Emory Medical Students 6 • Summer Ultimate Camps 10 • Frisbee Inventor Remembered 25
USA
ULTIMATE
U LT I M ATE P L AYE R S A S S O C I AT I ON — S P R I NG 2 0 1 0
Ultimate Players Association 4730 Table Mesa Dr., Suite I-200C Boulder, CO 80305
2010
College Preview issue
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ANDREW DAVIS
USA
ULTIMATE
The nation’s top collegiate players will descend upon Madison, Wis., this May.
Ultimate Players Association 4730 Table Mesa Dr. Suite I-200C Boulder, CO 80305 303.447.3472 www.upa.org info@upa.org President Peri Kurshan Board of Directors Gwen Ambler Ben Banyas William Bartram Audrius Barzdukas Jason Chow Mandy Eckhoff Matt Farrell Seth Grossinger Peri Kurshan Joshua Seamon John Terry Henry Thorne UPA Staff Matthew Bourland, Championship Series & New Media Manager Melanie Byrd, Membership & Sport Development Tom Crawford, Chief Executive Officer Will Deaver, Managing Director, Competition & Athlete Programs Byron Hicks, Championship Series Manager Chuck Menke, Managing Director, Business Development & Communications Anna Schott, Membership & Sport Development Meredith Tosta, Youth Development Director Erin Wolter, Office Manager
The Ultimate Players Association (UPA) is a non-profit organization and serves as the National Governing Body for the sport of Ultimate in the United States. Founded in 1979, the UPA is one of the first flying disc sport organizations in the world and is also the largest, with more than 31,000 members and a national volunteer network. USA Ultimate USA Ultimate is the official publication of the Ultimate Players Association, published quarterly. All ideas expressed in USA Ultimate are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the UPA. USA Ultimate assumes no responsibility for the return of unsolicited manuscripts or photographs. Editor-in-Chief Chuck Menke Advertising Complete rates and specs are available online at www.upa.org/ sponsors Change of Address USA Ultimate is not forwarded by the post office. To update your address, visit www.upa. org/members For a complete list of UPA contacts, please visit www.upa.org
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Letters to the Editor
V 30.1
Ultimate Revolution Progress Report
President's Column
State of the Sport: Women’s Ultimate
Q&A With David Kroodsma A Letter To Our Members The Ultimate Decade
Fast Times At Emory Medical School Happy Campers Her Turn Youth Ultimate Strengthens Women’s Game 2010 UPA Open College Championship Preview 2010 UPA Women's College Championship Preview CBS College Sports 2009 UPA Coordinators of the Year Coaches' Playbook presented by Five Ultimate Deep Cutting & Receiving
2010 UPA Innovation Grant Recipients
League Spotlight Q&A with a League Director
What's The Call? UPA News & Notes Injury Timeout
Skin Dee Wounds, Bruises and Blisters
Above The Competition
Strength & Conditioning: Building the Foundation
Mission Statement
To advance the sport of Ultimate in the United States by enhancing and promoting Character, Community, and Competition.
On the Cover: The University of Pittsburgh’s En Sabah Nur and University of Oregon’s Fugue are eyeing a return trip to the UPA College Championships in the Open and Women’s Divisions, respectively. WWW.UPA.ORG 1 Pictured: Mike Pannone (graduated) and Bailey Zahniser (sophomore). Photos: Andrew Davis
LE T T ERS
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Send it in a Letter President Barack Obama sent each member of the 2009 U.S. National Team a congratulatory letter and autographed photo after Team USA captured the gold medal at The World Games last summer in Chinese Taipei. Special thanks to Gabe Saunkeah for sharing his correspondence from Pennsylvania Avenue.
Hello, I’m not sure how many members we have in Antarctica, but I recently completed an (austral) summer season down at the South Pole Station, and tried to get a game started on the ice sheet. Only two people came outside to brave -30°F temps on top of ice 10,000 feet thick, but we had a camera out there. So we got a few shots of my “southernmost layout in the world,” next to the ceremonial South Pole marker. Thought you would enjoy it! Brad Whelchel Photo: Rickard Hjelmsten
Ed. – Amazing . . . thanks for sharing. But we’re going to go out on a limb here and assume that, unless you met another UPA member during your visit to Antarctica, the answer is one.
I just got my copy of the UPA magazine, and was very favorably impressed with the changes that have been made. The quality of writing is noticeably better, and I really like the human-interest angle of the articles. Keep up the good work! Mike Sintetos
I just wanted to compliment the work on the latest issue of USA Ultimate. Several teammates and I commented on how this issue stood out with its content and writing. Kudos to you, your staff, and all contributors to the magazine. Allen Moentmann, St. Louis Ultimate Association
Ed. – Thanks for noticing, guys, and hopefully more to come. The check is in the mail.
The Winter ‘09 issue of USA Ultimate
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Speaking of send it in a letter . . . let’s hear what you like – or don’t like – about the magazine, the sport or the UPA. Send your letters via email (letters_to_editor@upa.org) or snail mail to the national office (address on page 1) and we’ll print the best ones. All submissions become the property of the UPA and may be edited for content, length, grammar or punctuation.
ULTIMATE « SPRING 2010
was great, particularly Kyle Weisbrod’s “Coaches’ Playbook” column on resetting the disc. Are these columns online? If not, why not? Joe Bowbeer, Seattle , MIT ‘83 and Yeltsin’s Liver ‘97
Ed. – All installments of “Coaches’ Playbook” can be found online at UPA.org by clicking on the “Coaches” section at the top of the homepage (upa.org/coaches). And if that doesn’t work, you could . . . well . . . read this issue (page 28).
P r es i d e n t ’ s
C o l u m n
BY: Peri Kurshan President, UPA Board of Directors
State of the Sport: Women's Ultimate
Today, more women and girls play Ultimate than ever before. The upshot is that, as more high school girls get the opportunity, college teams welcome incoming freshmen who already know how to play. And the competition and athleticism is reaching the top club teams as well. Female club and college players have begun achieving superstar status in our sport and are becoming role models for girls who aspire to follow in their footsteps. One of the things that sets Ultimate apart is that girls and women are welcomed into the sport, and are showcased at the top level alongside their male counterparts. Because most introductory forms of Ultimate (league, pick-up, H.S.) are coed, women don’t need to accrue critical mass before joining the sport. And because opportunities to play are allocated equally by the UPA (a principle recently codified in the Gender Equity Policy), girls have opportunities to be exposed to role models and see that their path to success is not limited by external constraints. The recent growth in the status of women’s Ultimate can be attributed to many factors, including some targeted UPA programs. These include subsidized coaching clinics for women’s coaches, distribution of women’s clinic kits (page 34), and the publication of league and college manuals that deal specifically with recruiting and retaining women’s players. It is also due to grassroots players organizing women’s events. From the beginning, talented and creative women have been the driving force behind increased playing opportunities. Suzanne Fields, an inaugural UPA Hall of Fame member, led the establishment of a UPA Women’s Division in the early 1980s. Today, more and more women are coaching college and high school teams, holding clinics, becoming Observers, and organizing tournaments.
tournament play with opportunities to expose women’s teams to female leaders and coaches. And the Roundup Division was born. Michelle also organized and ran a college tournament, Midwest Warmup, and used the proceeds (along with a UPA grant) to fly in eight top women’s players/coaches to mentor developing teams from the South and Midwest at this spring’s Midwest Throwdown, while also arranging a skills clinic for 250 women. And for teams that can’t attend these tournaments, Michelle has assembled an amazing online resource: the College Women’s Ultimate Resources Manual, featuring 50 articles from experts in the game. What’s next? In collaboration with Sara Jacobi (Brute Squad, exBU), Michelle is working on a combined club/college tournament scheduled for this fall (Philly Fusion) that will provide college teams an opportunity to watch high-level women’s Ultimate during showcase rounds, as well as a skills clinic with club players. The growth of women’s Ultimate still faces many hurdles. The number of female players trails their male counterparts by two-to-one, and the attitude toward the women’s game is often slower to evolve than the actual level of play. However, with the explosion in youth Ultimate (UPA youth membership increased tenfold in the last seven years), the need for more women’s club teams is apparent. And college players are taking the initiative: teams such as Slackjaw in the Bay Area and Brute Squad in Boston were formed by combining players and recent college graduates into new club teams.
A prime example is Michelle Ng, captain of the Texas club team Showdown, and one of this year’s recipients of a UPA Innovation Grant (see page 30). Upon moving to Texas, Michelle began working tirelessly to grow women’s Ultimate in the South by attack- More girls playing Ultimate will mean not only an expanded need ing the biggest problem she saw: lack of playing opportunities. for opportunities, but also a greater demand for female role models. Michelle began organizing small regional tournaments, and then recruited these teams for the larger tournaments she was running, “The amount of dedication young women leaders have been showsuch as Centex. ing is incredibly encouraging for the future generations of the sport,” says UPA Vice President Gwen Ambler (Riot, ex-Stanford). Not content, Michelle organized college tournaments for teams that “Not only are these women committing countless hours to organeeded a fundraising opportunity, but didn’t have the expertise nizing teams and tournaments, but they are doing it in such a to run the event themselves. Such was the genesis for Midwest way that builds relationships between teams and strengthens the Throwdown. Last year, with the help of Anna Nazarov (Zeitgeist, Ultimate community around them.” ex-UCLA) and Holly Greunke (ex-Wisconsin), Michelle combined
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with David Kroodsma
Courtesy David Kroodsma
” QA
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BY: Carley Miller
David Kroodsma is an Ultimate player who has a passion for climate change. He attended Stanford University and played on the Ultimate team while earning a bachelor’s degree in climate and weather. He has been an activist for the awareness of the changing climate, recently prompting him to take a 17-month bike tour to South America, attend the climate summit with world leaders in Copenhagen, and even write a book. How did you get involved with Ultimate?
I learned to play from my friend, Tina, at Amherst High School in Massachusetts, in the spring of ‘95. I tried out for the A team but I couldn’t really throw, so I played for the B team and they moved me up to A eventually. It was just becoming the cool thing to do at Amherst. A lot of my friends were doing it — and 1995 was the first year we were real athletes winning against other college teams.
Is Ultimate still a part of your life?
Your Frisbee players are the people who like to do bicycle adventures and care about the environment. I am applying for a job right now with an environmental consulting firm where everyone in the office rides bikes and plays Ultimate. Right now I am not playing because I have had a lot going on, but I hope to get back into it very soon.
How did you become interested in environmental studies?
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My dad is an environmentalist who studies bird song, meaning he observes how birds communicate. Growing up we went camping and getting in touch with nature so I have always kind of had that interest.
ULTIMATE « SPRING 2010 ULtIMate
Explain your bike trip and why you did it.
First I biked from California to Tierra Del Fuego, an island off the southern end of South America, as far south as there are roads. Then I biked across the United States riding with another climate expert. It was 21,000 miles and look 17 months. Riding to Argentina I was by myself. The goal was many-fold, but I primarily used the trip to draw attention to climate change. I have been doing research at Stanford and realized it was a good way to get attention as I traveled. It involved going to schools and giving presentations, going to the media, and blogging about how the places I visited will be affected by climate change.
What impact do you think you made?
It’s hard to measure. The most exciting part is that I gave over 70 presentations in two years at schools, churches, libraries and community centers. I just hope that some of those people I talked to were inspired by my message. I can’t really know for sure how I impacted them. The problem is that I was just a passing messenger. One of my hopes is that part the effect will be in my book coming out in the fall. What’s great about a journey like this is that you go out saying you have a message you want to say when really it’s a much better way to bear witness
to see how the world is. When I travel by bike I meet thousands of people. The bike tour was a fact-gathering mission which allows for unique conversation and was a great way to interview people to see how they live, and to appreciate how amazing the planet is.
Why did you go to Copenhagen for the climate conference?
