USA Ultimate Magazine: 2010 Summer

THE ULTIMATE FAMILY • AMERICANS DOMINATE WUCC • HIGH SCHOOL, DIII AND MASTERS CHAMPIONSHIPS

USA

ULTIMATE

OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF USA ULTIMATE — SUMMER 2010

METTLE IN

USA ULTIMATE Ultimate Players Association 4730 Table Mesa Dr., Suite I-200C Boulder, CO 80305

MADISON FLORIDA, OREGON CAPTURE NATIONAL TITLES

ANDREW DAVIS BEFORE & AFTER – FANS REACT TO A SPECTACULAR LAYOUT BY DANIEL CAMPBELL IN THE CORNELL-MICHIGAN QUARTERFINAL MATCH UP AT THE COLLEGE CHAMPIONSHIPS IN MADISON.

USA ULTIMATE 4730 Table Mesa Dr. Suite I-200C Boulder, CO 80305 303.447.3472 www.usaultimate.org info@usaultimate.org USA ULTIMATE BOARD OF DIRECTORS Peri Kurshan - President Gwen Ambler – Vice President Seth Grossinger – Treasurer Joshua Seamon – Secretary Ben Banyas William Bartram Audrius Barzdukas Jason Chow Mandy Eckhoff Matt Farrell John Terry Henry Thorne USA Ultimate Staff Matthew Bourland – Championship Series & New Media Manager Melanie Byrd – Director of Membership & Sport Development Dr. Tom Crawford – Chief Executive Officer Will Deaver – Managing Director of Competition & Athlete Programs Byron Hicks – Championship Series Manager Andy Lee – Director of Marketing & Communications Anna Schott – Membership & Sport Development Manager Meredith Tosta – Director of Coach & Youth Development Erin Wolter – Office Manager

USA Ultimate is a non-profit organization and serves as the national Governing Body for the sport of Ultimate in the United States. Founded in 1979 as the Ultimate Players Association (UPA), USA Ultimate is one of the first flying disc sport organizations in the world and the largest, with more than 40,000 members and a national volunteer network.

USA ULTIMATE USA Ultimate is the official publication of USA Ultimate, published quarterly. All ideas expressed in USA Ultimate are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of USA Ultimate, the National Governing Body.

USA Ultimate assumes no responsibility for the return of unsolicited manuscripts or photographs.

Editor-in-Chief Andy Lee Advertising Complete rates and specifications are available online at www.usaultimate. org/sponsors Change of Address USA Ultimate is not forwarded by the post office.

To update your address, please contact USA Ultimate.

For a complete list of contacts, please visit www.usaultimate.org

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President's Column

V 30. 3

USA Ultimate: Launching a New Identity

Q&A With Callahan Winners Eli Friedman and Shannon O’Malley

A Letter to Our Members The Ultimate Decade (continued)

A Letter From the Editor Trial by Fire

2010 College Recap Open Training To Win New Kids On The Block

2010 College Recap Women's Oregon On Top Groundhog Day

2010 Division III Recap Out With The Old, In With The New

2010 High School Easterns Recap The Perfect Storm Girl Power

2010 High School Westerns Recap Dynamic Duos Battle In Seattle

The Ultimate Family 2010 Grand Masters & Masters Women's Recap Well Done, Old And In The Way

Q & A Spirit Of The GameTM With Moses Rifkin And Alicia White

2010 World Junior Ultimate Championships 2010 High School State Championship Results Coaches' Playbook presented by Five Ultimate Reset Defense

Above The Competition Building the Foundation: Part 2

Injury Timeout Acute Knee Injury

USA Ultimate News & Notes

Mission Statement

To advance the sport of Ultimate in the United States by enhancing and promoting Character, Community, and Competition.

ON THE COVER: UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA CAPTAIN CHRIS GIBSON AND THE UNIVERSITY OF OREGON’S SHANNON MCDOWELL HELP LEAD THEIR TEAMS TO TITLES AT THE 2010 USA ULTIMATE COLLEGE CHAMPIONSHIPS. WWW.USAULTIMATE.ORG PHOTOS: ANDREW DAVIS, MATT LANE

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C O L U M N BY: Peri Kurshan, President USA Ultimate Board of Directors

USA Ultimate: Launching a New Identity It is with great pleasure that I write my first column as the President of USA Ultimate!

THE REBRANDING OF OUR ORGANIZATION, FROM ULTIMATE PLAYERS ASSOCIATION/ UPA TO USA ULTIMATE, WAS THE CULMINATION OF EXTENSIVE RESEARCH AND INPUT FROM FOCUS GROUPS, VOLUNTEERS, INDIVIDUALS WITH LONG-STANDING ROOTS IN THE ULTIMATE COMMUNITY, AS WELL AS CURRENT AND POTENTIAL BUSINESS PARTNERS. IT WAS NOT A DECISION TAKEN LIGHTLY, BUT IT IS ONE THAT WE ARE CONFIDENT WAS THE RIGHT MOVE FOR OUR ORGANIZATION. THIS CHANGE IS MORE THAN SIMPLY A CHANGE IN NAME—it allows us to better communicate the identity of our organization.

To a casual observer, USA Ultimate immediately conveys who we are, makes us more consistent with other National Governing Bodies, and therefore adds to the legitimacy of our organization.

No longer will I have to explain that, “No, the Ultimate Players Association has nothing to do with poker…” USA Ultimate is instantly recognizable to the rapidly growing number of people that know what “Ultimate” itself is.

affinity with our sport, our members, our core mission values, and our demographics. Our sport and our organization are more marketable simply by virtue of having a more recognized name.

Changing our name to USA Ultimate is a stepping-stone towards expanding our opportunities for partnership and visibility. Being able to attract more sponsors and partners will lead to additional revenue sources that can be directly funneled into providing new programs and playing opportunities for our members.

However, although the name and look of our organization has changed dramatically, we have not changed our focus on you—our members. We plan to not only provide the same level of service to our members, but will continue to expand those services as our organization continues to grow. We will remain an organization focused primarily on Ultimate players. In order to grow the sport, and increase our ability to provide more services to Ultimate players, our reach needs to extend beyond our current membership base and attract new players, fans, partners and sponsors.

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The biggest benefit of our identity change will probably be our ability to enter the non-endemic sponsorship marketplace (i.e.non-Ultimate-related businesses), putting us in a better position to attract partners and sponsors who would like to share an

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ANDREW DAVIS

THE SPORT OF ULTIMATE IS EVOLVING and growing at record rates. Just last year the Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association listed Ultimate as the fastest growing team sport in America!

The change to USA Ultimate will hopefully continue to fuel the incredible growth of our sport.

THE NEW USA ULTIMATE IDENTITY WAS LAUNCHED AT THE COLLEGE CHAMPIONSHIPS IN MADISON AND DISPLAYED PROMINENTLY ON EVERYTHING FROM DISCS TO BANNERS.

ANDREW DAVIS

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with Callahan Winners Eli Friedman and Shannon O’Malley

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE UNIVERSITY OF OREGON’S ELI FRIEDMAN AND THE UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON’S SHANNON O’MALLEY FOR WINNING THE 2010 CALLAHAN AWARDS, AS WELL AS THE OTHER TOP-FIVE VOTE GETTERS: OPEN DIVISION 1. Eli Friedman (University of Oregon) 2. Brodie Smith (University of Florida) 3. Sam Kanner (Carleton College) 4. Peter Dempsey (University of Georgia) 5. George Stubbs (Harvard University)

WOMEN’S DIVISION 1. Shannon O’Malley (University of Washington) 2. Leila Tunnell (University of North Carolina) 3. Kaela Jorgensen (UC -Santa Barbara) 4. Cree Howard (UC-Berkeley) 5. Julia Sherwood (University of Oregon)

Eli Friedman

Shannon O’Malley

TEAM: UNIVERSITY OF OREGON EGO

TEAM: UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON ELEMENT

CLASS: SENIOR

CLASS: SENIOR

MAJOR: GEOLOGY

MAJOR: ANTHROPOLOGY

Q: How does it feel to be the 2010 Callahan Winner?

Q: What has been your best Ultimate memory?

A: I am completely flattered. I just hope the club season doesn’t humble me too soon!

A: My best Ultimate memory has got to be the love I’ve experienced with my team this year in college. College Ultimate really is unlike any other division of the sport. The team is your family and they always have your back, no matter what. Element really bonded this year and I love them for giving me an amazing final year.

Q: How long have you been playing Ultimate?

A: I started playing eight years ago at South Eugene High School with guys like Breeze Stout, Dusty Becker and Marcel Schaeffer. I remember the muddy pit we called our field and our mismatched jerseys. At that time, we traveled to tournaments in an ex-juvenile detention center van… the thing had bars on its windows.

Q: How was your experience at the 2010 College Championships?

A; Very bittersweet. I love winning, and more importantly, I wanted a ring. On the bright side, I was spoiled all season as I was able to train and practice with all of the EGO boys.

We carried each other through an incredible regular season, and that is nothing to be disappointed about.

Q: What is your favorite part of Ultimate?

A: The amazing community that supports it. It’s fun to play hard, make big plays and win games, but when you go home, you have family to hang out with, whether they’re on the opposing teams or your own. But then again, I really like laying out!

Q: How has Spirit of the Game shaped you as a player?

A: I think Spirit of the Game has shaped me as a player by teaching me that in the end, it is just a game. And it doesn’t always have to be about winning or losing. I am very, very competitive and many know it throws my emotions haywire at times, especially in the biggest of games. But remembering spirit and composure has definitely shaped me to be who I am today as a player and as a person.

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BY: Tom Crawford, USA Ultimate Chief Executive Officer

The Ultimate Decade

(continued)

GREETINGS TO THE ULTIMATE COMMUNITY! I AM SITTING IN COLORADO AMAZED BY THE FACT THAT AS I WRITE THIS, I HAVE BEEN ON THE JOB FOR A YEAR. HOLY COW! THIS HAS DEFINITELY BEEN ONE OF THE FASTEST YEARS OF MY LIFE, AND AS I DESCRIBED IN OUR LAST ISSUE, I AM HAVING A BLAST! THANKS TO ALL OF YOU FOR SUCH A WARM WELCOME TO THE COMMUNITY. Since the last issue of USA Ultimate, there have been some exciting developments:

first time come up to me and make similar spontaneous comments over the course of the event.

We are now USA Ultimate …and not just the magazine! Please let me share The second story is about the look on the two quick stories about this brand face of some of the D3 teams who had hung and identity change that occurred around Wisconsin to watch the Madison in Wisconsin literally in the space tournament. When they arrived in Madison of two days. We held the D3 college and saw the new branding, having just championships in Appleton, fully experienced the UPA event four days earlier, branded as the UPA. I then drove our they literally stopped in their tracks, looked rental truck from Appleton to Madison around, started smiling broadly and along (I’ve never seen so many farms and with one of our vendor partners asked, beautiful lush green pastures in my life), “How did you guys do this?” It wasn’t easy and the next day awoke knowing that to pull off, but we sure are proud of how it in 24 hours we were going to be USA went, and how it was received! Andy Lee’s Ultimate. On the Wednesday prior to the column discusses some of the benefits and college championships, we became USA early dividends the change has facilitated.

Ultimate, launched our new website, And it’s important to note again that we and all the new signage and branding did not make this change lightly, and began arriving at the headquarters hotel. will always genuinely and affectionately About two hours later I ran into one of respect and honor the great history and the teams arriving for the event, and a tradition of the 30+ years of the UPA. We couple of the athletes recognized me just have new name. from our lighthearted YouTube ‘change Other developments: We held a large is coming’ series. They graciously meeting of the club restructuring task approached, introduced themselves, force in Denver, and took in a tremendous and noted how much they had gotten amount of ideas and input in beginning a kick out of and enjoyed the series the task of restructuring our club division and asked me how things were going at and series. Lots of great ideas were the UPA. I responded, “Have you seen the generated from across the full spectrum new website and the big announcement?” of our membership (25+ attendees), They had been travelling and had not. So and a smaller committee just spent a I said, well we are no longer the UPA, we weekend boiling all the input down to are ‘USA Ultimate.’ I will never forget their some executable goals. We also trained a reaction. They looked at each other, back new team of observers the same weekend. at me, then back at each other, high fived and exclaimed ”Wow, that is so cool! That’s We have launched The Ultimate Nation, a awesome!” That made my day to say the new webcast where at least twice per least, and I must have had more than 50 month we will be responding to all of you, athletes I had the joy of meeting for the our readers and viewers, in an interactive

forum, answering your questions and stimulating discussion on our new message boards.

Our teams performed very well as a country at the world club championships, both on the podium and in the Spirit of the Game rankings. Peri Kurshan and I also attended the WFDF World Congress, where some important developments are taking place which we’ll be discussing on The Ultimate Nation. Our junior teams are just returning from their excellent performances at the world junior championships. We held a fun, successful and highly competitive Grand Masters and Masters Women’s Championships right here in Boulder, as well as an excellent and competitive Youth Club Championships in Blaine, Minn.

Our new website is launched and has received great reviews. It is still a work in progress, and Matthew Bourland, our Manager of Championships and New Media is constantly taking input and improving the sites functionality and interactive features, while also managing college championships, youth club championships, college re-structuring, etc.

I could go on and on with lots more cool happenings, but feel it’s important to reflect, after a year on the job, on some important challenges we face. We are currently in our second straight year of operating in a deficit budget. This simply means we are not bringing enough revenue in to do all the things we do. This is unsustainable for many reasons, not the least of which is we could run out of operating reserves very quickly, and this is an unacceptable business practice for a national 501(c)(3) non-profit WWW.USAULTIMATE.ORG

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organization. It is also very difficult to raise outside funds either through sponsorship or philanthropy when consistently running a deficit. We become too big of a risk for investment, and are out of compliance with national non-profit operating standards. As a result, we have to find ways to increase the revenue streams we currently have, namely our membership dues structure, while working hard at diversifying our revenue streams. So we’ll have to make some dues adjustments in 2011 to get out of our deficit and recover a bit from the seven years that have passed without a dues increase. It’s important to note that we are significantly below average in our dues structure when comparing ourselves to the rest of the NGB world, while offering the same menu of programs and services. We will also work hard to restructure in a way that allows long time and committed members to continue to experience no increase, in what will amount to 12 consecutive years with no increase. The board and staff will continue to work very hard to strike the right balance between keeping Ultimate an affordable and easy-to-join sport, while generating enough resources to serve our community

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at the highest possible level and continue to build a stable and sustainable missionbased business model.

An exciting challenge we face is significantly increasing the number of youth exposed to and learning to play our sport. In the nationwide survey that was conducted to guide the strategic plan, you clearly and unequivocally told us that growing youth participation was, by far, our most important priority. If that is to happen in a sustainable and systemic way, we need lots of help from all of you!

For example, we’ll need literally hundreds if not thousands of coaches, particularly at the youth level. Most of these will be parents who have never played the game, just like all other major youth sports. We’ll need coaches and instructional observers to help 8-, 9- and 10-year olds learn the rules and gain an understanding of Spirit of the Game.

The vast majority of these will be volunteer parents who are not players. The core of USA Ultimate will always be the active players and teams, but to truly maximize our sport’s potential, and invite thousands of young kids to learn and play this sport we love, we need many more involved, and we

need to welcome them warmly, not necessarily as players , but as full members of our NGB community. We’ll also have to modify the rules and game structure for these young players, so they experience early success and so parents know when to drop them off and pick them up, or the specific time they can plan on heading out to the next planned activity. And we’ll also have to think about how we present our sport, as these young children and families will become a growing fan base, and we’ll need our showcase events to be very fan/family friendly! Lots of challenging and exciting things our sport has not had to think about and plan for, but now we do!

I truly believe these next ten years have almost unlimited potential for us and this amazing sport. (Whoops, I guess that’s already down to nine years!) Let’s all join together to take Ultimate to its maximum potential, and help thousands more of our fellow human beings experience and enjoy what is truly the most beautiful sport in the world.

The Ultimate Decade is underway…please join us!

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BY: Andy Lee, Editor-in-Chief

Trial by Fire

ENTERING THE FOLD IN MID-APRIL AS THE NEW DIRECTOR OF MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS FOR USA ULTIMATE, MY OFFICE MIGHT AS WELL HAVE BEEN LOCATED IN CHICAGO. IN 1871. THAT’S THE BEST ANALOGY I COULD USE TO DESCRIBE MY INTENSE INTRODUCTION TO THE SPORT OF ULTIMATE AND MY NEW ROLE WITH THE NATIONAL GOVERNING BODY THAT OVERSEES A RAPIDLY GROWING SPORT ON THE VERGE OF EXPLODING. I joined just as we were implementing a major rebranding campaign and creating a new identity for ourselves after 30 years as the UPA. Our new website was about to be launched. A summer of championships was just around the corner and a steady stream of events was highlighted on the calendar – High School Westerns, Easterns, Division III, College, World Club Championships, Masters & Grand Masters, Junior World’s, YCC… It was definitely a lot to take in over the course of a few short months. Add to that a high priority of testing out the waters of the non-endemic sponsorship market, creating our first sales deck to approach said market, a summer board meeting, conceptualizing and launching the Ultimate Nation webcast and the production of this summer magazine… well, you get the idea. It’s been a whirlwind immersion to say the least, especially with all of this occurring against the backdrop of a sport that is all new to me.

Having spent my entire career in the professional and Olympic sports arena, I’ve been a part of Olympic Games, World Championships and other high-level sporting events, and so far I have been tremendously impressed by the sport of Ultimate, the athletes that compete in it, and the community that supports it. At the recent college championships – my first Ultimate event – I witnessed some incredible competition and can specifically pinpoint the exact second I realized how awesome this sport is. Standing in the north endzone during the Cornell-Michigan quarterfinal, I watched an amazing display of athleticism as Cornell’s Daniel Campbell scored on a phenomenal layout just a few feet in front of me (see page 1 photos). That play was as good as any that I’ve ever seen in the world of sports. And

the reaction of the crowd was as spirited and enthusiastic as I’ve ever experienced.

And I’ve been on the sidelines when Olympic gold medals and world championships were won on home soils.

Finally, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention how truly remarkable the people are who support this sport. In my short time here, I’ve been taken aback by how helpful, engaging and genuinely passionate the Ultimate community is. From the vast and dedicated network of volunteers to the players, coaches, organizers, observers and fans, it’s obvious who drives this sport and makes it so dynamic and unique.

Now that I feel like I have my feet somewhat underneath me, I’m looking forward to helping this sport and USA Ultimate reach its enormous potential alongside a talented and committed staff here at headquarters.

And here are a few things that I thought deserved some special attention: The Ultimate Nation: Now that we have a more dynamic and exciting new website, we are diligently working on implementing new features that are designed to engage our membership and fans of Ultimate around the world – one of which is the recently launched webcast series, The Ultimate Nation. This biweekly show serves as an opportunity to communicate directly with our membership by discussing topics suggested by you, the viewer, as well as answer specific questions you may have related to those issues. My philosophy behind the idea was to stimulate discussion about interesting, important and even controversial topics in an entertaining and informative way. Now, keep in mind we don’t have a six-figure production budget,

access to the latest and greatest technology, or refined and polished on-air talent. The immediate goal was to introduce something new, useful and interactive. And so far the feedback has been positive. If you have any ideas, questions or comments, please be sure to send them in to theultimatenation@ usaultimate.org or post them to our Facebook page.

Marketing: Picking up where my predecessors left off, I would like to echo some previous sentiments regarding the enormous and valued support USA Ultimate receives from its industry partners. I am excited to announce that we recently extended our relationship with Discraft through 2011 and that they will continue to be the official disc of our championship series events and provide a valuable and exclusive discount to USA Ultimate members. Additionally, merchandisers like VC Ultimate and Five Ultimate have stepped up their support in significant ways. But to expose our sport to a wider audience and generate the resources we need to take this sport to the next level, we also need the support of partners outside of the Ultimate industry. I am happy to announce that we have made some significant progress on this front in a variety of ways. Recently we struck an agreement with 776 Original Marketing, a Colorado Springs-based marketing agency comprised of former high-level Olympic sport executives who are well connected and extremely savvy in the sports marketing industry. As a result of their guidance, and some of our own research and outreach we have engaged in several significant discussions with a handful of A-list companies who consider USA Ultimate, the sport (Continued on pg 56) WWW.USAULTIMATE.ORG

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WITH IMPRESSIVE STATS THROUGHOUT THE TOURNAMENT, BRODIE SMITH LED FLORIDA TO A 3-1 RECORD IN POOL PLAY AND A NATIONAL TITLE

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2010 COLLEGE RECAP: OPEN

Training to

WIN

Instead of cycling through dozens of players and spreading playing time, Florida relied exclusively on its top players, who trained to play as many points as possible. Smith and Sullivan, along with Miguel Palaviccini and captain Chris Gibson, played every point in the championship game, a strategy Florida used throughout the tournament.

BY: Andy Wade

When Cole Sullivan hauled in Brodie Smith’s short

backhand for the winning goal in Florida’s 15-12 victory over Carleton at the open final of the 2010 USA Ultimate College Championships May 31 in Madison, Wis., it signaled not only a return to glory for one of college ultimate’s most dominant teams,

“That’s why we run track so much,” Sullivan said. “A lot of teams like CUT but a paradigm shift for how to win with a handful of use 17, 18 players. A lot of teams have really good players, but they college superstars. only play O or only play D. Why put the disc in the hands of your 17th best player? If someone’s going to turn it over, let it be one of play well, no one’s going to beat us. We’re more athletic, we those top two players.” can jump higher and run faster than anyone. No one can beat Florida’s captain, Chris Gibson, said the strategy has been us but ourselves. We just couldn’t let the whole Nationals thing overwhelm us.” used since the team’s first championship five years ago.

