as the defensive goal and time limits.

It does not include penalties for exceeding these limits. The lOth edition also clearly spells out the role of observers. There is a captain's clause, by which team captains can change certain rules to suit themselves, and an event organizer's clause, by

Referee Debate

which tournament directors can change certain aspects of the game's logistics.

There is no explicit mention of referees.

Does the lOth edition have enough leeway to handle all aspects of Ultimate?

That was the great hope.

However, last year the college players voted to continue using their X/Callahan rules, complete with penalties, instead of the lOth edition. Dennis Karlinsky, who advocates the use of referees, was elected vice president of the UPA board.

Tournaments and league games continue to be played under a wide variety of rules, though the lOth edition is clearly the dominant set of rules.

Is this a conflict that can be resolved? Is it even a conflict? Irv Kalb, one of the founders of the sport and one of the authors of the SOTG clause, compares Ultimate to basketball.

In pick up basketball, players call their own fouls. In the NBA, referees make every kind of call while working hard, though not always successfully, to allow the players rather than the officials to determine the outcome of the game.

The two parts of the sport coexist happily. Irv Kalb thinks that referees are "inevitable in the sport of Ultimate if it will ever move on to level of other 'legitimate' sports."

Money may yet play a role. In the early, pre-Civil War days of baseball, players were unpaid, and they made their own calls without any umpires. As soon as baseball players began to be paid to play, umpires became a necessary and integral part of the game. It's difficult to imagine how baseball could be played today without umpires.

Sometimes sports do not resolve conflicts within their ranks. A recent

newsletter article reviewed the history of rugby in America. Around the turn of the last century, two competing forms of rugby united under a single set of rules. However, a similar schism in English rugby has never been resolved. To this day, there are two separate leagues, playing under two separate sets of rules. The rules aren't even that different. For instance, one set calls for 13 players on the field , while the other calls for 15. Efforts over the years to compromise on the rules could not even make the seemingly obvious decision to have 14 players.

It is clear that the issue of referees vs.

SOTG has not gone away. It has never really been resolved. A recent discussion on rec.sport.disc about changing the name of the sport to flatball showed that no matter what the question, the same old issue keeps coming up.

The UPA has set up the FUTURE (FUTure of Ultimate Rules Evolution) committee to delve into this problem.

We are a group of players from around the country, at different levels of the sport. At this point we are not even sure of the scope of our work. There might be a solution out there like the early1980s decision to go with games to points rather than time.

One thing we do know is we would like to hear from you. If you have an opinion about referees, Spirit of the Game, or the future of Ultimate, send it to upa_rules_task_force@upa.org.

CL UB CH AM PIONS HI PS.

~路 'tY, Q-

W()rlds

HAWAr'

2 0 02 ~

~~,J'~~

()

p

e

r1

A

By Taro Ramberg, Condors

Pre-Tourney: Play with Spirit It's a week before we leave for worlds, and Brent Russell, the eldest member player on the Condor roster, sends the rest of the team's core an email. Brent's experience and ability to provide leadership has been tremendously beneficial to the team, so when Brent talks, we usually drop what we're doing to listen.

This go-round, Brent has attached the Condor Code of Ethics, something he's been working on and wants to share with us. He solicits our input, asking us for our thoughts and ideas.

Including Brent, there are eight of us on the core, so as you can imagine, this exercise generates a lively discussion about Spirit of the Game and how we want to represent ourselves at the World Championships. Our email chain runs the gamut, discussing among other things how Boston and New York were perceived during their reigns (don't worry, we know we have a long way to go before we can compare ourselves to them), how to communicate to a fellow teammate if they are making a bad call, what we're going to give or do for our opponents after the game is finished and when it's ok to spike the disc. The more we talk about it, the more it becomes clear to each of us that this is exactly the dialog Brent wanted to generate. In his quiet way, Brent is telling us, "We are the national champions representing the USA Be aware of how we play the game, and play with more spirit than ever." Once again, Brent has given us a gentle nudge in the right direction.

Now in Hawaii, the night before the tour-

Steve Dugan of the Condors. Photo by Scobel Wiggins.

ney begins, the team is assembled in a hotel room for a meeting. One of our captains, Greg Husak, relays Brent's message to the team. He adds there won't be any extended arguments over bad calls; we're to play the game just like it is meant to be played. Everyone nods their heads in understanding.

Day One On our first day, we square off against GLU and the Flying Angels Bern squads.

They play hard but have trouble figuring out the wind, and we beat both teams handily. We look fairly solid, but not great by any means.

However, we know that with this weeklong tournament, it's ok to come out a little flat on the first day. The most important thing is that you keep getting better and better, using each day as a stepping-stone to the next so that when you're playing in the single elimination games, you're firing on all pistons.

Day Two Photo by Scobel Wiggins.

up against the Yanomamis from Venezuela.

We're in our team huddle before we start playing, and Mike Namkung-who wanders the earth like Cane from Kung Fu-is telling us about how the Yanomamis play, as he's spent some time with them during his many travels.

"They foul a lot," he says. "They don't do it to stop flow and slow down the game; it's just the way they play in general. They're just really physical." Andy Crews, our other team captain (who, like me, is hurt with a hamstring injury), nods his head and says, "Just play through it. Try not to call anything. Let's play with spirit and not get into a call fest. If they hit you, power through it and just keep playing. If we do that, we'll win, and it will be fun."

Watching from the sidelines, I could see Mike wasn't kidding. Shirts are grabbed, elbows are thrown and a lot of bumping and grinding is happening in general. The only calls we make are on flagrant fouls that

greatly affect the play. All in all, we play a nicely spirited game. I guess the Yanomamis agree as they bestow us with a forty-five minute post-game celebration that includes a visit from their women's team and a few bottles of rum. Yes, good karma can be rewarding. Final score, 17-4.

Our next game is with Sockeye, and it's a good one. We see the Fish a fair amount during the season and know they can bring it.

Also, one of their impact players, John Hammond, used to play with the Condors, which adds to the rivalry. We start off rolling and take the first half 9-2. The Fish come storming back and go on a 5-0 run. All of a sudden it's 9-7, and we've got a game on our hands. The best thing is that both teams are playing with intensity and integrity.

A combination of our turning it up on defense and some unforced errors by Seattle make the final score 15-9. Later, Greg points

Our first game of the day has us matched

Worlds Open

Continued on next page

I Fa/12002

I

WMV.upa. org

I

禄 15

CLUB CHA MPIONSH I PS.

W()rlds

~ HAWA

2 o o2

Day Three Our ftrst game is against New York, who is always competitive. It is a disappointing day for me as I try to play andre-tweak my hamstring after playing three points. Take it from me- if you think you're ready to play after pulling your hammy, wait another two weeks.

Andy was smarter-he sat out. Maybe that's why he's a captain.

Anyway, New York has a lot of swagger, and their play backs it up. The boys from the right coast come with everything they have.

Arnold Sanchez leads the charge and makes some big plays. In the end, we pull it out, but not without a struggle. Final score is 16-10.

Then we face Liquidisc from Finland. Liquidisc won the silver in Scotland, so we approach the game expecting to have our hands full. We are wrong. Liquidisc doesn't give us much of a game and looks to be very different than the team we watched battle against Boston two years ago. The ftnal score is 17-4. We are a little disappointed because we had hoped to play against some of the top European talent.

The highlight of the game is when Corey Sanford, one of our team's defensive studs, is covering a six-foot-six-inch Finn. When the tall guy sees that the six-foot (in heels) Sanford is covering him, he breaks deep and starts yelling to the thrower, hollering for almost his entire cut. On the sideline, I can only understand one word he is saying-"Mismatch!"

The guy with the disc dutifully hucks it deep to the big man, and Corey skies the tall Euro-

16

Ultimate Players Association

Fa/12002

M

~~J'~,..,

Photo by Scobel Wiggins.

out that it is the ftrst time during the tourney that we have lost a half, with Sockeye outscoring us 7-6 after the break. He tells the team what we are already thinking ... we can't have lapses like that if we are going to win.

r•

pean for the D. After the play is over, Corey comes over to me and says what I imagine he's been dying to say to the Finnish player all along-"Mismatch my ass! " At least Corey refrained from saying it to the guy's face.

Good spirit, Corey!

In the post-game spirit circle, the Finns must recognize some of our disappointment.

Their captain speaks about how excited they were to play us before the game and apologizes for how badly they played during it. He says his entire team is sorry and that, "We have nothing else to say."

As the speaker in our post-game speeches to the other team, I am almost at a loss for words. The usual cliches of, "Great game," and, "You played really well;' ring hollow after they actually apologize for their level of play.

We shake their hands and wish them luck in the rest of the tournament.

Our hope to play against a top European team is realized as the ftrst game of the day has us pitted against Clapham, the 2001 European Championship runners-up, who hail from England. Many times when we get up on a team, they will get disheartened and roll over for us. Not these blokes. It's obvious from their ferocity that Clapham views this

Worlds Open

p

e

game as an opportunity to play against one of the top teams in the world, and they are going to play as hard as they can for as long as they can. You've got to love their attitude. And man, do they bring it. They are athletic, have a very hard mark and play in-your-shorts, physical, man-to-man defense. Again, even though the game is physical, there aren't many fouls called and when all is said and done, both teams shake hands with tremendous respect for one another. Final score, 16-11.

Our second game is against a tough Sub Zero team. Before we start, I chat with Dan Rydel, one of Sub's handlers. When Dan sees that both Andy and I are injured and are not going to play, he says, "That's too bad. We were hoping to get you guys at full strength. It's always a lot of fun playing against you guys, and having you and Andy hurt kind of takes away from that." I think that was a pretty cool thing to say.

There is also an interesting history between the two teams.

Many Sub Zero players went to Carlton, and a number of Condors are ex-Black Tide players. There was a big college rivalry between the two teams, and it seems to have carried over to the club level.