I was nominated as a reporter for the Huffington Post to be an ambassador for Hopenhagen. [The conference was] the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change’s 15th conference of the parties. The goal was to come up with a new treaty to replace the Kyoto protocol [because] it expires in 2012. The conference went poorly. Public opinion doesn’t support the actions we need, in part, because leaders didn’t make needed pledges to cut pollutions.
You mentioned you are working on a book, can you tell us a little more about that?
Yes, the working title is The Road to Tierra del Fuego. Writing is much more difficult than the actual journey. It is challenging to tell the story the way I want to tell it. My hope is that the book will lead to more tangible evidence of the change I was promoting.
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BY: Tom Crawford,
UPA Chief Executive Officer
The Ultimate Decade
It’s been seven months since I joined the UPA. I have been learning as fast as I can, getting to know the Ultimate sports landscape, and I have enjoyed every minute of it. I believe the next 10 years will be an amazing time for the sport of Ultimate in the United States and the world. It will go down in our sport’s history as The Ultimate Decade! Why do I believe this? In the next few months you will see us take some major steps on an exciting path as we launch what I call The Ultimate Decade. We will continue meticulously executing against your strategic plan, and, with all of your help, also begin stretching us to new heights and a bigger/better image in the world of sports! How? An exciting restructuring of our Club Division is underway. As these plans develop over the next year or so, look for announcements on a new series and competitive opportunities, as well as a new major event that will showcase our sport as never before, and celebrate all that is U.S. Ultimate. We’ll get our branding and image just right in the first half of the year, and then we’ll strategically attack the non-endemic sponsor market for the first time. This will be very exciting and challenging. We’ll build a new technology platform, and reach out to our leagues and tournaments as true partners in the growth of our sport. Our goal will be to provide tools, technologies, marketing and programs that will promote and enhance national systemic growth in The Ultimate Community. We’ll plan a strategic and focused expansion of our efforts to attract and retain more and more youth to our sport. This will occur through creative and innovative approaches to the youth sport market, and through expanded partnerships with our leagues and associations, driving new young players to their programs, as well as strategically partnering with established youth sports organizations.
» Successfully piloted a Facebook-marketed youth outreach program
An increased attention and focus will be placed on remaining the best Ultimate nation in the world. Part of our branding message will be “World Champions!” This will require increased resources and programs, building The Ultimate Talent Development Pipeline from youth through our top club teams and athletes.
» Are piloting a youth development and family program with the YMCA
I’ve also been really impressed by the great staff here in Colorado and our incredible network of dedicated volunteers across the U.S. who get an amazing amount done. For example in the first quarter alone, in addition to all of our business-as-usual tasks, we accomplished the following:
» Are fully engaged in completely redesigning our website for a launch later this year
» Launched the inaugural college regular season » Negotiated and finalized a CBS College Sports television contract for collegiate nationals
» Conducted multiple Observer training clinics » Developed a licensing program with our Canadian counterpart for some of our educational programs
» Marketed our great sport via a dynamic booth at multiple physical education and sports trade shows all over the U.S. » Started a pilot program for new Instructional Observers in partnership with Triangle Youth Ultimate League (Raleigh, N.C.)
» Sanctioned more than twice as many events compared to this time last year
» Finalized and are using a new and updated Observer Manual and related instructional materials
» Welcomed and processed double the number of members compared to this time last year
» Announced site/date and began planning for second annual UPA Grand Masters and Masters Women’s Championship
» Created a significantly more convenient online waiver system
» Began the club restructuring process
» Launched a new score reporter and ranking system » Created a new D-III competitive structure within the college series and began planning for the first UPA Division III College Championships » Developed an evaluation system for all sanctioned and experimental events
» Established goals and the framework for affiliate membership models » Developed the process, held tryouts and selected our World Junior Ultimate Championships teams » Created and mailed a new E-News targeted to league organizers
» Awarded multiple grants to a wide variety of well-deserving recipients
» Launched a fundraising program through My Sports Dreams for high school and college teams, raising more than $26,000 in the first two months
» With the support of Five Ultimate, educated and certified hundreds of coaches
The Ultimate Decade is underway ... join us! WWW.UPA.ORG
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Gary W. Meek
Clockwise from top left: Sam Chatterton-Kirchmeire, Robert Runner, Josh Ziperstein and Sara Gravelin (along with Anna Hare, not pictured) help comprise a nucleus of elite-level Ultimate players working their way through the prestigious Emory University Medical School in Atlanta.
Fast Times A t E m o r y Me d S c h o o l
BY: Carley Miller
An “Ultimate mindset” enables these budding physicians, who just happen to be some of the nation’s top players, to survive the rigors of medical school. Ever dream of growing up to become a doctor one day? To help save lives, make mom proud and everything else that comes with having a bunch of capital letters listed after your name? For most of us that notion faded once we discovered it means 10 more years of post-college schooling. Not to mention the classes are named things like endocrinology. And what about every young athlete’s aspiration to be one of the very best in a particular sport? Again, reality strikes most of us down. Now imagine living the best of both worlds: Becoming a doctor while excelling as a member of a nationally known Ultimate team. Impossible right? Well, a group of students at Emory University’s Medical School in Atlanta are doing just that. Meet Josh Ziperstein, Sara Gravelin, Sam Chatterton-Kirchmeire, Robert Runner and Anna Hare. Ziperstein, nicknamed Zip by his friends, is the most well-known of the group in Ultimate circles. The 26-year-old is a co-captain of Chain Lightning, an Atlanta-based team he helped lead to the 2009 UPA Open Division Club Championships in Sarasota, Fla. Now in his third year of medical school, he wants to pursue a career in global health. But success didn’t come overnight for the native of Amherst, Mass. His passion for Ultimate traces back to his senior year of high school. Zip was a stellar soccer player during his wonder years, but started playing Ultimate in order to hang out with his best friends. While weighing his college (and athletic career) options, Zip figured he could walk-on to the soccer team at Brown University. He also understood he’d be glued to the bench, rarely to set foot onto the field.
So much for Brown, right? Nope. Turns out Now, three years later, he’s asked how he the Ivy institution also had a thriving Ulti- made it this far through medical school mate club program, so off he headed to near- while simultaneously playing for one of the by Providence, R.I. But his shin pads didn’t nation’s most successful Open teams. make the trip . . . he had decided to become “School, eat, shower, study, Ultimate, sleep . a full-time Ultimate player. . . do it all again the next day,” he responds. It probably shouldn’t come as any surprise to learn that – four years later – Ultimate would He attributes his driving passion for Ultieven play a role in his decision-making pro- mate as a reason for his success in med school. Zip describes Ultimate as an “outlet” cess for medical school. in which he gets to see what he’s made When asked why he chose Emory, Zip of emotionally and physically. Something laughs while explaining: “Because they you don’t always get to do in the ordinary, had good Ultimate teams near by. Just kid- every-day world. He says playing Ultimate is like leading a “second life.” In one life ding . . . sort of.” he’s a dedicated medical student and, in In fact, he knew he had to feed his passion the other, an elite athlete. for high-level Ultimate and realized that the sport was his ticket to new friends in a He credits his academic success to planning, both on large and small scales. He brand-new city. schedules everything. Whether timing his The fact that the Dean of Emory’s Medical most difficult classes for the offseason, or School has a son who plays Ultimate didn’t just his day-to-day regimen – like eating hurt either. Zip says he felt more compelled and sleeping, everything is mapped out to to apply knowing that the Dean has a respect the finest detail. for the sport and the intensity it takes to play.
Ziperstein’s personal formula for success: “School, eat, shower, study, Ultimate, sleep . . . do it all again the next day.” WWW.UPA.ORG
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Gary W. Meek
Ziperstein (left) and Runner are teammates on the Atlanta-based Chain Lightning, which captured the 2009 UPA Open Division Club Championship.
This approach is mimicked by Gravelin, 30, a fourth-year medical school student at Emory who plays for Atlanta-based Bucket, an elite mixed squad. A fellow Massachusetts transplant, she admits that, in order to handle both school and Ultimate, you have to be a perfectionist and willing to “give 100 percent all the time.” They both strongly recommend that any Ultimate player continues with the sport after college, regardless of life’s path or other time commitments. It takes a little balancing and an “Ultimate mindset,” but the message is clear: it’s possible. Chatterton-Kirchmeire, 29, who played with Seattle’s Sockeye – another top Open Division Club team – last season could potentially join Chain Lightning this season, now that he’s in Atlanta. C.K., as he’s called, says Emory students are encouraged to participate in activities outside of school. He agrees with Gravelin’s “perfectionist” claim and says that a large portion of the medical school student body is extremely talented in everything from dance to sports to art.
organize a silent auction last year to raise money for Haiti prior to the earthquakes. As part of the auction, C.K. (who helped the United States National Team capture the gold medal at the 2009 World Games in Chinese Taipei) and Runner each donated an hour of private Ultimate lessons. Zip, despite being the most accomplished of the Emory med school players, outbid everyone for the lesson with C.K.
leading up to the UPA Club Championships last October. This competitive nature rubbed off on their fellow classmates, who seemingly transformed into instant Ultimate fans. Many began to follow C.K., Runner and their teams by demanding updates while the two were away at tournaments. The class has become so involved in Ultimate that when it’s warm outside, the 40-plus students will gather to toss the disc on Fridays after tests.
The ties of friendship run deep in the veins of this group of Emory players. First-year students Runner, C.K., and Hare, 28, of Portland, Ore., (who will be playing for Ozone, Hotlanta’s powerhouse women’s team, this season) attend all of the same classes. Runner and C.K. are anatomy partners, and C.K. and Hare are roommates.
Runner credits Zip, who willingly accepts the mentor role, for showing him what is possible. He admires Zip’s commitment to the sport and recalls a weekend when the team had practices on a Saturday and Sunday, and Zip happened to be on surgery rotation all weekend.
Runner is thankful to have a partner like C.K. who understands what it means to miss an occasional anatomy lecture in order to fly to a weekend tournament. C.K. says it’s cool just to have Ultimate players around, especially in the classroom. “There are at least two to three former college players [in the freshman class], and another guy who played with Robert in college,” he says.
Devoting part of his time to Project Medishare, a global health organization, Zip helped
As members of separate teams, C.K. and Runner nurtured a healthy rivalry in the weeks
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Zip is a pseudo academic advisor to C.K., and also a mentor and teammate of Runner, 22, from Atlanta.
ULTIMATE « SPRING 2010
Runner recalls his Chain Lightning teammate coming to practice after two hours of sleep, looking exhausted. But he still saw the love of Ultimate in his eyes. The lesson here of course is that, no matter how busy your life gets, maybe anything really is possible. Even the impossible. Carley Miller is an intern with the Ultimate Players Association, and this May will graduate from the University of Colorado’s School of Journalism & Mass Communications.
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Happy Campers By: Matthew Spillum
Brian Cook
Just like practically every other sport, camps are now a viable option for young Ultimate players. With summer right around the corner, kids – and parents – should start planning now.
Youth Ultimate players gather for a camp photo in Amherst, Mass., at NUTC, the sport’s first overnight summer camp.