“In college ultimate, you always have maybe three or four players that make the plays for your team,” Gibson said. “It’s been our strategy since 2006, when Cyle (Van Auken), Bill (MacQueen), Tim (Gehert), and Kurt (Gibson) played every point. Our best players play every point, no matter what.

That’s why we train – so our top players can be at least 90 percent every point of the game. This strategy has proven it works at the college level because the talent is always so spread out.”

ANDREW DAVIS

To be sure, all great teams have excellent players. But Florida seems to have taken the idea to the extreme. Only three players threw assists in the championship game: Smith (10), Gibson (3) and Sullivan (2). Smith’s impressive final completed one of the most dominant performances in the College Championships in recent memory. In the six games he played, the 6-foot-4 senior averaged more than 9 assists and 2 goals a game, factoring into over three-quarters of Florida’s scores.

“There’s no one in college that can match up with Brodie,” said Sullivan, who caught 6 goals from him. “And Chris is one of the fastest players I’ve ever seen. No one’s going to outhustle Brodie, and no one’s going to outrun Chris. We can outmatch everyone. Our mindset was that if we come out and

LAST YEAR’S ‘DEBACLE’ After missing out on Nationals last year, Florida’s 2010 championship run re-establishes the program’s status as one of the best in recent history. The guys from Gainesville now have four top-3 finishes in the past five years: they won it all in 2006, made the semifinals in 2007, and were the runnersup in 2008.

Florida began its 2009 season in style, winning Trouble in Vegas, the Stanford Invite and Huck Finn. But the team faltered at the series, finishing fourth in the Atlantic Coast Region and missing out on Nationals. Sullivan said the team learned a lot from what he calls last year’s “debacle.”

“Last year we proved it during the regular season, but we had a meltdown during the series,” he said. “If you don’t win in the series, your regular season means absolutely nothing.

“Last year our team was built on a lot of negativity and cockiness. We’d yell at each other when we’d mess up, and the team just had a negative outlook on the game. Our commitment at the end of the year sucked. We stopped going to practice and doing track workouts. When the series came, we weren’t ready to run.”

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also hated what the team had turned into and the reputation that Florida had acquired over the years.”

Gibson and Sage tried to convince Smith that the team could change, that Ultimate could be fun again. And after a few weeks, Smith called a team meeting to announce his return – but with a few conditions. Among them: respect for teammates and opponents, only positive input at practice, and no more cursing.

ANDREW DAVIS

“I came back because of Chris and Sage,” Smith said. “When I came back, our team started respecting each other and other teams again. It started being fun again.”

“We lost the negative attitude,” Sullivan said. “We became a happy team, and it showed on the field.”

BACK ON TRACK With Brodie back and a new outlook on the sport, Florida began its quest for college Ultimate’s biggest prize. The team didn’t experience nearly as much regular-season success as in years past: Florida finished 7th at the Stanford Invite and 17th at a cold, windy Centex.

CAPTAIN CHRIS GIBSON TALLIED 3 GOALS, 2 ASSISTS AND 1 D IN THE FINALS AGAINST CHRISTIAN FOSTER AND CARLETON COLLEGE.

Captain Chris Gibson and Florida’s core members were determined to right the ship this year, not only with results on the field, but in mind and spirit. The team instituted a rigorous six-day-a-week training regimen (see inset pg 12) with one simple goal: to be the most athletic team in every game.

“The workouts are not meant just to give you the endurance to outperform your opponents in every match and be at top physical shape, but to build your team chemistry and trust,” Gibson said. “It builds mental strength.”

“It was a lot of hard work,” graduate student Nathan Sage said. “But we needed to suffer together as a team. We needed to grow through pain. We had a lot of physical pain this year on the track and practice field and a lot of emotional struggles off the field that ended up bonding us together as a single unit, for one purpose and one goal: to win it all.”

BRODIE CALLS IT QUITS Brodie Smith, the best player on the best team in college ultimate, nearly gave up the sport over the winter.

“I quit — I was done for two weeks,” said Smith, who had planned on concentrating on triathlons and other races. “I didn’t practice. No cleats, no track.”

The reason was simple: The team’s old habits of negativity and cockiness were resurfacing. Smith was fed up, and he wasn’t having fun anymore.

Sage said he was “heartbroken” with Smith’s decision, but he wasn’t about to lose his friend and teammate.

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“I had a close relationship with Brodie, and I wasn’t going to let him quit,” he said. “One night after practice, Chris Gibson and I went over to Brodie’s place and talked with him on the sidewalk for over three hours. I remember it being freezing and us shivering the whole time as we were just talking about life. I learned that Brodie didn’t like who he was on the ultimate field, at practice or around the team. He

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“ It was a lot of hard work, but we needed to suffer together as a team. We needed to grow through pain. We had a lot of physical pain this year on the track and practice field and a lot of emotional struggles off the field that ended up bonding us together as a single unit.”

Nathan Sage, Florida

But the team hit its stride in the series, going undefeated and practically unchallenged through the Atlantic Coast Region, finishing with a 15-1 semifinal win over Georgia and a 15-6 victory over UNCWilmington in the final. Florida had made it back to Nationals, with a new attitude and hungry for renewed success.

Going into Nationals, Florida was peaking. Gibson said it was the team’s confident mindset that was most crucial.

“We knew we (still) had the best player in the country and a supporting cast that was unmatchable,” Gibson said. “But we also knew that

As the No. 4 seed at the College Championships, Smith and Sullivan dominated offensively. Florida cruised on Friday, beating Kansas 15-5 and Minnesota 15-8. California’s balanced attack kept them close on Saturday, but costly mistakes late in the game allowed Florida to eke out a 15-11 victory.

With the top seed in the pool locked up, Florida rested its starters and lost to UCSB, 15-10.

2010 COLLEGE RECAP: OPEN

Florida’s road to the CHAMPIONSHIP POOL PLAY:

QUARTERFINALS: FINAL:

Florida 15, Kansas 5

Florida 15, UNC-Wilming-

Florida 15, Minnesota 8

ton 8

Florida 15, California 11 UCSB 15, Florida 10

But the loss didn’t affect the team’s focus when it mattered most. In Sunday’s quarterfinals, Florida pulled away late to top UNC-Wilmington 15-8.

Florida then notched a 15-8 semifinal win over a Cornell squad coming off a thrilling quarterfinal win over Michigan.

That set the stage for Monday’s heavyweight showdown against Carleton. Florida used four early breaks to take half 8-5, but CUT came out firing in the second half, tying the game at 9. Carleton even appeared to take its first lead at 10-9 when captain Sam Kanner hit Alex Evangelides on an uncontested huck. But Florida called a travel on the throw. Later in the point, Sullivan and Smith each got Ds before connecting for the score, and Florida never looked back.

Florida 15, Carleton 12

SEMIFINALS: Florida 15, Cornell 8

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doesn’t equate to anything unless you have trust, work ethic and a good attitude. A Frisbee team can’t work if there is no trust. I’m talking about on and off the field.”

ANDREW DAVIS

“We were all pretty nervous when they came back,” Sullivan said, “but we said, ‘OK, we’re still up. If we just score out we’re going to win.’ So we tried to work it more, and the breaks started to happen

SMITH’S DECISION TO COME BACK FOR ONE MORE SEASON ULTIMATELY RESULTED IN A 15-12 WIN IN THE TITLE GAME

our way. We threw zone one point, got a quick D and stuck it in. We rattled off two breaks really quickly. From then on, we stayed committed to working it. We valued the disc more than we did the whole game. It was a couple of miscues on their part that sparked us to get it going.”

Carleton captain Grant Lindsley admitted that CUT’s mistakes paved the way for Florida’s final surge.

“We had some uncharacteristic unforced turns and didn’t play the short game as consistently as a team should against a team like Florida, who loves the huck,” he said. “We had some great Ds to start the second half, and converted the turnovers into goals to tie the game at 9s. We even went up 10-9 on a huck to Alex Evangelides, but the lead was short-lived because a travel was called and upheld, retracting the goal.”

While the championship game featured dozens of great plays, it was also slowed by constant stoppages of play. One group of spectators counted 84 total calls and six Team Misconduct Fouls. Both teams were assessed field-position penalties.

“Travel calls -- and not necessarily travels themselves -- were a theme of the game,” Lindsley said. “Throwers gain a negligible advantage and defenses (sometimes) abuse the call. All the stoppages certainly weren’t fun to play with or against, but it’s also certainly no excuse for losing.”

SMITH AND CARLETON’S ALEX EVANGELIDES BATTLED IT OUT IN A FINAL THAT WAS FULL OF EMOTION AND ATHLETICISM

WWW.USAULTIMATE.ORG

11

Up 14-12, Florida received the pull and worked the disc slowly up the field. Smith snuck to the endzone and pulled down a bladey forehand from Fernando Lugo for what appeared to be the game-winner. But Smith was called for an offensive foul. He cut in, got the disc and threw to Sullivan for a layout goal. Smith fell to his knees and pointed to the sky.

“I have no idea how we pulled that out,” Smith said after Florida celebrated its title. “I think I blacked out in the second half.”

Smith may have been speaking literally – he was injured in the second half when Evangelides skied him for a deep D. Smith spent several minutes on his back before taking an injury sub. Carleton scored the goal for its third straight point, tying the game at 9, but Smith re-entered the game for the game-changing 19th point.

Late in the first half, Smith bid for a D, injuring Carleton’s Robert Carlton. Many CUT players were visibly upset by the dangerous layout, and observers had to break up a minor altercation.

NO PAIN, NO GAIN

A Sample of Florida’s Practice Schedule: MONDAY:

Weights, with emphasis on legs

TUESDAY:

Two-hour practice

WEDNESDAY:

Track workout: warmup, plyometrics, sprints. Endurance early in the season, then explosiveness in May

THURSDAY: Two-hour practice FRIDAY: Day off SATURDAY: SUNDAY:

Track workout, including running stairs

Open scrimmage against local players

Injuries are nothing new to Florida players. Many key players sustained injuries throughout the season. Gibson, for example, had a broken nose. Sullivan tore an MCL in his knee and has torn ligaments in both shoulders.

“Literally zero of us touched a disc in high school. Everyone started in college,” he said. “Brodie never touched a Frisbee before college, and now he can throw an 80-yard flick. I couldn’t throw a flick until I was a junior, but now I’m jacking backhands and breaking the mark.”

“I couldn’t lift my left arm above my head. That’s why I was taking six ibuprofen before every game at Nationals,” Sullivan said. “We play a pretty physical game, especially at practice. It gets pretty rough. People get hurt, but that’s just part of the game. I’ve been hurt — we all have.

Sullivan, who will be entering law school at Florida this fall, will captain next year’s team alongside Alton Gaines.

“But at Nationals, we played through. We’re a bunch of athletes.”

ANDREW DAVIS

Florida players certainly pride themselves on athleticism. Disc skills and awareness can be taught, but speed and height are hard to equal. Florida’s recruiting heavily favors athleticism over experience.

In fact, Sullivan said nobody on Florida’s championship squad played at the junior level.

“We’re losing our two best players, Chris and Brodie. And Fernando (Lugo), too, so that’s three of our starting 10,” Sullivan said. “But I’m coming back, and so is Miguel (Palaviccini), one of the most underrated guys I’ve ever known. We’ll all have six more months of experience under our belt, and hopefully some new guys from the B team can contribute.

COLE SULLIVAN CELEBRATES VICTORY WITH TEAMMATES JORDAN PRITCHARD, ALEX HILL AND ALTON GAINES.

2010 COLLEGE RECAP: OPEN

new kids on the BY: Andy Wade

BLOCK

While the 2010 College Championships featured plenty of perennial open powerhouses — Carleton, Colorado and Wisconsin, to name a few — two teams were making their first-ever appearances. ¶

Middlebury College and Texas State University both reached the College Championships for the first time in program history, but they did so using different strategies. my team,” Walch said, “but it was also a little disappointing because I know our team could have finished better than we did.”

ANDREW DAVIS

Walch credits the program’s quick ascent to elite status to original captain Chris Rickner, who motivated a small, young team to play hard and keep improving.

TEXAS STATE WAS ONE OF TWO OPEN DIVISION TEAMS MAKING ITS FIRST APPEARANCE AT COLLEGE NATIONALS.

For the Texas State Buckets, the key was bringing in coaches Jonathan Daugherty and Bjorn Schey to mentor a talented core of energetic players. Led by senior captains Blake Knight and Andrew Walch, Texas State won the South Region, punching a ticket to Nationals in only the team’s sixth year of existence.

“We have great coaches who kept us focused on our goals all year long,” Knight said. “(They) really got us organized and on the same page about how we would approach each game.

“Having the coaches helped us a lot, but most of all it was the time players were willing to put in. Coming to practice and conditioning hard, bringing intensity along with throwing outside of practice made it natural in the big game.”

Despite winning the South Region, Texas State came into Nationals seeded 19th and found itself in the immensely powerful Pool C along with Colorado, Wisconsin, Michigan and Pittsburgh. The Buckets took half against Colorado on Saturday, but couldn’t hold the lead and lost 15-11. All their pool play and placement bracket game were within reach, but the Buckets ended the tournament winless.

“Nationals was a great experience for me and

“For the past five years, Texas State has had the goal of making Nationals,” Walch said.

“Every year, our team would improve and so would our final standings.”

“Our young players were outstanding this year. They made a lot of big plays for us,” Knight said. “Ryan Hughey, Chase Hines and Travis Goyeneche really came into their own as great defensive players and provided a lot intensity for our defensive lines. In his first year, Will Tullos added another dimension to the offensive line.”

Getting to Nationals “was huge for the program,” Walch said, “and now it will raise our expectations even more for the future.”

“We had been close (in previous years) but had never been able to rise up and close out the big games against Texas and Kansas,” Knight said.

“We have confidence and have some great young players returning,” Knight said. “I can’t wait to play some fall tournaments and see what we can do.”

Texas State attended Centex and Huck Finn this spring, notching wins against Michigan, Illinois and Kansas, as the team prepped for a deep run in the series.

PRANKSTERS CAN PLAY

“Our team really knew we had something going when we won a tough battle against TUFF (Texas) at Sectionals,” Knight said. “They’ve always been a hurdle for us to get over, and beating them was great for our program.”

Then the Buckets cleared an even bigger hurdle at the South Regional in Austin on May 2: beating Kansas 15-9 in the final to qualify for their first-ever Nationals.

“Our whole team really came together during the series, but Andrew Walch, Ryan Roberts and Matt Butler had standout performances at Regionals,” Knight said. “In our semifinals and finals matchups they were really firing on all cylinders; it was a lot of fun to watch.”

And though it didn’t win a game at the 2010 College Championships, Texas State is a program on the rise. Many key players will be departing, but underclassmen are ready to step up.

The Pranksters of Middlebury College, meanwhile, proved that elite teams can win and have fun at the same time. Historically known for their fun-loving, eccentric style, the Pranksters showed this year that they can compete at the highest level, too.

As senior captain Joe MacDonald put it, “we play best when we have fun. So having fun, rather than being mutually exclusive with winning, actually leads to winning.”

Middlebury, which has fielded an Ultimate team since the 1970s, qualified for its first-ever Nationals this year. After falling to Harvard in the New England Regional championship game in Amherst, Mass., Middlebury responded by defeating Tufts 11-8 in the backdoor game.

“The first-ever nationals everything in the world MacDonald said. “For the most-spirited, fun-loving made Nationals.”

appearance meant to the Pranksters,” first time ever, the team in Ultimate

(Continued on pg 23) WWW.USAULTIMATE.ORG

13

2010 COLLEGE OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP INDIVIDUAL SPIRIT NOMINEES OPEN FINAL STANDINGS

CALIFORNIA - BERKELEY: Zach Travis CALIFORNIA - SAN DIEGO: Stephen Hubbard

1 FLORIDA

CALIFORNIA - SANTA BARBARA: Johnny Walker

2

CARLETON COLLEGE: Adam Fagin

CARLETON COLLEGE

3T CORNELL

COLORADO: Andy Guinn

3T PITTSBURGH

CORNELL: Arthur Shull

5T MICHIGAN

FLORIDA: Nathan Sage

5T MINNESOTA

GEORGIA: Tom Ball

5T

CALIFORNIA - BERKELEY

HARVARD: Kevin Seitz

5T

NORTH CAROLINA - WILMINGTON

ILLINOIS: Kurt Zoellick

9T

CALIFORNIA - SANTA BARBARA

IOWA: Alex Versackas

9T IOWA

KANSAS: Gary Gareis

11T MIDDLEBURY

MICHIGAN: Spencer Jolly

11T WISCONSIN

MIDDLEBURY: Kyle Olsen

13 COLORADO

MINNESOTA: Mark Landman

14T GEORGIA

NORTH CAROLINA - WILMINGTON: Zaith Bauer

14T OREGON

OREGON: Matt Thornton

16 HARVARD

PITTSBURGH: Eddie Peters

17T

TEXAS STATE: Ryan Roberts

CALIFORNIA - SAN DIEGO

17T ILLINOIS

WISCONSIN: Ben Rehmann

19T KANSAS 19T

TEXAS STATE

14

USA

5.00 HARVARD*

5.00 CALIFORNIA - BERKELEY 5.00 ILLINOIS 5.00 MIDDLEBURY 4.83 CORNELL 4.83 MINNESOTA 4.67 GEORGIA 4.67 OREGON 4.57 CALIFORNIA - SANTA BARBARA 4.57 CARLETON COLLEGE 4.57 IOWA 4.50 KANSAS 4.33 CALIFORNIA - SAN DIEGO 4.33 PITTSBURGH 4.00 TEXAS STATE 3.83 MICHIGAN 3.83 NORTH CAROLINA - WILMINGTON 3.71 FLORIDA 3.57 COLORADO 3.29 WISCONSIN *Won Tie Breaker

ULTIMATE « SUMMER 2010

ANDREW DAVIS

TEAM SPIRIT RANKINGS

2010 COLLEGE RECAP: OPEN

OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP GAME STATISTICS UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA — 15 PLAYER

ASSISTS

GOALS

CARLETON COLLEGE — 12 D’S

TO’S

PLAYER

ASSISTS

GOALS

D’S

TO’S

1

1

1

0 - Jason Silverman

1 - Julian Childs-Walker

1

2 - Jeff Kale

2 - Justin Norden

2

3 - Jordan Pritchard

3 - Grant Lindsley

2

4 - Greg Feldman

4 - Mike Clark

5 - Miguel Palaviccini

1

1

1

6 - Adam Fagin

10 - Alan Baird

7 - Sam Keller

11 - Nathan Sage

1

1

1

9 - Nick Stuart

13 - Alton Gaines

10 - James Munson

2

11 - Christian Foster

2

17 - Ryan Schneider

12 - Sam Kanner

3

21 - Brodie Smith

13 - Alex Evangelides

2 10

6 2

2 14

4 9

23 - Alex Hill

14 - Robert Carlton

25 - Phil Alieninov

15 - David Long

30 - Chris Gibson

1

8 - Logan Weiss

12 - Travis Carton 14 - Cole Sullivan

1 1

5 - Ian Hollyer

9 - Ryan Tordella

2 2

3

2

1 3 1

2 2

1 2

16 - Hai Ngo

1

17 - Patrick Roberts

33 - Glenn Lenberger

2

2

18 - Peter Karian

34 - Fernando Lugo

2

88 - Coleman Hoover

2

1

1

15

22

15

21 - Adrian Chow

3

23 - Peter Scheuemann TOTALS

15

28 - John Hahn 29 - Simon Montague 31 - Ben Sullender 44 - Luke Powers

1 2

1

12

12

1 2

46 - Alex Kinsey 99 - Daniel Curme 6

18

ANDREW DAVIS

TOTALS

(RIGHT PHOTO) MICHIGAN WAS THE ONLY SEED OUTSIDE OF THE TOP-12 TO QUALIFY FOR THE PRE-QUARTERS. (OPPOSITE PAGE) WITH 12 STRAIGHT APPEARANCES AT COLLEGE NATIONALS, COLORADO HAS THE LONGEST SUCH STREAK IN THE OPEN DIVISION.

ANDREW DAVIS

(LEFT PHOTO) CORNELL AND GEORGIA BOTH PLAYED TO 3-1 RECORDS IN POOL PLAY.

WWW.USAULTIMATE.ORG

15

2010 COLLEGE RECAP: WOMEN’S

Oregon on

TOP BY: Michelle Ng

ance at the College Championships in 2009 and an incredible run for some of the best stories of the college women’s the title this season. Oregon’s roster was stacked from top to bottom with division — newcomers Middlebury and Pittsburgh incredible athletes, and featured players with experience at the top playing their hearts out; the most dominant programs level of the club, college, and youth divisions. Julia Sherwood. Molly of the past decade, Stanford and UCSB, making Suver. Shannon McDowell. Tina Snodgrass. Bailey Zahniser. The their umpteenth appearances on the national stage; list goes on and on. Fugue’s roster at least a dozen players hometown favorites Wisconsin battling in front of included who could create matchup problems their friends and families; and developing programs for the best teams in the nation.