Anyway, the game is tight the whole way. Sub Zero is very athletic-I know Greg thinks they are the most athletic team we will face at the tourney-and can play some insane defense. They also have some solid throwers and the six-footseven-inch Kaiser, who is a tough match up for anyone. We lose a half for the second time of the week, getting behind 9-7.

Once again our defense steps up, forces some miscues by Sub Zero, and we end up pulling it out 17-14. I know we'll be seeing the Sub boys soon enough in Sarasota.

They are damn good.

On the sideline, I can only understand one word he is saying "Mismatch!"

Day Four

()

r1

Day Five Day ftve ftnds us gearing up for the elimination rounds, and we are starting to click.

You can see our guys starting to really hone in, talking and communicating while in our zone sets, and the offense is flowing and looking smooth. King Brown pretty much rolls over for us in the last pool play game, and we take it 17-5.

During the post-game festivities, King Brown gives us a tarot card reading that's pretty positive. (I think they stacked the deck.) They ask Brandon Steets to pose a question and pick the fust card, which will supposedly represent our current state of affairs. Brandon asks if the Condors will win worlds, and the fust card he picks is the High Priestess. We're not sure what that means, but we do notice a bunch of birds flying behind the woman on the card. "They must be condors; ' says the King Brown player.

Before Brandon picks the second card, the King Brown player tells us that this card will represent the desired course of action for our question. Brandon picks card number two, and it says, "The World" on it. Both teams say, "Whoa!" and start to laugh. King Brown then tells us that the third card represents the outcome if the desired course of action is followed. Brandon picks the third card, which reads, "Temperance." Again, we are unsure how it applies, but all the Condors agree that we could use a little temperance in our lives.

The next game is the quarterfinals against Electric Pig. They play hard and reel off ten points against us before it's over. They have a

Photo by Scobel Wiggins.

CLUB CHA MPIONSH I PS.

W()rlds

~ HAWA

2 o o2

r•

M

~~J'~,..,

()

p

e

r1

good fusion of youth and experience, and it's always great to see players like Billy Layden and Worm zipping around the field. I expect we'll also see them at nationals come October.

Day Six Now we start really getting down to the nitty gritty. We have Sockeye again, and we know they are going to come out fired up and running hard. We also know that their confidence level is high as they took the second half of our first meeting during pool play. And sure enough, Sockeye plays balls-to-the-wall Ultimate. Unfortunately for them, it isn't enough.

We've been building on each previous day, and our play gets better and better as the week progresses. That makes us tough to beat. We knock off Sockeye with a score of 17-8.

In the huddle after the game, the Sockeye players look pretty down. Previously I'd spoken with my buddy, Chris Page, who is one of the leaders of the Fish. Chris admitted that because of a few key injuries (including Chris himself, who is on the IR), Sockeye had set their sights on a quarterfinal appearance.

They'd exceeded their expectations and made it to the semis, had come out on the winning end of one of the most memorable comebacks in Ultimate history against a very talented Jam squad and played us hard for two games.

Nothing to be ashamed of. Now the Fish are understandably looking for the keys to their van so they can get a bottle of booze and jumpstart the party.

We speak to Sockeye in the post-game huddle and tell them about our experience in Scotland after losing to Boston in the semifinals.

Our hope had been to win the world championship that year, and we were tremendously disappointed with our performance. But we still realized that all these teams from around the

Photo by Scobel Wiggins

Jim Parinella of Death or Glory. Photo by Scobel Wiggins.

world would be honored to play in the bronze medal game, and that they would have the same respect for that game as they would for the gold medal game. Sockeye is comprised of stand-up players, so it's not like we're telling them anything they don't already know. However, they do stop searching for the van keys.

Later, Sockeye comes out and plays with fire and grit against the ultra-talented Furious squad and takes home the bronze. Beating the Monkeys is always tough, but to do it for a medal is a tremendous accomplishment. I'm sure the Fish got their drink on after that.

After the Sockeye spirit circle, the Condors break up into small groups and head over to the stadium where the finals are to be held the next day. We want to throw around and get a feel for the field. After about five minutes, the field staff kicks us off and threatens to take away our discs. No respect, I tell ya. I'm sure they have their reasons, but it still kind of sucks.

Day Seven

is to give Boston a variety of looks on defense and establish a deep game early. Unfortunately, the deep game leads us straight into a 7-3 hole.

We call time out and change our strategy to use more comeback cuts on offense. We also decide to play more straight man defense, as we want to make the Boston players run rather than sit back in the zone. It works, and we gain some ground before Boston takes the half 9-7. By the way, if you didn' t see JD Lobue and Ryan Yarbrough swapping off covering Fortch, you missed one hell of a show. All three of those guys were FLYING around the field.

During the break at the half, our confidence is high and not one Condor doubts that we will win. Our defense keeps improving, and we're able to come up with a few more blocks. We force Boston to throw some high backhands that float in the wind and are able to capitalize on their mistakes. The game is capped, and we take the finals, 14-12.

We still realized that all these teams from around the world would be honored to play in the bronze medal game.

Finals, baby! And we're in the stadium where the wind is TOUGH. Outside of the stadium where we'd played all of our previous games, the wind is difficult but at least it is consistent.

You can figure out what works during warm ups and translate it into big throws during the game. Unfortunately, they don' t allow us to warm up in the stadium until 15 minutes or so before game time. This doesn' t allow the players to get an accurate read on the swirling winds and makes the game play that much more sloppy.

Anyway, coming into the game, our strategy

Worlds Open

I Fa/12002

I www.upa. org I

11

o

w

l

r

d

s

HAWAr' 2 o o2 M

~'lrJ'~t'l

Ini.xed

A

by Kelli Hereford, RedFish BlueFish First off, I need to start by saying that my views do not necessarily reflect the views of my teammates. Those of you who have had the opportunity to listen to our team CD will understand what I mean. RedFish BlueFish is quite an eclectic mix in playing style, personalities and musical tastes. How could I possible represent a team whose musical selections range from Kenny Loggins to Cream to the Weather Girls? (For those who don't know, I am partial to Joan Jett.)

The outlook for us was good. What more could we ask for? Some great mixed competition, beautiful, sunny weather and wind-just the way we like it. Our original pool play went well, with one major bump along the way. We met Hang Time in game two on the first day and found ourselves down by quite a bit at half. Their hammers did us in, and although we battled back in the end, we still fell short that game. A stumble, yes, but it geared us up for the rest of the games we had that week.

Scotty Conway of Donner Party.

18

Round one finished up, and we moved into round two where we met more great mixed teams. Being the third team in our new pool, we knew we had to step it up in order to battle our way back to the top. We did just that when we met Hana Hou, the number one team in the pool. That was undoubtedly our greatest game. After going up 9-0 in the first half, we won the game 176, and we felt we had finally found the groove we needed to carry us through.

Day five rolled around, and we were looking at either facing Trigger Hippy or Donner Party later that day depending upon our outcome against Pukana. As fate would have it we beat Pukana to end round two, setting the stage for a quarterfinal showdown against Donner. The ground work had been laid for a true northern California battle to take place 3,000 miles away in Hawaii.

Although the weather was still cooperating and we started out fast (we went up 4-0), in the end the scoreboard reflected our fate: Donner Party 17, RedFish BlueFish 13. We were a bit disappointed perhaps, but it was a good battle.

Photo by Scobel Wiggins

Ultimate Players Association

Fa/12002

Worlds Mixed

The team went to Hawaii with their eyes set on the top prize. I wish I could say that we came, we saw and we conquered, but that's not how the story ended.

We started the tourney in fifth place and after a one point win over Sweet As (who, by the way, liked Kenny Loggins!) Friday morning and an afternoon win against High Plains Drifters, we ended Sumo vs. Ro Sham Bo. Photo by Scobel Wiggins. the tourney in fifth place. Although it eight teams in the quarterfinals were from was a bit short of our goal, we still had some our original pool (us, Hang Time and Sweet great moments and met some great players As.) But most importantly, the only two and teams along the way. teams that beat us throughout the tourney Before I say goodbye, I wanted to share played in the finals. Not a bad day's work. some interesting tidbits unearthed by our Now on to fall series ... very own Chris Fontes. First, three out of the

W()rlds

Ph()t()S

Riot goes for the catch

All photos in the photo gallery by Scobel Wiggins, except as noted.

Yanomami, Venezuela

Sumo

Worlds Photos

I Fa/12002

I www.upa. org I

19

W()rlds

Ph()t()S

Chaos

Will Deave r of Jo hn ny Bravo

Death or Glo ry

Hang Tim e

Barb ari ans, Japan vs . Fi nland

20

Ultimate Players Association

Keg Wo rk ers

Fa/12002

Worlds Photos

W()rlds

Condors' Greg Husak vs. DoG's Keegan Uhl

Ph()t()S

Riot

Donner Party vs. Chaos

Worlds Photos

I Fa/12002

I

www.upa. org

I

21

CLUB CHAMPIONSHIPSj

~Sf/ W()rlds

H4W4r'

2002 ~

~路~~~

lzzy Stohler of Force Durian in orange

Ph()t()S

Death or Glory

Old and In the Way vs. Keg Workers

Condors vs. DoG.

Skeleton Crew vs. Keg Workers

22

Ultimate Players Association

Fa/12002

Worlds Photos

Photo by Kim Godwin.

CLUB CHAMPI ONS HI PS.

W()rlds

by Jen Smith, Ozone Let's face it. Ultimate players are not commonly accused of excessive seriousness. Sure, we may be lawyers, engineers and acupuncturists; we pay the bills and feed the kids (furry or otherwise); and we may even be executive director of a national org anization such as the UPA. But admit it. Someone leaves a beer outside of the Mexican restaurant and even though there's a slug in it, you just can't resist roching to see who has to drink it.

You think fartjokes are funny, and if enough people are chanting your name, you WILL wrestle a chair.

Yet, when charged with the task of representing one's country in the world arena, the most unexpected thing happens even to the most incorrigible band of lovable fools (and by that I do mean most of the Sockeye roster.) You begin to take yourself seriously. You find yourself in total awe of the task that lies before you.