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As youth Ultimate spreads from coast to coast, more young players of Colorado’s Junior Elite Methods camp into the inspiration for one look for new outlets to learn and grow in the sport. Youth leagues, such camp, Next Level Ultimate. recreational leagues, youth clubs and traveling clubs are all great venues, offering a mix of competition, community and learning. Still, “It was such a great experience, working with established college for the dedicated disc-chaser, there is always a burning desire to players, and meeting people from all over. I really wanted to bring improve. In the months between seasons during their middle school that solid development and sense of community to future college and high school years, what options are offered for the future stars Ultimate players,” says Feldman. of the game? Last summer, the camp in Wisconsin welcomed 25 boys’ players, In 1996, after one unsuccessful attempt, Tiina Booth started the first with this year’s camps in Madison, Wis., and Portland, Ore., aiming Ultimate day camp through the Town of Amherst (Mass.). Day camps for 40-50 campers per session. While it is still boys-only, Feldman are still the most widely available venue for additional Ultimate train- says future summers will incorporate girls’ camps as well. ing (ask your coach or teammates for a day camp near you or look online). However, one of the best learning environments for athletics Both camps offer rigorous training and personalized instruction from staffs that are a veritable who’s-who of elite college and club is an overnight, full-immersion experience. Ultimate. The schedules for each day start off with early morning The year 2001 saw the first overnight camp for Ultimate, once again wake-ups and breakfast, and then it’s off to the fields for a full day through Booth and Amherst’s new program. Though only 28 camp- of instructional drills, skill development, and, of course, scrimmaging. ers attended that first year, the camp grew swiftly, reaching four sessions of 100 campers each in 2009. This year the mostly coed “One thing I try to impress upon parents is to make sure their child sessions will, in honor of NUTC’s tenth anniversary, be joined by the really wants to attend a sports camp. It’s not a Frisbee festival,” NUTC Gold session, a more advanced, single-gender session for high explains NUTC’s Booth. Both camps’ daily schedules have lightsaround 10 p.m. “We initially had a much later lights-out time in school seniors and players on the cusp of college play. earlier years, but the kids kept asking us to move it back,” Booth says. The growth of the sport has opened the door for other overnight Feldman agrees, noting, “if they aren’t ready to sleep around 10, we camps. Ben Feldman parlayed his own experiences at the University aren’t doing our jobs.”
ULTIMATE « SPRING 2010
Campers from both camps seem to agree. Leila Tunnell, a former NUTC camper: “I learned so much that first year at NUTC. I was definitely surprised by the level of intensity of both the physical and mental training involved. Campers drill, do strength, agility and endurance training and scrimmage for about 7-8 hours a day. It was so thoroughly exhausting, but as a camper, NUTC was the most fun I had all year.” “The toughest challenge was to mentally and physically endure the whole week of training and skill development, while also trying to socialize during free time,” says Will Neff, another NUTC alum. Hours of work dedicated solely to Ultimate push campers to a new understanding of the sport. Ben Rehmann, a former Next Level Camper: “Not only did Next Level teach me to work and play at a speed I had never experienced, they pushed for perfection in all aspects of the game.” This is not to say that these camps are all work and no play; both NUTC and Next Level value the social interaction and teamwork that the camp experience creates. “I love the fact that the lifelong friendships that define Ultimate can form after one week of camp,” says Booth. Through trade nights, variety shows and other scheduled non-Ultimate activities, or even simple conversations between drills or over lunch, the camp experience is defined as much by the forging of friendships as skill development. “One of my best experiences was getting to know the awesome counselors, like Hector (Valdivia), Dan Miller, Dan Heijman and Jolian Dahl. Not only were they great teachers of Ultimate, but just really cool guys to hang out with,” said Dillion Read, Next Level camper. Having fun should a big part of any kid’s camp experience. Leila Tunnell says, “some of my best memories were performing in the talent shows with my brother Dylan, my friend Andrew Hollingworth, or one of the other counselors.” One of the best examples of building camaraderie is the number of former campers who return as counselors. Both Neff and Tunnell are counselors at NUTC, after falling in love with the camp and the sport. (cont’d on page 12)
summer camp
do’s and dont’s Before leaving, figure out what essentials will make it into the family mini-van and what will get left behind. One of the biggest questions for any kid attending an overnight summer camp is: What do I bring?!? Here are some suggestions: 1. Make sure to check if the camp provides bed linens. If not, sheets and pillows should be at the top of your list. 2. If the dorms are not air conditioned, a fan is likely going to go a long way to making your experience a comfortable one. 3. A willingness to work hard and the ability to run all day is essential. Remember, these are sports camps, not just tossing a Frisbee on a beach. 4. Leila Tunnell of NUTC recommends “any (musical) instruments or whatever else you might need for the talent show.” 5. Ben Feldman of Next Level recommends “ear plugs, in case your roommate is a snorer.” 6. You can never have too many clean socks and underwear. (This applies to life in general.) 7. The amount of time spent on the fields means that the only electronic items you might need are a cell phone, to let your parents know how everything is going, and any music you need to warm-up or learn for the talent show. 8. A deck of cards or other small, multi-player games for recreation time is always a good idea.
Brian Cook
9. Will Neff suggests a journal: “Being at camp is a great time to reflect upon yourself as a person and a player. If you keep track of what has been presented to you over the week of camp, you can return home and continue to learn from the experience.” 10. And don’t forget to bring a few items (jerseys and so forth) for Trade Night!
NUTC is celebrating its tenth anniversary this year by continuing to teach advanced skill development to youth players.
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“I returned to NUTC as a counselor because I couldn’t imagine a summer without it,” says Tunnell. For his part, Neff returns because he wants “to develop elite, competitive skills in youth players around the country.”
Courtesy Next Level
As Next Level continues in years to come, their current camper lists will doubtless add to their impressive counselor roster. Both camps seek to bring forth the best in their campers, both on and off the field. With talented instructors, solid links to the community and a vision for the sport, they seem to point to a bright future of Ultimate overnight camp opportunities. Feldman looks at the goal of Next Level as “passing the torch from elite college players to prepare high school players to come into college programs ready to meet and exceed the expectations of their new teams.” NUTC’s aim is “the re-emphasizing the parts of Ultimate that we love… we ask our campers, our counselors and staff to be their best selves, and that has built our camp culture,” says Booth. For more details on these camps, please visit their websites: NUTC (Mass.): www.nutc.net Next Level (Wis./Ore.): www.nextlevelultimate.com Slovenski Camps (Maine): www.slovenskicamps.com/frisbee/ Triangle Youth Ultimate League Camps (N.C.): 67.214.211.34/camps.html Bay Area Disc Association’s Youth Camps (Calif.): www.bayareadisc.org/camp
Matthew Spillum is a freelance writer, designer and occasional bartender living in Minneapolis. He has played Ultimate for over 20 years, and still loves it as much as the day he first clambered onto Hampshire College’s practice fields.
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ULTIMATE « SPRING 2010
Brian Cook
Courtesy Next Level
Brian Cook
Whether staying overnight or just coming for day sessions, summer Ultimate camps offer kids many opportunities: improvement as a player, new friends, teamwork, fun and the chance to learn new things about themselves while away from home.
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By: Meredith Tosta Director, Coach and Youth Development
Youth Ultimate Strengthens Women's Game
In the fall of 1999, the idea of freshmen women coming to college with any sort of Ultimate skill was largely unheard of on the West Coast. In those days, everyone started out totally green and learning to throw. The majority of the fall was spent on the most basic of skills, with the seniors and grad students modeling proper technique for the underclassmen.
And it’s not just the girls from the Junior National Teams who are having an impact on college programs; it’s every girl who has the chance to find Ultimate at a younger age and carries that passion into college. This isn’t about being hyper competitive. It isn’t about getting the early edge over the competition. It’s about opportunities for young women to play team sports. It’s about being fit and eating healthy. It’s about making lifelong friends. And it’s about reaching out to the community and giving back. In the end, if it also means that a college program gets a head start on the season, or has more tools available to succeed in the UPA College Series (that’s just the cherry on top).
So what can a women’s college team do to encourage the growth of girls’ Ultimate? Be a mentor By taking an active interest in the high schools and middle schools near your college, you have the power to get girls hooked on Ultimate. There may only be a handful of girls on the local team, but having college women coaching and playing
with a youth team will make a difference when it comes to retaining female athletes. The UPA can put you in touch with schools desperately in need of coaches, and can even schedule a Level I Coaching Workshop to generate momentum. Run clinics or hat tournaments This can be a great fundraiser for your team (ask for donations or charge a small fee), and also gives you a chance to get to know youth players in the area and interact with the Ultimate community beyond your college campus. Open it up to women of all ages and you may be surprised who comes out of the woodwork to take part. If you need insurance, the UPA can sanction your event and provide it. There are also free Women’s Clinic Kits available (page 34). Play showcase games with regional rivals Believe it or not, the market for Ultimate as a spectator sport is growing, and it’s the youth players who are driving it. Don’t underestimate how cool it is to watch college teams battle it out. This could be another fundraising opportunity, plus it’s good “show time” practice for your squad. Advertise through local youth organizers, find a venue that’s easy to get to, and learn where you are likely to draw a crowd. Promoting Women’s Ultimate today builds future participation When it comes to UPA membership numbers, women’s memberships increased eight percent in 2009, slightly more than the seven percent for men. The fact that
Dan Stedman
Now . . . fast forward a decade to last spring, on the sideline of the UPA College Championships in Columbus, Ohio. There were suddenly alums from the U.S. Girls’ Junior National Team shredding through the competition as freshmen. Granted, these young ladies had a season of college Ultimate under their belts but their skills were developed years ago in high school.
Ultimate needs more female role models for the sport to continue the development of girls’ participation.
the growth percentage is comparable between the genders is fantastic. What we should also consider is that women represent approximately 30 percent of the total membership. While this 30/70 split is on par with other team sports organizations, the more you help cultivate girls playing Ultimate, the stronger those numbers will be for every generation going forward. The investment made in developing the younger generations will of course pay off when it comes to our competitive teams down the line. Yet, in a culture where girls aren’t necessarily as supported and encouraged to participate in sports as their male counterparts, the impact of bringing more girls into the fold goes beyond our immediate experience.
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Cornell’s Ethan Pollack, a senior this year, out-reaches Pitt’s Mike Pannone to snag a long pass last year at the UPA College Championships in Columbus, Ohio.
ULTIMATE « SPRING 2010
2010
O P E N College Preview BY: Michael Fiedler
Get a sneak peak at the teams from each Region most likely to make a splash in the Open Division at the 2010 UPA College Championships, to be held May 28-31 in Madison, Wis. In a year filled with parity and uncertainty, Oregon’s Ego has been the only constant. Despite a truncated regular season, the boys from Eugene have swept through the best College Ultimate has to offer and are seemingly the easy frontrunners for a national title. This veteranheavy roster has clicked with club-like efficiency and should earn their first regional title since 2006. Look for them to be the No. 1 overall seed at the UPA Championships and a near lock to make a run at the finals come Memorial Day. Peripheral to Oregon, the big story in the Northwest is in the Bay Area Section, which could be turned over to Cal-Berkeley for the first time in six years. Ugmo has had a great deal of success in 2010 and Stanford Bloodthirsty has yet to have a solid tournament performance. If Berkeley punches its ticket to Madison, Stanford could miss Nationals for the first time since 2003.
Southwest Unlike most of the country, the Southwest has become one of the most predictable Regions. With a seemingly endless supply of sixfoot phenoms, Colorado Mamabird has asserted itself as a veritable dynasty by winning the Southwest every year since 2003. Mamabird can expect its eighth consecutive Regional title and in the Regional Finals, the competitive wheel in the Southwest will once again likely land on the UCSD Air Squids. With two tournament titles this season, the Squids are looking as good as in 2005 when they made Semifinals in Corvallis, Ore., but adverse weather continues to be a concern, especially considering SW Regionals will be in Colorado. However, Regionals aside, both teams have the potential to make major noise in Madison and look for both to make bracket play at Nationals.
CEntral The defending champs from Carleton College are the tempting favorite to win the Central Region. The bulk of their 2009 roster is back to defend their title and with their Juniors, College, Club, and Worlds experience who wouldn’t pencil them in? Charlie Reznikoff and Minnesota’s Grey Duck, that’s who. Over the past four years, Minnesota has done what few thought possible, contending with Wisconsin and Carleton in the most top-heavy Region in the country. However, Minnesota’s momentum will likely come to an end come Regionals. Carleton routinely underperforms during the regular season, forgoing early tournament success for depth development. As for Wisconsin, the Hodags are always a threat and if history has taught us anything, it’s that they will not be away from the podium for long. With at least three bids for the Central Region this year, 2010 will likely mirror 2009 with Carleton on top, followed by Wisconsin and Minnesota. ANDREW DAVIS
Northwest
this Region, but in 2010 there is no clear frontrunner. Going into the series, Texas State is the top team, but Washington University and Arkansas will also be fighting for their first trip to the big dance. North Texas is also a threat and Texas can’t ever be completely counted out. Bottom line, this regional tournament is about as predictable as the stock market.