And perhaps just as impressive was like Maryland and Washington University striving to Fugue’s coaching staff, anchored by alum Clare Gordon and Ultimate cement their places among the nation’s elite. masterminds Lou Burruss and Ryann Crowley. Burruss, especially, has Two Northwest teams fell out of the Top 8 at the tournament. brought a new level of strategy and innovation to the elite Colorado had a fairytale run to the Semifinals. UCLA’s young college women’s game. roster pulled out some exciting wins with their inspired play.

The weekend was a perfect snapshot of what makes the While Oregon’s on-field performance this season commandcollege division so exciting – thrilling upsets, intense heart- ed the respect and attention of the entire college women’s break, and all of the emotion that you would expect from division, many players and fans also marveled at how much fifth-year players laying it all out on the field with their best fun Fugue seemed to be having every step of the way. friends one last time. At the end of the weekend, only one Like the players on every other top team, Fugue was wellteam remained undefeated, with their near perfect season conditioned, skilled, and focused in big games. But in their culminating in complete dominance at the College Champi- celebrations after points, between games, and at the fields at the end of the day, Fugue exuded a joy – in each other onships and no team scoring double digits on them. and in the game – that they were playing, that often seems The University of Oregon Fugue’s amazing season featured to be less evident in elite Ultimate. Those who have followed only one loss to championship semifinalist Wisconsin at Fugue closely over the years recognize the evolution that the Women’s College Centex and tournament wins at the Bell- team has gone through over the past few seasons and the ingham Invite, Pres Day, Stanford Invite, Sectionals, Region- intentional development of this “fun” attitude. The rebirth of als, and of course the College Championships. The team has Fugue’s identity also seems to be very closely tied to their catapulted to the top of the college women’s division over the commitment to upholding Spirit of the Game. The team took past three seasons, with a combination of hard work, coach- extreme measures to improve their spirit this season, and ing savvy, and an influx of extremely talented players to the their efforts did not go unnoticed. program.

When pushed for answers about the very intentional develIn 2008, Oregon shocked the college Ultimate world by opment of this seemingly laidback attitude, Burruss provided coming back from a 7-11 deficit to eliminate Stanford in a cryptic answer: “clown tent.” That was it. No further explathe game-to-go at Northwest Regionals and qualify for the nation, just “clown tent.”

College Championships for the first time since 2002. This breakthrough moment for Oregon fueled a semifinals appear-

16

USA

ULTIMATE « SUMMER 2010

ANDREW DAVIS

The USA Ultimate College Championships featured

CAPTAIN JENICA VILLAMOR AND THE UNIVERSITY OF OREGON HANDED KAELA JORGENSON AND THE BURNING SKIRTS A 15-8 LOSS IN THE FINALS TO CAP OFF A DOMINANT TOURNAMENT AND CHAMPIONSHIP RUN

WWW.USAULTIMATE.ORG

17

BAILEY ZAHNISER IS ONE OF SEVERAL PLAYERS THAT GIVE OREGON A DEEP AND TALENTED ROSTER

ANDREW DAVIS

But what in the world did “clown tent” mean? Captain Tina Snodgrass described the clown tent as the core of the team’s identity – trust in each other to make the right decisions, an acceptance of each other no matter what the team is doing, and the ability to make light of situations that would otherwise stress them out. Snodgrass said that for Fugue, “team is about individualizing everyone – letting each person do whatever it is that makes her happy in that moment and then putting that happiness into the Fugue love mixing bowl.”

CHRISTINA WICKMAN ADDED A GOAL AND ASSIST IN THE FINALS TO CONTRIBUTE TO A TEAM EFFORT.

18

USA

Snodgrass also noted that the team’s “clown tent” mentality extended beyond Fugue and that the team trusted other teams and other players to play with spirit and to be themselves. Burruss added that a big element of spirit is respect for your opponent and trusting that they are making fair calls. In an era where the value of Spirit of the Game is often questioned, Fugue has proven that spirit can and does work.

Fugue’s performance this season was one of the most dominant of the decade in the women’s division. While they were intensely focused

ULTIMATE « SUMMER 2010

on their goal of bringing home a National Championship, they also maintained an excellent perspective on the entire process and never lost sight of the people who make pursuing that goal worthwhile.

Like many of the other top teams at the College Championships this year, Fugue is graduating a number of key players and the identity of the team will continue to evolve. The team loses a core of players who were pivotal in earning this year’s title and several others remain undecided about their status for next season. It’s not all bad news though. Sherwood and Zahniser will return to anchor the team, and Fugue will also gain Team USA Juniors star and Atlanta Ozone MATT LANE

Having recalled seeing a red clown nose in a Fugue huddle at the College Championships in 2009, I knew he wasn’t pulling my leg.

COACH LOU BURRUSS AND HIS SQUAD ACCEPT THE 2010 USA ULTIMATE COLLEGE CHAMPIONSHIPS WOMEN’S DIVISION TROPHY

standout Sophie Darch, who is one of the most talented incoming college players this year. With the fall college season ready to kick off and planning for some of the spring events already underway, excitement for the 2011 season is already building. Who will be next year’s big story?

2010 COLLEGE RECAP: WOMEN’S

GROUNDHOG DAY Although the Oregon Fugue played a near flawless tournament to win the women’s championship,

Consistency at the top level of the sport is an equally impressive feat. As women’s college Ultimate grows at a significant pace, The UCSB Burning Skirts qualified for their fourth consecutive national championship title game – an accomplishment that should not be overlooked.

BY: Michelle Ng

In 2007, the Burning Skirts made their triumphant return to the USA Ultimate College Championships after a 13-year hiatus. After backto-back losses in the finals of the Championships, UCSB defeated the University of Washington 15-11 in the 2009 finals, ending the year with an impressive 42-3 record and a national title.

ANDREW DAVIS

This year, a rough season that included an underwhelming performance at Women’s College Centex and a loss in the Southwest Regionals Finals left many wondering if the Skirts would be up to the task Memorial Day weekend. This was not supposed to be the Skirts’ year, but apparently they didn’t get that memo. In the face of a 13-9 deficit in the Semifinals against Wisconsin, the Skirts dug deep to go on a 5-1 run to win the game. That win earned the team its fourth consecutive appearance in the Finals of the College Championships and makes the team the most dominant women’s Ultimate program in the past half-decade.

ANDREW DAVIS

Star player Carolyn Finney attributes the development of the UCSB program to two major factors – the support of the Santa Barbara Ultimate community, and the commitment of a large number of Skirts playing club together on the Lady Condors. Those two factors have helped the Skirts make the jump from being a regionally competitive team to national dominance. Next year, Finney and Marie Madaras take the reigns and will attempt to bring another National Championship back to Santa Barbara.

LISA ACIERNO (TOP) AND MARIE MADRAS (BOTTOM) ARE PART OF A CONSISTENTLY SUCCESSFUL UC-SANTA BARBARA TEAM THAT HAS MADE THE FINALS IN FOUR CONSECUTIVE SEASONS.

WOMEN’S COLLEGE ULTIMATE

on the Rise

The college women’s division grew 16% this year compared to 4% growth in the open division. While USA Ultimate programs and initiatives have helped to encourage this growth, a spirit of collaboration among a number of women’s teams has helped to create even more opportunities for new and developing college women’s teams.

Texas Ultimate president Rachel Hokanson and Washington University leadership Abby Stephens, Samantha Huo, and Sarah Ebstein have joined forces in the development and execution of a lofty vision for the college women’s division – sharing resources and knowledge to create more quality opportunities to play women’s Ultimate. These four players, and their respective teams, ran a number of tourna-

ments this season, and made a large financial contribution to help start another tournament that didn’t even benefit their teams or their region. These players have enjoyed the support of their friends on other elite teams such as North Carolina-Chapel Hill, Colorado, and Carleton. These teams have worked together to build strong regional tournaments, creating opportunities for the developing teams in the area to get exposure to top level teams and also developing tournaments and skills clinics for newer teams. With so many dedicated leaders working to build college Ultimate, the women’s division is certainly controlling its own destiny, and the best is yet to come.

WWW.USAULTIMATE.ORG

19

2010 COLLEGE RECAP: WOMEN’S

WOMEN’S CHAMPIONSHIP GAME STATISTICS OREGON — 15 PLAYER

CALIFORNIA-SANTA BARBARA — 8 ASSISTS

GOALS

D’S

TO’S

00 - Katie Weatherhead 1

2

2 - Christina Wickman

1

1

3 - Rachel Karpelowitz

1

2

1 - Stephanie Karba

1

2 - Nida Mulokas

1 1

2

GOALS

D’S

1

5 - Kaela Jorgenson

1

4

1

7 - Claire Scharman

1 3

7 - Arianne Johnson

1

9 - Alina Warner 1

1

11 - Carolyn Finney

3 1

5

1

3

4

1

5

1

2

12 - Christina Connery

9 - Erica Faria

14 - Marie Madaras

10 - Malina Wiebe

2

1

11 - Morgan Zajonc

2

1

2

16 - Monique Marchetti

1

1

18 - Shannon Bubb

12 - Katy Craley

1

20 - Briana Cahn

14 - Krista Koehn 17 - Jenica Villamore

2

1

1

1

22 - Emily Bass

18 - Julia Sherwood

3

1

1

3

23 - Natalie Nounou

19 - Molly Suver

4

1

2

25 - Alex Ackroyd

1

3

26 - Alicia Thompson

20 - Christina Norton 21 - Tina Snodgrass

5

1

2

29 - Erin Mordecai

2

53 - Katie Hawn

24 - Aubri Bishop

Unknown 15

15

12

4

21 8

8

5

27

ANDREW DAVIS

MATT LANE

TOTALS

USA

GRAD VS. GRAD: WITH JUST A HANDFUL OF GRADUATE STUDENTS ON WOMEN’S ROSTERS, CU’S LAUREN BOYLE AND UC-BERKELEY’S AN-CHI TSOU SQUARED OFF IN A TIGHT QUARTERFINAL MATCH

20

4

6 - Joyce Wang

6 - Christina Schueler

TOTALS

TO’S

3 - Kate Helvestine 5

5 - Ann Sublette

8 - Shannon McDowell

ASSISTS

00 - Lisa Acierno

1 - Kimber Coles

4 - Bailey Zahniser

PLAYER

ULTIMATE « SUMMER 2010

UC-SANTA BARBARA’S MARIE MADARAS AND WASHINGTON’S SHANNON O’MALLEY SQUARE OFF IN POOL PLAY

2010 COLLEGE WOMEN’S CHAMPIONSHIP INDIVIDUAL SPIRIT NOMINEES WOMEN’S FINAL STANDINGS

CALIFORNIA - BERKELEY: Heather McNair CALIFORNIA - SANTA BARBARA: Katie Hawn

1 OREGON

CARLETON COLLEGE: Caitlin McKimmy

2

COLORADO: Emery Cowan

CALIFORNIA - SANTA BARBARA

3T COLORADO

HARVARD: Christina Kelley

3T WISCONSIN

UCLA: Megha Shah

5T

CALIFORNIA - BERKELEY

MICHIGAN: Alexandra Hinsberg

5T

NORTH CAROLINA - WILMINGTON

MARYLAND: Claire Valdivia

5T USC

MIDDLEBURY: Nina Cameron

5T UCLA

NORTH CAROLINA: Lauren McGuire & Kaitlin Baden

9T PITTSBURGH

NORTH CAROLINA - WILMINGTON: Jessica Makowski

9T WASHINGTON

NORTHWESTERN: Abby Shure

11T

OREGON: Jenica Villamore

CARLETON COLLEGE

11T MICHIGAN

PITTSBURGH: Melanie Callahan

13T STANFORD

USC: Anne Ohliger

13T

STANFORD: Sara Matta

NORTH CAROLINA

15T MARYLAND

TEXAS: Rachel Hokanson

15T

WASHINGTON: Kirstin Gruver

WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY

17T NORTHWESTERN

WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY: Hannah Clements

17T TEXAS

WISCONSIN: Frances Tsukano

19T HARVARD 19T MIDDLEBURY

ANDREW DAVIS

4.86 WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY 4.83 USC 4.60 CALIFORNIA - BERKELEY 4.57 NORTH CAROLINA 4.57 OREGON 4.57 STANFORD 4.50 CALIFORNIA - SANTA BARBARA 4.50 HARVARD 4.43 COLORADO 4.33 TEXAS 4.29 PITTSBURGH 4.17 NORTHWESTERN 4.17 WISCONSIN 4.14 CARLETON COLLEGE 4.14 MARYLAND 4.14 WASHINGTON 4.00 MIDDLEBURY 4.00 UCLA 3.83 NORTH CAROLINA - WILMINGTON 3.57 MICHIGAN

ANDREW DAVIS

TEAM SPIRIT RANKINGS

CARLETON COLLEGE (ABOVE) MADE ITS 7TH CONSECUTIVE NATIONALS APPEARANCE, THE LONGEST SUCH STREAK AMONG WOMEN’S TEAMS. UNC-WILMINGTON PUT UP THE MOST POINTS ON OREGON, SCORING 9 AGAINST THE FUTURE CHAMPS IN POOL PLAY

WWW.USAULTIMATE.ORG

21

2010 COLLEGE RECAP: WOMEN’S

Following a successful College Championships, USA Ultimate

asked several players and coaches in the women’s division for their reaction to the event:

COMPILED BY: Anne Culhane

ANDREW DAVIS

WHAT THEY SAID: Lou Burruss - Oregon Fugue: “Once again USA Ultimate has raised the bar on itself for quality of product and professionalism. It was an awesome, well-run tournament. In both the men’s and women’s division there were crazy upsets and collapses which led to some surprising semifinalists, but in the end, some not-so-surprising finals. The weather was (and always is) a huge factor in the outcome of the tournament. The heat was absurd and managing it became a major issue for us.”

Shannon Waugh - University of Colorado Kali: “During the course of such competitive and emotional play, I found it really impressive that all the women’s teams were able uphold good sportsmanship and respect for their opponents. When the stakes were at their highest the women players were able to maintain good sportsmanship and fair play. I think this is an incredibly admirable quality in female college Ultimate players, as it is one that any competitive athlete struggles to accomplish. On behalf of my team I can say we had an incredible weekend in Madison, and everything about the tournament was successful and rocked our worlds. Thanks USA Ultimate for making it happen and thanks for continuing to work so hard for the betterment of this amazing sport!”

HARVARD VS. WASHINGTON IN POOL PLAY

2010 USA Ultimate College Nationals

BY THE NUMBERS: (WOMEN’S DIVISION) 0 Wins for Northeast Region teams. Harvard and Middlebury each went 0-6 1 Losses by Oregon all year (15-10 to Wisconsin at Women’s College Centex) 2 First time qualifiers (Middlebury and Pittsburgh) 3 Losses by 3rd seed Washington

Jessica Patrick - UNCW Seaweed:

4 Southwest Region teams finishing in the top 8.

“The tournament was put together and managed very well, competition was high, and the weather was good; and because of this, I think the 2010 College Championships was not only a memorable tournament for our team, but could also be remembered as an event that effectively advanced the great sport of Ultimate.”

5 Games that Colorado played in that were decided by 3 or fewer points

Anna Maria Paruk - Michigan Flywheel: “I feel the weekend went extremely well. My team had a small roster and the scheduling really benefitted us. We were able to have some time between games to regain energy before playing again.

Additionally, the contact between USA Ultimate and the captains was very professional. I knew everything that was going on and, if for some reason I didn’t, my questions were answered very promptly. It is so exciting to be around teams of amazing caliber. Even when we weren’t playing, it was hard to leave the field because there were so many great games being played!”

6 Coach of the Year winners in attendance (Pacific Lutheran’s Jamie Arambula and Vanderbilt’s Abby Hardaway were the only COTY of teams that didn’t qualify) 7 Consecutive Nationals appearances by Carleton College (longest active streak) 8 Consecutive years in which the Champion came from the Northwest or Southwest Regions 8 Oregon players who made 1st or 2nd team All-Region 9 Most points scored against Oregon in any one game (North Carolina-Wilmington in pool play)

ANDREW DAVIS

10 Freshmen on Northwestern roster

22

USA

KAELA JORGENSON WITH AN IMPRESSIVE LAYOUT DURING THE BURNING SKIRTS’ 16-14 WIN OVER WISCONSIN IN THE SEMIFINALS

ULTIMATE

« SUMMER 2010

11 Different Oregon players with a goal or assist in the finals 11 Goals either thrown or caught by UCSB’s #11 Carolyn Finney in their 16-14 semifinal win over Wisconsin 12 Of the top 12 seeds that made pre-quarters 13 Returning teams from the 2009 championships 69 Percentage of Middlebury’s roster that are underclassmen

(Continued from pg 13) Middlebury was indeed the most eye-catching open team at Madison. No matter the score or the opponent, the Pranksters stayed true to their ethos: have fun. Their pink jerseys, halftime skits and post-game cheers attested to the spirit of the team.

“There is a joy that pervades the players, program and games: the desire to have just plain fun,” MacDonald said. “For us, simple fun meant trying as hard as we possibly could every point of every game, while keeping everything in perspective.”

beating an injury-riddled Colorado squad en route to an 11th-place finish.

2010 USA Ultimate College Nationals

“Our worst games of the season were when we focused solely on winning instead of pumping each other up,” MacDonald said.

“Also, if you aren’t having fun playing Frisbee, why would you ever do it?”

BY THE NUMBERS: (OPEN DIVISION)

While it’s not easy to get a straight answer from players, the team is by no means devoid of strategy: the Pranksters know what they’re doing.

2 Metro East teams that made the semifinals (Cornell, Pittsburgh)

“The Pranksters run a very tight rotation

0 Wins for South Region teams. Texas State and Kansas each went 0-5 2 Universe point losses for Kansas on Sunday morning (to Middlebury and Illinois)

2 Oregon losses during the regular season (CUT at Trouble in Vegas and Georgia at Stanford Invite)

ANDREW DAVIS

3 Oregon losses at Nationals (UCSD, Georgia and Cal) 3 Callahans for on Saturday

California

against

UCSB

4 Teams that tallied perfect 5.0 spirit scores (Harvard, California, Illinois, Middlebury; Harvard won on a tiebreaker.)

4 Wins at Nationals for UNC-Wilmington (Iowa, Illinois, Harvard, Colorado) after posting just one win over Nationals teams during the regular season HARD TO MISS, MIDDLEBURY MADE ITS COLLEGE NATIONALS DEBUT AND PLAYED ITS OPPONENTS TOUGH

That perspective — that Ultimate should be fun no matter what — helped the Pranksters overcome a rough start to the tournament.

In its first game Friday morning, Middlebury played a talented Georgia squad down to the wire. When a Georgia cutter bobbled a catch for a controversial gamewinning goal, the Pranksters kept their cool. Instead of yelling in frustration or refusing to acknowledge the goal as so many teams would do, the Pranksters were quick to shake their opponents’ hands and congratulate them on a game well played.

The next day, even after the team had fallen out of contention for the prequarters, Middlebury showed great resilience by outplaying an inspired UCSD squad.

The UCSD Air Squids were fighting for a spot in the prequarters, thanks to their wild universe-point win over top-ranked Oregon on Friday. But the Squids couldn’t overcome the play — and the spirit — of the Pranksters, who won 15-11.

Even in the placement bracket games, Middlebury’s dedication to fun rang true.

Once out of the quarters, some teams rested key starters and didn’t play their hardest. But the Pranksters played their hearts out, topping Kansas on universe point and

and rely heavily on a handful of guys,” MacDonald said. “Those that stepped up were able to do so due to their hard work, the rise in Frisbee IQ, and the dedication to the team.”

For Middlebury — a school of about 2,350 undergraduates — finding top-level Ultimate players isn’t easy. But that might change with a trip to Nationals on the program’s resume.

“We’re hoping that this Nationals appearance will galvanize interest in potential Middlebury attendees as well as athletes already attending Middlebury,” MacDonald said. “A small program like Middlebury relies heavily on finding the few available athletes at a school with a thousand men and framing the sport in such a way that is strongly appealing to them.”

For his part, the 6-foot-6 MacDonald is recovering from multiple ankle surgeries before he starts playing at his new school, Washington University in St. Louis, where he’ll be attending grad school. He leaves behind a Prankster program that’s eager for another Nationals berth.

“Jon Cox looks to anchor the team as the primary cutter as Robbie Zabel looks to

9 Straight trips to quarterfinals for the Wisconsin Hodags from 2001 to 2009, a streak that was snapped this year 9 Freshmen on Colorado’s roster 10 Straight points for Carleton against Minnesota in the quarterfinals. CUT went from down 2-1 to up 11-2 11 Of the top 12 seeds that made prequarters (No. 15 Michigan over No. 6 Wisconsin was the exception) 12 Consecutive Nationals appearances for Colorado Mamabird, the longest active streak in college Ultimate 32 Straight on-serve points between UCSD and Oregon before UCSD broke to win on universe point.

56 Assists by Florida’s Brodie Smith in six games bring stability to the handler core,” MacDonald said. “Couple that with the defense and knowledge held by Charlie Roberts and Jake Herman along with the raw athleticism of rising sophomores Davis Whitehead and freshman of the year Mattias Fitzpatrick, and you got yourself a team.”

No doubt the Prankster spirit — one of the most unique and recognizable in all of college Ultimate — will live on.

“In short, the Pranksters did well this year for two reasons: placing team above self and aiming to have more fun than any other team,” MacDonald said.