There is a certain weight to this 'thing' called Worlds and not just because you have enough Power Gel in your field bag to choke a mule. And if you can get beyond the butterflies (or, in my case, the almost constant urge to vomit), you begin

Riot makes the catch.

'tr, &~ HAWA

2 o o2

r•

M

~~J'~~

to rise to the occasion. So, armed with your new level of respect for yourself and the game, 16,000 calories of carbohydrates and ill-conceived notions that a huck play is the key to beating the Japanese women, your world's experience begins.

That you can take yourself seriously and still excel at Ultimate was only the first of many surprises yet undiscovered as the tournament opened at Waipio Peninsula Soccer Complex on August 4, 2002. Women 's play began with four pools of six teams. There were five teams from Japan, four from Canada, two from Finland and Australia and one each from Great Britain and Venezuela. Nine US teams completed the field.

From the beginning, the major women 's buzz revolved around the almost random nature of the seedings in the women's division. By ' buzz ' I mean one of the girls from Bliss (Great Britain) and I agreed it was pretty wacky while riding in the elevator after the opening ceremomes.

Regardless of original seeding, the most obvious strategy would be to attempt to win all of the games in your pool.

However, after the first five pool play games were played, the top four teams of

w

()

n1

two pools would be combined, and winloss records would carry over. This took me a couple of days of hard thinking to understand, and all I can tell you is, eventually you have to play the top four teams from another pool. I can only speak for Ozone, but our strategy after the pools were combined was to win as many of these games as possible.

Schwa vs. Ozone Semifinal The Schwa vs. Ozone semifinal could have gone any of a million ways, and both teams knew it.

The first half found Schwa and Ozone circling like lions, daring each other to make a move.

It is interesting to note that, although the crosswind did not make this game a truly upwind/downwind situation, the first nine scores were made in the more difficult scoring end zone. Basically, Schwa struck first, and Ozone knew that a two point lead was simply too big of a gap against the experienced leadership of Schwa's Jennifer Scott, the fiercely competitive and strategic spirit of Tracy Satterfield, and the medical precision (I mean the basic uncoverableness) of Kathy Erickson.

(Notable player absence-D ara Bailey.) And so with no team clearly dominating, the battle of wills continued until Schwa took half. The second half opened with Schwa NFA (Not Fooling Around) anymore, and they pulled ahead to 12-8. Points trade, and it's 13-10. 14-11.

e

r1

15-12. Cap horn sounds. 16-13, Schwa leads.

Schwa' s strategy at this point was to bury Ozone in their own end zone and make them fight their way out. Squashing Atlanta' s athletically-inclined, traditional stack-flow style offense with a nearly impenetrable four-man cup, Schwa left the excited ' zoners with one offensive option-make relaxed, precise throws and perfectly-timed cuts in a 40-mile an hour crosswind while freaking the F out. And under no circumstances turn it over before the 50. So while Holly Sommers, Kat Kidd-Shippey and Angela Lin took turns threading the needle, backfielders Miranda Roth, Deanna King, Eileen Murray and five-time worlds competitor (four with Ozone) Lisa Kotora commenced to some major league sucking it up. Over and over, Ozone would calmly work it, then make that money shot up the middle by sheer force of will.

Clearly, the only thing more nervewracking then defending a lead is watching it slip away, and the only thing more heartbreaking than losing a lead is to run out of time. As in the Princess Bride, this one was not "to the death," it was "to the pain," and no one wanted to be the one left holding the pumpkin at midnight.

16-16. Ozone pulls to Schwa, who is going downwind. Wait, have we been here before? Turnover. Ozone works it up, but it's not going to be that easy. Another turnover. Schwa hucks. Ozone again works it to the end zone and turns. Schwa hucks.

Are you getting bored with this? Two scores and two calls later, Angela Lin has had enough. Leaping from ten yards behind a hucking Tracy Satterfield, Lin intercepts the pass at full throttle and about ten feet in the air. Two passes, and it is done. And while the din of celebration erupts for one sideline and the quiet moan of disappointment settles on the other, one thought is shared by

When charged with the task of representing one's country in the world arena, the most unexpected thing happens. You begin to take yourself seriously.

Photo by Scobel Wiggins.

Worlds Women

Continued on next page I Fa/12002

I www.upa. org I

Âť 23

CL UB CHAM PI ON SHI PS.

'~i~

a--

v~~.,

W()rlds

«

HAWAI' 2 0 02 ~

~~,J'~~

w

()

n1

e

r1

continued from previous page

all, and it begins with the words 'Next time ... ' Both teams' sidelines will probably never forgive us the suspense of this game.

Congratulations to both teams on a battle well fought.

Riot vs. Lady Godiva Semifinal One the other side of the championship bracket, a rather lopsided contest ensued between Seattle's Riot and Boston's Lady Godiva. Everyone knew Riot came to win, and everyone knew they were pumped and prepared, sometimes arriving at the fields well before dawn to begin their requisite six-hour warm up. But not until this game was the extent of Riot's conviction made common knowledge.

Riot vs. Godiva-a rematch of the 2001 Club Championship finals-one would expect a battle. And let's face it, history cannot be ignored. Who did you think would come out on top?

But the score came in-16-8, Riot.

What happened, you ask? Did they roll over? Were they just not that committed to winning worlds, instead focusing on ironing out offensive issues and incorporating new defenses? In speaking with Britta Steele after the game, I delicately put forth the question, "So, did you get the feeling they let you have it?" The answer was most assuredly no. Though I didn't see the game, I heard that Riot went up early to 8-2.

Godiva rallied, but Riot took half 9-8.

Now do the math.

Godiva didn't score in the second half.

And according to Britta, it was a fight the entire time. I was soon to find out why.

Being in the same initial pool, Riot played Schwa on the 2nd day. Luckily, they had a late game, so I was able to catch one of the best match ups of the early rounds.

And since both of these teams hail from decidedly the most competitive region in the US (despite having lost a nationals bid in the recent past), I'm sure it is a match up replete with history. It was still early in the week when Riot met Schwa, and wind

Photo courtesy of Jen Smith.

issues had not been quite ironed out for either team. But the turnover rate for both teams in this game was unexpectedly high.

I overheard Mak say at one point, "We NEVER play like this." But it wasn't until we met them in the finals that I fully understood what she meant. Only Riot knew how very good they could be, and on Saturday, August 10, 2002, they were going to show the world.

By now, chances are good that more than 40°/o of your team is using duct tape on assorted body parts.

24

Ultimate Players Association

Fa/12002

Riot vs. Ozone Final It seemed as though the finals match up could produce a phenomenal game.

David had bested Goliath, and the Patriots had squeaked past the Rams. I'm sure the people in the stands at 10 a.m. were anticipating a tight, athletic, one- or two-point game with lots of layout bids. If you consider that Ozone had beaten Schwa by one, and Schwa had beaten Riot by one, then this game had potential for being one of the best women's national or interna-

Worlds Women

tiona! finals games in the recent past. Or at least the closest.

But were I a betting man, I'd have taken time to investigate some more telling stats, such as how both teams had faired against Godiva. Riot had beaten Godiva by eight points (16-8), and Ozone had lost to Godiva by three points (15-12.) In fact, by these numbers, Ozone vs. Godiva probably would have been the better match up (or Riot vs.

Schwa, but we won' t talk about that.)

Either way, an eleven-point squashing was not what anyone expected.

Let' s just say that being at the top of your game during the finals at worlds presents a lot of physical and mental challenges. By now chances are good that more than 40% of your team is using duct tape on assorted body parts, Advil is being bought in bulk and you've decided that the warm up lap is nature's way of thinning the herd. And I'm sure you've heard the wind was squirrely in the stadium, that seven days in a row of UPA championship level games isn't very easy on your body, that shade is pretty hard to come by in Hawaii , and it takes about three and a half hours to get from the fields to your room at the Hobron (3000

feet above sea level), significantly decreasing total rest time.

Yet, despite being subject to all these same forces, despite a total warm up time three times longer than the entire mixed division combined, not to mention the after hours "let's make up dances" sessions a Ia Liz Penny-RIOT WAS UNSTOPPABLE. Riot worked their characteristic dump, swing, around the back, continue on the break side that was very difficult to defend and often resulted in some extremely fast scores. And they had little trouble at all with our trap cup (in fact, not as much trouble as we had with our trap cup.) Vida Towne, Sarah Gersten-Rothenberg and Vivian Zayas played worker bees, then spread it out to Leah Towne, Beth Wise and that cute curly-haired girl. Liz Penny was simply all over the place.

Ozone ' s best option was to answer every point, to keep making D ' s, to try to chip away at their collective confidence, to try to implant the subtle message that maybe they wouldn ' t win, and then attack at the point of weakness. In short, chances were good of winning if we could engage them in a battle on our terms.

Continued on next page

»

CLUB C HA M PI ONS HI PS~~~

~· ..,, Q-

Worlds Scoreboard

W()rlds

HAWAr'

2 0 0 2 ~

~~J'~~

w

()

n1

e

r1

OPEN DIVISION Rnals: Condor vs. DoG, 14-12 Condors Death or Glory 3· Sockeye 4· Furious George 5· Sub Zero Spirit Winners: 1. King Brown 2. Flying Angels 3· Action Men 1.

2.

WOMEN'S DIVISION Rnals: Riot vs. Ozone, 17-6 Riot Ozone 3· Lady Godiva 4· Schwa 5· Safari Spirit Winners: 1. Lady Godiva 2. Bliss 3· Yanomami 1.

2.

MIXED DIVISION Rnals: Donner Party vs. Hang Time, 17-8 Donner Party Hang Time 3· Trigger Hippy 4· Blue Ridge Ultimate 5· RedFish BlueFish Spirit Winners: 1. Flamingoes 2. Flap 3· RedFish BlueFish 1.

2.

MASTERS DIVISION Rnals: Keg Wori<ers vs. Skeleton Crew, 17-12 Keg Workers Skeleton Crew 3· Old and ln the Way 4· Chronic 5· Vigi Spirit Winners: 1. Big Bombers 2. Radical 3· Aged to Perfection 1.