South Perhaps the most surprising Region this year has been the South. From 2005-09 Texas TUFF reigned supreme and was crowned champion five times. However, Texas has seen its success vacate along with Callahan Finalist Stephen “Franchise” Pressley. With TUFF’s competitive drop-off, the South is arguably the most wide-open Region in the country. In years past, only Kansas and UNT have made it out of
Kansas will try to advance out of a wide-open South Region with the help of returner Justin Kaminsky, who made a diving grab last year despite the head-over-heels effort of Derrick Marcey from NC State.
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Michigan, shown here passing upfield against Minnesota, could be a favorite to come out of the Great Lakes Region.
Texas is trying to advance to the UPA College Championships for the eighth time in nine years.
Metro East
For the past two years, University of Michigan’s Magnum has drawn the most water of any team in the Great Lakes, due in no small part to last year’s Callahan winner, Will Neff. However, in 2010 there are several contenders in the Great Lakes, with no clear leader. Michigan State’s Burning Couch won the Region as recently as 2006, but has watched the likes of Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio State head off to Nationals ever since. Going into the series, they could remain the top-ranked team, but Notre Dame’s Papal Rage and Michigan’s Magnum are within striking distance. A disappointing fourth-place Regional finish a year ago kept Papal Rage from competing in a game-to-go situation, but they could make their inaugural Nationals appearance in 2010. As for Michigan, their main issue has been consistency. As long as they play their best at Regionals, a Nationals bid is all but guaranteed. History has shown otherwise though with Magnum’s 2009 Semifinals loss to Illinois and subsequent universe point win in the backdoor finals against Ohio State. This experience should give them the focus they need to execute under pressure, but the Great Lakes rarely goes according to plan.
Of all the teams in the Eastern Time Zone, University of Pittsburgh’s En Sabah Nur has had the most impressive season. The Stanford Invite saw a break-out performance with huge wins over Colorado, Wisconsin, and Carleton, not to mention a spot in the finals against Oregon. After a so-so Centex, Pitt found themselves in another tournament final against Wisconsin at Easterns, a spot they earned by beating out Georgia and Virginia handily. In looking back at their 2009 Nationals performance, this comes as no surprise, especially when considering their 14-16 contest against Carleton in Quarterfinals. It would seem safe to write them in as the Metro East Regional favorite then, right? Wrong! Despite early season success, Pitt always seems to shoot itself in the foot come Regionals. Every year since 2006 they have come into Regionals the No. 1 overall seed yet have somehow failed to win the Metro East. The Cornell Buds played spoiler a year ago and once again are the No. 2 team in the Metro East. Will history repeat itself or will Pitt earn its first Metro East title?
Northeast
Atlantic Coast
Once a region dominated by Brown, the Northeast has recently become quite the unknown. Since 2005, a different team has won the Northeast every year and 2010 could follow the same pattern. A year ago, a catastrophic calf injury to Middlebury’s Joe MacDonald cost them their first Nationals berth, but in winning this year’s Yale Cup (Northeast Regional Preview), Middlebury appears to be on top of New England once again. However, Tufts E-Men and Harvard Redline will not go quietly. The reigning Northeast Champs appear to be as strong as ever. With a tournament win at Terminus, not to mention the fact that the winner of Yale Cup has not won the Northeast since 2005, Tufts could conceivably repeat as Regional Champions. As for Harvard, despite not winning a tournament this season, Redline has truly tested itself this year. While being the only Northeast team at Centex, they beat Michigan, Cal, and the 2009 UPA College Champions, Carleton. With a strong probability of only two bids to Nationals, one of these teams will likely be left out, but which one is anybody’s guess.
What was briefly the deepest Region in the country is now a complete mystery. In 2006 the University of Florida shocked the Ultimate Universe with their National title and no one has looked past the Atlantic Coast Region since. However, 2009 saw one of the most bizarre finishes in series history with a title frontrunner failing to even qualify for Nationals in a Region with three bids. Likewise, Georgia’s JoJah has routinely underperformed since its breakout Semifinals performance in 2006. In the wake of this inconsistency, North Carolina’s Darkstar, NC State’s Wolf Pack, and Virginia’s Night Train have all had opportunities to make noise. So what of 2010? Florida will likely return to Nationals in one form or another because it will have the focus it lacked a year ago, but the Regional title is still up for grabs. North Carolina’s performance at Centex is admirable, but Georgia has not failed to qualify for Nationals since 2004. All in all, 2010 in the AC will likely be as up in the air as last year.
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ULTIMATE « SPRING 2010
Callahan Talk
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Considering that all top-5 Callahan finishers from last year have moved on, the short list of candidates should have some new faces this year. Eli Janin of Oregon is the favorite given the depth of his handling abilities. And with Ego’s success this season, he could carry every Region. Hylke Sneider of Colorado is an athletic standout that has been well known since his Junior days in Boulder, Colo., plus Mamabird consistently has a top-5 MVP candidate. From the Atlantic Coast, a recent Open Club title for Atlanta’s Chain Lighting has brought major spotlight down on Georgia’s Peter Dempsey, who powers the defensive efforts of both teams. Brodie Smith of Florida is also an easy selection because of his dominating stature, but the Gators did not nominate a candidate a year ago. George Stubbs of Harvard has been an elite-level player since his high school days with Chain Lightning and could draw a large number of North/Metro East voters. However, he will have to contend with former Junior Worlds teammates Chris Brenenborg of Pitt and Grant Lindsley of Carleton, who in all likelihood could steal significant votes.
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with Eli Janin
Team: University of Oregon Ego Class: Super Senior
Major: Political Science Role: Handler Q: How has missing College Nationals the past two years affected the focus of Ego in 2010?
A: I think the events that happened last year really helped motivate us to make sure we really put our all into every moment because we never knew when it might end. Not making Nationals in 2008 was not as much of a motivator because we played at Regionals. Not being able to play last year and to send out the seniors in such a bad way really hurt so this year we are trying to take advantage of every chance we get to play together. Dan Brauch
ANDREW DAVIS
Michael “Match” Fiedler has been an intensely devoted player and writer in the Ultimate community for several years, and has covered the sport at every level worldwide on his blog, matchdiesel.blogspot.com.
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BY: Michael Fiedler
ANDREW DAVIS
Juniors Hylke Snieder of Colorado (top) and Grant Lindsley of Carleton (with disc) are being mentioned for player-of-the-year honors after their teams faced off IN the finals last year.
Q: What is different about Ego this year than in previous years? A: Not too much. The last two years we have added a coach (Jay Janin) and that has been really helpful. We always had been a team that was coached by the players but we felt like we wanted a better outside perspective from someone who was not a player, and our ability to make adjustments to other teams has helped us win some games. Other than that, Oregon Ultimate is still the most fun place to play competitive college Ultimate. Q: What were Ego’s goals heading into the college season? A: To win every game we play. Q: What college programs match up well against Ego? A: I think this year all the top teams are pretty even. We have had some really close games with Carleton and I think they are the most fun team to play. Honestly we try not to look at the other teams and just play our game. If we can play our game every point then I think that we can play with any team in the country. WWW.UPA.ORG
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p: ANDREW DAVIS
Junior Marie Madaras is part of a UC-Santa Barbara Burning Skirts squad that has returned to national prominence in the past four years.
2010
Women’s College Preview BY: Frankie Rho
Here’s a look at the top five women’s college stories heading into the 2010 UPA College Championships, to be held May 28-31 in Madison, Wis.
1. Can Oregon Win It All? Fugue’t About It
Fugue won two of the three premier tournaments (President’s Day and Stanford Invite) and came up just short of the trifecta, losing in the Centex finals to Wisconsin, their first and only loss of the season. Despite this loss, Fugue remains the team to beat in Madison. The ladies in green and yellow are loaded with talent and experience, very well coached, and hungry to win the title. The biggest challenge facing Fugue may be dealing with the pressure of expectations, but the team’s strong chemistry will be a huge asset in this area. The biggest challengers to Oregon’s title run are Wisconsin Bella Donna (who will have a huge fan base on hand at nationals), Washington Element (regional rival and last year’s runner-up), and UC Santa Barbara Burning Skirts (the defending champions).
2. Southwest vs. Atlantic Coast – The Regional Wildcard Race
In the first year of the college restructuring process, all eyes were on the rankings. As expected, the Northwest Region asserted its dominance in the division, easily taking the first of two regional wildcards. No other Region could boast the same kind of balance and strength from teams one through eight. All four qualifiers from the Northwest will be legitimate contenders to make the semifinals in Madison. The second wildcard was a close race between the Southwest and the Atlantic Coast. Adding to the drama was the unexpected disqualification of UC San Diego from the rankings and the Southwest’s relatively lackluster performance at Centex. The Atlantic Coast offered two top-tier teams (UNC Pleiades and UNC-Wilmington Seaweed) with a number of solid squads below them, including Georgia, Emory, Florida and Virginia. In the end, the Southwest took the wildcard based on the strength of the Region’s top four squads (Colorado, UCLA, UCSB and USC) and surprisingly strong seasons from Colorado College and Colorado State, both of whom performed well at the Midwest Throwdown.
3. Battle Royale – Team Strength Wildcard Race; Regionals Preview (Part I)
Heading into Centex, the team strength wildcards remained very much up for grabs, and all of the relevant teams, except Georgia, were in attendance. As many as five Regions were in contention for the two bids, but after the tournament had concluded, the Northwest and Southwest would end up with all four of the wildcards.
NORTHWEST. The top three Northwest spots were pretty much decided (Oregon, Washington, Stanford) going into Centex, so it was likely up to Cal or Western Washington to bring home the fourth bid. The Pie Queens were up to the task, upsetting UC Santa Barbara and UNC on their way to winning the pool. They nearly took out their Bay Area rival Stanford in the quarters and finished the weekend with a fifth-place finish. Cal moved up from 11th to 7th in the rankings and grabbed the first team strength wildcard. At regionals, the Pie Queens will have to fend off a scrappy Western Washington squad and the UBC Thunderbirds, who are playing with a lot of confidence after a successful showing at Centex.
SOUTHWEST: While UCSB was safely positioned as the top team in the Southwest, the No. 2 through 4 slots were a jumble between USC (7th), UCLA (8th) and Colorado (10th). UCLA weathered a shaky showing at Centex to finish the season 13th in the rankings, high enough to grab the second team strength wildcard. While the odds are strongly in favor of the four bids going to the top four teams, Regionals will be in Colorado State’s backyard, possibly giving them and Colorado College an edge in their quest for an upset. UC San Diego will also be in the mix.
ATLANTIC COAST: The AC stood the best chance of prying away a wildcard from the West Coast, but Georgia finished 15th, just two spots short of the final wildcard. The Hodawgs were the only contending team in the team wildcard race to not attend Centex, and this might have cost the region a precious third bid. As if upsetting one of the top two teams (UNC and UNC-Wilmington) wasn’t enough of a tall order, simply getting to the game-to-go will WWW.UPA.ORG
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be a major accomplishment. In what is likely the deepest Region from teams 1 to 16, the fight to emerge from the large pack of teams will likely resemble a Japanese horror flick.
difficult Region to predict. Harvard, Brown and Middlebury are all likely to be in the scrum.
Super Seniors – 4. The Road to Madison – 5. She’s Still Eligible? Regionals Preview (Part II)
CENTRAL: Wisconsin is a shoo-in for the top seed out of the Central. As the home school for the 2010 UPA College Championships, Bella Donna is the strongest candidate in years to end the West Coast’s hold on the title. As usual, Carleton is the favorite for the region’s second spot, but Syzygy will have their hands full in fending off Iowa State and the Centex Dance-Off champions, Wisconsin Eau-Claire.
METRO EAST: Maryland and Pitt are the best bets to take the top two spots in the Region, but Ottawa and Pennsylvania both have star players (Anne Mercier and Octavia Payne) who have the ability to put their team on their back. Penn State is another possible dark horse in the hunt.
