Spirit of the Game

Happy Halloween!

Read a ghostly TRUE tale that embodies "Spirit" of the Game.

AUDL Team Price Tag

Once upon a time, an AUDL team could be bought for "just less than $2000." The 2013 expansion teams were sold for $2500. The current price has jumped 650% with the Montréal Royal team purchased for $15,000*.

$15k is equal to the amount of AUDL's prize money for the 2013 Championship team.

*This cited amount did not decipher US vs Canadian denomination; 15k CAN = $14363.68 US (475% increase).

C-A-T-c-h

Happy National Cat Day! Because you can't CATCH without C-A-T.

[All original pictures via UltiPhotos]

Ultimate Honor Roll

For parents who want to use an alternative to the "my child is an honor roll student" bumper sticker, in a more athletic, intelligent way...

My child plays Ultimate Frisbee

Proud parent of an Ultimate player

My daughter is the captain of the Ultimate team

2014 Pro Ultimate Team Locations

The newly expanded 17-team American Ultimate Disc League and the 8-team Major League Ultimate share 6 cities, making AUDL 112.5% larger than the MLU. A total of 25 pro Ultimate teams in 2014.

Four teams in Canada + 22 teams in the U.S.

Week 8: Not Sweet

After losing two games last week (12-15 vs Aftershock; 4-15 vs Ultimallers), Sludge continued its post-OBX funk with a slow start to Saturday's game; 0-5.

The brown team warmed up and scored consecutive points; Charlie's backhand to Joe, Andrew to David to Michael on the endzone line, Russ with a catch D & assist to Joe; 3-5.

The first half scoring continued with Brian's downwind backhand to Matthew, David's advised hammer, and a flow-y point of Bucci-to-Joe-to-Russ-to-Rachel; 7-8.

A mighty wind existed which was better navigated by Cardinal Sins, while Sludge's zone defense was tested aerobically with marathon points. On offense, there was no even flow. First and second cuts were regularly denied forcing Sludge handlers into impatience and inability to find mismatches.

Sludge was outscored 2-7 after halftime; loss 9-15. Let's just say this would have been a good game to bring a book to, for any fans visiting from California.

Applause for Rachel & Bucci for playing savage!

AUDL 2014 Expansion

American Ultimate Disc League finally announced expansion teams for their 2014 season. Beyond the Montreal (Royal) team, a five-team Western Conference was formed with Salt Lake City Lions, San Francisco Flamethrowers, San Jose Spiders, Seattle Raptors and Vancouver Riptide.

Adding 6 new teams is a 50% increase to the 12-team existing league, but a 74% drop in the AUDL's original 2014 expansion plan (23 total teams).

Also, this marks the reincarnation of AUDL's "Western" Conference. In AUDL's inaugural year, what is currently known as the "Midwest" conference was originally its "Western" Conference." Indianapolis AlleyCats won the Western Conference in 2012.

All Ultimate Players: Smart & Athletic

ALL Ultimate players make a Top-10 list at #11 thanks to a 7-year-old study.

11 Really Smart Athletes [mental floss]

Fitness doesn't only apply to the body. Mental fitness is just as important, and while the world's elite athletes are certainly physical specimens, many are elite brainiacs, as well. Here is a list of some of the smartest athletes out there, from the NFL to Ultimate Frisbee.

1. Marion Bartoli, TENNIS
2. & 3. Ryan Fitzpatrick & Myron Rolle, FOOTBALL
4. Joe Ogilvie, GOLF
5. Craig Breslow, BASEBALL
6. Sarah Hughes, FIGURE SKATING
7. Shannon Miller, GYMNASTICS
8. Sócrates Brasileiro Sampaio de Souza Vieira de Oliveira, SOCCER
9. Shane Battier, BASKETBALL
10. Ryan Newman, NASCAR

11. ALL PLAYERS, Ultimate Frisbee
In a 2006 study, the University of Washington found that participating in Ultimate Frisbee was an indicator of academic success. The decade-long study showed that, among all 86 private national universities, those ranking in the top half for Ultimate Frisbee have a graduation rate of over 85 percent, compared to a graduation rate of 60 percent among schools in the bottom half. The top half schools also had 208 Rhodes and Marshall scholars, versus 15 from schools in the bottom half. Thank you, University of Washington.