2.

Photo by Scobel Wiggins.

«

continued from previous page

Imagine our surprise to wake up with the castle burning. I mean, the castle burning, babies flying out the window, and I think I saw Deb Cussen making off with the queen.

Spectators will tell you it wasn't a very pretty game, and some points made you wonder if this wasn' t in fact junior varsity high school tryouts. Riot was pumped, and they are never afraid to take risks, which occasionally resulted in some rushed scoring attempts. Then they clamped down a pretty tight zone D, often forcing an Ozone turn before midfield. Shampoo, rinse and repeat, and you can see why some spectators were checking their programs to make sure this was actually the finals and not some pseudo Harlem Globetrotters shtick to warm up the crowd.

All said and done, Riot went up 11-1.

11-1. A late game scoring drive led by the awesome defensive efforts of the significantly underrated Jen Smith brought us within, uhhhh, seven? And finally gave a crowd desperate to fight back with us something to cheer about. But nothing short of a giant crater opening up in the middle of the field was going to stop Riot from winning this game. And Ozone was simply

Ozone, 2nd place, women's division.

Photo by Scobel Wiggins.

too tired to dig. Final score (Goot Lawd!) 17-6. Riot takes the gold, the glory and the next two years as world champions.

As I learned by observing the Boston boys at the final worlds "party," there is no painless way to lose in the finals. It hurts to lose by a lot, it hurts to lose by a little and it hurts to blow a lead. (According to Moses Rifkin, apparently it hurts enough that you are driven to drink quite a

There is no painless way to lose in the finals. It hurts to lose by a lot; it hurts to lose by a little.

bit in order to mask "deep emotional heartbreak.")

But I am comforted in knowing that the focus, intensity, teamwork and fearlessness required just to get there is something to be proud of. It's the kind of challenge that, if met with courage, can take your team to a level it's never been before, no matter what the outcome. Every women' s team who qualified for worlds, put in the long training hours and made the long expensive journey to paradise should be considered winners. Schwa and Godiva, you are champions innate. Ozone, you guys are my heroes. But Riot, you rule the world, and you deserve it. Just keep an eye on those castle walls ...

Photo by Kim Godwin.

Worlds Women

I Fa/12002

I www.upa. org I 25

CLUB CHAMPIONSH I PS~~~~

~~ W()rlds

H4W4r'

2 0 02 ~

~~,J'~f."'

c

()

r1

d

()

r

s

we asked the cor1dors,. is a call to make. If you feel good about it and can say that you made an honest call, then you're playing with integrity, and that's all that anyone can ask of you.

An interview with Taro

Ramberg of the Condors.

UPA: So how come the Condors don't party?

UPA: What are some of the main factors that contribute to the success of the Condors?

TR: I think the biggest factor is the team's unity. We're a close-knit bunch of guys. Most of the team has played five or six years together, and some have been teammates since college. In fact, we try to keep our roster on the small side so we are afforded the chance to get to know each other both on and off the field. You know how a guy is going to cut if you're throwing to him at every practice. And off-the-field friendships can only be good thing; being close to your teammates can only translate into playing well together on the field.

I'm not saying a small squad is the only way to go, though. Look at Jam. They're a great team with a ton of talent, and they have something like 32 players on their roster. For me that would be like, how are you going to remember everyone's name? But then again, my shortterm memory was compromised in college. I think they probably have enough good players to make two nationally competitive teams, but I'm glad they have only one squad. That means only seven of them can be playing at one time.

Photo by Scobel Wiggins.

UPA: How do you guys figure out your lines? I know you don't call subs.

TR: We ' ve played together enough that each player has a very good idea about his role on the team, where he fits in and how he can contribute the most.

We have faith that if we all play within ourselves and within our roles, we will win. Another factor is trust. We trust each other a ton. It doesn ' t matter if you ' re number one on the roster or number twenty, if you want in, and you're taking the seventh spot on the line, the team trusts that you are going to get the block or score the goal. Everyone plays, and everyone contributes. It's that simple.

Ultimate Players Association

TR: I'm sure there are some people out there who say that we don't! Then again, I think there are some people who think we are a very spirited team. As with any team, it would depend on whom you ask, I guess. I know that as we've gotten more successful, we've become more aware of how we behave on the field. But it's tough to maintain for anyone, not just the Condors. Ask any elite player on an open, women's, masters, or mixed team- maintaining spirit when there's so much at stake, when everything is so subjective, is ... well, the best you can do is to make a call if you honestly believe there

Photo by Kim Godwin.

Photo by Scobel Wiggins.

26

UPA: How do the Condors compete at such a high level and maintain Spirit of the Game?

Fa/12002

Worlds Open

TR: Someone asked me this at trade night as I was downing my third scotch of the evening. I smiled and told her we were focused on winning, that we needed to be at the fields bright and early and that our captains had imposed a curfew on us.

"Boy, you guys are serious," she said.

"As a heart attack," I replied. " Now if you ' ll excuse me, I need to get another ginger ale from the bar."

There was no curfew, and we had to be at the fields by ten. The truth is you don't see many Condors at tournament parties because we hardly ever see each other ourselves. Only half the team lives in Santa Barbara; the rest of us are spread out from the Bay Area to San Diego. So when it's tourney time, it's also our time to catch up on each other's lives. Over dinner, you might find Condors discussing anything from the point's position in our zone, to the differences between the New and Old Testament, to whether sex is good or bad for you before a tournament, to how all the married guys proposed to their girlfriends.

Our team is so diverse that you never know what to expect when having a conversation.

But that's what's great about our team; we're all pretty accepting of this diversity. Actually, we embrace it.

And the Condors do party. Just ask the Yanomamis.

CELEBRATING OUR DIFFERENCE

by Steve Mooney As you may have read in recent newsletter articles, the UPA is promoting the Peter Farricker Spirit Awardan award intended both to celebrate the defining attribute of our sport and to honor a great person.

A year ago and at the young age of 45 , Pete Farricker succumbed to ALS, otherwise known as Lou Gehrig 's disease. A special friend, a great player and an evolved soul, Pete brought a positive outlook to all aspects of his life. Those of us who reconnected with Pete when we heard of his terrible fate saw that positive outlook in the most dire of circumstances. He brought us together in sadness and joy and reminded us that what we call the Spirit of the Game was really the way he conducted his whole life. Thanks to a lot of support from the UPA, we will now be

able to forever link Peter Farricker and the Spirit of the Game.

Even if you never met or played with Pete, you might know someone like him on your own team. Is there someone on your team who defines clutch-always seeming to make the right play at the right time? Do they play the game with a healthy respect for their opponents, upholding fair play under pressure to win the big game?

Do they have a knack for a turn of phrase that can break up the tension in the most dire straits?

If so, now you have a chance to honor one of your own under the following guidelines: The Peter Farricker Spirit Award is given to the player adjudged to have exhibited personal responsibility, integrity and fairness combined with a

Spirit of the Game was really the way he conducted his whole life.

Peter Farricker and Friends

Peter Farricker

high standard of playing ability.

An individual spirit award has been in place for the last two years. The UPA has established that all open teams advancing to the UPA Club Championships will nominate one player from their team. As we did last year, these players will be recognized for exceptional regard for the Spirit of the Game. At the Club Championships, a selection committee comprised of three people-one from the UPA administration, one from the UPA board of directors and one from the Friends of Wheels group-will choose the winner from the four semifinalist teams.

One key attribute of the award is that the eventual winner will be chosen from one of the four semifinal players in the open division. This isn' t an elitist or sexist move. Quite simply, it reflects on Pete. He was a top player that held spirit dear, and he didn ' t take up a lot of space. In making this award only available in the open division, it leaves room for other divisions to honor their own.

The winner will be announced at half time of the open finals.

Farricker Award

In addition to the award, the Peter Farricker Spirit Award is backed by an endowment dedicated to furthering ALS research. Each year a donation will be a made jointly in Pete's and the winner's names.

PETER FARRICKER SPIRIT AWARD SELECTION PROCESS Open teams nominate one player after regionals Nominees due prior to nationals Selection committee votes one winner from nominees of four teams who advance to the semis Winner announced during open finals Donation in Pete's and winner's name to ALS research

Fa/12002

www.upa. org

27

~

WORLD ULTIMATE JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIP RIGA LATVIA 2002 9-13JU LY

WUJC 2002 .../'5, P.JGA LATVIA~

VVORLD ULTIMATE JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIPS IN lATVIA

by Mara Schvvartz Hosting this year's WUJC in Riga, Latvia in July was a great opportunity and a huge accomplishment for the Ultimate community in Latvia, as well as a milestone in the development of Ultimate in Eastern Europe.

With worlds to be held in Hawaii, it made sense to split off the juniors division and move it somewhere more accessible to juniors teams. Thanks to the efforts of the European lobby (and especially Latvia's Ultimate godfather, Paul Eriksson), Latvia was able to put in a solid bid to host the WUJC, ultimately convincing WFDF that an Eastern European location could draw the most teams at a relatively low cost. Having the North American and western European teams travel the longest distances would make it easier for more Eastern European teams to attend.

Indeed, the teams from Canada, Great Britain and Sweden essential! y sponsored the Latvians, Lithuanians and Russians. From the start, it was clear that there would be no hard feelings about this from either west or east, as each of the 12 teams (seven open and five women's) seemed more excited than the next to be there.

I had arrived in Latvia in late May to work on my master's thesis, just as the organizing committee was really gearing

up. The small but dedicated group met weekly at the Latvian Agriculture Ministry - workplace of tournament director Aiga Grasmane. (Little did the Latvian government know how much we appreciated its hospitality.)

Among them, the organizers had been players or staff at several international tournaments, including EUCC in Prague; worlds in St. Andrews, Scotland and Heilbronn, Germany; and Paganello. They had also been organizing the Latvian beach tournament, "Jurmalas Bite" for several years. But no one had ever organized anything this big, with more than 200 participants to house, feed, and transport over almost a week of tournament play. With time going fast and major logistics unresolved, I admit, I felt a little nervous.