WWW.USAULTIMATE.ORG

23

OUT WITH THE OLD, IN WITH THE NEW BY: Anne Culhane

MEGAN NIMMO

This spring, USA Ultimate introduced its inaugural Division III College Championships in Appleton, Wis. The event was historic in that it was the last championship event held under the guise of the Ultimate Players Association (UPA) before the new USA Ultimate brand was launched. So technically it was the first, and last, UPA DIII College Championships, meaning event merchandise will be collector’s items! A successful event in Wisconsin’s Fox River Valley served as a fine lead-in to the College Championships a week later just down the road. On paper, it may have been billed as ‘Division III”, but on the fields of the USA Youth Sports Complex, the competition was nothing less than first-rate.

THE OLIVET-NAZARENE BLACK PENGUINS AND THE WHITMAN COLLEGE SWEETS WERE AMONG THE SMALL SCHOOLS TAKING PART IN THE FIRST – AND LAST – UPA DIII COLLEGIATE CHAMPIONSHIPS.

The purpose of this event was to provide national level competition and championship designation for teams from small colleges and universities with enrollment of less than 7,500 students.

In the Open division, 16 teams converged in Appleton to show the nation what small schools can accomplish. Carleton College entered the tournament as the top seed and dominated its pool – its most serious threat coming from St. John’s when trailing 2-3 early in the game.

Like Carleton, Whitman College went undefeated on day one of the tournament despite hard fought challenges from Rennselaer Polytech and Franklin & Marshall, while Bentley also steered clear of the loss column in its pool despite facing Lehigh’s tough zone defense.

The brackets really came alive during pool play in Pool D, which featured a close game between Kenyon and Princeton. The two teams battled it out until Kenyon squeaked out a 15-14 victory.

In the same pool, Puget Sound and Oberlin spent the game trading points as both squads relied heavily on the deep huck. But in the end, Puget Sound came out on top. Pool D was arguably the most competitive pool, consistently featuring close games and every team suffering at least one loss.

On the women’s side, 13 teams laced up their cleats and took the fields on Saturday. Pacific Lutheran came out inspired and ready for battle, using a fast tempo and a variety of zones to often confuse their opponents. The team relied mightily on hucks to Jihan Grettenberg, whose speed and height made her a big target in the deep field. Swarthmore, on the other hand, went the more conservative route, working the disc up the sideline with short passes. Other notable play came courtesy of John Brown, which played savage the whole day and received stunning play from Katherine Hambley.

Along with the Open quarterfinals came high winds and an even higher heat index. But Carleton College seemed immune to the challenging elements, whose tough man-to-man defense caused serious problems for Lehigh. The team was able to break down the Lehigh zone with short passes around the field to ultimately claim the win and punch its ticket to a semifinal showdown with Kenyon, who easily dispatched Kalamazoo in its quarterfinal. In the semis, Carleton smothered the small team from Ohio with its aggressive defense and advanced to the finals.

On the other side of the Open division bracket, Puget Sound entered the final four after a competitive quarterfinal game against Bentley. Facing Whitman, who advanced to the semifinals with ease, Puget Sound suppressed their fatigue and traded downwind goals for most of the first half. Whitman was the first to score an upwind point, and along with an excellent connection between Jeremy Norden and Jacob Janin, advanced to the finals for a showdown with Carleton.

24

USA

In the finals, both teams quickly found themselves on the board with downwind hucks courtesy

ULTIMATE « SUMMER 2010

of Norden and Carleton’s Andy Cochrane. The first upwind point came from Whitman, resulting in a 4-2 advantage, but Carleton responded and eventually took half 8-7 thanks to big plays by Nate King and James Sheridan. Shortly after halftime, the soft cap went into effect and the heat and humidity began to take its toll as players on both sides suffered cramps. And even though both teams refused to throw in the towel, Carleton confirmed the dominance it displayed throughout the weekend and came away with an 11-9 victory, securing the first – and last – UPA DIII Open Championship.

On the women’s side, after Grinnell, Valparaiso, and Pacific Lutheran all went undefeated in their respective pools, quarterfinal brackets were set and the pursuit of a national title was ramping up. All three undefeated squads kept their streaks alive in the quarters as Grinnell beat Wellesley 15-10, Pacific Lutheran dominated Georgia College & State 13-3 and Valparaiso stopped Stonehill 15-9. After going 2-1 in pool play, Swarthmore filled out the semifinal bracket with a 15-10 victory over Truman State.

“ Coming from a small school, the opportunity to play teams from across the country that also face the same situation that we do was awesome,”

MEGAN NIMMO

In the penultimate round, Pacific Lutheran topped Valparaiso in the battle of the unbeatens, 15-10 to set up a championship game

WHITMAN COLLEGE BATTLED TO A SECOND-PLACE FINISH

— Pacific Lutheran captain Angelica Boyden

against Swarthmore, which dispatched Grinnell 15-7. Ultimately, it was the dominating handling of Angelica Boyden that helped propel Pacific Lutheran to the title over Swarthmore, 11-8.

“Coming from a small school, the opportunity to play teams from across the country that also face the same situation that we do was awesome,” said Pacific Lutheran captain Angelica Boyden.

“The organization and the field location were great,” commented Valparaiso’s Crystal Aeppli. “Everyone working the event was nice and willing to help out with whatever questions we needed to be answered. It was also cool to have field marshals at each field to take scores up so we did not have to worry about running to the scorer’s table and back…although we did anyways because that’s what we’re used to! Throughout the season, we play Division I-caliber teams, but tend to get beat most every time because they’re student selection is so much larger.”

As USA Ultimate looks to develop its Division III Championships into a higher-profile event, it also provides playing opportunities for developing programs – a benefit valued by many of the event’s participants.

MEGAN NIMMO

Meanwhile, reactions from the athletes to the inaugural event were positive, citing equal opponents, quality facilities and a level of organization beyond their expectations.

PACIFIC LUTHERAN TOOK AN 11-8 VICTORY OVER SWARTHMORE IN THE WOMEN’S FINAL

“We’re still a relatively young program, only starting in 2004,” explained Eli Ritchey of the Puget Sound Postmen. “Our invitation to the DIII Nationals is another sign that we’re growing and getting better, so we are thrilled to be a part of it.”

WWW.USAULTIMATE.ORG

25

2010 DIII CHAMPIONSHIP RESULTS OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP GAME STATISTICS CARLETON COLLEGE — 11 PLAYER

ASSISTS

WHITMAN — 8 GOALS

2 - Andy Cochrane

4

5 - Eric Alexander

1

4

7 - James Sheridan

1

1

8 - Todd Anderson

D’S

TO’S

1

4

3

GOALS

D’S

1 - Jacob Janin

4

1

1

5 - David Protter

2

1

2

6 - Peter Osseward 1

2

1

11 - Andrew Hooker

1

1 2

1

3

12

1

4

17 - Chris Saxby

2

3

19 - Noah Moskay 24 - Jeremy Norden

13 - Will O’Brien

34 - Matt MacQuivey

14 - Martin Grankick

40 - John Klaasen

15 - Pete Rogers

42 - Ben McGinn 1

3

3

1 2

22 - Michael Mooney

99 - Charlie O’Rourke

23 - Danny Bruce

Unknown

3

TOTALS

9

1

1

1

37 - Will Gagne-Maynard 42 - Eric Manley 63 - Sam Tucker

1

1

1

2

77 - Rhys Lindmark 95 - Danny Hoppe

1 1

Unknown TOTALS

1

1

10

23

2 11

11

1

9

1

3

7

22

TEAM SPIRIT RANKINGS 5.00 MISSOURI S&T 4.90 WENTWORTH 4.80 WHITMAN 4.70 KALAMAZOO 4.70 FRANKLIN & MARSHALL 4.70 WORCHESTER POLYTECH 4.50 CARLETON COLLEGE 4.50 KENYON

4.47 ST. JOHN’S 4.43 PRINCETON 4.30 OBERLIN 4.30 OLIVET NAZARENE 4.20 RENSSELAER POLYTECH 4.17 BENTLEY 3.80 LEHIGH 3.60 PUGET SOUND

INDIVIDUAL SPIRIT NOMINEES OPEN FINAL STANDINGS

26

USA

1 CARLETON COLLEGE 2 WHITMAN 3T KENYON 3T PUGET SOUND 5T BENTLEY 5T LEHIGH 7T KALAMAZOO 7T ST. JOHN’S 9 PRINCETON

10 FRANKLIN & MARSHALL 11T OLIVET NAZARENE 11T RENSSELAER POLYTECH 13T MISSOURI S&T 13T WORCESTER POLYTECH 15T OBERLIN 15T WENTWORTH

ULTIMATE « SUMMER 2010

2

43 - Peter Burrows 44 - Stephen Stradley

28 - Jon Isaac

2

2

21 - Matt Reindel

24 - Cory Fauver

TO’S

12 - Nick Cross

12 - Kevin Cannaday

18 - Kevin Draper

ASSISTS

11 - Adam Bronstein

9 - Alex Walker 10 - Nathan King

PLAYER

CARLETON COLLEGE: Danny Hoppe FRANKLIN & MARSHALL: Matt Slowinski KALAMAZOO: Sam Brennan KENYON: Reilly Brock LEHIGH: Andrew Pro MISSOURI S&T: Bryce Schumacher OBERLIN: Gabriel Ocker OLIVET NAZARENE: Kyan Glenn PRINCETON: Chris Yarnell PUGET SOUND: Rollie Williams RENSSELAER POLYTECH: Jay Walker ST. JOHN’S: Tyson Gerdes BENTLEY: Jeff Zaremski WENTWORTH: Kyle Lapatin WHITMAN: Peter Burrows WORCESTER POLYTECH: Matthew Guilfoyle

2010 DIII CHAMPIONSHIP RESULTS WOMEN’S CHAMPIONSHIP GAME STATISTICS PACIFIC LUTHERAN — 11 PLAYER

ASSISTS

SWARTHMORE — 8 GOALS

D’S

TO’S

00 - Heidi Herriott 1 - Flannery Spinhime 2 - Elizabeth HerzfeldtKamprath

1

4 - Elizabeth Anderson

1

4

D’S

TO’S

1

2 - Emily McAfee

4

1

1

1

1

4

3

4

3 - Halleh Balch 1

6 - Frances Taschuk 8 - Katie Becker

9

8 - Alayna Linde

1

1

4

10 - Julia Luongo

3

1

1

11 - Nicole Bernardi

1

2

1

12 - Kara Stoever

1

2

13 - Hannah Jones

2

1

11 - Kathy Keys

2

15 - Kelley Walker

1 2

19 - Helen Hougen

18 - Maggie Mickelson

20 - B ethanne Albert-Bruninga

19 - Kelly Prang

21 - Camille Robertson

20 - Sarah Sandgren

23 - Anna Levine

25 - Kiersten Dahms

1

1

16 - Menghan Jin

16 - Marissa Lyons

1 3

26 - Sarah Heffernan

1

2 1

29 - Lisa Yelsey

31 - Allie Koester Unknown

GOALS

5 - Amandine Lee 1

6 - Jessica Wilson

9 - Jihan Grettenberger

ASSISTS

0-S achie Hopkins-Hayakawa

4 - Alice Evans

5 - Kayla Griffeth 7 - Angelica Boyden

PLAYER

1

32 - Becca Roelofs

1

Unknown TOTALS

11

11

5

15

TEAM SPIRIT RANKINGS 5.00 JOHN BROWN 4.80 BENTLEY 4.71 BUCKNELL 4.69 GRINNELL 4.50 STONEHILL 4.50 OHIO WESLEYAN 4.50 OBERLIN

4.43 GEORGIA COLLEGE & STATE 4.42 WELLESLEY 4.33 SWARTHMORE 4.30 TRUMAN STATE 4.20 VALPARAISO 4.13 PACIFIC LUTHERAN

WOMEN’S FINAL STANDINGS 1 PACIFIC LUTHERAN 2 SWARTHMORE 3T GRINNELL 3T VALPARAISO 5T TRUMAN STATE 5T GEORGIA COLLEGE & STATE 7T STONEHILL 7T WELLESLEY

3

9 OBERLIN 10 JOHN BROWN 11 OHIO WESLEYAN 12 BENTLEY 13T WORCESTER POLYTECH 15T OBERLIN 15T WENTWORTH DNF BUCKNELL

TOTALS

8

8

8

12

INDIVIDUAL SPIRIT NOMINEES BENTLEY: Nicole Shepard BUCKNELL: Kerry Lowry GEORGIA COLLEGE & STATE: Haley Reese GRINNELL: Paige Hill JOHN BROWN: Andrea Greene OBERLIN: Margaret Rosano OHIO WESLEYAN: Veronica Malencia PACIFIC LUTHERAN: Alayna Linde STONEHILL: Maggie Carmona SWARTHMORE: Hannah Jones TRUMAN STATE: Lisa Busalacki VALPARAISO: Sarah Peters WELLESLEY: Rhiannon Carr

WWW.USAULTIMATE.ORG

27

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2010 USA ULTIMATE HIGH SCHOOL OPEN EASTERN CHAMPIONSHIPS

AMHERST’S SPENCER DIAMOND AND HOLY FAMILY CATHOLIC’S FRANK STRASSER BATTLE IT OUT

THE PERFECT STORM BY: Ian Toner

LITTLE DID SHE KNOW, BUT WHEN TIINA BOOTH STARTED THE ULTIMATE TEAM AT AMHERST REGIONAL HIGH SCHOOL IN THE SPRING OF 1990, SHE HAD LAID THE FOUNDATION FOR A HIGH SCHOOL ULTIMATE DYNASTY. DURING BOOTH’S TENURE, THE ARHS HURRICANES HAVE CLAIMED NATIONAL AND EASTERN CHAMPIONSHIPS, COMPETED AT YOUTH CLUB CHAMPIONSHIPS, PRODUCED CALLAHAN WINNERS AND NOMINEES, WORLD JUNIOR TEAM MEMBERS, AND EVEN USA ULTIMATE BOARD MEMBERS. AS RISING SENIOR AND USA WORLD JUNIOR TEAM MEMBER AMOS ADAMS PUTS IT, “BEING FROM AMHERST IS A GIFT,” GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITIES TO PLAY WITH AND LEARN FROM THE TALENTED PLAYERS AND COACHES NOW TIED TO ARHS. All of this development and success was not instantaneous, however. Like many of the country’s best high school teams, the Hurricanes endured a period as a schoolaffiliated club before being recognized as a varsity sport. Booth tried to recruit other athletes to the game and build the middleto-high school pipeline that is now a staple of the ARHS Ultimate program. Booth was there to provide strategic guidance for the team, but the program needed to grow.

STRUCTURE & DEVELOPMENT

30

USA

The establishment of the middle-to-high school pipeline proved to be one of the biggest steps in the Hurricanes’ growth. Booth references Bodhi player and Leverett, Mass. teacher Bill Stewart’s efforts to expose grade school students to the game when describing the growth of Ultimate among younger students. Brent Anderson, a UMass-Amherst graduate who now works as Booth’s assistant coach, also gives credit to the middle school program run by Jim Pistrang. Anderson and Booth stress that these teacher/ coaches not only teach youngsters how to

ULTIMATE « SUMMER 2010

play and throw, but they also spark a love for the sport within the young studentathletes.

These pipelines are crucial because they provide other sources of growth for the Hurricanes. As the reputation of Amherst’s Ultimate program expands, along with the reputation of the middle schools that feed it, Booth says the team has secured support from neighborhoods that may not even send students to feeder middle schools. Younger students gain interest in the sport, play various levels of pick-up, and attend Ultimate day camps that Booth offers in the Amherst area. Subsequently, because Amherst is a regional high school, when it comes time for eligible students to choose a high school, those with a desire to keep playing Ultimate often choose Amherst. In fact, so many Ultimate players come to Amherst that its Ultimate program now has grown to include one varsity and two JV teams. Gone are the days of working to lure otherwise preoccupied athletes to Ultimate; today, kids come to Amherst to play the sport, and competition to make the varsity team is fierce.

“The fact that so many of the players come in with a strong foundation of throws and at least a basic knowledge of offensive and defensive sets allows Tiina and I to get right into practices that focus on running our offense smoothly or tweaking a zone defense to make it more effective,” says Anderson.

“The kids I have been getting for years now come in with complete skill sets,” adds Booth. “Rather than teaching kids how to simply throw a flick, I can help them tighten their 25-yard I/O flick, or mess with the angle of their pulls to make it harder for opposing teams to catch them. Those are the luxuries of coaching in such a great Ultimate community.”

Yet as the number and talent level of incoming players has risen (all of the players interviewed for this story recalled learning to throw by sixth or seventh grade, at the latest), so too has the complexity and effectiveness of the Amherst approach. While the JV coaches are given latitude in choosing specific in-game strategies to employ,

KEVIN LECLAIRE

A DEEP TALENT POOL AT AMHERST LED TO A COMMANDING 13-1 VICTORY OVER NEEDHAM IN THE FINALS.

WWW.USAULTIMATE.ORG

31

2010 USA ULTIMATE HIGH SCHOOL OPEN EASTERN CHAMPIONSHIPS

Once the varsity team is selected in mid-March, the coaches work to place greater trust in their captains, hoping to form the most beneficial relationship possible between the leadership and the team. Additionally, Booth and Anderson have become more comfortable with simply teaching general concepts and letting the offense develop in the hands and minds of the players on the field.

“We almost never run plays off of dead discs anymore,” explains Booth. “The goal with this [practice] and giving players more freedom is to get them to react rather than to think. It may seem like we’re not creative with our offense, but we really are. We’re creating space and moving the disc into that space without predetermined play-calling or instruction.”

Bodhi, we start to guard each other in practice and a strong bond of mutual respect develops. And the cycle goes on.”

One might think that having such accomplished Ultimate mentors as college national champion Kanner, Callahan winner Neff, Kenyon College sensation Rusell Wallack, Tufts University standout Andrew Hollingworth and others would increase the burden of preserving Amherst’s winning legacy—but graduated senior and USA World Junior team member Spencer Diamond disagrees wholeheartedly, “This is hardly a distraction,” he said. “The Amherst legacy can’t be a burden on our backs because we are part of it. The Amherst legacy isn’t about winning. It’s about running stairs in the winter, working hard at practice, and loving the battle.”

KEY STRATEGY: MENTAL TOUGHNESS There is no doubt that these developments have helped bring Booth and Amherst considerable success. Arguably the most intriguing development, however, has been the implementation of the research-based “mental toughness” philosophy. With the help of Dr. Alan Goldberg, who has advised college teams and professional athletes alike, ARHS leadership has worked to make mental toughness an integral part of every Hurricane season for the last decade.

KEVIN LECLAIRE

ARHS coaches of every level try to teach similar defensive and offensive schemes (so that if and when players move up to Varsity, Booth and Anderson aren’t met with deer-in-the-headlights stares when, for instance, trying to fine-tune the 1-3-3 defensive game plan). Anderson and the captains coordinate optional conditioning sessions during the offseason and even organize a winter league to help all Hurricanes get more playing experience. Current and former Hurricanes unite to send Amherst teams to the USA Ultimate Club Championship Series each fall—and those teams have made noise by putting up more than half a dozen points on Boston’s Ironside and reaching Sunday of Club Regionals.

32

USA

In the early stages of each season, Goldberg, Booth, and the team discuss larger goals, like winning major tournaments—but then they never say the word “win,” or speak And graduated Amherst capof winning, until the end of tain and USA World Junior the season. From there on, team member Jonah Herscu AMOS ADAMS WAS ONE OF THREE AMHERST PLAYERS TO REPRESENT THE U.S. THIS players focus exclusively on SUMMER AT THE WORLD JUNIOR ULTIMATE CHAMPIONSHIPS believes, “one of the reasons more achievable goals, like the Hurricanes are always competing to be the best team in the solid individual performances that they can control. What’s more, they country is the connection the older guys make with the younger guys strive to progress from past mistakes and ignore “uncontrollables,” like and how they mentor newer players.” bad weather or questionable calls by opponents. Booth has her players As graduated Carleton captain, Bodhi player, and Amherst alum- focus at practices and tournaments by instructing them to lie on the nus Sam Kanner points out, going from mentor to mentee, “is a ground, clear their minds, and imagine or replay instances of themselves natural step in our development as players. I know growing up in playing exceptionally well. The goal is to have Hurricanes “in the zone” Amherst, I played on Will Neff’s summer league team and tried to and at “peak performance” come game time. play on his team at pick-up, and his leadership style really rubbed If Phil Jackson is the “Zen Master,” then it is not too much of a stretch off on me. Then when we played together on the team, I think we to consider Tiina Booth ultimate’s “Zen Queen.” She wants her playstarted to see each other more as equals, with each of us having ers to buy in by believing in themselves and their team and mainthe ability to make plays and pump the other one up. Now, we taining calculated focus so that the entire unit remains consistent play against each other in college and club and it’s always a fun and always improves. She teaches mental toughness to get the best out battle. It’s the same thing with Jonah. I hope that he looked up to of her players and minimize any nervousness they might feel. To help me when we were younger, but now having played with him on her players better understand the intricacies and importance of mental

ULTIMATE « SUMMER 2010

toughness (in addition to arranging meetings with Dr. Goldberg), Booth even has her players read notable sports psychology books, like Mind Gym, penned by Gary Mack and David Casstevens, and other works by Phil Jackson and the late, great John Wooden.