GREAT LAKES: Michigan remains the powerhouse in the Region and should finish first. The battle for the other spot will likely come down to Northwestern, led by coach Ron Kublanza, and Case Western Reserve. Look for Notre Dame and Valparaiso to be the spoilers.
SOUTH: After a year dominated by the St. Louis schools, the South is wide open again. Texas and Washington are the frontrunners, but St. Louis, Vanderbilt and Arkansas are all capable of putting together a run to the College Championships. NORTHEAST: Two years removed from their last appearance at the College Championships, Tufts won the Metro Boston Sectionals and has emerged as the favorite in what is consistently the most Penn junior Octavia PAYNE, shown here making a leaping grab against the University of Washington, is a “player to watch” in the Callahan race.
The number of prominent fifth-year seniors (or players in grad school at the same place) this year is staggering. Georgia Bosscher, Cree Howard, Shannon O’Malley, Alyssa Weatherford, Molly Suver, Emily Damon, Kara O’Malley, Jasmine Draper, Anne Ohliger, Courtney Verhaalen . . . the list goes on and on. The saturation of talent in the college ranks has led to a higher level of play and a slew of interesting individual matchups between the toptier teams. With so many big names graduating this year, it will be interesting to see who emerges as the big stars for the next few years.
CALLAHAN FRONTRUNNERS
This is the deepest and most talented a pool of Callahan candidates in recent memory. Partially attributable to the number of prominent fifth-year seniors playing this year, it is also a reflection of the tremendous growth that the women’s college game is experiencing. Since teams haven’t nominated candidates as of this writing, the below list is purely speculative. This is not intended to be a definitive list of the best players in the game, but also a look at the players who embody the traits of the Callahan Award. Please Note: In keeping with Ultimate tradition (no returning winner has ever been nominated a second time) it appears Wisconsin senior phenom Georgia Bosscher will not be on the ballot this year. Still, limiting the list to just 10 candidates was extremely difficult, but here we go . . .
Leila Tunnell (North Carolina) Aside from being a gifted thrower and all-around outstanding player, Tunnell is well regarded by teammates and opponents alike for her commitment to fair play. She also gives back to the sport as a NUTC counselor and coach for a local high school team. Working in her favor is the fact that she will likely be commanding a large chunk of votes from the East Coast.
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Kaela Jorgenson (UC Santa Barbara) Despite their run to the finals in three straight years, the Burning Skirts have not had a candidate finish in the top five during that run. Jorgenson’s playing abilities alone merit serious consideration for the award; she is simply one of the best thrower-receiver threats in the UC-Santa Barbara veteran Kaela Jorgensen (Left) is a top Callahan candidate this year. game. Her candidacy is hurt a bit by her fellow star players, Carolyn Finney and Marie Madaras, and the Skirts’ leadership structure which rotates the captaincy every year.
ULTIMATE « SPRING 2010
Courtney Verhaalen (Colorado) Her last name sounds like a Dutch metal band fronted by David van Rothvenberg, which is completely befitting of her style of play. She thrashes, she dashes, she jumps, she krumps. If she were a movie, she would be Fight Club. She unleashes all of her of raw energy on the field with the brute force of a fist to the face, only to give you a warm hug and smile after the game.
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Mary Kate Hogan (Southern California) Having captained since her sophomore year, Hogan (appropriately nicknamed Uzi) has been a primary factor in vaulting the Hellions from a fledgling squad to a nationalcaliber program. Her poise on the field is uncanny, handling intense game situations with the aplomb of a seasoned club player with twice her experience. She is one of the most mentally and physically tough players in the game. Cree Howard (Cal) She deserves to be on the very short list and could be the frontrunner. The only college player to make the Team USA roster for the 2009 World Games, she espouses all of the character traits that make for an outstanding candidate: sportsmanship, exceptional play on the field, strong leadership. The one major knock against her candidacy is that most Callahan winners take their teams to the big show, and the Pie Queens are far from a lock in the loaded Northwest.
Molly Suver (Oregon) Fugue has a number of outstanding candidates to choose from including Suver, Julia Sherwood and Jenica Villamoor. This fact may hurt their nominee’s chances, but Oregon’s emergence as a dominant team means that whoever their candidate is deserves a lot of consideration. In Suver’s case, she is an undoubted leader and fantastic all-around player. Her Callahan goal to win the Stanford Invite may be a very compelling image for voters to think about. Emily Damon (Stanford) Damon runs the offense for Superfly, and the team simply carries a different level of confidence when she is on the field. Both a dynamic handler and tough-nosed defender, she is arguably the biggest impact player for Stanford since Enessa Janes. This year, she has had to shoulder a lot more of the workload as a playmaker, and her ability to perform in spite of defenses keying on her is a testament to her prowess. Anne Mercier (Ottawa) Working in her favor is that she and Georgia Bosscher are likely the two best overall players in the division this year . . . and Bosscher already won the award. Working against her is the fact that Ottawa is not traveling much this season. With Alex Benedict and Danielle Fortin gone, the Lady Gee Gees’ success rides on her shoulders more than ever and her relative contributions to her team might be greater than anyone else on this list. Robyn Fennig (Wisconsin Eau-Claire) The Central Region is a very potent voting bloc and Fennig could emerge as a surprise contender. One of the elite players in the air, both as a receiver and dominant deep in the zone, Fennig’s abilities have been well-known in the Region for quite some time. If she is able to lead Sol to their first appearance at the College Championships, she will get to showcase her athleticism on the national stage. Anna Snyder (Carleton) Syzygy is on the young side this year, and Snyder’s leadership on the field is very apparent to anyone following the team. Snyder is a classic alpha handler who can run the offense and make all of the critical throws. Her calm demeanor has been a critical element in keeping the Carleton legacy alive and well.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Here are some more players who will likely feature prominently in Madison: Lindsey Wilson (Washington), Palak Shah (California), Bailey Zahniser (Oregon), Lindsey Cross (USC), Marie Madaras (UCSB), Adrienne Baker (UCLA), Katie Blyth (Texas), Kara O’Malley (St. Louis), Abby Stephens (Wash U.), Charlie Mercer (Maryland), Octavia Payne (UPenn), Kelly Tidwell (UNC Wilmington), Emilie McKain (Wisconsin), Jasmine Draper (Iowa State), and Anna Maria Paruk (Michigan).
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BY: Frankie Rho
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with Cree Howard
Team: Cal Berkeley Pie Queens Class: Super senior
Major: Architecture
Role: Primary cutter Q: You play on the club team Fury and this last summer you were part of Team USA. What’s it like to transition from such a high level of play to the level of play you see in college? A: It’s really difficult, especially for me. A lot of players have more control over the field coming back to college, and it’s just really hard for me for some reason. I definitely thrive under higher pressure, bigger skill level . . . it’s hard for me to channel that into [college]. Q: Did you have any personal goals going into this Pie Queens season? A: Coming into this year, it’s pretty much all sophomores and juniors, and so I just want to see how they develop and help develop them as much as I can. It’s good that I’m not too much of an influence on this team so that they are going to be successful in the future. Q: What are you looking to accomplish as a team this season? A: We’re hoping to get a bid to nationals. We have a lot of work to do, but I think it’s possible if we come together. Q: Is there a particular athlete or team you look up to? A: Before I was trying out for Fury, I felt like it was an untouchable team, like it was never possible to reach something like that. And then once I pushed myself into that realm of playing, it was awesome. I look up to all my Fury teammates and in particular, my coach, Mattie. Q: What’s been your favorite tournament? A: Probably worlds in Vancouver. That was pretty fun. Or club nationals this past year. Q: What’s next for you? A: We have a big season coming up on Fury. Pretty quickly we’ll have tryouts and then we go to club worlds. So we’re looking to win a championship there. WWW.UPA.ORG
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College Championships Take Flight With CBS College Sports
ANDREW DAVIS
from colleges and universities nationwide. Following the 2010 college regular season, more than 11,000 student-athletes on over 700 teams will begin competing in early April as part of the 2010 UPA College Championship Series. Less than two months later the top 20 Open and 20 Women’s college Ultimate teams from across North America will advance to Madison.
Teams such as Tufts University (Mass.) will receive nationwide television exposure as part of The Alt Games coverage through CBS College Sports.
The UPA College Championships will return to CBS College Sports Network this year as part of the Network’s extensive Alt Games: College Action Sports Championships line-up. The UPA College Championships take place Friday, May 28 through Monday, May 31 in Madison, Wis., which last hosted the event in 1991. The Alt Games: College Action Sports Championships, now in its fifth year, is an annual showcase of college action-sports championship events. Hosted by Olympic gold medalist and Vancouver Olympic analyst, Jonny Moseley, the event showcases top collegiate Ultimate teams
Television coverage for the 2010 Alt Games kicks-off with the 2010 Alt Games Preview Show on CBS College Sports Network on Thursday, April 15 (8 p.m. ET). The show will launch 10 weeks of sports-specific programming on the Network, including UPA College Championship coverage on Sunday, June 20 (8 p.m. ET); Thursday, June 24 (8 p.m. ET); and Sunday, June 27 (8 p.m. ET). Action from the 2010 UPA College Ultimate Championships will also be included in a special one-hour Alt Games highlight show airing on CBS on Saturday, June 19 (5 p.m. ET). The 2010 UPA College Ultimate Championships are free to the public, and more details can be found at www.upa.org. For more information about The Alt Games, go to www.thealtgames.com.
2009
coordinators of the year
Each year the UPA recognizes outstanding individuals who have served the Championship Series, the organization, and the greater Ultimate community. All UPA volunteers deserve a great big “thank-you” for the time and energy they put into the sport and their fellow players. Of this group of great people, a few UPA coordinators stood out this past year for their exceptional efforts. Sectional Coordinators are the primary link between the UPA and Ultimate players, including those who are UPA members and those who might become members. Their job revolves primarily around organizing Sectionals, the first qualifying stage in the Championship Series. This job entails not only running a fun, quality event, but also helping teams obtain information about how to participate and helping the UPA keep track of everyone who does.
Championship competition. In addition the SYC is responsible for assisting the Director of Youth Development (DYD) in coordinating other aspects of the UPA Youth Development program including the UPA Coaching Corps and PE Outreach within their state. Identifying emerging teams and promoting youth opportunities makes this a challenging year-round position.
Regional Coordinators are some of the most experienced, dedicated Ultimate organizers in the country. This relatively small group of volunteers works almost year-round recruiting and managing sectional coordinators, preparing for the Series, handling competition issues during the Series, and organizing Regional Championships – some of the most exciting events of the Ultimate year.