But not Aiga, whose collected and cheerful demeanor inspired us all to take on double duties as needed.

Perhaps it was her diplomacy that scored us the biggest trump of the tournament - a whole week of dry, hot, sunny weather. (At the same latitude as Anchorage, Riga's most typical weather forecast is variable cloudiness with scattered showers.)

Once the tournament got started, my nervous anticipation gave way to the wonderfully familiar and universal feeling of

Put seven on the line anywhere, anytime, and they pretty much know what to do.

Ultimate Players Association

Fa/12002

an Ultimate tournament. Put seven on the line anywhere, anytime, and they pretty much know what to do. This was apparent, as many of the games were really close and competitive. (And documenting all of this excitement were legions of local media, from the nightly news to the national sports newspaper.)

Granted, team Canada came out strong and remained dominant throughout, with their huge sidelines, graceful and disciplined play, and generous spirit. Most of the other countries- Great Britain, Sweden, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, and Russia- had trouble fielding large enough teams while meeting the age limitations.

Nevertheless, each team fought hard; and the less experienced the team, the more strikingly obvious was its progress from game to game. Given a few more years, teams like Russia open, with their spirited play and tight teamwork, will be major

Russia open team.

Canadian girls team. Photo by Patrick Scanlon.

28

Photo by Patrick Scanlon.

Junior Worlds

Photo by Patrick Scanlon.

forces in the world Ultimate scene. (For a complete list of scores and standings, check out the tournament website www.frisbee.lv) Everyone agreed that focusing on juniors Ultimate is a good approach, since most organized sports in Latvia happen in the schools. The minimal equipment and infrastructure of Ultimate make it work even with the most limited budgets. And the honesty, self awareness and teamwork (or any of Ultimate's countless other qualities that readers of this article could name) are, in my opinion, just what the future leaders of Eastern Europe's new democracies need. As an American-Latvian, I spend a lot of time in Riga and have been playing Ultimate there since 1998. My Latvian teammates' unwavering commitment to play and promote Ultimate at all costs tells me the sport is there to stay.

~

WORLD ULTIMATE JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIP RIGA LATVIA 2002 9-13JULY

WUJC2002~, P.IGA LATVIA~

JUNIOR VVORLDS TOURNEY RECAP

by Kyle \Neisbrod From July 8th to July 13th Riga, Latvia hosted seven open teams and five women ' s teams in WFDF' s 2002 World Ultimate Junior Championship.

Upon their arrival, the teams were treated to sunny, warm weather and the sunny disposition of masterful tournament director Aiga Grasmane. Aiga and the staff of WUJC 2002, were on top of everything from high quality, daily newsletters to a great end-of-the-week party for the players.

As the tournament began, the Swedish and Canadian teams in both divisions came out strong.

After the third day of play, the Swedish open team was undefeated at 40, while the Swedish women and both Canadian teams were 3-0.

This set up huge match ups on Friday morning between Canada and Sweden in both

The Canadians not only won all of their games, but also won the hearts of their competitors.

Some of the players had played for nine years, and the Swedes just couldn ' t handle them. There was no single play that turned the tide in the 17-7 victory, but Derek Alexander' s head high lay out block on a hard-running Swedish cutter early in the first half represented the way the whole tournament had gone.

Alexander and Oscar Pottinger followed up their juniors gold medal with a fourth place finish at world clubs with Vancouver club team Furious George.

Spirit of the Game Award

Latvia, Lithuania, and Russia girls teams. Photo by Patrick Scan lon.

divisions. In both games, the Canadians proved dominant with their experience and athleticism.

A few of the teams were granted exceptions on the WFDF age limits so that they could field a team, and it was well worth it as every player benefited from the chance to compete. The Latvian, Finnish , Russian, English and Lithuanian teams all showed great improvement over the week.

Semis After pool play, Canada stood atop both divisions. The semifinals in the open division pitted Canada against Russia and Finland against Sweden. The Russian open team improved drastically over the week, and the play of Anatoli Vassiliev was exciting to watch , despite the 17-3 Canadian victory. Some have called Anatoli the Russian Fortunat (at least the former Brown players in attendance did.) The other semifinal match up saw Sweden slowly pull away from the Finnish team, despite occasional moments of brilliance in the Finns' horizontal stack offense .

In the women ' s division, the Canadians shut out the Russian-Lithuanian combo team, 17-0. On the other side, Sweden emerged victorious over the Latvians 17-5 when the Latvians found themselves unable to score on the goal line several times.

The Canadians not only won all of their games, but also won the hearts of their competitors. Both the men and women ' s teams returned to Canada with the Spirit of the Game award for their awesome display of spirit throughout the week. The future of international Ultimate is in good hands with all of the teams in attendance playing spirited and competitive Ultimate.

Finals The Canadian women once again showed their dominance in the finals as they started quickly and never slowed down.

The Canadian women were all around highly skilled and athletic. With a few players from the Vancouver women ' s team Prime, they were tough to stop. The Swedes managed to get a couple of points in, but the play of leaders Sally Podmore, Alex Snyder and Danny Buntain took the Canadian women to a 17-4 victory.

The men's final was almost as one-sided.

Like their female counterparts, the Canadian men were overwhelmingly more experienced than the rest of the field.

Canada vs. Latvia girls teams.

Photo by Patrick Scan lon.

Photo by Patrick Scan lo n.

Junior Worlds

I Fa/12002

I www.upa. org I 29

World Ultimate Junior Championship SEMIS:

Open Canada Russia

17

Sweden Rnland

17 12

Canada vs. Sweden open teams.

Ph oto by Patrick Scan lon.

3

Women Canada 17 Russia/Lith. o Sweden Latvia

17

5

FINALS:

Open Canada Sweden

17

Women Canada Sweden

17

7

4

Great Britain open team.

by Patrick Scan lon.

SPIRIT OF THE GAME AWARDS:

Open Canada Women Canada FINAL STANDINGS:

Open 1.

2.

3.

4· 5.

6.

7.

Canada (8-o) Sweden (6-2) Rnland (4-4) Russia (3-5) Great Britain (2-5) Latvia (2-5) Lithuania (1-5)

• Want to recruit more women to play on your team or league?

• Are you interested in hosting a women's teaching clinic or a women's hat tournament?

Women

The Women's Event Promotion Kit is aimed at helping individuals and teams organize and run events that promote and introduce the sport of Ultimate to women.

Canada (6-o) 2. Sweden (4-2) 3. Latvia (3-3) 4· Russia/Lithuania (1-5) 5. Rnland (o-4)

1.

30

Ultimate Players Association

If you are a UPA member and are interested in promoting or introducing the sport of ultimate to women, please contact HQ at info@upa.org or call 1-800-UPA-GETH.

Fa/12002

Junior Worlds

Photo

SCARSDALE,

NV

ULTIMATE CAMP

by Ed Hsieh

Two years ago, my friend Edward Lin and I decided we wanted to make our hometown of Scarsdale, NY, a source of permanent Frisbee talent.

High school juniors at the time, we were determined to create a successful Frisbee camp and win a UPA Innovation Grant to help fund the camp. That year, we succeeded in not only not winning a grant, but we also managed to get exactly one sign up for our camp. The following year we were bitten by senioritis and lost all motivation to accomplish anything.

This past year, however, we tried again. Applying for the UPA grant in

Getting a grant The Innovation Grants projects for this year have been great. You can find in this newsletter information about Ed Hsieh and Ed Lin's Frisbee camp. David Dreher's project in Oregon was written up in the last newsletter. You can also find these articles and other information about the Innovation Grants program at http://www. u pa.org/ grants/.

Start thinking of how you can spread Ultimate to your community now! Grants applications are due January 31, 2003 and are available at http://www. u pa.org/ grants/ grantapp .shtml.

January, we stated that we were to provide a free camp for kids in third to eighth grade in our hometown. When we received word in April that we had in fact won a grant, we became determined (even more than the first time) to create a successful camp. We somehow managed to convince Stew Watts, our high school team's current captain, to be a counselor for our camp. Getting in contact with our town and high school newspapers, the three of us got several articles printed about our camp. We decided at the time that if we received less than 15 sign ups per session (with two 2-week sessions total) , we would call the camp off and get "real jobs."

For much of May, we prepared for the camp, ordering sick t-shirts, purchasing dozens of stock Ultimate discs and buying lots of popsicles. Hundreds

of popsicles. Enough popsicles for every camper and instructor to eat at least one, but often two, popsicles a day.

By the end of the month, we decided to set our minimum to ten sign ups and continued our seemingly futile quest. On July 8th, the day our camp was to begin, we had nine campers enrolled and decided to begin.

Another camper showed up that day, however, bringing our official total to only five below our original minimum.

Two of the kids, we learned, were hemophiliacs and also seemed to have joint problems, causing one to have a hurt wrist and the other a hurt ankle.

One of the campers simply didn ' t show that day.

Ed and I had met the night before to plan out our camp's daily schedule and wanted to begin each day with a warm up jog. Afterwards, we sat in a circle and had each camper say their name and favorite sports. Alas , none of them were smart enough to mention Ultimate. We then attempted to explain the rules of Ultimate to them, using both "Ultimate in 10 Simple Rules" by Steve Courlang and Neal Dambra, as well as an even simpler "Five Rules of Ultimate for Kids" that we wrote ourselves for the camp.

I think around the time we were wrapping up our discussion of the rules, which they claimed to learn very quickly, one of our campers puked.

One of our friends, who happened to come watch our first day, was permitted to deal with this pleasant surprise.

Outside of this, however, the day moved fairly well because of our planning the day before. We taught the kids the backhand, played Swim Fishy Swim and scrimmaged a lot.