Brent Anderson makes it clear that Booth’s direction on and off the field with regard to strategy and mental toughness are not ordinary coaching abilities. He says, “I think it does take a coach that understands the players and how they tick for a program to be as successful as Amherst has been. Tiina has an amazing ability to convey her knowledge of the game in a very concise and understandable manner and the respect that both Tiina and I give the players comes back ten-fold in the way they conduct themselves on and off the field.”

This is not to say that Amherst ultimate is entirely focused, pleasant, and on the same page at all times. Booth deliberately lets her players push the limits of competition and mental toughness at practices to test their skills, resolve, and demeanor under pressure. To borrow terminology from Booth’s resourceful Essential Ultimate (which she co-wrote with Paideia School ultimate coach Michael Baccarini), simulation of these conflicts and intense situations is critical in preparing for competitive performance.

“The Amherst teams I’ve coached have had a history of personality conflicts as well as a history of being strong-meshed teams,” Booth adds. “Sometimes there’s friction, and friends can fight, but in general, we’re so focused on doing what we need to do that I don’t give [conflict at practice] much attention unless it interferes. I have no problem with edgy practices…in fact, I try to make them much harder than games. Practices are the only place the coaches can be overtly unhappy while still helping the team.”

Despite the competition that sometimes arises between Hurricanes, many of ARHS’s great players do not hesitate to sing the praises of the mental toughness regimen.

“The constant exposure to [Dr. Alan Goldberg] was crucial in my development and the team’s development of a strong mental game,” explains Sam Kanner. “On CUT, we approach [mental toughness] a little differently, but all the underlying aspects are still the same.”

Amos Adams experienced a thorough transformation after being introduced to the mental toughness principles: “When I first made varsity two years ago, my mental game was laughable. When I messed up, I was fueled by emotions. I thoroughly believed that anger and frustration made me play better and harder. Over the past three years, I’ve completely changed my mental game. I try to rely on getting into the ‘zone’ without the use of anger or other emotions, which, in reality, just takes my mind off what’s really important. “ Hollingworth finds mental toughness to be incredibly valuable, as well, and he explains, “I don’t think that I would be as successful a player without a lot of the principles of mental toughness that I learned in high school. It’s had an impact on my own game, but I’ve also felt equipped to bring it to some of the other teams that I’ve been a leader on.”

2010 & THE “TRIPLE CROWN” Amherst’s 2010 captains, Amos Adams, Spencer Diamond, and Jonah Herscu, assumed different leadership roles during this past season.

“Jonah was the rock, Amos was the psychologist, and I was the fire,” says Diamond.

KEVIN LECLAIRE

ARHS alumnus, graduated Tufts captain, and Bodhi player Andrew Hollingworth recalls, “I remember so many of our practices in high school were just so competitive. Everyone wanted our team to be as good as we could be, and so we were all constantly pushing each other. One of my best friends in high school, Christian Foster, and I got into a screaming, shoving argument during one practice our senior year. We always left it on the field, but our practices had a high level of intensity due to everyone’s drive to get better.”

ference between those teams and the teams that have bought in is that the teams that haven’t bought in have come up short.”

To highlight the centrality of mental toughness to ARHS Ultimate, Booth also points out an important trend: “I have had teams with great skill sets that haven’t fully bought into mental toughness; the dif-

TIINA BOOTH GETS A CELEBRATORY BATH FROM HER ATHLETES AFTER A DOMINATING WIN OVER NEEDHAM

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33

OPEN DIVISION

1 Amherst Regional HS 2 Needham HS 3T Haverford HS 3T Holy Family Catholic 5T Columbia HS 5T West Windsor-Plainsboro North HS 7T Watchung Hills HS 7T Middletown HS 9 YHB 10 University School of Nashville 11T LC Bird HS 11T Mt. Lebanon HS 13T John Jay HS 13T Stuyvesant HS 15T Lincoln-Sudbury HS 15T James Madison Memorial HS

TEAM SPIRIT RANKINGS 5.00 4.80 4.60 4.60 4.60 4.50 4.30 4.00 4.00 3.60 3.60 3.60 3.50 3.20 2.80 2.80

Amherst Regional HS YHB LC Bird HS James Madison Memorial HS Middletown HS Haverford HS University School of Nashville John Jay HS Lincoln-Sudbury HS Holy Family Catholic Stuyvesant HS Watchung Hills Mt. Lebanon Needham HS Columbia HS West Windsor-Plainsboro North HS

INDIVIDUAL SPIRIT NOMINEES

USA

Jonah Herscu, Amherst Regional HS Brendan Vogt, Columbia HS Simon Feeman, Haverford HS Frank Strasser, Holy Family Catholic Jonathan Marton Rollings, John Jay HS Hunter Taylor, LC Bird HS Tate Tabtieng, Lincoln-Sudbury HS Nick Allen, James Madison Memorial HS Jonathan Aldieri, Middletown HS Dan Patrick, Mt. Lebanon HS Ben Krupp, Needham HS Jack Li, Stuyvesant HS Mikeie Reiland, University School of Nashville Alan Kwok, Watchung Hills HS Mark Lin, West Windsor-Plainsboro North HS Cody Johnston, YHB 34 ULTIMATE « SUMMER 2010

KEVIN LECLAIRE

FINAL STANDINGS

THE 2010 USA ULTIMATE EASTERN HIGH SCHOOL OPEN DIVISION CHAMPIONS – AMHERST REGIONAL HIGH SCHOOL

Yet despite the different specialties each leader brought to the table, all three had similar outcome goals going into 2010: going undefeated and winning the “triple crown,” which included the Paideia Cup, Amherst Invitational, and USA Ultimate High School Eastern Championships. When Amherst’s season came to an end on Memorial Day, the Hurricanes had gone undefeated against high school teams, dropped just three of seventeen games against college teams, captured the triple crown, and brought home yet another Massachusetts state high school championship.

Descriptions of the 2010 Hurricanes’ leadership are indicative of the incredible focus and determination that this team upheld all season long.

Diamond recounts, “We were constantly checking in with one another about what was best for the team. We never had to worry about egos or stepping on each other’s toes.

We loved each other, and the team, way too much for that. Honestly, the main reason we were able to gel as leaders was that we knew when it came down to it, we all just loved the Hurricanes.”

Booth notes that this year’s captains were as good as any she has ever had and that the 2010 team gelled particularly well. She even goes so far as to say that the relationship between the coaching staff and the 2010 captains was a distinctly collaborative one.

Herscu echoes this sentiment by saying, “Tiina knows that off the field she cannot see and feel everything out on the field. Because of this, she gives the captains, and players, time to talk and figure out our situations on the field. Sometimes she does not even come into our huddle, and lets us dig ourselves out of our own hole.”

“The coaches knew that we would do anything for the team, and they respected our experience and skill enough so that when we offered our opinions they listened,” adds Diamond. “We could tell the coaches what the team wanted, and we could tell the team what the coaches wanted, because everything was discussed collaboratively.

We were always, always on the same page, helping each other help the team achieve its goals.”

While it is hard to believe that Amherst struggled at all, given that the Hurricanes lost just three times all season (to college teams, no less), a vital insight that Adams says helped the Hurricanes all season long revolved around the team’s ability to bring itself back to the appropriate level of play and potential. He explains, “It’s easy to get down on yourself when your team starts playing badly, and when you get down on yourself it’s then far easier to start playing even worse. What’s harder, what’s smarter, and what’s more mentally tough is to be able to bring the team out of holes and bring the level of play back up to where it needs to be. That is what we did this season, many times.”

2010 USA ULTIMATE HIGH SCHOOL OPEN EASTERN CHAMPIONSHIPS NEEDHAM HS — 1

AMHERST REGIONAL HS — 13 PLAYER

ASSISTS

GOALS

1

2

D’S

TO’S

PLAYER

ASSISTS

GOALS

D’S

TO’S

2 - Matt Bandes

3

3 - Eric Biggs

3 - Theo Thompson

3

4 - Isaac Lavine

4 - Ben Krupp

2 - Spencer Diamond

5 - Charlie Kannel

2

1

1

6 - David Lunetta

6 - Alex McGeoch

8 - Sam Dushay

7 - Benhamin Orlisky

9 - Brian Baker

8 - Geremy Salwen

10 - Tyler Chan

9 - Jesse Harris

11 - Kevin Hebard

10 - Jordy Diamond

16 - Ankit Sood

11 - Surya Murty

3

12 - Jonah Herscu

3

1

17 - Jak Codington

5

2

18 - Scott Groux

13 - Danny On 15 - Alex Light

2 1 1

1

24 - Manit Munshi 7

2

1

1

25 - Mike Escalante

16 - Wes Chow

28 - Jordan Kaufman

1

17 - Dylan Wight

35 - Andrew Goldstein

3

19 - Ethan Kannel

43 - Josh Balk

21 - Patrick Milne

83 - John Csaplar

23 - Jimmy Bright-Dumm 24 - Patrick Lawlor

1

27 - Amos Adams

1

1

1

1

2

1

Unknown TOTALS

Unknown

1

TOTALS

1

1

1

15

1 13

13

7

6

KEVIN LECLAIRE

CAUGHT IN THE MOMENT: AMOS ADAMS WITH A SPECTACULAR LAYOUT

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35

2010 USA ULTIMATE HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS EASTERN CHAMPIONSHIPS

GIRL POWER

NOT TOO LONG AGO, THERE WERE ONLY A HANDFUL OF GIRLS’ ULTIMATE TEAMS NATIONWIDE ON THE HIGH SCHOOL ULTIMATE SCENE, BUT NO SO ANYMORE. WITH BOTH YOUTH ULTIMATE AND THE WOMEN’S SCENE EXPERIENCING UNPRECEDENTED GROWTH, AND USA ULTIMATE COMMITTING RESOURCES AND FOCUSING EFFORTS ON YOUTH INITIATIVES, THE STAGE IS BEING SET FOR INCREASED PARTICIPATION AND COMPETITION.

However, as with all emerging sports, a certain element of dominance exists as a team or two currently set the standard for high school girls’ Ultimate. Such was the story at the USA Ultimate High School Eastern Championships this summer in upstate N.Y. The top teams of the East showcased their skills in Buffalo. With defending champion Padeia not able to field a team from Atlanta, the Amherst Hurricanes were the presumed favorite to win the championship. As a testament to the level of talent Amherst featured on its roster, co-captains Hannah Yee and Afra Danai represented the United States in the bronze medal showing at the Junior World Championships later in the summer.

The Hurricanes did not disappoint. They dominated their opponents by a total of 33 points in three games and gave up only nine points in seven games over the weekend, including a shutout to Yorktown/HB Woodlawn, 13-0 in the finals.

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USA

Throughout the weekend, the rest of the field consistently remarked on Amherst’s monopoly in the region. Although the number of girls playing high school Ultimate has increased exponentially, there remains an obvious disparity in skill level. A gap between the dynasties and the little pro-

ULTIMATE « SUMMER 2010

KEVIN LECLAIRE

BY: Camille Sommer

HANNAH YEE HELPED AMHERST REGIONAL H.S. TO A COMMANDING 13-0 SHUTOUT OF YHB VARSITY IN THE TITLE GAME

grams that could, which are all too often the only girls team in the state, persists.

Madison Memorial drove 14 hours from Wisconsin to represent the only girls team in the state in their first tournament of the season. Many teams, such as the Stuyvesant Stickyfingers, do not receive any funding and have to shoulder the burden of travelling expenses and tournament fees. And still, schools (and students) across the country tend to focus their attention on more “traditional” sports such as football and soccer. So how can a program grow?

Several years ago three or four girls would show up at a YHB practice. Today, the Titans boast a squad upwards of 60 girls in both the varsity and junior varsity teams. They even held a pep rally which included boys from the Ultimate team skying much larger football players. “A lot of the credit goes to Dave Soles,” said Titans coach Katie Klein of the teacher-coach who has been responsible for recruitment. “He’s incredibly dedicated and really energetic about Ultimate.” Klein, who also captains women’s club team DC Scandal, has also stepped into the leadership limelight.

“I’ve had a number of parents who come up to me during games or team dinners and thank me for being a role model to their girls.”

With a growing team and inspiring coaches, practices become more fun and productive; the addiction to Ultimate is nurtured. “It’s great to have real coaches who play competitive club,” said Titan junior Alika Johnston.

“We’re pulling in so many girls and we can pick up the best athletes. The more that join, the more we can pick up.”

“For most people Frisbee is just fun,” said Johnston who used to play competitive soccer. “But you can still play a good, competitive game, respect your opponent, and have a great time.”

It is no coincidence that Paidea, being a kindergarten through 12 school, is a perennial powerhouse because of the students’ early exposure to Ultimate. “What do you do when you go to this school?” said Klein. “You play Ultimate and you develop a love of the game.”

Despite a passion for Ultimate, Stuyvesant captain Connie Li has had her share of challenges. Students attending Stuyvesant, a specialized school in downtown Manhattan, commute from all parts of New York City.

Since their most conveniently available fields are in Brooklyn, it takes the Stickyfingers two trains and 45 minutes just to meet up for practice. Also, competition with other girls’ high school Ultimate teams is sparse.

“We only scrimmage amongst ourselves or

Beacon once in a while,” said Li, “but when we go to sectionals, we actually see how Ultimate should be played and see a high level of intensity.” And although the Stickyfingers do not receive funding from their school, they see the results of their personal contributions into the program. “We’re just obsessed with Ultimate and tell our friends about it all the time,” continued Li. “We try to get the word out, make really cool hoodies and order discs. Consequently, more people have discs and know about us.”

And then there’s Amherst, who one player described as a “Frisbee factory.”

Being so highly favored, it could have been a challenge for the Hurricanes to maintain their intensity. “We actually sat down as a team before the season to discuss this very issue,” said Yee. “We talked about individual goals and really appreciate it when someone reaches their individual goals, and this makes us strong as a group. Ever since then we’ve really stepped it up in practice.” And it certainly translated onto the field.

Amherst continued their impeccable flow throughout Easterns weekend and managed to maintain their intensity into the finals. As expected, they demonstrated solid fundamentals, but what separated Amherst from the rest of the field was their smooth handling and mature discipline on offense.

The Spirit of the Game and camaraderie of girls’ Ultimate remains universal. With the talent exhibited that weekend in May at Girls Easterns, not only is it exciting to see how far girls’ Ultimate has come, but the potential it has to continue to grow.

GIRLS EASTERN CHAMPIONSHIPS FINAL STATS AMHERST REGIONAL HS — 13 PLAYER 1 - Afra Danai

FINAL STANDINGS

1 Amherst Regional HS 2 YHB Varsity 3T Columbia HS 3T Mt. Lebanon HS 5T LC Bird HS 5T Andover HS 7T Stuyvesant HS 7T Univ. School of Nashville 9 Watchung Hills HS 10 YHB Junior Varsity 11 James Madison Memorial HS

TEAM SPIRIT RANKINGS

4.90 James Madison Memorial HS 4.80 YHB Junior Varsity 4.50 Stuyvesant HS 4.40 Amherst Regional HS 4.40 Andover HS 4.30 YHB Varsity 4.00 Univ. School of Nashville

3.90 3.80 3.80 2.50

Mt. Lebanon HS LC Bird HS Watchung Hills HS Columbia HS

INDIVIDUAL SPIRIT NOMINEES

Molly Schulman, Amherst Regional HS Kayla Kantola, Andover HS Aurora Rojer, Columbia HS Laura Fitch, LC Bird HS Tessa Dorresteyn, James Madison Memorial HS Hannah Muehl, Mt. Lebanon HS Diana Lee, Stuyvesant HS Allyson Lutz, University School of Nashville Laura Park, Watchung Hills HS Sam Taggart, YHB Varsity Kelly Wilner, YHB Junior Varsity

YHB VARSITY — 0 PLAYER

ASSISTS

GOALS

D’S

TO’S

13 - Alika Johnson

1

2

14 - Alyse Alicandro

1

2

4 - Grace Denney

ASSISTS

GOALS

D’S

TO’S

3

3

1

1

3 - Maya Norman

GIRLS DIVISION

1

1 1

7 - Zoe Elkin

2

2

8 - Hannah Yee

2

1

9 - Katy Peake

1

1

10 - Joanna Tan

1 1

11 - Isabella Gutierrez

9 - Liv Kirk 10 - Jo Jo Emerson 11 - Maddie Greenfield 12 - Caitlin Levine

18 - Molly Norborm 20 - Nicole Broder 21 - Claudia Dimick

12 - Leah Berlin 13 - Katie St.John

1

1

22 - Makshya Tolbert

16 - Kelsey McDonald

23 - Michelle Derieux

3

18 - Molly Lawlor

29 - Haley Sanner

2

20 - Jamie Sharken

2

34 - Clara Nice

21 - Molly Schulman

2

2

3

36 - Sandy Thong

24 - Kathryn Hopkins McGill

3

4

1

44 - Samantha Taggart

TOTALS

13

1

53 - Emily Willard 17 - Lillian Goldstein 13

7

8

73 - Julia Petro

1

Unknown TOTALS

8 3 WWW.USAULTIMATE.ORG

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2 0 1 0 U SA U LT I M AT E H I G H S C H O O L W E ST E R N S G I R L S’ D I V I S I O N

DYNAMIC DUOS BY: Meredith Tosta

CALVIN AND HOBBES, LAVERNE AND SHIRLEY, THELMA AND LOUISE – THEY ALL HAVE SOMETHING IN COMMON, A SHARED ADVENTURE, A BATTLE TO OVERCOME ADVERSITY AND THE PLIGHT FOR THE EVERSOUGHT-AFTER STORYBOOK ENDING.

BIL ELSINGER

NORTHWEST HIGH SCHOOL’S SOPHIA HANNAFORD AND LAKESIDE’S JORDAN PALMER GO HEAD-TO-HEAD IN BURLINGTON

38

USA

There were six girls’ teams at the 2010 USA Ultimate High School Western Championships – and almost every team had its own dynamic duo. For Seattle Academy it was sophomores Nina Finley (#4) and Kirstie Barton (#25). Finley, who traveled to Germany in August to represent the U.S. on the U-19 National team, finished out the weekend with 12 goals and 10 blocks. Barton had just one goal caught but had 12 assists. Watching these two run the field, it’s easy to see that SAAS will be a force to be reckoned with for the next two years. Alameda (Calif.) High School brought a similar powerhouse

ULTIMATE « SUMMER 2010

of young players in Natalie McKee (sophomore #9) and Marisa Rafter (junior #13). Of the 36 goals that Alameda scored in Burlington, McKee caught 20 of them, and threw five while Rafter caught two and threw 19. Showing her strength on both offense and defense, Rafter also carried her team on D with 25 blocks – more than the rest of her teammates combined and 11 more than the next closest competitor at the championship.

These two teams are fantastic examples of young and talented players trying to do it all while carrying the team on their shoulders. To

The Lakeside School (Seattle, Wash.) was a similar team, running its offense primarily through freshman Claire Revere (#8) and junior Lucia Childs-Walker (#28), with the support of senior Kyra Ray (#14). Revere threw goals to Ray, and Childs-Walker led the team in defenses. The rest of this squad did what teammates do best leaving their hearts on the field, working hard for every catch and every continuation. Coming out of the spring league season, Lakeside had yet to win a game, but from start to finish, the team improved exponentially and after a heartbreaking double game point loss to Alameda on Saturday afternoon, came out Sunday morning to score its first win of the year over Seattle Academy in the semis play-in game, 9-6.

The most riveting match-ups of the championship involved Cathedral High School (St. Cloud, Minn.). A semifinalist in 2009, Cathedral had lost a heated game to Northwest School to end its season, and came back determined to take it all in 2010. Led by four seniors, Kelsey Jackson (#12), Kari Neutzling (#13), Cami Nelson (#14) and Grace Balfanz (#5), the team spread its offense out amongst the majority of its roster, with a number of dangerous receivers and throwers lurking all over the field, ready to strike. The “Cathedral Four” would combine for 40 goals and 52 assists over the course of the weekend, a feat not shared by any other team. In perhaps what Nathan Hale (Seattle, Wash.) would consider the most important game of the weekend on Saturday afternoon, Cathedral harnessed its intensity and came from behind to win the crossover game over Hale 13-12.

Winning that game meant moving to the opposite side of the bracket from Northwest School on Sunday morning – a coveted prize. What neither team could have been able to predict was that Northwest School nearly lost to Seattle Academy on the next field over, coming out ahead at the hard cap 8-7 and proving once again that any game at the H.S. Western Championships was up for grabs.

Cathedral would move on to the finals following a win over Lakeside, while Northwest School would move efficiently past Nathan Hale in the other semi. With a slight crosswind, the final game had great field conditions, two teams coming off of wins in the semis by six-point margins. Northwest School was led on the field by two powerful throwers, seniors Julia Snyder (#7) and Michaela Fallon (#11), and two speedy receivers, senior Kate Benjamin (#12) and junior Emily Buckner (#5). Coaches Vida Towne and Ava Segal have been with this group of Northwest School girls through a win in 2008, and second-place finishes in 2007 and 2009. The team has four straight years of finals experience to draw from, a point that would end up proving important. Coach Quinn McCloughan would do a fantastic job of helping Cathedral maintain focus and use the strength of its roster to keep the game close. Not surprisingly, both teams looked to their

studs – the pairs of dynamic duos that were hoping to end their high school careers on top. In the end, Northwest School would come out on top 13-10.