Mixed Division Sectional Coordinator of the Year
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THE 2009
LINE UP
The State Youth Coordinator (SYC) is responsible for overseeing all aspects of the State Championship competition within their state and for maintaining the primary level of communication between the UPA Administration and UPA members who participate in the State
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ULTIMATE « SPRING 2010
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UPA Club Championship Series Dave Kink – Northwest Plains photo 1
“Dave has consistently been one of the most knowledgeable, helpful, and constantly accessible ambassadors to the sport and the division.” Tom Walker – Central Regional Coordinator HONORABLE MENTION: Dan Sigel –East New England, Dan Hunt – Rocky Mountain Mixed Division Regional Coordinator of the Year
Hugh Daschbach – South Region photo 2
HONORABLE MENTION: Tom Walker – Central Regional Coordinator Open Division Sectional Coordinator of the Year
Dylan Zieglar – East New England photo 3
“Dylan in his second year is running a huge and difficult section dealing with problems self-sufficiently but still following all the guidelines.” Geoff Doerre – Northeast Regional Coordinator HONORABLE MENTION: Jon Meade – East Coast Open Division Regional Coordinator of the Year
Stu Downs - South photo 4
“As South Regional Coordinator, Hugh has
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risen to the challenge of managing a widely dispersed region that has significant weather obstacles during the fall season. His ability to communicate and maintain relationships with all the parties involved in the running of Sectional and Regional Mixed events in light of less than favorable circumstances has been invaluable in executing the Club Series to UPA standards.” Kris Kelly – National Mixed Director
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“Stu Downs never fails to impress. Many
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years of excellence, and this year was no different. Stu led his region through a number of challenges, and his smooth leadership was evident throughout the process.” Adam Goff – National Open Director HONORABLE MENTION: Joseph Seastrom – Central Women’s Division Sectional Coordinator of the Year
Tracy Woo – East New England photo 5
“She has always been on top of things reserving fields years in advance, — pooling resources with the Mixed ENE coordinator, and efficiently and effectively communicating with the teams in our section – with a positive attitude.” Beth Nakamura – Northeast Regional Coordinator HONORABLE MENTION: Sarah Ross-Viles – Washington/British Columbia; Amy Smith – Rocky Mountain Women’s Division Regional Coordinator of the Year
Liz Scheibel – Central photo 6
“Liz is dedicated to providing the great success through the regional tournament. Despite seemingly enormous pressure in scheduling the event, she remains determined to look for the best opportunities to provide players and teams a well-run event in order that the focus can remain on playing.” DeAnna Ball – National Women’s Director HONORABLE MENTION: Beth Nakamura – Northeast Masters Division Regional Coordinator of the Year
Michael Strange – South photo 7
“Strange epitomizes efficiency and professionalism in his work and his
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communication. His knowledge and implementation of the policies and procedures of the UPA Championship Series were exemplary.” David Raflo - National Masters Director
with the abrupt changes very well and worked with the local TD to hold a very high quality tournament despite the entire shift in locations & schedules. I attended the tournament and witnessed first hand how well it was run. She also received many compliments from the teams as well as the TD himself.”
HONORABLE MENTION: T.J. Cawley – Mid-Atlantic
HONORABLE MENTION: Alex Olney – South
UPA College Championship Series Open Division Sectional Coordinator of the Year
Women’s Division Regional Coordinator of the Year
Michael McNeil – Bama photo 8
Kendra Frederick – New England Region photo 11
“Ran a successful blog about his section, kept me and his teams informed at all times and had a great deal of growth in his section leading to us getting that size bid.” Michael Houston – South Regional Coordinator
“For the second year in a row, Kendra has earned this honor. Her level of organization and thoughtfulness in communication made for a smooth experience for all teams. It has been a pleasure working with Kendra for these past couple years, and we wish her the best of luck.” Jeff Kula – National College Director
HONORABLE MENTION: Joe Nickels – Ozarks, Justin Leibowitz – East Plains Open Division Regional Coordinator of the Year
HONORABLE MENTION: Cara Martin – Metro East, Adrienne VanderLinde – Dave Branick – Metro East photo 9 Southwest “From formats to rosters to weather concerns, he is consistently able to provide the answers and support that teams need, allowing the players to focus on the compe tition rather than logistics. His knowledge and ability to act at a moment’s notice State Youth Coordinators enabled everyone to enjoy an efficiently run Joel Houmes – Ohio photo 12 series, and we are excited to have him back “Joel sets the standard for SYC outreach– this season.” taking his projector and screen to schools Jeff Kula – National College Director around the area to show administrators and teachers the sport of Ultimate, working HONORABLE MENTION: Matt West – with local coaches and coordinators to Northwest develop regional as well as state level play.” Meredith Tosta – Director of Youth Development Women’s Division HONORABLE MENTION: Jenn Atkinson – Idaho Sectional Coordinator of the Year
UPA State High School Championships
Stephanie Brown – Ozarks photo 10
“Despite last-minute bad weather and multiple site moves she was able to deal
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P LAY B O O K
Deep Receiving & Cutting
BY: Kyle Weisbrod Illustrations By: Tony Porter Presented by
Often the skills of deep cutting and receiving are not addressed and talked about enough. A common belief in the sport is that players cannot be taught how to be deep receivers. In fact, no matter how good of a deep receiver a player is, deep receiving is a skill that can be taught, practiced and improved upon. This section focuses on four main techniques to improving deep cutting: the angle of the cut, positioning, timing, and being able to jump off of either leg and catch with either hand. Angle of Cut The type of deep cuts that happen in a team’s offense is typically dictated by the offensive strategy that a team runs. In a vertical stack offense, deep cuts often originate from the center of the field, while in spread or horizontal stack offenses deep cuts mostly originate from the sideline. While a given offense dictates the parameters of deep cuts, good deep cutters work within those parameters to improve their deep cuts, mostly by maximizing the angle at which they cut. There is a natural tendency in Ultimate for downfield receivers to drift toward the space directly downfield of the thrower. Unfortunately, deep cuts that originate directly downfield from a thrower are the most difficult to throw to and read, while throws that originate from the farthest sideline from the thrower are the easiest cuts to throw to and read. Deep cuts that begin near the opposite sideline allow more space with which to get open and, for a receiver that is faster than his/her defender, more distance for that speed to make a difference (see diagram). In addition, there is considerably more room for throwing error for cuts from the opposite sideline. A receiver that begins on the opposite sideline can adjust to a short or long throw without losing position to their defender. In a vertical stack offense, receivers should work on timing their deep cuts off of their in cuts to the sideline in order to maximize lateral space for a deep cut. In addition, slight drifting to the opposite side of the field of the disc can help increase the lateral space. In a horizontal or spread offense, deep cutters must be disciplined and stay near the sideline and avoid the natural tendency to drift toward the disc. Positioning
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Once the disc is in the air, the most important skill is positioning. It is important to be aware of where you are able to catch the disc as well as where other defenders and receivers are located. When you are the only receiver and there is only one defender, the best position to take is the one between your defender and where you can receive the disc.
ULTIMATE « SPRING 2010
2.7a
THROWER
THROWING LANE
RECEIVER
CUTTING LANE
In order to position yourself well, you must know where the defender is. Whether a player is positioned well can be determined by the position of his/her shoulders. If a receiver’s shoulders are in front of the defender’s shoulders, he/she is said to “have position.” When positioning yourself on a reception, be aware of where your shoulders are in relation to your defender’s shoulders. Timing Timing is the ability to jump at a point that allows a receiver to catch or block the disc at the maximum point that he/she can reach. This is a skill that takes practice. In order to time receptions correctly, a receiver must both know how well he/she jumps (how high and how much time in the air) as well as how to read the disc and identify where it is going to be/when. You can practice this skill by jumping for high discs that are thrown at you instead of catching them where they are easy to snag. Making a catch or block at the peak of your leap is one of the most satisfying feelings in Ultimate, and being able to time a catch or block can help shorter or less explosive receivers succeed in the air. Jumping Off Either Leg/Catching With Either Hand Being able to jump off of either leg allows a receiver to have twice as many potential points at which to jump for the disc. A natural complement to being able to jump off of either leg is being able to catch with either hand. A receiver jumping off of his/her right leg will be able to reach higher with his left hand and vice versa. In addition to having additional points at which you can jump, there are situations where it is preferable to catch with one hand or the other. One such situation is when the disc is descending at an angle. If the disc is descending from right to left across your body, it will be at a lower point over the left side of your body than your right. In this case, catching with your left hand will allow you an easier catch while the rest of your body can be used to position against a potential defender on the right. Practice jumping off of both legs and catching with both hands to improve your ability to make deep receptions. Being a good deep receiver is a variable. With practice, you can improve your ability to get open on deep cuts and catch more discs that hang in the air. Of course, as with any skill, improving your fitness level can help your deep receiving as well. Speed and explosive work can have a significant impact on your ability to make the big catches. Kyle Weisbrod coaches The Paideia School (Atlanta) Girls’ Varsity Ultimate Team, winners of the 2008 and 2009 UPA High School Eastern Championships. A former member of the UPA Board of Directors, he also edited and co-authored the UPA Coaching Corps Level II Coaching Manual. He has played for top Ultimate programs throughout his career including Paideia, Brown University and Johnny Bravo – an Open Division club team in Boulder, Colo.
UPA To Hold Its First-Ever Division III College Championships The inaugural UPA Division III College Championships will be held in Appleton, Wis., from May 22-23 at the USA Youth Sports Complex. The event will be hosted by S&K Ultimate Events and the Fox Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau.
Alexander Yuen
Positioning is difficult because, by the rules, “a player may not move in a manner solely to prevent an opponent from taking an unoccupied position via an unoccupied path” (XVI.H.3.c). It is within the rules to position yourself in the way of the defender as long as you are going for the disc.
Sixteen men’s teams and 16 women’s teams from the U.S. and Canada will qualify for the tournament. Teams from colleges or universities with fewer than 7,500 students are eligible to qualify. More than 100 Division III teams will compete in the 2010 UPA college regular sea- Jeremy Norden, skying for a son. After competing at disc against Claremont College (Calif.) at the Stanford Open 2010, their respective sectional and the Whitman College (Wash.) tournaments in April, the Sweets could vie for the title in teams will be ranked Appleton, Wis. according to their overall season record. The top-ranked team in each of eight regions will earn a bid to the event, with the last eight bids awarded to the top remaining teams in the national rankings. “The UPA is very excited to be offering its first official championship for Ultimate teams from small colleges and universities,” said Will Deaver, UPA Managing Director of Competition & Athlete Programs. “With an excellent venue and an experienced group of local organizers, we look forward to providing an unforgettable experience for the athletes and spectators, most of whom will be playing in their first UPA Championship.” Since 2006, an independently operated Division III championship was held each year before its organizers worked with the UPA to have the event incorporated into the UPA championship structure. This year’s event will feature pool play on Saturday followed by elimination brackets and the championship games in each division on Sunday.
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I n n o v a t i o n
G r a n t s
Aw a r d e d Compiled by: Jenny Jones
In an effort to encourage innovation and excellence, the UPA awards financial grants on an annual basis to Ultimate organizers for programs that promote growth in Ultimate and Spirit of the Game. Outlined below are the projects selected by the Grant Committee for 2010 funding. To read more about the projects or the UPA Grant Program, visit htt//www.upa.org/ grants/recipients
educating and developing Ultimate among military members the sport will naturally grow as members move to future duty stations in the continental U.S. and around the world.
Analysis of Parent and Youth Perspectives on the Effects of Ultimate Participation on Symptoms of ADHD
Installation of Ultimate Lines on Synthetic Fields at Delridge Playfield
$250 – Amelie Mabbutt (Seattle) Through survey and interview methods, Amelie hopes to quantitatively and qualitatively examine the sport of Ultimate as a non-drug intervention for managing Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in youth. Amelie hopes to introduce the sport of Ultimate to the health care and public health community in a way that is academically valid and innovative.
CUNY Ultimate Club and Team $500 – Ernest Pysher (New York) The CUNY Ultimate Club and Team is a coalition of five separate first-year programs within CUNY. Organizers have combined these programs into one club in hopes of accomplishing a growth in school spirit, an opportunity for players of all skill levels to enjoy a good time and a fonder appreciation for the sport as a whole.
Girls Throw the Gauntlet $850 – Susie Mercer (Atlanta) Susie hopes to start a girls’ Ultimate team at Grady High School in 2010, where interest has been high but resources have been lacking. This would be the first female Ultimate team in Atlanta Public Schools, and one of the few high school female teams in the metro area.
Guam Military League
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$1,000 – Michael Thornton, U.S. Navy Commander (Merizo, Guam) This project will establish a coed intra-service league to promote the growth of Ultimate in the U.S. territory of Guam. Due to the consistent movement of military members, by
ULTIMATE « SPRING 2010
$500 – Loren Hill (Seattle) Through this project, Loren and other Seattle organizers hope to have permanent lines for two Ultimate fields installed at Delridge Playfield. DiscNW is working to change the model for new and renovated multi-purpose fields to include Ultimate as well as established sports like soccer and football.