The scrimmage that first day was not unlike a big mob scene, as the disc moved very slowly from player to player, was often dropped, and players clogged everywhere. I reported happily to my friends that the first day had gone well-I had two hemophiliacs, one camper that had to throw lefty because of a hurt arm, one who couldn't run on account of his ankle, one who threw up in the first ten minutes, and one who hadn't shown up at all.

The rest of the week ran more smoothly, each day bringing one or two more sign ups so that we had about fifteen kids by Friday. Games like Frisbee Golf and Five Hundred worked very well with the kids while teaching them Frisbee skills; not surprisingly, drills and throwing exercises were less popular.

We had decided early on that the

Innovation Grants

camp would focus on letting the kids have fun while learning Ultimate, as opposed to teaching Ultimate and having fun on the side. As a result, we had trouble sometimes finding a balance between what they wanted to do (Five Hundred, all the time) versus what we should teach them (the dreaded stack.) By the end of the second week, they were able to throw effective forehands and backhands to each other in scrimmage. Their hammers were affected, I suspected, by their proportionally larger heads, though I could be wrong.

The second session we had 18 signups, about half of which had attended the first session. This time, when asked about their favorite sports, the shrewd, brown-nosing, experienced kids all declared, "Frisbee!"

We were happy to read what 12year-old Adam Segal said in an article that our local paper printed: "The first day I liked Frisbee, so I decided to sign up for this week. I didn't plan on that from the start. I had a really great time, and I want to get better. I enjoy camp a lot. We all improved a lot. I started putting a lot more effort into the game, and I got a lot better."

At times during the second session, we had severe problems keeping campers motivated and catering to both experienced and new players. A I

Fa/12002

I

www.upa. org

I

31

few students in this session simply refused to participate certain days and required individual counselor attention.

By the end, however, we learned to balance attention between the campers to teach them all. Second session attendee Matt Steele said, "I really didn't know much about [Ultimate], so that's why I did it. I've learned how to do a stack, a forehand, a backhand, and I sort of learned the hammer. As soon as I played it, I thought, ' Gosh, this is fun,' and, ' This doesn ' t hurt me, so my mom won't care."'

Towards the end of the session, we tried out a juke drill one day that worked surprisingly well, and in retrospect, we should have tried sooner. During scrimmage that day, we were amazed to hear camper Alex Crean yell to his teammate, "Don't just stand there, JUKE!" We watched in awe that day as Adam threw twenty-yard, arcing hammers to Alex. We even had 4th graders making one-handed jumping catches in the end zone. Adam's father, who came to watch and videotape that day, stated our sentiments: "I'm amazed. They're playing so different from the first couple days.

They ' ve really learned a lot."

The last day of camp was all-out scrimmaging. First counselors played campers (with the help of University of Richmond 's Andrew Sosa and high school

senior Mike Akresh, the counselors dominated); then campers versus campers; then counselors played counselors (we had old and current Scarsdale Hellfish come play pick up.) We also gave out awards, Frisbees, pizza, cookies, and Popsicles, rounding out our thoroughly childfriendly camp.

While fun to run, the camp required a

great deal of time, organization and responsibility. Getting enough sign ups and knowing what to do in emergency situations were critical. One of the hemophiliacs had a nosebleed one day that we had to deal with, for example. We learned to plan out a day's schedule, but keep it flexible enough to change if a drill or game was shorter or longer than expected. I learned how to exert authority over whiny kids and get them to do drills despite their protests and the extreme heat.

All in all, the camp turned out to be a success, with over 30 sign ups in all, enthusiastic feedback from parents , and support from our local recreation department to budget money for our camp in future years.

Since we ended up charging $50 per camper per session as required by the recreation department, we have decided to donate back the $250 UPA grant we won. In the end, while we did not use the grant money, receiving the grant gave us the feelings of motivation and obliga-

tion necessary to make the camp a success.

The counselors, including Watts, Sosa, Akresh, as well as Andrew Joynt and Jonathan Fader, all helped immensely despite having agreed to teach voluntarily this year. We decided then to use our profits to start our own grant, the Hellfish Foundation. This year, we will be awarding $700 to help Ultimate-related projects.

Sosa, Watts, Lin and I are discussing plans to teach the camp next year and after, but fear we will have to "grow up" and get "real jobs." Though we don' t know who will teach and direct the camp in coming years, the camp itself will continue. A new generation of Scarsdale Ultimate has been born.

You may contact Ed Hsieh and Edward Lin via email for more information about their new grant program or their camp at eddyh@ mit. edu and edward. lin@ be. edu respectively.

Don't iust stand there -JUKE!

32

Ultimate Players Association

Innovation Grants

THE HAVVAIIAN OUTREACH PROJEC I

by John and Dayna Hillcrest: Aloha Friends!

As a gift to the state of Hawaii for hosting the World Ultimate Club Championships 2002, the World Flying Disc Federation provided funding and support for the Hawaiian Outreach Project (HOP.) The HOP was broadly designed to share with as many Hawaiian kids ("keiki") as possible the life-fulfilling game of Ultimate and other flying disc sports.

The HOP began with this premise: "Flying disc games like Ultimate are at their essence toys to promote self confidence, laughter and positive social interaction. Many kids will fall in love with Ultimate's playful way of expressing our human need to interact with other people with common cause and respect for each other. Any sport can reveal passion; Ultimate for many of us has revealed passion and spirit.

For the joy of friends, fun and new memones waiting to be discovered-it's in this spirit that we hope to share our enthusiasm for flying disc sports. Our original joy can be passed on ... and should be. The children of Hawaii are worth it. We dream some local kids will take to our game, ULTIMATE, with the same enthusiasm and spirit which has provided us all with infinite rewards, friends and great memories."

Hawaii has few funds available for its public schools and youth groups. We found the educators, teachers and youth leaders hungry for more alternative, positive and cheap activities for its youth.

The adults and keiki were so grateful for the time we spent teaching disc skills and games and were especially grateful for the 'free' discs and educational materials we left behind that became theirs to keep.

Of course, the kids' favorite was always "Friend," the Frisbee dog. It's almost impossible to win a popularity

contest with Friend around. (Friend is our amazing four-year old border collie.)

We discovered that many schools already built Ultimate (often an incorrect, but workable version) into their curriculum. Other schools and youth groups are now adding disc sports to their programs. The Hawaiian educators and youth leaders agree on many positive aspects of Ultimate and other Flying disc games: • The cost of materials is extremely inexpensive.

• Ultimate and other disc games are "new" sports, which places all kids on the same level.

• Spirit of the Game ensures no arguing, no angry voices and no fightingonly re-dos.

• Hundreds of kids to keep busy for a few days?

Not a problem.

Some of the schools and youth groups already had discs. They were, unfortunately, using an inferior and almost unusable mold. A bad disc, which doesn' t work well, and a good disc, which does work well, cost almost the same. This youth population and its leaders are unaware of the difference and need access to quality discs. Anyone involved in outreach efforts can make a quick and immediate difference by providing a real disc.

Over the last nine months, the HOP has run clinics and developed programs for the Hawaiian public and private schools, the Oahu Parks and Recreation-Summer Fun Programs, the statewide Hawaii PE Teacher Conference, the Boys and Girls Clubs, the Big Brothers and Big Sisters, the Boy Scouts, day camps and various community functions.

With the initial funding from Hapa Ultimate Inc. , HUI2002 and WFDF, and the continuing support of Discraft, Wham-o, Play-Ulty, Discovering the

Any sport can reveal passion; Ultimate for many of us has revealed passion and spirit.

World, Wright Life, Chasing Plastic, Infinity Disc Sports, Hawaii Medical Service Association (HMSA), Department of Recreation of Honolulu, Hawaiian Ultimate League Association (HULA), the UPA and countless Ultimate volunteers and individuals along the way, the HOP has been a complete Hawaiian Outreach Project kids. success: • 100 disc skills not that hard to "Give a Kid a Disc a workshops Chance," and the rewards are excep• 7000 youth, educators and youth tional. We left out many stories and leaders impacted insights learned over the last nine • 300 videos, 500 disc info brochures months. If you want some more info and 1500 discs given away send us a note at The interest from the Hawaiian jdjhillcrest@ hotmail.com schools and local youth organizations Aloha, has been incredible. We have only John, Dayna, Juni and Friend Hillreached a fraction of those schools and crest youth groups, many who have already asked the HOP for clinics next year. The Worlds Outreach Updates: Hawaii 's Learning League (mostly outer islands also vie strongly for our brand-new college players) is expanding attention. Our next task is to secure and booming with participation. Finland funding to continue the local outreach reports that most of their registered Ultiwork we have begun. mate players are now juniors. Venezuela We realize Hawaii is quite tiny and now has 13 college Ultimate teams and not the only place on earth starving for the Venezuelan Open team Yanomami educational funds for its children. The has increased their team skill levels tenentire globe is also crying for a way to fold since WUCC 1997 in Vancouver ... teach ourselves and each other respect, incredible progress. honor, laughter, spirit and approaching different points of view without anger.

Youth Outreach Raffle and The environment is ripe for bringing Ultimate and disc games to the youth of Fundraiser held during the world. We are and can continue to the WUCC 2002 be their mentors. Disc sports provides a Thank you so much, World teams, medium for children to practice positive for the donated gifts. Overall we life skills. Ultimate and disc sports received 30 gifts and raised $280. This make them laugh and have fun, it keeps amount purchased about 45 to 50 discs their bodies healthy, and it teaches them for the Hawaiian keiki. Only 1% of the to respect themselves and each other. players at the tournament participated WFDF and the UPA are in the in the raffle. We attribute the lack of process of expanding and reorganizing participation to our own "stretched too themselves. The stage is set for explofar to take care of the details properly" sive growth within various local comsyndrome. Thank you especially to munities and countries around the Dave Moscoe and Charlie Mead, who globe. continually gave us support with the Mahala from Hawaii to everyone raffle during the tournament. involved in local outreach programs. It's

Hawaiian Outreach Project

Fa/12002

www.upa. org

33

GENDER BLENDER

by Dan Berman Like so many of us, I sat and watched in horror as the Twin Towers fell in New York last September. I will never forget the few tense days it took to check in with everyone I know in Manhattan and verify that none of my friends and relations were directly affected.