The weekend was also a story of friendships born out of hours on the field and receivers and throwers working together. You could easily make the argument that a dynamic duo is nothing without its supporting cast, and never is this truer than in the story of Nathan Hale.

With nearly every player on the 16-person roster having scored or thrown a goal, it’s hard to pick out from statistics alone who the leaders of this team were. Senior Shira Stern (#99) draws strong defenders, and senior Barbara Hoover (#24) is a huge threat on the goal line, especially with sophomore Naima Antolin (#7) racing for the front cone. While the weekend may not have gone as they had hoped, the Nathan Hale girls can be proud of not only their stars, but also their rock – the supporting cast that will continue to develop and lead in years to come.

Looking across the fields at Skagit River Park in Burlington on Saturday morning, the view was of a sea of bright colored jerseys, crosscountry rivals greeting each other with big smiles and warm hugs.

Soon the teams would take the field and the necessary battles would ensue, from which some would rise and others would fall. But first comes that treasured moment, when cleats are tied tight, standing in the huddle just before the first warm-up jog of the weekend, when you know that those teammates whose eyes you look in to are there for you, and you know you’ll be there for them, whatever may come.

To say that there are dynamic duos on every team is to give credit to the statistics. They say it takes a village to raise a child, and to that end, it takes an entire team to win a championship. In 2010, the Northwest School girls are our hard fought and well deserving champions. It’ll be exciting to see what collaboration of individual stars turned supportive teammates will rise to the occasion next year, and in the many years to come.

To anyone who doubts the skill, drive, and determination of these young players, rest assured that you’ll be seeing them fly past you on a college team very soon. The level of play of high school Ultimate continues to improve in leaps and bounds every year. The friendships that are made and the battles that are won and lost, all help to teach these girls not only about the sport of Ultimate, but about being supportive teammates, reveling in your own dynamic duos, and celebrating what it means to be a part of something bigger than yourself.

BIL ELSINGER

a certain extent, the schedule – with a maximum of three games a day and ample breaks in between rounds – fed to the strengths of these teams. While the majority of the roster would make meaningful contributions to the stat sheet for both squads, the game would run primarily through the hands of these leaders. Not surprisingly, when the two teams met in the first round on Saturday morning it was a very tight game that SAAS was only able to shut out in the hard cap, 9-7. Alameda would best SAAS in consolation on Sunday morning, with a similarly close score of 11-9.

THE GIRLS’ DIVISION WAS FULL OF DYNAMIC AND ATHLETIC PLAYS LIKE THIS LAYOUT BY ALAMEDA’S MARISA RAFTER.

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39

BIL ELSINGER

20 1 0 U SA U LT I M AT E H I G H S C H O O L W EST E R N S O P E N D I V I S I O N

BATTLE IN SEATTLE SOUTH EUGENE HIGH SCHOOL WON THE OPEN DIVISION OF THE 2010 USA ULTIMATE HIGH SCHOOL WESTERN CHAMPIONSHIPS, COMPLETING AN UNDEFEATED RUN THROUGH THE TOURNAMENT AND CAPPING OFF ITS SUCCESS WITH A 13-8 VICTORY OVER HOMETOWN HOSTS, THE NORTHWEST SCHOOL. The difference in the finals may have been a result of what transpired one round earlier as South Eugene entered the game following a relatively easy 13-3 win over Cathedral, while the Northwest school had to scratch and claw its way through the penultimate round to beat Nathan Hale for a shot at the title. Led by Dylan Freechild, who was unstoppable for the Axeman, South Eugene took a 13-8 win to earn its first title and improve upon last season’s second place finish to Hopkins.

advantage of opponents’ mistakes. After capitalizing on several small errors, the Axmen took half 7-5, leaving the door slightly ajar for a Northwest School comeback. But despite a solid effort and persistent play from the Northwest School throughout the second half, South Eugene left as the 2010 USA Ultimate High School Western Champions.

40

USA

Complemented by the play of teammate Aaron Honn, Freechild and South Eugene were unstoppable in the finals. The Northwest School exhausted all of its options in trying to contain the duo, using five different defenders to no avail. The Northwest School was able to run with South Eugene for brief spurts at a time, but the Seattle-based squad just didn’t have the firepower to sustain a competitive balance.

South Eugene did what all great teams in sports do to win – take

ULTIMATE « SUMMER 2010

BIL ELSINGER

South Eugene was one of four teams to roll through its pool with a perfect record, matching Nathan Hale’s 3-0 record, then marching through the championship bracket with a 13-6 quarterfinal win over Alameda, followed by its victories over Cathedral and the Northwest School. Luckily for the Axeman, their path to the overall title was softened slightly thanks to Cathedral’s upset of top-seeded defending champ Hopkins in the quarters.

(TOP) LAKESIDE’S ROSS SMITH AND HOPKINS HIGH’S NIHAL BHAKTA GO FOR THE DISC DURING THEIR POOL PLAY MATCHUP (BOTTOM) BELLEVUE AND GUNN HIGH SCHOOLS DISPLAYED SOME ATHLETICISM DURING THEIR POOL PLAY MATCH-UP

BIL ELSINGER (LEFT) DE SMET JESUIT HIGH SCHOOL AND NORTHWEST ACADEMY SQUARE OFF IN POOL PLAY.

(BOTTOM) SEATTLE ACADEMY AND THE NORTHWEST SCHOOL MET IN THE QUARTERFINALS AFTER EACH TEAM NOTCHED A PAIR OF WINS IN POOL PLAY.

BIL ELSINGER

BIL ELSINGER

(RIGHT) DESPITE A COMBINED POOL PLAY RECORD OF 1-5, BELLEVUE AND GUNN PLAYED ARGUABLY THE MOST COMPETITIVE GAME IN ROUND 3.

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41

GIRLS WESTERN CHAMPIONSHIPS FINAL STATS THE NORTHWEST SCHOOL — 13 PLAYER

ASSISTS

GOALS

2 - Julia Bladin

D’S 3

3 - Lani Nguyen

1

4 - Camille Canter

1

5 - Emily Buckner

3

7 - Julia Snyder

2

2

2

1

1

2

4

3

8 - Sophia Hannaford

GIRLS DIVISION

FINAL STANDINGS 1 2 3 4 5 6

The Northwest School Cathedral HS Nathan Hale HS Lakeside HS Alameda HS Seattle Academy

TEAM SPIRIT RANKINGS 4.60 4.50 4.40 4.30 4.00 2.50

Lakeside HS Alameda HS Seattle Academy The Northwest School Nathan Hale HS Cathedral HS

TO’S

1

9 - Addy Borges

3

10 - Alea Christiansen

1

1

11 - Michaela Fallon

4

1

3

13 - Adri Cvitkovic

1

1

1

5

14 - Ali Johnson 15 - Angie Parisi

1

16 - Anna Downing 17 - Grace Lehman 20 - Sophie Erb

1

21 - Finley Baba 22 - Soriya Ton

1

unknown

1 4

1

13

13

16

14

ASSISTS

GOALS

D’S

TO’S

5

1

2

TOTALS

CATHEDRAL HS — 10 PLAYER 1 - Katie Torborg 3 - Grace Balfanz 4 - Courtney Jones 7 - Ella Hackett-Reicher

1

1

9 - Natasha Pulliam

INDIVIDUAL SPIRIT NOMINEES Annie Paulukonis, Alameda HS Cami Nelson,Cathedral HS Annie Doubleday, Lakeside HS Barbara Hoover, Nathan Hale HS Angela Parisi, The Northwest School Simone Barley-Greenfield, Seattle Academy

10 - Hanna Detra

1

1

11 - Briana Backes 12 - Kelsey Jackson

1

3

13 - Kari Neutzling

1

1

16 - Cami Nelson

2

4

4

1

1

4

17 - Maggie Jackson 18 - Kaylyn Leither

1

19 - Anne Johnson 21 - A lycia LenzenHammerell

1

24 - Anna Torborg 25 - Katelinn Kelash 33 - Allison Lenzmeier

1

42

USA

34 - Samantha Meyer

ULTIMATE « SUMMER 2010

TOTALS

10

10

11

6

OPEN WESTERN CHAMPIONSHIPS FINAL STATS

FINAL STANDINGS

SOUTH EUGENES HS — 13 PLAYER

ASSISTS

GOALS

5 - Connor Ausland

D’S

TO’S

1

6 - Luke Schwedler 9 - Jack Carol

1

2

1

10 - Dylan Freechild

4

7

4

11 - Jeff Leeson 12 - Vinh Bui 17 - Carter Thallon

2

1

1

18 - Simon Leach 20 - Jordan Trepp

1

21 - Spencer Latarski 22 - Ben Dotters-Katz

1 2

23 - Bayunt Ollek 24 - Aaron Honn

1 5

1

32 - Sam Jurasevich 13

13

7

2

D’S

TO’S

THE NORTHWEST SCHOOL — 8 PLAYER

ASSISTS

GOALS

2 - Drew Benditt 3 - Kilian Marsh

1

2

1

1

4 - Olin Olmstead 5 - Louis Cohen

1

7 - Tyler Monreo 8 - Paris Green 9 - Joe Brand 10 - Marc Undeberg

South Eugene HS The Northwest School Cathedral HS Nathan Hale HS Alameda HS Seattle Academy Hopkins HS Lakeside HS De Smet HS Gunn HS Bellevue HS Garfield HS Churchill HS Roosevelt HS

5.00 5.00 4.80 4.80 4.70 4.50 4.50 4.40 4.30 4.30 4.30 4.30 4.20 3.40

Bellevue HS Gunn HS Cathedral HS Lakeside HS Roosevelt HS Garfield HS Nathan Hale HS South Eugene HS Churchill HS De Smet HS The Northwest School Seattle Academy Hopkins HS Alameda HS

INDIVIDUAL SPIRIT NOMINEES

11 - Jack Baba 12 - Eli Kittross-Schnell 13 - Jordan Temkin 14 - Chistophe Job

2

15 - Skyler Burke 16 - Cooper Schumacher

1

3

17 - Jesse Bolton

2

3

3

1

1

99 - Khalif El-Salaam

2

1

1

1

TOTALS

8

8

9

7

2

2

20- Diego Najera 22 - Logan Greenfield 37 - Max Sutton

1 2 3T 3T 5T 5T 7T 7T 9 10 11T 11T 13 14

TEAM SPIRIT RANKINGS

28 - Russel Arkin

TOTALS

OPEN DIVISION

1

44 - Owen Freed

Simon Higgins, Alameda HS Justin Dellinger, Bellevue HS Will Harren, Cathedral HS Zack Wright, Churchill HS Kevin Kramer, De Smet HS Sam Woestwin, Garfield HS Michael Norcia, Gunn HS Eli Leonard, Hopkins HS Peter Scott, Lakeside HS Julian Peterson, Nathan Hale HS Cooper Schumacher, The Northwest School Tristan Huber, Roosevelt HS Will Greene, Seattle Academy Luke Schwedler, South Eugene HS WWW.USAULTIMATE.ORG

43

THE ULTIMATE FAMILY

BY: Anne Culhane

Football has the Manning family. Tennis has the Williams sisters. Baseball has Ken Griffey Jr. and Sr. Ultimate has the Foreman family – a fast-moving, fun-loving trio comprised of dad Gary and his two sons, Sean and Sam. Colorado open division team at the 2010 USA Ultimate Youth Club Championships in August.

“I started playing Ultimate because my family is Ultimate. It’s fun, fast-moving and straight-up badass,” Sam admits.

The dynasty started in 1977, “I answered a want-ad in the Colorado Daily (CU’s campus newspaper), inquiring about Frisbee players who would be interested in starting a Frisbee Football/Ultimate league,” Gary said.

But he enjoyed throwing a disc around long before that – a skill he taught his sons. “As most boys throw the baseball with their fathers, I threw the Frisbee,” Sean remembered.

Gary’s impressive resume starts in the masters division. In 1999, Gary founded Boulder’s Old and In the Way. As co-captain, he led his team to two masters national titles and in 2000 his team won the world championships in Germany. Most recently, he helped lead them to a grand masters title in July of 2010 in the squad’s hometown of Boulder.

“I enjoy the camaraderie, it’s workout and I think it’s one of team games ever,” says Gary. nothing like it. It totally fires me

a great the best “There’s up.”

So, as most fathers do, he introduced his sons to his own favorite pastime.

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USA

Sam, 18, is starting to make a splash in the youth division. This year, he helped lead his school, Fairview High, to a victory in the Colorado State High School tournament. He also competed with the

ULTIMATE « SUMMER 2010

This fall, Sam will take his talents to Colorado State University where he’ll continue his Ultimate career.

But perhaps the most famous of the trio is older brother Sean, who makes up half of the electro-hop group 3OH!3 – a band that has collaborated with the likes of mainstream artists Katy Perry and Ke$ha, and played major events like the Vans Warped Tour.

Sean, 24, started playing Ultimate at a young age. “I really didn’t have a choice,” he recalls. Although, it didn’t become a priority for him until college. In 2004, Sean appeared in USA Ultimate’s College Championships with CU’s Mamabird as a freshman. His team beat Cal-Berkeley to win the championship. That year, Sean also made the junior world championship team that beat Finland for the gold medal.

It’s safe to say that Sean is the only recording artist with a top-10 single on Billboard’s Hot 100 that is also a national and world champion Ultimate player.

For many parents, watching on the sidelines as their kids play is a hard thing to do. Gary is very proud of his sons’ accomplishments on the field and loves to watch them compete. “He’s never been overbearing with trying to teach me too much,” Sean explained. “At the same time, he encourages you to play and act your best while on the field.”

Besides having a good time and playing with friends and family, the trio has come away with a lot more than just memories.

“I’ve learned the culture of the sport,” said Sam. “Ultimate is an amazing sport, but it’s the people that play it that make it so great.”

“I’ve learned a lot,” said Sean, “like how to be competitive with a level head and how to be diplomatic while keeping an edge. Most of all, though, I’ve learned that it’s not all about winning. It’s about the friendship and the parties.”

Currently, a successful music career is keeping Sean off the playing fields. In 2007, he and fellow classmate Nathaniel Motte, released their first album, 3OH!3, a self-titled record named after Boulder’s area code. Their debut has since been followed by 2007’s Want and Streets of Gold in 2010, the former of which included the hit single “Don’t Trust Me” – a song that reached as high as number seven on the Billboard Hot 100 charts.

“Sean being a rock star is like catching a Callahan for the game winner,” Sam beamed about his older brother, while his dad joked, “it’s disrupted what could have been a great Ultimate career!”

Currently, Sean is touring overseas but insists he has not given up the sport.

“I’ve been on hiatus,” he explains. While playing at the junior world championships, he suffered a few bad hamstring pulls and has never been able to regain the same intensity he once had, though he still takes part when he can.

“Nat and I travel with a disc and throw whenever we can. Unfortunately, there

JEFF ALBENBERG

are more parking lots than fields, so I end up with some pretty chewed-up discs. “I would love to ease back into things real soon and have been eyeing the pickup games in McCarren Park in Brooklyn.”

As Sean looks forward to returning to the game, his dad is wondering how much longer he will be playing. “As long as I can still contribute on the field and don’t totally embarrass myself…” joked Gary.

While the trio is split up for now, they have a lot of memories of playing together to rely on.

Gary’s most memorable experience as a family is playing summer league together. “Looking down the line at one point and seeing that the six others were a wife (Michelle), kids, in-laws and nephews was fun.”

“I love playing with my family in summer league,” Sam said, “but nothing beats traveling to Sarasota to watch my dad win a masters championship. I don’t have to play to enjoy seeing the look on my dad’s face when he wins that trophy.”

For this Ultimate Dynasty, playing together has been tough with Sean off being a rock star and Sam going off to college soon.

Gary hopes that one day they can again take the field together. “It would be a blast, but we’d likely be stretching a bit to out-do each other!”

T BHARD BOB GE

Anne Culhane is an intern with USA Ultimate and this fall will be a junior in the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism at Ohio University. She also plays for Ohio University’s women’s club team.

OPPOSITE: A FOREMAN FAMILY PORTRAIT COURTESY FOREMAN FAMILY (TOP) GARY FOREMAN RECENTLY WON A GRAND MASTERS TITLE WITH OLD AND IN THE WAY (MIDDLE) SEAN PERFORMS WITH 3OH!3 AT THE FILLMORE IN NEW YORK CITY. (BOTTOM) SAM MAKES A PLAY IN THE 2010 COLORADO STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS.

WWW.USAULTIMATE.ORG

45

JEFF ALBENBERG

WELL DONE, OLD AND IN THE WAY! The 2010 USA Ultimate Grand Masters & Masters Women’s Championships took place in Boulder, Colo. earlier this summer as Old And In The Way claimed the men’s title and Well Done took home the women’s crown. Ten women’s teams and 16 men’s squads competed from around the country, yet it was the two Boulder-based teams that benefitted from their home field advantage and climbed atop the podium.

Old And In The Way earned their championship with a 15-10 win over Yomo Fog Oho, while Well Done beat the Safari-tarians 14-10 to capture theirs. For complete coverage of the 2010 USA Ultimate Grand Masters and Masters Women’s Championships, including detailed event reports, photo galleries, videos and results, visit usaultimate.org.

GRAND MASTERS FINAL STANDINGS 1 OLD AND IN THE WAY 2 YOMO FOG OHO 3T DOG 3T SURLY 5T BALL & CHAIN 5T BIG SKY GRAND 7T NICE GUYS 7T THROWBACK 9 RIGOR MORE DISC

10 THIRST N HOWL 11 BONEYARD’S BONEYARD 12 MOSCOW STATE 13 SICK HAMMERS 14 OZARK HILLBILLYS 15 AGE AGAINST THE MACHINE 16 BURNSIDE

TEAM SPIRIT RANKINGS

JEFF ALBENBERG

THE GRAND MASTERS DIVISION FULL OF ATHLETICISM AND SPECTACULAR PLAYS ALL WEEKEND LONG

46

USA

JIM GLYNN (OLD AND IN THE WAY) AND JIM PARINELLA (DOG) COMPETE IN THE SEMIFINALS OF THE GRAND MASTERS DIVISION

ULTIMATE « SUMMER 2010

4.83 AGE AGAINST THE MACHINE 4.80 BIG SKY GRAND 4.60 DOG 4.57 OZARK HILLBILLYS 4.50 THIRST N HOWL 4.43 RIGOR MORE DISC 4.42 SURLY 4.36 SICK HAMMERS

4.33 4.29 4.00 4.00 4.00 3.83 3.80 3.67

BURNSIDE MOSCOW STATE BONEYARD’S BONEYARD THROWBACK YOMO FOG OHO NICE GUYS OLD AND IN THE WAY BALL & CHAIN

INDIVIDUAL SPIRIT RANKINGS AGE AGAINST THE MACHINE: Mike Kaylor BIG SKY GRAND: Tony Crane DOG: Michael Cooper OZARK HILLBILLYS: John Schmuecker THIRST N HOWL Rick Colbeth RIGOR MORE DISC: Mitch Vitullo SURLY: Johnny Hock SICK HAMMERS: Scott Cilento

BURNSIDE: Don Wright MOSCOW STATE: Sam Pugliese BONEYARD’S BONEYARD: Alan Ellis THROWBACK: Jerry Keister YOMO FOG OHO: Paul Kieler NICE GUYS: Pat Butler OLD AND IN THE WAY: Jeff Van Spriell BALL & CHAIN: Chester Harich

JEFF ALBENBERG JEFF ALBENBERG

BRYN MARTYNA (SAFARI-TARIANS) AND RENEE LAMBO-BARNES (WELL DONE) COMPETE IN THE FINALS

MASTERS WOMEN FINAL STANDINGS 1 WELL DONE 2 SAFARI-TARIANS 3 RETRO 4 CRACK’D 5 LAS RUCAS

6 7 8 9 10

MOJO 2.0 TOP SHELF DIRTY XXX HOT FLASH OLD SCORES TO SETTLE

TEAM SPIRIT RANKINGS 4.50 OLD SCORES TO SETTLE 4.43 DIRTY XXX 4.43 TOP SHELF 4.17 HOT FLASH 4.00 WELL DONE

3.86 RETRO 3.71 MOJO 2.0 3.71 LAS RUCAS 3.71 CRACK’D 3.40 SAFARI-TARIANS

INDIVIDUAL SPIRIT RANKINGS OLD SCORE TO SETTLE: Sue Gibbs DIRTY XXX: Sue Boyadjan TOP SHELF: Chris O’Cleary HOT FLASH: Sonya Witinck WELL DONE: Laura Curtis RETRO: Leslie Frost MOJO 2.T0: Miriam Allersma LAS RUCAS: Jen Glass CRACK’D: Corrinne O’Connell SAFARI-TARIANS: Amy Finkelor

KATIE ULRICH (CRACK’D) AND TINA MCDOWELL (WELL DONE) BATTLE IT OUT IN THE SEMIS FOR A SHOT AT THE TITLE

WWW.USAULTIMATE.ORG

47

2010 GRAND MASTERS CHAMPIONSHIP RESULTS OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP GAME STATISTICS OLD AND IN THE WAY — 15 PLAYER 2 - Rob Bleiberg