Screenshot of text.

[h/t TYUL]

Skyd Ad on Ultiworld

After the final games of the 2013 Triple Crown Tour there was still one more score to be settled...Postseason Pick'em Battle between the "experts" (Skyd magazine vs Ultiworld). Skyd guessed better won over Ultiworld, while a few "non-experts" showed some prediction skills.

For winning, Ultiworld will run a Skyd ad on their site for one month, for free.

Here's the first look at the Skyd "ad" planned for Ultiworld...

[spoofed ad]

Will Run for Ultimate

Ultimate Autograph

He caught the winning score for club team Revolver at the U.S. Open...
He led pro Ultimate team Dogfish to a MLU finals berth...
He helped Team USA win a gold medal at The World Games...
He scored 11 & threw 10 for Revolver in winning the USA Ultimate National Championships...
He received the 2013 Farricker Spirit Award in recognition of individual SOTG...

Autographed Dogfish program by Beau Kittredge (#50)

USAU 2013 Nationals Snapshots

First, a look at the entire 4-day tournament:
Men division: In 50 games, 1248 goals were scored.
Mixed division: In 50 games, 1219 goals were scored.
Women division: In 50 games, 1195 goals were scored.

As Ultiworld points out, much ado about nothing with teams "tanking" on Day 1 (Pool Play) to better position itself on Day 2 (Championship Bracket).

Comparing the average margin of victory of Day 2 vs Day 1, all divisions were consistently competitive; Women (+1.041); Men (-0.67); Mixed (+0.21).

Comparing 3 rounds of Pool Play vs the first 2 rounds, very little changed; Women (+0.125); Men (+0.19); Mixed (+0.585).

Notes: 

The 11:45am round on Friday, Oct 18th for Men & Mixed was impacted by a lightning delay.

Data reflects only Day 1 of Pool Play & Day 2 of the Championship Bracket.

Data Source = USAU Score Reporter Men . Mixed . Women .

DC Scandal - 2013 Ultimate Champions

DC Scandal wins 2013 USA Ultimate Championship

Washington DC's women's ultimate team - Scandal - won the 2013 USA Ultimate National Championships on October 20th. Ranked 3rd in the nation going into the postseason, DC Scandal went 7-0 over the 4-day tournament. This is Scandal's first-ever title, as well as the first championship for a Washington, DC club ultimate team.

The 2013 Women's Championship game was broadcast by ESPN3. Leading 8-3 at halftime in the finals, Scandal won 14-7, beating the 7-time champion San Francisco Fury.

Scandal posted an impressive 41-5 record this year during the entire Triple Crown Tour, played from June through October. Scandal placed second during two in-season tournaments; once at USA Ultimate US Open Championships (July 2013), and, again at Pro Flight finale (Sept 2013). They won four tournaments during the 2013 season - Winston Cup Challenge (June); Chesapeake Invite (August); Virginia Fusion (September); and Mid-Atlantic Regionals (Sept).

These athletic players - coached by Mike LoPresti & Alex "Dutchy" Ghesquiere, and captained by "Opi" Payne & Molly Roy - competed locally, on the east coast and in California. By winning the postseason tournament in Frisco, Texas, the Scandal team won a total of $2000 in prize money.

PHOTO by: CBMT Creative

Team Leaders at Nationals [USAU stats]: 
Goals - Sandy Jorgensen (12), Alicia White (9), Kirsten Unfried (8), Alika Johnston (8), Kimberly Beach (7), Samantha Mcclellan(7)
Assists - Opi Payne (14), Anne Mercier (13), Kath Ratcliff (11), Sandy Jorgensen (9), Alicia White (9)
Defensive plays - Sandy Jorgensen (15), Octavia Payne (8), Allison Maddux (8), Anne Mercier (5), Alicia White (5)

Of Note
Two other DC teams played at Club Nationals - DC Truckstop in the Men's division & Ambiguous Grey in the Mixed Division; both placed 15th in their respective divisions.