About a week later, I was shocked and upset to learn that an effervescent woman, a player at the tournament I host each year, was not so fortunate.

I was deeply saddened to learn that Kit Faragher, a member of Colorado's Likety Split (Huckin' Fappy), was working in the World Trade Center on September 11th. The email

which circulated through the Ultimate community was very touching, and it clearly conveyed the profound sense of loss her friends and family were feeling.

As a tournament director, I've always had a special place in my heart for a team who would fly from Colorado to Toronto to play in our tournament year after year. From their first appearance as Huckin' Fappy, it was apparent to my co-director Mark Evans and I that this was a crew of warm and wonderful people who loved Ultimate as much as they loved life itself. Kit was a regular in this bunch, and her presence was always felt in the spirit they brought to Gender Blender. As Beth Faragher recounted about her sister, "Kit embodied the true Spirit of the Game throughout her life by living and loving fully, being kind, and having fun along the way."

Recalling Kit's vitality and great spirit on and off the field, we approached her teammates

and family and suggested renaming the Gender Blender Spirit Award in her honor. They were very enthusiastic and promptly promised to attend the 2002 Blender and present the Kit Faragher Spirit Award for the fust time.

Last winter, Beth carried an Olympic torch in her sister's memory in the relay that brought the flame to Salt Lake. A few weeks later, Beth contacted me and told us that her family had bought the torch she held as she ran, and that they wanted to give it to us as a new trophy for our award. Totally overwhelmed by their generosity (I couldn't think of a more appropriate monument), I gladly accepted their offer.

Though our hearts are filled with sadness about losing Kit, we are proud to announce that we inaugurated a genuine Olympic torch this year as the Kit Faragher Spirit Award in her honour and memory. We hope this timeless symbol of athletic spirit will forever remind us all of Kit's passion for life and

Kit embodied the true Spirit of the Game throughout her life by living and loving fully, being kind, and having fun along the way.

Ultimate, and of the singular importance such Spirit plays in our sport and lives.

We are also very proud to announce that Corning Soon, a new mixed team from Montreal, won the 2002 Kit Faragher Spirit Award.

Gender Blender was their first tournament after several years of playing together as a league team in Montreal. Impressing everyone with their attitude and high spirits, we were thrilled to have a chance to recognize their positive energy and enthusiastic commitment to sportsmanship on and off the field. Above all, we're very happy to see that our sport's greatest virtue- Spirit of the Game- remains a strong feature of what draws new players into competitive mixed Ultimate.

EASTERNS

By Addie Egan What would Easterns be without a few upsets, a few frustrating performances, a few surprises, a shock to everyone's system, a rain delay and high winds? Easterns 2002 offered all of the above with new teams, new players, short rosters and very long points. In the end, most agreed that they left Boston feeling they had a lot of work to do.

On Saturday morning, the wind picked up as women from Texas, Chicago, Toronto, DC, New York and New England shook the winter and the mixed spring tournaments out of their legs and took to the fields of Devens, Massachusetts to preview the 2002 fall senes.

Fuse of Toronto came out strong in the first round of pool play (their first game together) against Lady Godiva of Boston.

Fuse captured the first points of the game, connecting well on offense and playing unintimidated defense. "We played our whole roster," says Alison Fischer of Fuse. And despite falling 15-8 in the end, Fischer says it was their "best game of the tournament."

Other Elite Pool A highlights included Buttercup 's "squeaked out" win against BNOGO after a delay for a knee injury on BNOGO. Buttercup had traveled all the way from Texas to face DC 's BNOGO. Buttercup 's Judy Le reports that "although the wind was strong and gusty, we both came out strong and traded points for awhile." The win raised Buttercup's expectations for themselves, and they left Boston "with a list of things we want to work on," says Le. In Elite Pool B, Boston's Rogue found similar momentum against long time rival for a northeast bid for nationals, New York's Ambush, whom they defeated 10-3.

"I subbed evenly," says sidelined Rogue captain Betsy Stubblefield, asserting that under the tutelage of veteran Jackie Bourgeois, "Rogue is going to do good things this year."

In Easterns Division pool play, the Philly Peppers easily coasted through the day, defeating their opponents by seven or more.

Only Ultimate Harmony of Vermont gave Philly a game. Hot Rod of Boston split their day with decisive wins and equally decisive losses. Ruby Cruz gave Hot Rod

against Rogue on Saturday. Coming off of their closest game, finding Hot Rod lacka losing day, Ambush warmed up against adaisical after an easy win over SOL. Boston's Hot Rod before finding their Pool B followed a similar pattern, with Urge of Toronto rolling over the competirhythm and scoring those key upwind tion and Weird Alice splitting their day. breaks against Philadelphia' s Philly Peppers. Ambush "broke Philly 's marks anumElectric Mayhem, who fell only to Urge, fought through the "30-minute long points ber of times to open up their offense and due to the wind" to score," says Rebecca Center of Ambush. come back from a The New York women saw Urge in the consolation finals, and despite effective give10-6 deficit against and-go's by Urge, Ambush's defense took Weird Alice at the cap to finish 12-10, control and coasted to a solid win, 9-6. says Jen Freeman of Semifinals in Elite Elimination play had Electric Mayhem. been in full swing when the skies of Devens Chicago's Nemeopened up. While the interlude was brief, it sis found themselves changed the rhythm of the Backhoe vs.

Godiva semifinal. Godiva had found themfacing Godiva in the selves down to the North Carolina women quarterfinals on Sunday morning after before the rain delay. Backhoe took advangoing two and two tage of the strong wind to play their long on Saturday. Having game on downwind points and was patient not had a particuand strong on the upwinders. Godiva had answered most of Backhoe's upwind points, larly close game yet in the tournament, but just before the rain delay, Backhoe had pulled ahead. The break renewed the spirits Nemesis decided to take it to Godiva. and energy of the young and abbreviated Godiva ladies however, and they squeaked This quarterfinal game, like every other out a win, 11-10. game of the tournament, would go to the In the Ozone vs. Rare Air semifinal, team who could get the upwind break.

Nemesis caught Godiva on their heels after power and experience met power and experience. But Rare Air's well-trained lungs sitting comfortably on one such upwinder for most of the game. Margie Parkis found and pre-season practices quickly gave them her receiver in the end zone to bring the the upper hand. It was never a contest as game to within one at 11-10.

But Godiva pounded out another upwind score, passing dozens of times with their signature patience and short passes to pull out the win, 1411.

Buttercup similarly took it to Backhoe, who had difficulty connecting in a stiff wind. These newcomers to Easterns certainly proved they were the team to take note of this spring, though Backhoe came out with the win, 11-8.

Backhoe would see Godiva in the semifinals.

The other quarterfinals games pitted experience and iron lungs against relative newcomers. Rare Air had the legs and the know-how to outpace the budding Rogue 15-5, while Ozone' s strong throwers hit their marks to take the youthful Fuse 15-8.

Meanwhile, in Easterns Division elimination play, Ambush was making up for Photo by Scobel Wiggins their frustrating showing

In the end, most agreed that they left Boston feeling they had a lot of work to do.

the Colorado women walked through a 15-4 win. The finals would be a rematch with Godiva, whom they'd thoroughly whipped on Saturday.

Wind was still a factor as the finals got underway. It was once again a game of downwinders with the occasional upwind break, but Godiva took an early lead and Rare Air took their time in answering. The 2001 finals had seen the same match up, and with the combined memory of Saturday's crushing defeat and the previous year's frustrating loss, Godiva was ready to run hard. In classic Rare Air fashion, defense was a festival of layouts, but Godiva stuck to their calm offense and methodically worked the disc through the wind. Godiva's young tryouts turned up the team's defense so that both teams had to fight through the toughest defense of the weekend to score. Trading downwind points, punching in upwinders, and answering breaks continued until 11-11, when Godiva began to pull away. Game point was upwind-an inside out flick from Shana Cook to VY Chow.

From the first game on Saturday to the finals on Sunday, both young and experienced teams struggled with the stubborn wind and cranky winter legs. But even the newest teams found their rhythm and played full rosters to give the field a taste of what's to come.

Eastems

I Fa/12002

I www.upa. org I

35

by Alex Masulis

THE BRUTAL GRASSBURN STORY I guess it all began my junior year of high school. Some people would say it all began in the spring of 8th grade when one kid brought out a Frisbee after lunch and lured us away from the daily hacky-sack. And if they said that, they wouldn ' t be wrong. I guess that's when it all started officially. But junior year was when it all began.

It was a particularly wet and cold fall for Nashville, Tennessee, which isn ' t saying much because Nashville is never that cold or that wet compared to anywhere else. But it was cold and wet enough so that only about half of our Ultimate team, Brutal Grassburn, was showing up at practice. This was particularly serious because there were only about 12 guys on the team, and when half showed up, you really couldn't play much Ultimate. Practices had disintegrated into what would often be a heated half hour of "hotbox," perhaps followed by a trip to the Donut Den. In short, the team was falling apart.

Photo by Scobel Wiggins

36

Ultimate Players Association

Fa/12002

Apparently, after two years of going to local tournaments and getting beaten by every team we played, the novelty had finally and completely worn off. We had a few spirit trophies (for being obliterated by most every team we had ever met) and had even at one point during our sophomore year scored our first win everagainst Emory University. It should be noted that after losing to us, Emory's team completely disbanded and didn' t reform for over two years.

That was how embarrassing it was to lose to Brutal Grassburn.

Finally, one Sunday afternoon, I pulled into the Elmington Park parking lot to find only Dan Hodges (now attending UC Berkeley), Garret Westlake (now attending Carleton College) and our coach, Mike Lutz, had shown up. At that point we decided something radical had to be done.

That night, Dan and Garret went home and scoured our high school yearbook, picking out every girl that they would, in a perfect world, want to play Ultimate. Not surprisingly, these chosen few happened to be about a dozen of the most athletic, attractive women in our entire school.