ASSISTS

YOMO FOG OHO — 10 GOALS

D’S

1

TO’S 1

1

1

2

2 - Phil Brown

1

1

3 - Greg Berbaum

7 - Bob Pease

4 - Mike Jones 1

9 - Frank Phillips

2

1

5 - Tad Miller

1

1

8 - John Frantz

10 - Aaron Brown

2

11 - Scotty Bennett

1

12 - Mike Morrissey

1

1

15 - Jim Nolte 2

21 - Jason Flock 1

1

1 1

1

1 1 2

1

1

24 - Sam Berry

1

31 - Coupar Lester

42 - Phil Lohre

32 - Carl Edwards

1

34 - Scot Buchanan

2

4 2

66 - Dave Banks 76 - Jim Glynn

1

6

1

1

1

1

16

3

96 - Brandon Twine

1

Unknown

1

TOTALS

10

1 10

10

JEFF ALBENBERG

15

USA

BOULDER’S FLATIRON MOUNTAINS PROVIDED A STUNNING BACKDROP FOR RIGOR MORE DISC AND AGE AGAINST THE MACHINE

48

ULTIMATE « SUMMER 2010

3

2

54 - Laurence Verbeck

5 21

1

2

51 - Guy Martin

1

Unknown TOTALS

2

1

43 - Jeff Landesman

3 3

1

3

42 - Dan Carson

2

67 - Michael Kuhns

1

2

33 - Nate Austin

3

1

3

40 - John Hamm

48 - JD Lobue

1

23 - Charles Greaves

32 - Geir Kvaran

1

1

22 - John Babin

1

44 - Randy Ricks

1

17 - Chuck Figur

24 - Karl Heuerman

33 - Dave Smith

1

13 - Jim Gerencser

14 - Brian Oliver

29 - Kevin Hamm

TO’S

11 - Mark Karger

14 - Don Corson

27 - Jeff Van Spriell

D’S

1

10 - Matt Krei

4

13 - Buzz Ellsworth

17 - Fritz Bussman

GOALS

1 - Tommy Viskocil

5 - Heath Mackay

8 - Bo Esrey

ASSISTS

00 - Paul Kieler

4 - Gary Foreman 6 - Brian Hicke

PLAYER

16

2010 MASTERS WOMEN’S CHAMPIONSHIP RESULTS WOMEN’S CHAMPIONSHIP GAME STATISTICS WELL DONE — 14 PLAYER

SAFARI-TARIANS — 10 ASSISTS

1 - Renee Lambo Barnes

GOALS

D’S

TO’S

2

1

1

2 - Vicky Thrasher 3 - Anne Pogoriler 4 - Kristine Hardie

1 1

1

6 - Fran Carson 7 - Allison Boyd

1 1

2

8 - Leslie Schein

1

1

10 - Julie Wolf 11 - Jan Krutsinger

2

12 - Melanie Deaver

2

13 - Suzanne Jones

1

4 - Nicole Belle Isle

1

2

2

6 - Amy Little

1

3

1

7 - Pattie Montgomery

2

8 - Mary Ann Polityka

1

9 - Jill Van Wie

5

12 - Laura Ingebritsen 15 - Eli DeMoney

19 - Corrine Pisacane

14 - Laura Curtis

1

20 - Shar Stuht

15 - Marley Steele-Inama

6

22 - Amy Finkelor

20 - Merry Beth Evans

1

27 - Deg Sheckter

1

TO’S 1

3

25 - Jen Stone

D’S

3 - Laura Wheeler

18 - Stephanie Decker

23 - Heidi Pomfret

GOALS

2

10

21 - Robin Hamilton

3

ASSISTS

1 - Kara Ferguson

2

1 4

PLAYER

11 2

2

2

1

4 5

1

2

1

1

1

4

10

2

1

2

29 - Annie Coppock 1

1

1

26 - Vera Moreno 31 - Elise Jones

1

39 - Tina McDowell

1

3

2

1

4

33 - Cheryl Meehan

2

42 - Janine Marr

3

72 - Bryn Martyna

1 1

1

1 2

77 - Jennifer Sanderson Unknown

1

TOTALS

10

4

2

2

5

2

2

1

10

17

50

77 - Adrienne Greene 88 - Emily Anderson

1

99 - Carrie Thrasher TOTALS

1 2

14

14

10

JEFF ALBENBERG 2010 USA ULTIMATE GRAND MASTERS CHAMPS – OLD AND IN THE WAY

47

JEFF ALBENBERG 2010 USA ULTIMATE MASTERS WOMEN’S CHAMPS – WELL DONE

WWW.USAULTIMATE.ORG

49

” QA

“

AND

Spirit of the Game™ with Moses Rifkin and Alicia White

ULTIMATEPHOTOS.ORG

EARLIER THIS SUMMER, AMERICAN TEAMS DOMINATED THE 2010 WORLD ULTIMATE CLUB CHAMPIONSHIPS BOTH ON THE MEDAL STAND AND IN THE SPIRIT OF THE GAME RANKINGS. FURY BROUGHT HOME THE GOLD MEDAL FROM PRAGUE IN THE WOMEN’S DIVISION AND WAS THIRD IN THE SPIRIT RANKINGS, WHILE SOCKEYE WON THE SILVER MEDAL IN THE OPEN DIVISION AND TOPPED THE OVERALL SPIRIT STANDINGS. UPON THEIR RETURN FROM PRAGUE, USA ULTIMATE CAUGHT UP WITH FURY’S ALICIA WHITE AND SOCKEYE’S MOSES RIFKIN TO ASK THEM ABOUT THEIR THOUGHTS ON SPIRIT OF THE GAME: Q: What does Spirit of the game mean to you as a player?

Q: Why do you think Spirit of the Game is so important?

MR: Spirit of the Game has always been at the core of why I play Ultimate. When I first began playing Ultimate, I was thrilled to see how SOTG encouraged people to be their best selves, and when my teammates and I were embraced by the Ultimate community, I think it had something to do with the fact that the community was made up of generally nice people. ‘Nice’ is a flat word, but I can’t think of a better one to describe people who had chosen to play a sport that values SOTG instead of any others. Fast-forward 16 years, and even though I’m a different person and player, I’m still playing Ultimate because of how much I love the community that I’m a part of. My team today, Sockeye, is competitive and strives to win, but still, the roster is composed of people who have chosen to play this sport instead of another.

MR: S OTG is what enables a pure form of competition. If every player on the field is empowered to call fouls, and if everyone is able to rise to this challenge and trusts that everyone else is, what’s left is a very simple goal: within the structures of the rules as they’re written and interpreted, how do I score more points than my opponent? How do I do better than them? The alternative – where a third party is calling fouls and enforcing rules – adds a whole other level in which a less talented team can win by being better at gaming the rules.

AW: I consider Spirit of the Game to be sportsmanship. SOTG means playing with integrity and respecting one’s opponent and the rules of the game. I think it’s important to appreciate its history, but also recognize that Ultimate is evolving and so too must the definition of Spirit of the Game.

Q: H ow does Spirit of the Game differ from the U.S. and the rest of the world?

50

USA

AW: I n playing against international teams, I’d say it’s pretty similar during the games. Following games at international events, however, opposing teams meet on the field and participate in a spirit circle, something that is absent at U.S. tournaments. The spirit circle is nice because both teams can acknowledge positive aspects about the game just played, regardless of how the score turned out. The spirit circle symbolizes a sort of closure.

ULTIMATE « SUMMER 2010

Q: How can people keep Spirit of the Game going?

AW: Team leaders need to set positive examples for their teammates, which is why it’s extremely important for leaders to have an understanding and respect for spirit. If another player makes a “bad” call, for example, that person’s captains or teammates should encourage him/her to rethink the call and potentially even retract it.

Q: How do you show Spirit of the Game when you play?

MR: B y rising to the challenge of enforcing the rules while playing the game. Although the biggest challenge to me as a player has not been to play fairly, but to remember that my opponent is also playing fairly. When I call an obvious foul on a defender and they contest, it’s so hard to believe that that’s honestly how they saw it. But when I’m able to trust that, I feel like I’m able to see my opponent in a different light. For me, that’s one thing that I try to work on to keep Spirit of the Game present in my game.

AW: I respect all of my opponents, and I play by the rules. If an opponent makes a call that I disagree with, I try to see the play from her perspective and remain as neutral as possible. I also appreciate my opponent’s talent. If she makes a great play, for example, I will be the first to let her know.

Q: How do you teach Spirit of the Game?

MR: On Sockeye, we are engaged in constant conversation about our approach to self-officiating and how to help one another to navigate the tough situations that inevitably arise. It’s never presented explicitly as ‘teaching’, but I think it’s the way that our team culture gets reconsidered and passed along from year to year. I’m proud of how Sockeye makes SOTG a part of the conversation about our team goals, and am so proud that we won the SOTG Award at the most recent Worlds (while simultaneously recognizing that it just as easily could have been any number of teams...the point is that I’m proud that other teams felt that playing against us was a positive experience).

On the high school team that I coach, teaching SOTG involves more outlining of what SOTG means and how it might arise before it actually does. But the real teaching has to come in the moment – when a player is suddenly put into a situation with an opponent where they need to use SOTG and the rules of Ultimate to come to some decision together. I teach SOTG by staying quiet in those situations, trusting that it’s more important for the player to wrestle with it than it is for the ‘right’ (to my eyes) outcome to happen, and I teach SOTG by talking with that player after the fact about what they experienced.

2010 World Junior Ultimate Championships

Back Row, L to R: Carter Mize, Joe Riedel, Simon Montague, Amos Adams, Matt Rehder, Jimmy Mickle, Chris Kocher, Dylan Freechild Middle Row, L to R: Eli Garfunkel, Tim Morrissy, Jordan Taylor, Josh Klane, Jericho Barbour, Spencer Diamond, Justin Norden, Matt Barnes Front Row, L to R: Casey Macphee, Casey Bateman, Elliott Erickson, Julian Childs-Walker, Nick Stuart, Jonah Herscu

Team USA – Bronze Medalists, Girls Division

THOMAS FRANK

LENNART VOLLMER

Team USA – Gold Medalists, Open Division

Back Row, L to R: John Sandahl, Miranda Roth, Chelsea Putnam, Michela Meister, Maddy Roorbach, Rachel Karpelowitz, Natalie De Palma, Lindsay Lang, Ellie Shaul, Julia Fuster, Claudia Tajima, Taylor Kanemori Middle Row, L to R: Dr. Jamie Nuwer, Sally Landefeld, Bethany Kaylor, Lane Siedor, Nina Fenley Front Row, L to R: Meredith Tosta, India Stubbs, Hannah Yee, Lauren Baecher, Julia Snyder, Sophie Darch, Afra Danai, Anna Reed

WWW.USAULTIMATE.ORG

51

2010 USA ULTIMATE HIGH SCHOOL STATE CHAMPIONSHIP RESULTS NEW JERSEY Open – 13 Teams 1. Columbia HS 2. Watchung Hills HS Spirit Award: Westfield B

MAINE Open – 12 Teams 1. Falmouth High School 2. Brunswick High School Spirit Award: Merriconeag

Girls – 3 Teams 1. Columbia HS 2. Watchung Hills HS Spirit Award: Westfield

MARYLAND Open – 7 Teams 1. Urbana 2. Bethesda Chevy Chase Spirit Award: South River

BOB GEBHARDT

Girls – 3 Teams 1. Magruder 2. Paint Branch Spirit Award: South River

COLORADO MIXED

Mixed – 8 Teams 1. New Vista Envy 2. CIVA Spirit Award: Compass Montessori Unicorns GEORGIA Open – 10 Teams 1. Paideia Varsity 2. Collins Hill High School Spirit Award: Paideia JV Girls – 3 Teams 1. Paideia 2. Woodward Academy Spirit Award: Grady High School IDAHO Mixed – 10 Teams 1. Timberline High School 2. Borah High School Spirit Award: Centennial HS ILLINOIS Open – 8 Teams 1. Lake Park High School 2. Neuqua Valley High School Spirit Award: Harry D Jacobs High School

52

USA

Girls – 2 Teams 1. Harry D Jacobs High School 2. Neuqua Valley High School Spirit Award: Luke Johnson

MASSACHUSETTS Division 1 Open – 16 Teams 1. Amherst 2. Masconomet Spirit Award: Concord Carlisle Division 2 Open – 14 Teams 1. Sharon High 2. Newton South Spirit Award: Abington Girls – 11 Teams 1. Amherst 2. Pioneer Valley Spirit Award: Amherst JV-A MINNESOTA Open – 42 Teams 1. Cretin-Derham Hall 2. St. Cloud Cathedral Spirit Award: Minnetonka Girls – 11 Teams 1. St. Cloud Cathedral 2. Hopkins Spirit Award: Cretin- Derham Hall-B MISSOURI Open – 10 Teams 1. DeSmet Jesuit 2. Priory Spirit Award: Francis Howell Central NORTH CAROLINA Open – 10 Teams 1. Calvary Baptist Day School 2. CHHS-CHUF Spirit Award: Carolina Friends School

ULTIMATE « SUMMER 2010

Girls – 12 Teams 1. Lower Merion 2. Mount Lebanon Spirit Award: Hampton High School

NEW YORK Open – 12 Teams 1. Stuyvesant Sticky Fingers 2. Fieldston Spirit Award: Harley Victorious Secrets OHIO Open – 8 Teams 1. Holy Family Catholic 2. Kenston High School Spirit Award: St. Charles Preparatory School

TENNESSEE Open – 9 Teams 1. University School of Nashville 2. Montgomery B Spirit Award: University School of Nashville UTAH Open – 7 Teams 1. Skyline High School 2. Brighton Spirit Award: Park City High School

Girls – 5 Teams 1. Holy Family Catholic 2. Ursuline Academy Spirit Award: Columbus Combined

VERMONT Open – 12 Teams 1. Brattleboro 2. Spaulding Spirit Award: CVU

OREGON Open – 9 Teams 1. South Eugene Open 2. Churchill Open Spirit Award: Dallas HS Girls – 2 Teams 1. Euvallis Girls 2. Summit Girls Spirit Award: Molly Buermeyer Mixed – 7 Teams 1. Churchill Mixed Varsity 2. Summit Mixed Varsity Spirit Award: Crescent Valley Tribe PENNSYLVANIA Open – 16 Teams 1. Haverford High 2. Radnor Spirit Award: Haverford High School

PENNSYLVANIA OPEN

PENNSYLVANIA GIRLS

ARUNDHATI BHAARATI

COLORADO Open – 14 Teams 1. Fairview Sky Police 2. Lakewood Special Sauce Spirit Award: Broomfield High School

INDIANA Open – 8 Teams 1. Martinsville High School 2. Center Grove Spirit Award: Noblesville HS

ARUNDHATI BHARATI

CALIFORNIA Open – 14 Teams 1. Alameda A 2. Gunn High School Spirit Award: Downtown College Prep

VIRGINIA Open – 17 Teams 1. YHB Varsity 2. LC Bird Spirit Award: TJ & TJII Girls – 10 Teams 1. YHB Y 2. YHB X Spirit Award: LC Bird WASHINGTON Open – 13 Teams 1. The Northwest School 2. Bush Blazers Spirit Award: Roosevelt HS Girls – 8 Teams 1. Nathan Hale 2. The Northwest School Spirit Award: Bush Blazers WISCONSIN Open – 8 Teams 1. Memorial 2. Monona Grove Spirit Award: Deforest HS

C O A C H E S ’

P L A Y B O O K

BY: Kyle Weisbrod ILLUSTRATIONS BY: Tony Porter

Reset Defense

Presented by

EFFECTIVE RESET DEFENSE WILL GREATLY INCREASE A TEAM’S DEFENSIVE SUCCESS. PUTTING PRESSURE ON THE RESET THROWS, WHICH ARE SUPPOSED TO BE EASY, WILL FORCE THE OFFENSE INTO TAKING LOWER PERCENTAGE THROWS DOWNFIELD. GOOD RESET DEFENSE STARTS WITH PLAYING IT. TOO OFTEN, TEAMS OR PLAYERS WILL RELAX ON THE RESET RECEIVERS AND ALLOW EASY RESETS. PLAYING GOOD DEFENSE ON RESET RECEIVERS REQUIRES AS MUCH FOCUS AND EFFORT AS PLAYING GOOD DEFENSE ON DOWNFIELD RECEIVERS. Understanding what space the mark is responsible for and what space the reset defenders are responsible for on all positions on the field is just as important for reset defense as it is for downfield defense. A common division of responsibilities on the trap sideline is to make the mark responsible for throws backfield and the reset defender responsible for throws downfield. Figure 1 shows the area of the field that the mark and the reset defenders are primarily responsible for in a typical force forehand defense.

Reset defense with the disc in the middle of the field is more complicated and difficult compared to when the disc is on the sideline. With the disc in the middle of the field, the mark is responsible for taking away more downfield throws from the thrower, leaving more space for which the reset defenders to be responsible. In a force forehand defense with the disc in the middle of the field, the mark is responsible for taking away throws to the backhand side of the field.

A reset defender covering a reset on the force side of the field is primarily responsible for defending the area behind the thrower.

This defender should be set up between the reset receiver and the thrower, and slightly to the backfield side of the receiver. Throws downfield on the force side to this reset have a very narrow window and are difficult to complete for the thrower. This defender should be set up to prevent a reset with the receiver moving to the breakside of the field with no mark, but should also be in a posi-

MARKER MARKER DISC DISC MARKER PRIMARY RESETRESET MARKER PRIMARY RESETRESET SEC. RESET SECONDARY MKR. MKR. SECONDARY RESETRESET SEC. RESET DEF. DEFENDS MARKER DEFENDS RESETRESET DEF. DEFENDS DEFENDS Figure 1 MARKER Figure 1

tion to make the downfield throw from the thrower difficult to complete.

The defender marking a reset receiver on the breakside of the field is not in as vulnerable position as the defender on the force side, but must still work to deny the disc to the reset receiver. The defender on the breakside is primarily responsible for the area behind the thrower. Figure 2 demonstrates the responsibilities of the mark and the reset defenders in a force forehand with the disc in the middle of the field.

Good reset defense when the disc is on the breakside of the field can greatly increase the chances of a turnover in that situation. Particularly in a force forehand defense against a right-handed thrower where the short leading forehand or lefty backhand is a very dif-

MARKER MARKER DISC DISC MARKER PRIMARY RESETRESET MARKER PRIMARY RESETRESET SEC. RESET SECONDARY MKR. MKR. SECONDARY RESETRESET SEC. RESET DEF. DEFENDS MARKER DEFENDS RESETRESET DEF. DEFENDS DEFENDS Figure 2 MARKER Figure 2

ficult pass reset defenders can mark smartly to force difficult throws. On the line, the mark can use the sideline and swing around to prevent throws directly downfield.

The defender guarding the closest reset receiver is responsible for backfield throws and should take a position to force the reset receiver to cut downfield, allowing only the difficult leading forehand throw and putting pressure on it. The defender guarding the farther reset receiver cannot slack off. If the first reset cutter cuts downfield, the second reset receiver can be expected to make a reset cut. The defender guarding the second reset cutter is responsible for cuts to the backfield as well, but because of the distance from the thrower, does not need to be positioned as much to force the downfield throw.

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C O M P E T I T I O N BY: Tim Morrill, NSCA-CSCS, ACSM-HFS, USA-W

Building The Foundation Building Blocks of the Clean: Part two of a four-part series that teaches how strength and conditioning can improve your Ultimate game

PART ONE OF THE FOUR-PART SERIES CITED THE OFF-SEASON AS BEING THE IDEAL PERIOD TO MAKE STRENGTH GAINS AND MASTER THE OLYMPIC LIFTS. BEFORE BEGINNING THE OLYMPIC LIFTS, FOCUS SHOULD BE ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF TOTAL BODY STRENGTH, USING MULTI-JOINT MOVEMENTS SUCH AS THE SQUAT, DEAD LIFT AND VARIATIONS OF THE TWO. WE INTRODUCED THE BACK SQUAT AS A FOUNDATIONAL STRENGTH MOVEMENT. ONCE MASTERY OF THE BACK SQUAT IS ACHIEVED, ATHLETES CAN BEGIN TO LOOK TOWARDS MORE ADVANCED MOVEMENTS. In this edition, I will discuss two movements essential to establishing a foundational strength base, and prepare you to perform the Clean.

Developing strength will increase your chances of power development.

As athletes, your ability to apply force into the ground in a rapid and efficient manner will translate into increased performance on the field. Muscles in the hip are the primary movers responsible for propelling you through the forceful movements of sprinting, jumping and laying out. The stronger you are, the more potential you have to develop force.

A simple yet effective approach is to develop strength in the offseason to be converted into power as the season approaches. This progression will result in increased coordination, explosiveness, running speed and all around performance on the field.

Timeless and effective, the Clean can be thought of as the bridge between strength and power.

Hence, it is considered by many to be the king of the “ speed-strength” lifts.

Biomechanically, the Clean can be broken down into three separate movements, each of which possesses extreme merit in developing the same hip musculature responsible for efficient performance: - Dead Lift (first pull), (figures 1, 2, 3) - Clean Pull (second pull) (see fall issue 2010)

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- Front Squat (receiving position) (figures 4, 5)

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FIGURE 2

FIGURE 3

DEAD LIFT (NSCA, 2008): Starting Position: (see figure 1) • Feet should be placed between hip- and shoulder-width apart with toes pointed slightly outward • Squat down with the hips lower than the shoulders and grasp the bar with hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, outside of the knees, with the elbows fully extended • Position the body with the -Back flat -Chest held up and out -Head in line with the vertebral column -Shoulders slightly in front of the bar -Eyes straight ahead Upward Movement Phase: (see figures 2 & 3) • Lift the bar off the floor by extending the hips and knees • Keep torso-to-floor angle constant; do not let the hips rise before the shoulders • Maintain flat-back position • Keep the elbows fully extended with the bar as close to the body as possible • As the bar rises just above the knees, move the hips forward as the knees go back

•E xtend the hips and knees until the body reaches a fully erect position

• Maintain a position with the back flat, elbows high, and chest up and out

Downward Movement Phase: •A llow the hips and knees to flex to slowly lower the bar to the floor

Upward Movement Phase: • Extend the knees and hips to reach starting position

•M aintain the flat back position

Next issue, look forward to converting this base of strength to power with the Clean.