Additional Coverage:
"DC Women's Squad Wins US Ultimate Nationals!" [Hill Rag]
"A Complete Victory: Scandal Ends An Era of Fury Dominance" [Ultiworld]
"Ultimate Frisbee Team D.C. Scandal Wins National Championship" [DCist]

2013 USA Ultimate Club Champions

Congratulations to the Ultimate teams that won their division at the USAU Club Championships in Frisco, Texas (October 17-20)!

Men's Division: San Francisco Revolver

Mixed Division: Minneapolis Drag'n Thrust

Women's Division: Washington DC Scandal 

Watch replays of games on ESPN3:

No Refund

ESPN3's "entertainment" coverage of USA Ultimate's Club Championships finished today. After four days of competition, three deserving Ultimate teams were crowned champions. This event also concludes the first-year of the multi-year contract of streamed games Ultimate via ESPN.

Visibility is a key word for USA Ultimate. Visibility takes on many forms - published articles, ESPN coverage, clinics, and other ideas.

Any coverage of Ultimate is good for the sport. Without it, this wonderfully athletic competitive sport will not progress to a wider audience outside of the Ultimate community.

Progress does not happen overnight. Having ESPN's coverage is an important partner, and over time, this relationship will help grow the sport grow to its potential.

Read and heed this his disclaimer, Ultimate players/fans:

"Sorry, No Refund For Visibility Change"

[Photo taken at Sears/Willis Tower (Chicago, IL)]

Day 2: Club Ultimate Championships 2013

Another "entertaining" day at National Club championships in Frisco, Texas. Here's a video recap from day 2's elimination round:

Day 1: Club Ultimate Championships 2013

The "entertaining" National Club championships have begun in Frisco, Texas. Here's a video recap from day 1's pool play:

Visibility of Ultimate

The first goal of USA Ultimate's Strategic Plan is "Increase the visibility of Ultimate." Just an idea for added visibility...

"For added visibility carry an orange flag..."

Comparison: Age of Men Club Teams 2013

The following is based on USA Ultimate's recently published team rosters. The chart below displays the sixteen (16) Men teams that qualified for the Triple Crown tour's Club Championships, their seed, how many players on their published roster, plus the team's average age and its age rank.

Comparison of players' ages within each division can be found here. (Average age = 26.11.)

RELATED: Mixed . Women .

Comparison: Age of Women Club Teams 2013

The following is based on USA Ultimate's recently published team rosters. The chart below displays the sixteen (16) Women teams that qualified for the Triple Crown tour's Club Championships, their seed, how many players on their published roster, plus the team's average age and its age rank.

Comparison of players' ages within each division can be found here. (Average age = 26.83)

RELATED: Mixed . Men .

Comparison: Age of Mixed Club Teams 2013

[UPDATED 9:16pm; FINAL]

The following is based on USA Ultimate's recently published team rosters. The chart below displays the sixteen (16) Mixed teams that qualified for the Triple Crown tour's Club Championships, their seed, how many players on their published roster, plus the team's average age and its age rank.

Comparison of players' ages within each division can be found here.(Average age = 27.4)

RELATED: Women . Men .

An earlier posting was in error due to a mis-matched data sort. Specifically, team names with "The" (e.g., The D'OH Abides, The Ghosts) did not sync with data per an Excel sort based on the first letter of the team name ("T" instead of D & G, respectively). Apologies.

VIDEO: I Hucked It (Ultimate)

The multi talented Jon Pressimone performs an "Ultimate" version of the Swedish duo Icona Pop's debut, "I Love It." You know, the smash hit of the summer?
 

I Hucked It  (to the tune of "I Love It")

I got this feeling playing Ultimate when you were long.
I saw someone cutting. I faked, then I looked them off.
I watched the defense chase you down and catch right up to you.
I should have thrown the easy throw.