That week we typed up a flyer that expressed our smcere hope that they would be interested in playing Ultimate and invited them to

Brutal Grassburn

come out to our practice that coming weekend. The word quickly got around our small team that there was the possibility of girls showing up at the next practice. And not just any girls-girls we all wanted to date.

Most of us said that we didn ' t think any of them would show up , but of course we were all wishing-praying-that they would.

That Saturday, I slept through my alarm and was late to practice. I got to the park about twenty minutes after practice normally began, and as I pulled into a parking spot, I peered through the windows of my mom 's station wagon at what to this day is one of the greatest sights I have ever seen.

Girls were everywhere. Girls with Frisbees. Girls getting out of their parent's cars. Girls being taught the forehand by my capable teammates.

And perhaps not surprisingly, every guy had shown up-even those who hardly ever came and even the most outspoken unbelievers of the plan.

After we got girls on the Ultimate team, everything else was pretty easy.

That spring we competed in the first ever junior national tournament as a mixed squad and finished 9th. We watched the fabled Amherst vs. Brooklyn Tech final and thought it was the greatest Ultimate game we 'd ever seen. By the beginning of the following year-my senior year of high school-we had a separate women's team, and most of us were already thinking about the spring ... and another national tournament.

That year we trained hard, running with the cross country team to get in shape and working out on our own whenever we had the chance. Some of us played more traditional varsity sports just for the " free" motivation and training. Encouraged by our volunteer coach, Mike Lutz, a hardboiled veterinarian and long time Ultimate player, we worked through the winter and into the spring.

As I look back on it now, I realize

Mike dedicated a tremendous and invaluable amount of time those last two or three years of our high school careers, and at the risk of sounding hopelessly corny, it's safe to say that he impacted all of our lives in one way or another. But enough cheesy flashback.

Around the end of May 1999, one week before our high school graduation, we all got on the plane to Philadelphia, site of the 2nd annual junior national tournament. That Saturday we won all of our games, going 4-0 and earning a bye into the quarterfinals. After defeating Newton North on Sunday morning we matched up against our role models, Brooklyn Tech . Confident after their 2nd place finish in '98, the New York squad countered our loose style of play with one of their own, and we traded points to 10-10 before finally winning 15-12.

Finally, we had reached the finals of nationals. On that cloudless, 99 degree day, half-dead from exhaustion and decimated by heat stroke, Brutal Grassburn limped unceremoniously over to the finals field. Seattle MoHo were in as bad shape as us after narrowly defeating the previously undefeated Amherst Regional High School.

I can't remember most of the game, but at one point I realized we were up 13-12 and that it was possible we might win it all without anyone really noticing. A few points later Chris Mayne (now attending UC-Santa Cruz, UT-Knoxville) caught the winning goal to make it 17-14, and the sparsely populated sideline (mostly our women's team and a few family members) went appropriately berserk.

After four hard years, losing to practically every team in the southern US, we had won the National Championship.

Alex Masulis is a senior at Carleton College and plays for CUT and the elite Twin Cities Ultimate team Sub Zero. He is super fast.

by Julia German

THE Too I guess it all began my junior year of high school. Brutal Grassburn had been around for longer than that, but I hadn't really cared. A friend and I were so bored that we were trying to catch the leaves as they fell out of a tree, when one of the team members came over to us with a proposition. I suppose the orange shirt was what gave them the idea to incorporate my friend and I in their game - something called "hotbox," which was intriguing enough a title to see what it was all about.

That random afternoon serving as a cone, I watched up close a small group of the guys (who you could describe as "holding onto the grunge phase with two fists") running and jumping everywhere for this toy. Ultimate Frisbee seemed like the funniest thing I could imagine, since I associated it with these funny guys and their toy that they took so seriously. My good friend at the time, Matt Heard (now attending UT, Knoxville), was one of these "Frisbee guys" despite the fact that he looked more like Jesus than a Pearl Jam groupie, and he started to try to convince me to come and throw with them.

Their coach was this really weird guy who showed up at school during lunch wearing these awful, very tight, "baby doll" shorts (as they were known at least to us) that he must have had since his high school days, considering all the holes in them. After watching one of their tournaments, ltchfest, in the fall of '97, I was even more intimidated. It seemed like every point you were either flying and crashing across the field, or you were getting talked to by the coach from a distance of about 1.5 inches, a proximity to the baby shorts that I was uninspired by.

Practice was going to be based on recruiting one Saturday afternoon, and they were hoping girls would show up as well, since as rumor had it, Frisbee could be coed. I pulled into the Elmington Park parking lot to find only a few people had shown up , but the

BRUTAL STORY number of girls and guys alike increased quickly. It was really fun, and Mike Lutz, the coach wasn't nearly as weird as I thought. His close-talking advice was really helpful. By the end of the day, I could get the disc near enough that one of the guys could lay out and catch it, which they did a lot of. It seemed like they were really trying hard, more than usual that day, looking back.

Over the next year, we improved a lot, and a few of us girls on Brutal Grassburn stuck with it through the first junior nationals that took place that spring of 1998. Over the next year, due specifically to the leadership of Chowning Johnson and Claire Menely, the number of females at practice increased to the point that by the second junior nationals, we had our own women's team, Too Brutal.

The team was composed of a lot of new players, which was both exciting and frustrating at this point, since we weren't totally ready to compete with the likes of Amherst's Tiina Booth- trained women's crew.

It was halftime of our final game against Amherst, and we were down. There were only four women's teams at the tournament, so we had played and been beaten by them before and felt the end of our nationals drawing near.

Claire knew it was time for a pep talk, and we all

gathered around her. Normally an extremely humble and quiet girl , she burst out with: "So have you guys looked around today? We have the best looking team here. Have you guys ever noticed that?

Everyone on our team is really good looking. It's sort of weird." Of course we all agreed that we were all very good looking and mulled on that for awhile. And as most groups of teenage girls would, we felt pretty good about ourselves- being muddy and strong and fast ... and pretty good looking.

We went back into the game, and got beaten by the less attractive Amherst women, who were really good Ultimate Frisbee players with really good spirit, but certainly not as good looking.

Since we had been playing as a

mixed team for a long time, we hurried over and watched the men's game. I would describe it to you now, but honestly, ever since high school , it is all that they talk about. Garret Westlake and Alex Masulis (now attending Carleton College) even played on a national champion college team, and still every time we visit home, someone wants to watch that old high school nationals video.

Nonetheless, it was a fantastic game, and at the end of the day, we walked away with a national championship trophy and a spirit award trophy collectively.

Julia German is a senior at University of Colorado and plays for the CU women's team, Kali. She is pretty good looking.

Photo by Scobel Wiggins

Too Brutal

I

Fa/12002

I

www.upa. org

I

37

THE NEVV AGE SPORT MEEIS THE INFORMATION nience 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. If you are tired of reading tattered old photocopies of the Eighth Edition rules, there is a copy of them ready to print out on your printer. There are listings of

May 1988 Vol. 8 No.3

By Ernie Willvonseder Can you see the stereotype of the traditional sports jock sitting at a computer terminal? Is there something wrong with this picture? Now try an Ultimate player. Surprisingly, a lot of them do fit right in at a computer keyboard. Now, for those with a computer and modem, there is Ultimate Discs.

Ultimate discs is a computer bulletin board that offers a variety of features of interest to Ultimate enthusiasts.

There is a store of Ultimate related fields available on line at your conve-

R

38

Ultimate Players Association

Fa/12002

1-1

upcoming tournaments that are continuously updated as tournament announcements come in. There are also tournament reports from the users of the board.

Images from Hawaii

All photos by Scobel Wiggins

c

ERA

One of the favorite files is the College Top 20 List. The Top 20 is kept up to date weekly (courtesy of Eric Simon.)

But the board can also act as an electronic mail room. When you call up

I

L

you can read messages left to you from other users. If you like, you can also leave messages to other users for them to pick up next time they call. You can

send mail to such notables as Sanjeev Khanna, the SUNY Purchase Ultimate Coach, or Eric Simon, Mid-Atlantic Coordinator.

So how do I do this, you ask? Well you need access to a computer with a modem. Next, run your communications program and tell it to call914-3814105. You can call the board at either 1200 or 300 baud. Once you are connected, hit your enter or return key two or three times and then just follow directions.

If you have any questions about the board, you can send for some info ' from me, at 550 Shore Acres Drive, Mamaroneck, NY 10543. I can also be reached via Compuserve at account number (75016,1235.)

The World's

SPORTDISC™ Quality runs deep, consistency always works, and dependability rules.

For over 20 years, we've supplied players and tournaments with the finest disc ever designed for the sport of Ultinuzte •••

ULTRA-STAR™ 175 gram.

OFFICIAL DISC

OF THE ULTIMATE PLAYERS ASSOCIATION

DI5CRAFT WORLD'S FINEST PROFESSIONAL SPORTDISCSTM

www.diecraft.com 29592 fleck Road • Wixom, Michigan USA 48393 • Ph: 248.624.2250 • Fax: 248.624.2310

THE ULTIMATE PLAYERS ASSOCIATION NEWSLETTER • BOULDER • COLORADO

VOLUME 22 • NUMBER 3 • FALL 2002

YOUR CHANGE OF ADDRESS: The UPA Newsletter is mailed non-profit rate and is not forwarded. To change your address, go to www.upa.org, call 1-800-UPA-GetH, or write info@upa.org.

High Ultitude

by David ~chneider

Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage

BCW! YOll ~'R:e. NOT PlA'(IN~ \\.\IS ~~1"1£.1\c.MN!

\..

Rupert was very excited that his mom was f inally going to make it out to see him play Ultimate.

Unfortunately though , she did not make it out until the cheer, which was given by a Canadian team, a rather raunchy Canadian team.

PAID ULTIMATE PLAYERS ASSOCIATION 741 Pearl Street, Side Suite Boulder, CO 80302

Permit #498 Colo. Springs, CO