FRONT SQUAT (NSCA, 2008): Starting Position: (see figure 4) •P arallel Arm Position: -Grip should be slightly wider than shoulder width -Move the bar to the top of the anterior deltoids -Fully flex the elbows to position the upper arms parallel to floor • Hold chest up and out

NOTES: - Safety racks and/or a spotter should be used when performing the front squat - The cues and techniques have been abbreviated. These lifts are technical and require ample practice and guidance. It is strongly encouraged that you contact a strength and conditioning professional for technique guidance.

•P osition the feet shoulder-width apart (or wider), toes pointed slightly outward Downward Movement Phase: (see figure 5) •A llow the hips and knees to slowly flex until the thighs are parallel to the floor, the trunk begins to round or flex forward as the heels rise off the floor •D o not flex the torso forward or round the back

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., (2008). Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning. (3rd ed.), (pp. 359) (pp. 352-353) Human Kinetics.

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(Continued from pg 7) and its lifestyle a viable platform for a sponsorship and marketing campaign. Although nothing has formally come to fruition to date, I’m confident that we are on the verge of some major breakthroughs and am excited for that first domino to fall!

Website: As you’ve all noticed, our new website is up and running and hands-down a major improvement over our previous site. I came on board at the tail end of the launch, so all of the credit goes to the talented and committed USA Ultimate staff that made this transition a seamless success – especially our championships and new media manager, Matthew Bourland – as well as americaneagle. com. In my opinion, one of the best features is the newly created message boards, which provide a forum for our members, Ultimate enthusiasts and casual fans to discuss Ultimate-related topics in a constructive, insightful and positive way. If you haven’t already, check them out! The design and purpose of the new site is to be a marketing and communications tool. Looking ahead, the next phase is to implement an efficient, state-of-the-art member services platform on which to run the organization. This should be up and running sometime next year and is an enormously detailed and complicated process that is being led by our membership and sport development director, Melanie Byrd. We’ve received a tremendous amount of positive feedback about the new website and are glad that the reception has been a warm one. Please continue to provide

us with feedback if you have any thoughts, ideas or comments.

Regional Communication Coordinators: As I mentioned earlier, one of the things that struck me about this sport is the dedicated pool of volunteers who are the backbone of its success. In order to better serve our members and the Ultimate community at large, I would like to engage a team of regional communication coordinators who can assist in various media and communications initiatives designed to better promote our sport. Specifically, I will be looking for assistance in developing website content, magazine features, event reports and the acquisition of photos, videos and other multimedia.

The goal is to provide a continuous stream of interesting, insightful and positive news regarding the sport of Ultimate and distribute it throughout our various communication platforms. Look for a detailed description of these volunteer positions shortly on usaultimate.org and feel free to drop me a line if you have any ideas for content.

Best,

Andy Lee Director of Marketing & Communications

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SHOWDOWN AT SUNDOWN: THE LATE AFTERNOON SETTING SUN PROVIDED A PICTURESQUE BACKDROP FOR THE ALUMNI ALL-STAR SHOWCASE GAME SUNDAY NIGHT AT THE 2010 USA ULTIMATE COLLEGE CHAMPIONSHIPS.

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BY: Dr. Jamie Nuwer, MD, MSIII ILLUSTRATED BY: Sierra Simmons

Acute Knee Injury

KNEE INJURIES ACCOUNT FOR 15% OF ALL SPORTS INJURIES AND ARE COMMON IN ULTIMATE DUE TO THE FREQUENCY OF CUTTING, JUMPING, AND COLLISIONS. THIS ARTICLE WILL ADDRESS ACUTE INJURIES AND ACL INJURY PREVENTION. THIS COLUMN IS NOT MEANT TO REPLACE MEDICAL EVALUATION FOR YOUR HEALTH PROBLEMS. ALWAYS SEEK MEDICAL HELP FOR WORRISOME OR PERSISTENT SYMPTOMS. Just after a knee injury, the muscles around the knee spasm and the injured area swells in an attempt to protect the knee. This makes a reliable examination difficult. Thus when evaluating knees, a history of the injury and symptoms are often most important.

Warning signs of a serious injury are shown in Table 1. The warning signs are suggestive only, not diagnostic. Knees are complicated.

You can view a diagram of the inner knee in Figure 1. Definitive diagnosis of a severe injury requires a doctor and often an MRI. FIGURE 1

a combination of factors including anatomy, hormones, and movement dynamics. Prevention aims to change movement dynamics.

An imbalance that favors the ligaments, quadriceps, or one leg can predispose an athlete to ACL injuries. Prevention programs use combinations of plyometrics, balance training, and single leg lifting. When doing jumping exercises make sure you are using good posture with your chest leaned forward over your bent knees. Throughout a jump, go straight up with no excessive side-to-side or forward-backward movement and land softy using toe-to-heel rocking with bent knees, easing into recoil position for the next jump.

Use single leg lifting to identify imbalances between your legs. You should be able to lift with your hamstrings at least 60-70% of the weight that you can lift with your quadriceps.

Initial treatment is RICE: Rest, Ice, Compress, Elevate. Ice for 20 minutes four times a day until the swelling stops. Avoid heat.

Compress by wrapping the knee from below to above the joint. Elevate to at least waist level. Repeat this treatment any time the knee starts to hurt again. While waiting for your doctor’s appointment you can control the pain with ibuprofen 600-800mg three times a day, or Tylenol if ibuprofen bothers your stomach. You can do the exercises in Figure 2 to keep your knee strong and reduce swelling. Your doctor will usually order an x-ray because 6% of acute knee injuries have an associated fracture and then determine whether you need an MRI. ACL INJURY PREVENTION ACL injury is a continual hot topic for athletes. Women are five times more likely to tear their ACL than men. There is debate about why and the best answer seems to be

FIGURE 2

One successful prevention program, the PEP program, can be found at www.aclprevent. com/pepprogram.htm. An ongoing study that enrolled 3,000 female soccer players showed a 74-88% reduction in ACL injuries over two years.

Overall, improve your landing biomechanics after jumping, increase your hamstring strength, and make sure that both of your legs are equally as strong. Doing all three of these tasks will greatly decrease your risk of an ACL injury.

References: • Garrick and Webb. Sports Injuries, 1999 • Rouzier, Pierre. Patient Advisor, 2004 • Myer GD, Ford KR, Hewett TE. Rationale and Clinical Techniques for Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury Prevention Among Female Athletes. J Athletic Training. 2004; 39(4): 352-364 • Mandelbaum BR, Silvers HJ, Watanabe DS, et al Effectiveness of a Neuromuscular and Proprioceptive Training Program in Preventing Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injuries in Female Athlete. Am J Sports Med. 2005; 33: 1003-1010 Special thanks to Elmo Agatep MD, Ariel Dowling MS/PhD candidate, and Anna Nazarov for their editing comments.

TABLE 1: Warning signs of severe injury and correlated common injuries • Mechanism of injury - Twisting/cutting  ACL or meniscus tear - Side impact  MCL or LCL tear, patellar dislocation - Collision  anything • Pain - NOT very painful  complete tear - Lots of pain  partial tear - Location, severity, and onset are important to remember • Sounds - “ Pop” that the athlete hears  ACL tear - Loud pop that surrounding players can hear  patellar dislocation - Crack  fracture • Inability to weight bear  serious injury • Feeling of instability  common symptom, frequently seen in complete ligament tears • Immediate swelling  common symptom, frequently seen in ACL tear and patellar dislocation • True locking (when you cannot move your leg)  meniscus tear, loose piece of cartilage or bone fragment from a fracture within the knee joint

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American Squads Dominate World Ultimate Club Championships

The 2010 World Flying Disc Federation (WFDF) World Ultimate Club Championships were held last July in Prague as teams from the U.S. brought home some serious hardware and scored favorably in the spirit rankings. Of the 19 American teams that competed, eight contributed to the medal count.

In the Open division, the battle for gold came down to a 17-13 victory for Revolver over Sockeye. In the Women’s division, Fury showed why they were the top seed entering the competition, besting Japan’s UNO 16-15 for the gold. Riot also added to the medal tally, beating Brute Squad for the bronze medal.

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loss to Revolver in the gold-medal final, but they came out on top of the overall spirit standings with a 15.4 rating. Right behind, Chain Lightning turned in the second best score with a rating of 15. Of the 48 teams in the Open division, The two U.S. teams were the only ones to score 15 or higher.

For the women, Riot finished with a 13.1 rating, placing just behind Woodchicas, the top-scoring team from Germany. And although German teams swept the top-three rankings in the Mixed division, the Chad Larson Experience and Quiet Coyote rounded out the top five respectively, scoring 14.7 and 14.5.

And with a 15.3, Surly scored the highest spirit ranking of U.S. squads in the Masters category, placing third overall.

Congratulations to these teams and all of the others who represented Spirit of the Game so admirably!

Americans Claim Gold, Bronze at World Junior Ultimate Championships

In the Mixed division, American teams came away with gold and bronze. In another allAmerican bronze-medal matchup, Mental Toss Flycoons came away with a win over compatriots Quiet Coyote, while The Chad Larson Experience beat Canadian opponent Onyx for the gold medal.

Masters Teams Troubled Past and Surly assured the U.S. two more medals as they squared off in the title game. Troubled Past gave American squads a clean sweep of all four gold medals that were up for grabs.

Congratulations to all of the 2010 WFDF World Ultimate Club Championship medal winners!

GOLD Fury – Women’s Division Revolver – Open Division Troubled Past – Masters Division Chad Larson Experience – Mixed Division SILVER Sockeye – Open Division Surly – Masters Division BRONZE Riot – Women’s Division Mental Toss Flycoons – Mixed Division

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By the end of the week, the U.S. contingent had not only wrangled eight medals; they also turned in impressive performances in the spirit category. In the Open division, Sockeye may have suffered a disappointing

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In August, USA Ultimate prepared 44 of the top youth Ultimate players in the nation for the WFDF World Junior Ultimate Championships and sent them to Heilbronn, Germany to compete as Team USA against countries from around the globe. After a training camp in Amherst, Mass., the 23 boys and 21 girls jetted overseas to begin a week’s worth of games that would crown world champions in

both divisions.

In the Open division, our boys were unstoppable throughout pool play, soared through the quarterfinals and semifinals, and dominated Canada 17-7 in the finals for their fourth consecutive world title.

Not wanting to be outdone, the girls also finished pool play undefeated, but suffered a setback in the form of a semifinal loss to Colombia, relegating them to the consolation bracket to compete for the bronze medal. In the game for third place, the U.S. turned in a solid performance, smashing Australia 17-2 to earn a spot on the podium. In the gold-medal match, Colombia went on to beat Canada for the championship.

Congratulations to all of our junior athletes for representing the U.S. in such successful fashion and bringing home two medals!

USA Ultimate Launches The Ultimate Nation Interactive Webcast On Aug. 10, USA Ultimate officially launched The Ultimate Nation – a biweekly webcast designed to engage, inform and entertain our members and the Ultimate community around the world. This interactive communications tool will give USA Ultimate the opportunity to communicate with its members and fans on a regular basis, while discussing the issues that you – The Ultimate Nation – want to hear about. We are aiming for much of the content to be usergenerated, meaning input from you is vital to making this project a sustained success!

Depending upon the topics, USA Ultimate staff, athletes and guests will be addressing the issues you suggest, including specific questions you may have. There are several ways to contribute ideas, comments and questions to the webcast. You can make submissions on our message boards, via Facebook, or directly to our inbox at theultimatenation@usaultimate.org.

So tell us, what are some of the topics you would like to have addressed? Rules? Spirit of the Game? Observers? Coaching? Playing opportunities? Governance? Competition?

Every two weeks we will select some topics to discuss based on your feedback, and then solicit specific questions related to those subjects from our viewers. Ultimately, our goal is provide a fun, engaging, interactive and informative environment for the Ultimate community.

U S A USA Ultimate Joins Forces with 776 Original Marketing USA Ultimate and Colorado Springs-based 776 Original Marketing recently forged a partnership designed to enhance USA Ultimate’s profile in the nonendemic sponsorship marketplace. With notable clientele, such as the U.S. Olympic Committee, USA Swimming, USA Wrestling, Championship Bull Riders, the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association and various other sports properties, 776 Original Marketing will serve as a sponsorship sales and consulting agency on behalf of USA Ultimate. Led by former USOC executives with more than 100 years of collective high-level sports marketing experience, 776 Original Marketing will assist with the identification and valuation of current and future USA Ultimate assets, sponsorship sales and licensing agreements in the nonindustry arena, and the creation of new revenue streams.

Ultimate among Most Popular Sports for U.S. Children According to Aug. 2 edition of the Sports Business Journal, Ultimate is one of the most popular sports played by children in America.

Citing the Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association (SGMA), it was revealed that nearly 440,000 kids ages six and older play Ultimate in the U.S. That figure puts Ultimate in the top-10, and ahead of sports such as gymnastics, hockey, lacrosse, wrestling, rugby, field hockey and cheerleading. Not surprisingly, basketball, baseball and outdoor soccer ranked the highest, boasting 2.4 million, 1.4 million and 1.3 million respectively.

Considering that these “mainstream” sports have a much more sophisticated infrastructure with more organized opportunities to play at the middle school and elementary school ages, it’s evident Ultimate is becoming a significant sport among America’s youth.

This study also comes on the heels of a 2009 report that cited Ultimate as one of the fastest growing sports in America.

Follow USA Ultimate on Facebook and Twitter!

Want to keep up on the latest and greatest from USA Ultimate? Be sure to follow us on our social networking sites, Facebook and Twitter. Our Facebook page is quickly becoming a valuable resource tool to engage our members and the Ultimate community, solicit input, and

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interact with fans of the sport we love. In the future, Facebook will serve as a regular communications platform to generate ideas for The Ultimate Nation webcast, provide opportunities to win cool USA Ultimate swag through various contests, provide feedback directly to USA Ultimate representatives, and connect with players and fans around the world. Our Twitter feed will also keep you updated on the latest scores, results and developments at USA Ultimate Championship Series events, the progress of Team USA on the international front and various other tidbits.

USA Ultimate Extends Partnership with Discraft USA Ultimate recently extended its partnership with disc manufacturer Discraft through 2011. Discraft will continue to be an Official Disc Sponsor of USA Ultimate. Additionally, Discraft will continue its affiliation with the national governing body as the Official Disc of the USA Ultimate Championship Series and the 175g Ultra-star model will serve as the exclusive competitive disc at all championship events. Discraft will also continue to provide an exclusive 20% discount on all Ultimate disc orders for teams, clubs, leagues and tournaments that are current USA Ultimate members.

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Register now. It’s quick, easy and provides a fun and interactive experience! Visit us at boards.usaultimate.org.

Ultimate in the News Want to read some of the latest Ultimaterelated news? Be sure to visit our “Ultimate in the News” section on usaultimate.org.

It’s a great resource to find out what others are saying about our sport. USA Ultimate tracks and publishes links to outside sources, providing you with a one-stop-shop for comprehensive news and opinions, many times from national publications and sources outside of the Ultimate community. Recent stories from the New York Times, the Christian Science Monitor, and the Huffington Post, as well as videos featured on ESPN and Sports Illustrated and coverage by local newspapers and regional publications are all available. Be sure to check usaultimate.org regularly for a wide variety of great articles and features.

2011 USA Ultimate National Organizers Convention Announced

Visit the New USA Ultimate Message Boards

Want to talk about the latest Ultimate-related news? Do you have some valuable information you would like to share with the global Ultimate community? Are you looking to chat with like-minded individuals in a constructive and positive manner? The new USA Ultimate message boards are the place to be! One of the features of our new website, usaultimate. org, is an interactive message board designed to provide a forum for Ultimate lovers around the world to engage in conversation, share ideas and opinions, connect with USA Ultimate staff and board members and ask questions of fellow athletes, coaches, league and event organizers, fans and observers.

Next February, USA Ultimate will host its biannual National Organizers Convention in the nation’s capital. Scheduled for Feb. 2627 in Washington, D.C., the convention will provide opportunities for team, league and event organizers to communicate and share best practices with other attendees and USA Ultimate representatives. While attending, participants will learn about the recent growth of the sport and some changes that are taking place. They will also gain insight from their peers, interact and network with colleagues from around the world, and discuss topics of interest in an open forum. Keynote speakers will also be scheduled to provide interesting and compelling presentations to attendees.

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and special discounted rates are available to USA Ultimate members. To register, visit www. usaultimate.org/resources/conferences.

Questions? you can e-mail us at nationalconvention@usaultimate.org.

$6,000 Worth of Grants Available The deadline for the USA Ultimate Innovation Grant Program is coming soon. This grant program provides funding for projects that promote growth in Ultimate, create links between local organizers and the national governing body, and introduce new ideas to further innovation and excellence. There are two types of grants available – innovation grants and equipment grants.

The application period opens on Sept. 1, 2010. Equipment grant applications must be postmarked by Oct. 1, while innovation grant applications must be postmarked by Oct. 17 to be eligible for consideration. For more information, visit www.usaultimate. org/resources/grants or e-mail us at grants@ usaultimate.org.

Give Your College Team a Strong Start This Season Interested in organizing a team at your college or university? Perhaps you already have a squad but are in need of some extra support. USA Ultimate’s College Team StartUp Kit is designed to give your program all of the resources and materials you need for a strong start this upcoming season.

USA Ultimate’s College Team Start-Up Kit includes: • Discraft 175g Ultra-Star™ Sportdiscs • Cones • Pocket-sized USA Ultimate Rulebooks • Full-color posters • Skills & Drills manual • Instructional Manual • Ultimate 101 Instructional DVD • Ultimate Fitness DVD • U SA Ultimate College Championships DVD Order your kit today at www.usaultimate. org/resources/development/college. Special rebate offers apply for qualifying teams.

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various communications platforms, increasing revenue streams, developing licensing agreements, sponsorships and business partnerships, and serving as an organizational spokesperson.

Contribute to USA Ultimate and Become a Regional Communications Coordinator In an effort to enhance its coverage of Ultimate across its various communications platforms and provide inclusive, insightful and interesting content to its members, constituents and fans, USA Ultimate is currently searching for volunteers to serve as Regional Communications Coordinators.

These volunteers will be the lifeblood of a robust and continual stream of information, specializing in specific geographic regions, to help promote the sport of Ultimate.

We are looking for volunteers who can write event reports and feature articles, provide commentary, conduct interviews and otherwise contribute to USA Ultimate, usaultimate.org and various other outlets; as well as oversee a small group of additional contributors in their respective region.

For more information, contact Director of Marketing and Communications Andy Lee at andy@hq.usaultimate.org.

Exercise Your Right to Vote!

The 2011 USA Ultimate Board of Directors elections are just around the corner and all eligible USA Ultimate members are encouraged to vote. Elections run from Oct. 1 through Nov. 2. There are three positions up for re-election this cycle – a Northeast, Northwest and At-Large representative.

Candidates include: Sam Dinning, Stephen Hubbard, Colin McIntyre and Josh Seamon (At-Large), Mandy Eckhoff and Jeremy McNamara (Northeast) and Frank Flores, Ann Huang and Mike Payne (Northwest). To read each candidate’s elections statement, visit usaultimate.org.

2011 USA Ultimate Coaching Corps Presented by Five Ultimate

USA Ultimate Hires Lee

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In April, USA Ultimate announced the hiring of Andy Lee as Director of Marketing and Communications. Lee brings 12 years of sports marketing, communications and public relations experience, spanning the professional sports, Olympic NGB and agency spectrum. In his position, Lee is responsible for managing USA Ultimate’s

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Locations for the 2011 USA Ultimate Coaching Certification Workshops are currently being considered. Visit www.usaultimate.org/coaches for more information on Level I and Level II

certifications and think about registering for a workshop in your area this fall.

The USA Ultimate Coaching Corp presented by Five Ultimate educates coaches and creates a pool of qualified volunteers to help grow the sport of Ultimate. The Level I program consists of two workshops in which coaches learn techniques to introduce Ultimate skills to new players, manage effective practices, teach and maintain Spirit of the Game, interact with parents, improve the fitness of their team, follow professional coaching standards and behave ethically and legally while coaching.

Special Offer from the Women’s Outreach Program: In an effort to develop more women leaders and promote women in Ultimate, the Women’s Outreach program is offering a full rebate for coaches who receive their Level I certification. For more information, and to see if you qualify, visit www.usaultimate.org/outreach/womens/ coaching.

Reminder: During games at USA Ultimate Championship events where field access is restricted, teams with a coaching staff are required to have at least one coach who has completed the Ethics Workshop in order for any coaches to have player-level field access. Coaches should make plans to attend the Ethics workshop this winter. In the case that a coach is unable to attend a winter workshop, USA Ultimate will make the opportunity available on location at each Championship event the day prior to the event.

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