I don't care, I hucked it. I don't care.

I got this feeling playing Ultimate when you were long.
I saw someone cutting. I faked, then I looked them off.
I watched the defense chase you down and catch right up to you.
I should have thrown the better throw.

I don't care, I hucked it. I don't care.

You're playing vertical, we're in HO stack play.
You’re coming back for dump, but we need cuts to space.
You're so damn hard to read, we gotta keep the flow
They're stalling 1-by-1, but now it’s NINE - OH! NO!

I hucked it!
I hucked it!

I got this feeling playing Ultimate when you were long.
I saw someone cutting. I faked, then I looked them off.
I watched the defense chase you down and catch right up to you.
I should have thrown the easy throw.

I don't care, I hucked it.
I don't care, I hucked it, I hucked it.
I don't care, I hucked it. I don't care.

You're playing vertical, we're in a HO stack play.
You’re coming back for dump, but we need cuts to space.
You're so darn hard to read, we gotta keep this flow
They're stalling 1-by-1, but now it’s NINE - OH! NO!

I don't care, I hucked it.
I don't care, I hucked it, I hucked it.
I don't care, I hucked it.
I don't care, I hucked it, I hucked it.
I don't care.
I hucked it (UL-TI-MATE).
##

[Performed by Press. Lyrics by Sludge teammate, Rachel.]

2OBX13

Welcome back, SLUDGE!

[Chart] Ages of Club Ultimate Players at Nationals 2013

Forty eight Ultimate teams from all over the map are set to play at the 2013 Club Championships (October 17-20) in Frisco, Texas. Rosters of sixteen teams from each division - men, women & mixed - total 1,242 players with an average age of...26.78.

Age Breakdown: Ultimate Players at Nationals

Men: Of the 427 men players, four are under-20 & four are 40 or older.
Average Age = 26.11; Youngest = 18 (on Chain Lightning); Oldest = 43 (on Truck Stop)

Women: Of the 391 women players, five are under-20 & three are 40 or older.
Average Age = 26.83; Youngest = 18 (on Molly Brown - 2, Nova); Oldest = 42 (on Nova)

Mixed: Of the 424 mixed players, three are under-20 & none are 40 or older.
Average Age = 27.4; Youngest = 19 (on The Ghosts, Wild Card, 7 Figures, Steamboat); Oldest = 39 (on Cosa Nostra)

[DATA SOURCE: USA Ultimate Event Guide, supplemented with Chain Lighting roster data]

Ultimate Frisbee Participation [SFIA]

It's true! In the U.S., there are more people playing ("participating in") Ultimate than rugby and lacrosse combined. There was the same number of participants in Ultimate as the entire population of the state of Colorado; or, the total population of Norway.

The Sports and Fitness Industry Association's (formerly SGMA) 2013 Sports and Fitness Participation Report provides data that 5.1 million people played Ultimate in America in 2012. "Core participants"- defined as those playing more than 12 times per year - was estimated at 1.48 million. Other sport participation: Basketball, 27.79 million; outdoor Soccer, 13.667 million; & Hockey, 2.131 million.

Participation data in Ultimate is similar to participation in gymnastics with 5.1 million total participants and 1.86 million core participants, track and field (4.3 million/2.44 million) and beach volleyball (4.5 million/1.47 million), and compares favorably to team sports in the US such as field hockey (1.2 million/0.66 million), lacrosse (1.6 million/0.82 million), or rugby (0.89 million/0.36 million).

Also, 69% of all Ultimate Frisbee participants and 75% of core (13+/year) Ultimate Frisbee participants are male. (2012)

RELATED: 2011 stats.

Comparison: 2012 Rank vs 2013 Seed

Here is a cleaner version of a previous post - comparing a club Ultimate team's ranking at the end of the 2012 season and their seeding for USA Ultimate's 2013 Club Nationals. Which teams improved? Which teams are new?