Learn-to-Play Ultimate at Blue Hill Consolidated School
players to guest-coach and mentor local college teams for a weekend. The clinic will allow these coaches to provide the teams with skills and drills, coach them on strategy, answer questions and serve as positive role models. The clinic will be a pilot project and has the potential to be applied throughout the country. “I hope that these projects have a positive impact on ALL aspects of women’s Ultimate – from youth Ultimate to developing college teams to elite college teams to club teams,” says Ng. “By creating more opportunities for joint development and interaction, I intend to increase networking, encourage sharing of resources, and build more social capital for the development of Ultimate everywhere.”
$200 – Beth Jackson (Blue Hill, Maine) As part of the school’s 2009-10 “Be Well” theme, students will take part in elements of the “FUEL-UP TO PLAY 60” program. Beth’s goal is to introduce Ultimate to students and teach the importance of the Spirit of the Game. The program will also give students a chance to shape their own after-school activity program.
Ultimate Bronx
Midwest Throwdown Roundup Skills Clinic
Ultimate Video Modules for Physical Education Teachers
$1,500 – Michelle Ng (Austin, Texas) Ng believes that one of the primary obstacles to the growth of women’s Ultimate is a lack of resources – both financial and knowledge-based. Recently she has observed that there are a number of small, inexperienced college teams in the Midwest who do not possess the knowledge necessary to develop a sustainable Ultimate program or lack access to a coach.
$750 – Valerio Iani (South Orange, N.J.) Valerio plans to develop a series of eight modules for Physical Education teachers that will enable them to teach a beginners course of Ultimate. The modules will provide a comprehensive, structured lesson for beginners that is both fun and challenging. This will allow P.E. teachers who are not Ultimate players to easily add the sport into their curriculum.
This led to creating the Midwest Throwdown Roundup Skills Clinic with the goal of bringing eight of the best women’s
$450 – Jonathon Warchol (Bronx, N.Y.) The goal of this project is to implement Ultimate into the Sports Enrichment Program at C.A.R.E., a program which currently provides sixth-grade students with the opportunity to play several sports. Implementing an Ultimate team would help enrich the program and bring exposure to Ultimate in the Bronx.
Jenny Jones is an intern with the Ultimate Players Association, and this May will graduate from the University of Colorado’s School of Journalism & Mass Communications.
” QA
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BY: Carley Miller
AND
with a League Director
The UPA sits down with one of the nation’s top league directors to see how he deals with some of the common issues facing today’s Ultimate administrators. WHO: L.J. Reeves WHERE: JAcksonville (Fla.) Ultimate League L.J. Reeves is the league coordinator for Jacksonville, Fla. He started playing Ultimate in college at Clemson University. After graduating he played in various areas on different teams before ending up in the Jacksonville Ultimate League. He soon realized that the league had very little structure and wanted to make it more organized, so he began helping with registration. L.J. eventually ended up taking the reigns and became the league director. He loves the sport so much that becoming league director was just another outlet for him to be involved: he still plays but, more importantly, enjoys seeing other people come to play.
What has been the best way you have found to attract players to your league?
The Internet has been great. Since the website’s launch anyone can find Ultimate in Jacksonville. Other than that, mostly people find out about our league via word of mouth.
What about your league makes players come back year after year?
First, we try to stress organization. We also encourage new players to enjoy themselves. We try to let them experience the game by coming out and having a good time. They also learn about Spirit of the Game and ultimately catch the Ultimate bug like the rest of us. In addition, we offer discounts to entice people
to come back. We don’t have much turnaround from season to season, so I feel that we have made a good environment for new players and also for competitive club players.
What makes playing in your league more fun than other sports?
The sport itself, the sport of Ultimate. People who play make a lot of the difference especially in the league. They are very laid back and the league is not a huge commitment or expense. All that is required to play is grabbing a pair of cleats and go play. It’s also a social function for people. People seem to think it’s fun to try, then they find out it’s a good thing to keep you healthy and a way to make friends. Also, Ultimate in general is a sport where you can go almost anywhere and you are welcomed to play.
How have you been able to spread the word about your league?
Mostly the website and word of mouth are how people find out about the league. Also, going out and talking to people and informing them each season that registration is coming up. Now, especially, we are trying to talk to women because it has become hard to get the right ratio for league coed games. Other small things we do are flyers in restaurants, in gyms, on notice boards, anything helps.
Do you have any special strategies or advice for recruiting and retaining women in your league?
In short, it’s always hard to recruit women’s players. One, it’s getting them to come play and second it’s keeping them through a whole season. Sometimes there just are not enough women on a given team for the other women to have fun because it becomes very competitive with the guys. This becomes a huge intimidation factor. We do try to accommodate women (and new players) as far as being on a team. We do a full draft but we do have a little wiggle room if a few women want to play on the same team. Also, we offer discounts at registration to encourage new players and women to at least sign up. In the end, the responsibility falls back to the organizers and the captains of each team to make sure the teams are good environments.
How do you recruit and retain volunteers for your league?
That is an area we need to get better about. Right now we have a few volunteers that organize the league that have too many things to do. Getting the word out and saying we need help and actually having people step up is what we need. We try our best to let people know that if they are looking to do more for the sport, here is your chance.
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w h a t ‘ S
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BY: Peri Kurshan, Chair of UPA Standing Rules Committee STANDING RULES COMMITTEE
As players of a self-officiated sport, it is our responsibility to know the rules. This column features answers to your rules questions and clarifies common misconceptions about the rules.
Q
After a stopped disc, if the marker checks the disc back into play before players are properly repositioned, can a violation be called by the defense, even though “their guy” checked the disc back in? What happens if a pass is thrown before the call is made – does the continuation rule apply?
A
If players are not properly repositioned after a stoppage of play and the marker checks the disc in, a violation has occurred while the disc was dead. This is true even if the violation isn’t called until play has been restarted; in fact, that will always be the case because it isn’t a violation until play gets restarted. Since the violation occurred when the disc was dead, the continuation rule does not apply, and nothing that happened after the disc was checked in counts. Everyone must go back to where they should have been the first time around, and play restarts the same way it would have absent the violation. To summarize, because a dead-disc violation was called, nothing that happens after the disc was checked in counts. On a side note, as you can see it’s to everyone’s benefit to make sure that all players are positioned correctly before the disc is checked in to avoid a re-do. The marker should therefore make sure that everyone is ready, and loudly announce that he or she is about to check the disc in (it is common to count down from 3 to 1 and announce ‘disc in’ before the check).
Q
Does the Principle of Verticality say that I can’t reach into the space above someone else’s head to grab a disc that’s above them?
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No – the Principle of Verticality says that players are entitled to move into the space directly above them, so any contact that occurs in that space that affects the outcome of the play is automatically a foul on the other person. However, if you can cleanly grab a disc out of the area above someone before any contact occurs (see photos above and below left), then that’s your disc (unless, of course, the contact constitutes a “dangerous play,” XVI.H.4).
Q
If you’re guarding the dump, and they’re standing very close to the thrower, is it legal to double-team (i.e. mark) the thrower, if you’re still within three meters of the dump?
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No, most likely this would still be an illegal double-team. In order for it not to be considered a doubleteam, you’d have to still be “guarding” (II.G) the other player, which means not only being within three meters of them, but also reacting to them. If you turn your back to the dump in order to put a mark on the thrower, you’re no longer reacting to, or therefore guarding, the dump, and it’s an illegal double-team (XIV.B.2).
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To submit rules questions, please email upa_src_chair@upa.org
ULTIMATE « SPRING 2010
U P A
NEW S
2010 Membership Renewal
lifelong fascination with flight.
Renew your membership now to continue receiving great benefits. The process is easier than ever because now all members can sign their waivers online! Go to htt// www.upa.org/membership to join, and continue playing, learning and reading about the sport of Ultimate.
While attending high school in Los Angeles, Morrison fell in love with Lucile Nay. She invited Morrison to her family’s Thanksgiving gathering in 1937 and, after dinner, Lu’s uncle produced a popcorn can lid to toss for fun in the backyard. Fred and Lu continued to enjoy sailing the metal top for days, until it became banged up beyond repair.
Member Benefits Include: •• Membership packet with your card and thank-you gift •• Quarterly subscription to USA Ultimate Magazine •• Ability to participate in UPA Coaching Corps. Certification •• Special discounts on Ultimate merchandise •• Liability insurance coverage for tournaments, practices and leagues •• A voice and a vote in the development, growth and organization of Ultimate Player-level members also enjoy: •• Participation in UPA Championship Series events •• Participation in UPA-sanctioned eagues, tournaments, and practices The UPA’s official membership total last year exceeded 30,000 for the first time in its history. The final 2009 UPA registration number reached 31,588 individual members, representing an eight percent increase over the 2008 season (29,311). Membership has grown more than 81% in just six years, rising from 17,419 in 2003.
Ultimate Remembers Frisbee Inventor Fred Morrison
They soon found that a cake pan borrowed from Fred’s mother’s kitchen flew even better, and practiced at the beach until they became so skilled that one day an admirer offered to buy the cake pan for 25 cents. A new business was born: “Flyin’ Cake Pans” were soon available whenever the two showed up at beaches and parks throughout the L.A. area. Fred began collaborating with his father on developing a better-flying cake pan, but Pearl Harbor interrupted their plans. Fred enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps, becoming a WWII P-47 fighter-bomber pilot. On a mission over Italy he was shot down and held as a P.O.W. in a German Stalag for 48 days. After the War, he drew up plans for an aerodynamic flying disc and dubbed it the Whirlo-Way (after a legendary racehorse). In 1947 he and his boss, Warren Franscioni, realized producing the Whirlo-Way in plastic might have commercial success. In 1948 they launched the world’s first plastic flying disc, renamed the Flyin-Saucer to take advantage of the new U.F.O. craze. Despite intense efforts, Flyin-Saucer sales were tepid and did not attract any major toy distributors. In 1954 Fred bought more Flyin-Saucers (by then made of a new, flexible plastic) from the original molding company. He soon designed the legendary Pluto Platter—the archetype for all modern flying discs.
Fred Morrison, best known as the inventor of the first plastic flying disc – later to be called the Frisbee – passed away February 9 at the age of 90 at his home in Monroe, Utah.
Fred was a born show-off and attracted large crowds at fairs he attended in 1955 and 1956. Sales of Pluto Platters were so brisk they earned the attention of Wham-O Mfg., a young Southern California company that had been aggressively seeking unconventional ideas to develop new lines of interesting products such as the Hula Hoop. In 1957, on his thirty-seventh birthday, Morrison and Nay signed over production and marketing rights for the Pluto Platter in exchange for royalties on future sales.
Fred experimented with flat, round objects he found in his small neighborhood in Richfield, Utah. Flipping them to see how well they would fly, Fred developed a
By late spring, Rich Knerr, president of Wham-O, had heard that some college students in New England were referring to the Pluto Platters by another name—one inspired
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by the Frisbie Pie Co., a local bakery whose empty tins were tossed after classes. Not knowing how to spell the odd name, he settled on “Frisbee” to trademark. The marriage of Fred’s plastic flying disc and the catchy name was complete: the Frisbee was born. Fred often spoke of his astonishment over how his simple idea for a better flying cake pan took off. Today, there’s virtually no one on the planet who doesn’t know what to do with a Frisbee.
Grand Masters and Masters Women’s Championships Return The 2010 UPA Grand Masters and Masters Women’s Championships will return to Colorado from July 10-11. Entering its second year, the event will be held at the Pleasant View Sports Complex in Boulder, Colo., and hosted by Grass Roots Ultimate (GRU). Last summer the inaugural UPA Grand Masters and Masters Women’s Championships took place in Denver. Sixteen Grand Masters teams (composed of players ages 40 or older) and 16 Masters Women’s teams (ages 30 or older) will advance to the tournament, which supports the UPA’s strategy to increase opportunities to play, expand offerings to new divisions, and reconnect the UPA with more experienced players. GRU previously hosted the 1999 and 2008 UPA College Championships at Pleasant View, as well as the 2005 UPA High School Westerns. Last year’s inaugural event featured 35 teams (representing 18 states and Canada) and more than 700 athletes. DoG (Boston) captured the 2009 Grand Masters Championship, while Well Done (Denver) was named the 2009 Masters Women’s Champion.
