2008 Progress Update
Strategy: Solidify the UPA as the Leader in Youth Ultimate
through Creative Outreach, Standard Setting, Diversifying Participation and Enhanced Competitive Opportunities
Tactic: Explore the need and structure for non-school-based youth play, and the role of the UPA Youth Club Championships in that structure.
RYDS will take a leadership role in expanding youth Ultimate within their regions including development of new state tournaments; coordination of outreach events including coaching and observer clinics, athlete camps and skill clinics; as well as connecting youth players to local and UPA events in their area. State Youth Coordinators provide outreach to local disc organizations (particularly in areas of their state without established youth activity) and physical education teachers (clinics/information/supplies) as well as high level management of their state high school championship.
Strategy: Make Significant Changes to the Championship Series
that Provide Increased Playing Opportunities
and Exciting Events to Showcase the Sport
Adjustments to the 2009 UPA College Series will include:
| 1. | Expansion of Open and Women’s Championships tournaments from 16 to 20 teams each |
| 2. | Adjustment in Championships bid allocation to 2 automatic bids per region plus 4 strength bids based on last year’s results |
| 3. | Teams vote for use of experimenatal rules (specificallyactive or immediate-referral up/down and travel calls at 2009 College Championships |
| 4. | Offer of assistance to current administrators of DIII Nationals for 2009 |
| 5. | Enhanced quality of UPA College Sectional and Regional events |
| Click here for more information on the 2009 Season Plans; | |
Proposed structures will meet the following conditions:
| 1. | The UPA will sanction and/or run a series of high-quality regular-season multi-team tournaments that will have bearing on ‘post-season’ placement for one or more competition division |
| 2. | The UPA will require that all regular-season games that have significant impact on the post-season placement of a team are played with eligible players |
| 3. | The UPA Collegiate post-season will be split into 2 or more competition divisions, with opportunities for all college teams to participate in at least 1 division, thus allowing for more games per team at their level |
| 4. | Some bids to post-season play will be allocated to the top team(s) in each geographic region, while others will be purely strength based - excellence in play during the current season will play a key part in allocating bids |
| 5. | The UPA will administrate a post-season competition division in which teams from smaller schools (and possibly select others) can opt to compete against each other for a distinct championship |
| 6. | The UPA will crown a clear, unambiguous national champion in each division via direct competition |
| 7. | Any team will have the opportunity (pending fulfillment of rostering/eligibility requirements and excellence in play during the regular and/or post-season) to play for the National Championship in the highest competition division. |
| 8. | The benefits of observing, including potential enhancements, will be made available to more of the college post-season |
| 9. | In implementing changes to the College series, the UPA will be sensitive to the burden collegiate players bear in travel time and expense |
Tactic: Create UPA Grand Masters (40 and over) and Women’s Masters (30 and over) Experimental Championship Event.
Event planning group and guidelines developed and call for bids released. Inaugural event will be held July 11-12, 2009 at Dick's Sporting Goods Park, Denver. CO.
Tactic: Implement Roster Limits in the Club Series.
Seventy percent of almost 2000 respondents have indicated that roster limits for teams participating in the Club Series would be appropriate. As a result, the following limits were announced in Fall 2008 for implementation in the Fall 2009 Club Championship Series:
Club Mixed, Club Open, Club Women - 27 player maximum, Masters - 29 player maximum
Photo Scott Roeder
Tactic: UPA Board of Directors will draft and adopt a gender equity policy.
Strategy: Improve Player Knowledge of the Rules of Ultimate so that SOTG and Self-Officiated Play can Thrive at all Levels
To increase player understanding of the Rules, the Standing Rules Committee has implemented a Frequently Asked Questions page on the UPA web site.
In an effort to increase rules accessibility at local events, the UPA initiated a program to make copies of the UPA Rules of Ultimate 11th Edition available at no charge to sanctioned event organizers. A total of 10 event organizers requested Rules through this offer.
Seven Observer training clinics hosted in conjunction with local Ultimate events(Vegas, Queen City, Stanford, Yale, Centex, Roll Call, Colorado). Forty new observers certified. Five new observer trainers trained.
Tactic: Expand and experiment with the observer role in competitive play.
In June 2008, the UPA partnered with the organizers of Summer Solstice (Eugene, OR) to experiment with a number of changes to the role of 
Observers at high-level club tournaments. Among the Observer responsibilities on which tests were conducted: travel calls, up/down calls and time before interceding on calls. After the event, players were asked to provide feedback on the changes, as well as a number of other questions about Observers including consistency in making calls and overall professionalism. For information on the results of this experimental event, as well as additional experimental events planned for 2009, please click here.
Photo Discraft
Tactic: Expand and experiment with the roles of Observers and the scope of the Observer program.
Based on discussions with leadership in the both the Observer program and Youth Advisory Committee, the following proposal was submitted to and approved by the UPA Board of Directors at its January 2009 Meeting:
"In order to realize the benefits of Observers in non-competitive and/or learning environments, the UPA will incorporate "instructional" training into its Observer program. Instructional Observers will be authorized and encouraged to provide rules clarification during competition, but will not serve as arbitrators or make active calls. Instructional Observers will be trained to help players continue play on contested call within the rules of Ultimate and may also serve to announce time limits, keep score, and monitor conduct issues. "
Non-playing membership levels created (effective 2009) for Friends and Family, Coaches. For Friends and Family members, special services such as a spectator guide and receptions at UPA-hosted events have been created. A Friends and Family page has been created on the UPA web site where parents can learn about the game and post comments. Coach members will receive personal copies of coach-relevant publications (such as UPA Coaching Ethics Code, which provides a standard of professional conduct to which all coaches should aspire), access to additional services at UPA-hosted events, and the opportunity to be considered for UPA Coach of the Year.
In 2008, the UPA hosted Alumni/Hall of Fame events in conjunction with the Club Championships in Sarasota. Special activities including a beach barbecue, alumni competition, Hall of Fame Induction dinner, and recognition of teams and Hall of Fame inductees in conjunction with Championship finals for all four divisions. Similar events will be conducted every five years in keeping with the plans made by the Ultimate Hall of Fame planning committee.
Photo Dan Hyslop
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