Women
IN (new teams at 2013 Nationals): 2; Bent, Nova.
OUT (2012's Nationals teams that did not qualify in 2013):  2; Underground, Hot Metal.
UP (compared to 2012): Brute Squad +6, Heist +4, Phoenix +2
DOWN (compared to 2012): Showdown -6, Molly Brown -5, Ozone -4, Nightlock -4

Mixed
IN (new teams at 2013 Nationals): 5; The D'OH Abides, Cahoots, 7Express, Ambiguous Grey, & Steamboat.
OUT (2012's Nationals teams that did not qualify in 2013): 5; Blackbird, Bucket American BBQ, Overhaul, Mental Toss Flycoons
UP (compared to 2012): AMP +13, Wild Card +5, Slow White +5, CLX +3
DOWN (compared to 2012): Odyssée -7, Drag'n Thrust -5, Cosa Nostra -4

Men
IN (new teams at 2013 Nationals): 3; Madcow, Florida United, & Condors.
OUT (2012's Nationals teams that did not qualify in 2013):  3; Madison Club, Rhino, & Boost Mobile
UP (compared to 2012): Johnny Bravo +8, PONY +8, GOAT +4
DOWN (compared to 2012): Ring of Fire -7, Furious George -5

Sylvia's Ultimate Throw

A local artist and WAFC Ultimate player, Patrick Everson, developed a children's book about the endless potential of an active imagination. Sylvia learns to throw a disc and take a spin around the globe with the help of her dad, Bob. Ten locations are visited during their flying disc adventure starting at the National Mall in Washington, DC.


"Throw" in a few dollars to the support "Sylvia's Ultimate Throw" book. [via Kickstarter]

[h/t WAFC]

[Chart] Seeding at 2013 Club Championships

In the span of 55 minutes today, USA Ultimate used twitter to reveal the 12 pools and seeds of the National Championships. What felt like hours in between tweets, they averaged about 1 tweet every 4 minutes 35 seconds. Anyways, the final seedings are complete.

Which teams are in? Which teams are out? Which teams are up? Which teams are down? See how team performance at Regionals affected seedings. The progression of the final 16 teams in each division were tracked based on:

• End of season ranking (2012)
• Triple Crown Tour end of season rankings (2013)
• 2013 Nationals seeding

Women
IN (New teams at 2013 Nationals): 2; Bent, Nova.
OUT (from 2012's Nationals that did not qualify in 2013):  2; Underground, Hot Metal.

Mixed
IN (New teams at 2013 Nationals): 5; The D’OH Abides, Cahoots, 7Express, Ambiguous Grey, & Steamboat.
OUT (from 2012's Nationals that did not qualify in 2013): 5; Blackbird, Bucket American BBQ, Overhaul, Mental Toss Flycoons

Men
IN (new teams at 2013 Nationals): 3; Madcow, Florida United, & Condors.
OUT (from 2012's Nationals that did not qualify in 2013): 3; Madison Club, Rhino, & Boost Mobile

RELATED: Rank 2012 vs Seed 2013.

ESPN3 Schedule of USA Ultimate Club Championships

Based on the Entertainment & Sports Programming Network (ESPN) current schedule, there will be seven - 3 Men, 2 Mixed, 2 Women - games simulcast of USAU's Triple Crown Tour finale. Same amount of coverage and sequence as in July 2013 at the U.S. Open.

Here is how those game time align with the published tournament schedule:

Saturday, October 19
12:00pm CT/1pm ET: Mixed Semifinal (1 of 2)

2:30pm CT/3:30pm ET : Women Semifinal (1 of 2)

5:30pm CT/6:30pm ET: Men's Semifinal (1 of 2)

8:00pm CT/9:00pm ET: Men's Semifinal (2 of 2)

Sunday, October 20
11:00am CT/12pm ET: Mixed Division Championship

1:30pm CT/2:30pm ET: Women's Division Championship

4:00pm CT/5pm ET: Men's Division Championship

[Preliminary/Tentative] USAU Broadcast Schedule