Free UPA Women’s Clinic Kits Available A clinic setting teaches players basic skills, provides an opportunity for them to ask questions and gives them the confidence to join local league and teams. Host a women’s clinic and receive a free kit with discs, posters and much more! Visit htt//www.upa. org/outreach/womens/clinics
UPA High School and Youth Club Championships Around the Corner The dates and locations for the UPA High School and Youth Championship events were released for the 2010 season, including the High School Easterns, High School Westerns, and the Youth Club Championships (YCC).
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The 2010 High School Eastern and Western Ultimate Championships are the top tournaments of the year for high school Ultimate teams in the Eastern and Western United States and Canada. Sixteen Open teams and 12 girls’ teams will come together May 15-16 in Buffalo, N.Y., and 16 Open teams and eight girls’ teams will converge on Burlington, Wash., from May 8-9 to showcase high school Ultimate at its best. The YCC offers under-19 players from local youth club leagues an opportunity to play for a national championship with the highest concentration of young Ultimate talent in the world. Eight teams in each of three divisions – Youth Club Mixed, Youth Club Open and Youth Club Girls’ – will vie for national titles from August 14-15 in Blaine, Minn.
Give Your College Team A Strong Start Have you been thinking about starting a new team at your college? Or maybe you have a team, but could use a little extra support? The College Team Start-Up Kit is designed to give your program all the resources you will need for a strong start this season. The kit includes: • Cones • Discraft discs • Pocket-sized rulebooks • Full-color posters • Skills and Drills Manual • Instructional Manual • Ultimate 101 Instructional DVD • Ultimate Fitness DVD • U PA College Championships DVD ORDER YOUR KIT TODAY Visit htt//www.upa.org/sportdev/collegedev for more information and pricing. Special rebate offers apply for qualifying teams.
Matt Farrell Nominated to Board of Directors Matt Farrell, Chief Marketing Officer of USA Swimming, was nominated to the UPA Board of Directors. Farrell will serve as an At-Large Representative during a three-year term (2010-12) after filling the final remaining position through a new Board of Directors nomination process.
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Farrell’s accomplished 17-year professional career includes significant experience with the United States Olympic Movement and U.S. National Governing Bodies (NGBs). As Chief Marketing Officer of USA Swimming in Colorado Springs, Colo., he currently oversees all marketing and communications strategies for the organization, including corporate partner sales initiatives, and directs a department of 14 staff members.
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NOTE S Newest Hall of Fame Class Inducted
have raised more than $4,000 and $3,000, respectively, to cover team expenses. To learn more, or participate in the program now, UPA teams can go online to www.UPA.org.
First Official UPA College Regular Season in the Books Borinstein King Evans The UPA recently announced the Class of 2009 for induction into the Ultimate Hall of Fame. Players Robert Evans and Pat King were inducted from the Open Division, while Andy Borinstein was honored as a Contributor. The three newest members were selected by the UPA Hall of Fame Voting Committee from the “Slate of Eight” final candidates and will form the sixth-ever induction class. The finalists were chosen from an outstanding class of candidates by the UPA Hall of Fame Vetting Committee as part of an overall selection process that included Peer Pool recommendations and input solicited from the UPA membership in the first-ever “Call to the Community.” “This year’s class once again embodies the highest level of excellence, as well as the special meaning behind our great sport, that induction into the Hall of Fame represents,” said Suzanne Fields, Chair of the UPA Hall of Fame Committee. “As a fellow Hall of Fame member, I am honored to stand next to each of them.” The Ultimate Hall of Fame was established in 2004 to honor the men and women “who, by their deeds as Ultimate players and/or contributors, and by the example of their lives, merit acknowledgement by all individuals involved in the sport of Ultimate.” Visit www.upa.org to see the newly revamped and updated Ultimate Hall of Fame section.
Fundraising Program For College And High School Teams The UPA has formed an exclusive fundraising partnership with My Sports Dreams. The firstever fundraising program is being offered to all UPA-affiliated college and high school teams at no upfront cost. The program also will be utilized to support U.S. National Teams, as well as club teams competing abroad – such as 2010 World Ultimate Club Championships (WUCC) qualifiers. As of this writing, 30 teams have registered for the program. The University of Tennessee– Knoxville Agent Orange has earned more than $6,300 for its program, while the Shippensburg (Pa.) University Scapegoats and Ball State (Ind.) University Wizardz
With the completion of several UPA-sanctioned events on the March 27-28 weekend, the UPA, dozens of event organizers, and hundreds of college teams completed the first UPA College Regular Season. Following the team registration deadline for the College Series and an extensive eligibility verification process, the UPA posted the final regular-season rankings prior to the initial weekend of Sectionals. For the first time in the College Division’s history, these rankings were used to allocate strength bids to Regionals and to the College Championships using current season results. This change also marked the first time that sections were awarded strength-based bids to Regionals, rather than allocating bids strictly based on the relative number of teams. Following Sectionals, Division III-eligible teams from small college and universities will be re-ranked and awarded bids based on their season performances to the first UPA Division III College Championships. Although still only a few months into 2010, the year has already been filled with exciting changes born out of the UPA’s Ultimate Revolution strategic plan. Look for more exciting changes in 2011 as the college restructure process continues.
Club Restructure Planning Process Under Way The next stage in the evolution of the competitive structure for UPA Club Ultimate has begun. An experienced and diverse group of players, organizers, coaches, and officials from the U.S. and Canada will come together the first weekend of May. Their goal will be to generate new and exciting ideas for how the UPA can better serve all Club players and teams, while promoting the highest levels of play to current and potential fans. Specific elements to be addressed include creation of a structure for tiered divisions of play, assembling a more formalized regular season leading up to the UPA Championships, evaluating the Championship Series qualification structure and process, exploring geographic boundary changes that will help develop more opportunities for more people to play, and including new opportunities to showcase the sport. Look for updates on this process on the UPA website at htt//www.upa. org/club/restructure.
INJURY
TIM E OUT
BY: Dr. Jamie Nuwer, MD
Skin Dee Wounds, Bruises and Blisters Skin injuries are very common in Ultimate. Even a small blister can cause incredible discomfort. A large bruise or hematoma can take a long time to resolve if not treated properly when it first occurs. Wounds can become infected and cause major problems with surrounding muscle and bone. Skin injuries are not something to ignore; prompt and proper treatment can decrease your pain and length of symptoms.
The key with foot blisters is to avoid them in the first place, especially while you are breaking-in new cleats. Buying a pair of cleats that fits properly will help. Try to find a shoe in which the ball of your foot (the widest part) fits exactly at the widest part of the cleat. Also select a shoe with eyelets of the laces about an inch apart to make sure it’s the right height.
MATT LANE
To break-in your cleats before playing in them, put them on with your favorite Ultimate socks and stand in the tub with the hot water running on the cleats for a few minutes. This helps the leather fit to your feet exactly. Change your socks and walk around the house in your cleats (without ruining your mom’s carpet, kids) until the outer portion of the leather is dry. Let the rest of your cleats dry indoors. Never leave
Players should break-in new cleats before playing in a game.
pression and icing. This will decrease the size and pain of the injury. Any skin wound should be cleaned out with water and soap as soon as possible. Signs of skin infection include redness, warmth, swelling and fever. Any wound that develops these symptoms needs immeSkin abrasions are common in Ultimate and need proper diate evaluation by a physicare in order to avoid future problems. cian. Untreated skin infections your cleats out to dry in the sun – the leath- can progress to surrounding muscle and bone. er will shrink and require breaking in again. Finally, wearing two pairs of socks also A heavily bleeding wound should be comhelps prevent blisters, as well as changing pressed immediately and the player should be transported to a medical center for furyour socks between games. ther management. Hold pressure on the If you first start to feel your shoe rubbing, wound until it stops bleeding or medical stop and place a bandage or tape over it. help arrives. This simple intervention will frequently stop the blister from forming. If a blister has Dr. Nuwer is a sports medicine/family medalready formed, it is necessary to relieve the icine physician living in San Francisco. She pressure from that area. You can use mole runs an educational website on injury treatskin or a rolled-up piece of tape to make a ment and prevention for Ultimate athletes. rim around the blister. Place a bandage over You can find previous articles from this colthe top. If you choose to pop the blister, umn on her website at www.injurytimeout. make sure you sterilize the skin and needle org. Dr. Nuwer edited the Sports Medicine section of the UPA Coaching Manual. In first, otherwise you may get an infection. addition, she has worked many sporting Large bruises, or bruises that quickly form events in the San Francisco Bay Area and a bump (known as a hematoma), should Los Angeles and served as the chair for the be compressed and iced immediately to WFDF Therapeutic Use Exemption Commitdecrease blood flow to the area. Bruises and tee for the 2009 World Games. hematomas are bleeding under the skin. Bleeding can be decreased by prompt comMATT LANE
This article discusses the causes, symptoms and treatment of skin injuries. It is not meant to replace medical evaluation for your health problems. Always seek medical help for worrisome or persistent symptoms.
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A B OV E
TH E
COMP E TITION BY: Tim Morrill, NSCA-CSCS, ACSM-HFS, USA-W
Building The Foundation Part One of a four-part series that teaches how strength and conditioning can improve your Ultimate game In BOTH Ultimate and strength and conditioning, as well as in life, it is crucial to set goals and always strive to become better. In this column we hope to give sound Ultimate training advice to increase your increase athleticism and help you make that grab or get that D. In Ultimate, players perform the explosive movements of running, jumping and laying out – similar to say, football. Add the components of endurance, flexibility and finesse, and it’s the quintessential athletic sport. Ultimate players are all athletes and must train as athletes. There are five primary components of athleticism (NSCA, 2008): Speed: The time it takes to cover a fixed distance Flexibility: The range of motion about a body joint Agility: The ability to stop, start and change directions rapidly and in a controlled manner Strength: The maximal force that a muscle or muscle group can generate at a specified velocity Endurance: The maintenance of these components while fatigued The training year should be broken into phases with an attempt to make improvements in each of these areas. Each phase should consist of different exercises and variation. Further, you should make periodic fluctuations in volume and intensity with an attempt to reach a peak. This progression is termed periodization. Establishing this solid foundation will entail learning and performing the formal Weightlifting movements, also known as the Olympic lifts (clean & jerk and snatch). Olympic lifts enable us to overload the triple extension movement; extension at the ankles, knees, and
hips. We triple extend each time we run, jump and lay out. These movements are the best means of increasing speed, explosiveness and overall athleticism. The off-season is the ideal period to make strength gains and strive towards mastery of the Olympic lifts. Before beginning the Olympic lifts, focus should be on development of total body strength using multi-joint movements such as the squat, dead lift and variations of the two. Let’s begin with the back squat. Back Squat (NSCA, 2008) Starting Position (see figure 1) • Rest barbell on upper back (traps) • Initiate movement at the hips not the knees • Position feet shoulder-width apart, toes pointed slightly outward • Maintain a position with flat back and chest up and out Downward Movement Phase (see figure 2) • Allow the hips and knees to slowly flex until the thighs are parallel to the floor, the trunk begins to round or flex forward • Do not allow the knees to cave inward Upward Movement Phase • Extend the knees and hips to reach starting position Example of an eight-week back squat scheme: two times per week Weeks 1-4 = 3 sets x 10 reps Weeks 5-8 = 3 sets x 5 reps Tip: As volume (reps) decreases, intensity (weight) should increase Please note: Safety racks and/or a spotter should be used
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Figure 1
Figure 2
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Figure 3
Tim Morrill is a certified strength and conditioning specialist (CSCS) who has worked with youth, collegiate and professional athletes through the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA), High Intensity Training (HIT), 365 Performance, and NCAA Divisions I and III. He has played Ultimate at the college, club and summer league levels around the country. Reference: Baechle, T. R., Earle, R. W., (1998). Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning. (3 rd ed.), (pp. 251-253) (pp. 352-353) Human Kinetics.
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