I’ve received a lot of smart emails about USA Ultimate’s position on the semi-pro leagues. There are two in particular that I want to share: one from Ultiworld’s Ian Toner, the other from the parent of a current college player.

Here’s Toner:

Some of the complaints about USA Ultimate’s semi-pro statement seem to be missing the mark. It’s great that we’re a concerned and educated membership base, and we should be holding our representatives accountable, but we need to be reasonable and can’t put forth double standards. We cannot criticize Boulder for not saying enough one week and then saying too much the next. It’s also clear that USAU’s justification for avoiding partnership is not a crazy reactionary move. Rather, it’s based on central tenets of the organization’s mission statement and strategic growth plan.

(MLU and the AUDL have provided awesome products, themselves. I’ve streamed my friends’ AUDL games, and I had signed with an AUDL team before I moved to Colorado. The MLU ran a really fun tryout process, and I’ve loved watching their games online and in person. With the exception of MLU’s recent creative (disrespectful) accounting/podcasting/tweeting, I supported that group without reservation. I still like that Snader and company are pushing the visibility envelope for the sport’s sake.)

If you only want to read a slice this piece, focus on the next two paragraphs for the crux of my argument.

USAU’s concerns about and reasoning for rejecting the semi-pro partnership and are rooted in a clearly defined mission statement and strategic plan — not in a pissing match or arbitrary fight. If you’re not on board with gender equity or self-officiating (two central parts of USAU’s qualms with the semi-pro leagues, related to USAU’s mission statement), you should know that those are ultimate’s most appealing factors in the eyes of the International Olympic Committee. Yes: believe it or not, gender equity and self officiating elements give ultimate a leg up on other Olympic hopefuls.

It would be (almost) hypocritical for USAU to tell the IOC and USOC all about its support for gender equity and self-officiating…and then formally partner with organizations that don’t go as far to uphold or promote those factors. Supporting leagues that don’t uphold the same elements could raise questions about USAU’s commitment to the principles that set it apart today.

Yes, the AUDL has sponsored female players, and MLU welcomed women at tryouts, but they’re not focusing swaths of resources on developing a women’s league in the near term. Many will decry that practice, but as for-profit businesses, the AUDL and MLU are entitled to maintain focus on their flagship (men’s) divisions. Unfortunately, that focus just isn’t in line with the trajectory that USAU, WFDF, and the IOC are on right now. USAU’s arguments are not fickle, convenient, or self-serving — they’re in accordance with USAU’s expanding initiatives and guiding principles.

If there’s anything to criticize or disagree with as a result of the semi-pro statement, I really think you’d have to focus on the mission statement or the growth plan, not the organization that’s sticking to its mission and trying to achieve its predetermined goals. Even then, the mission and plan have produced tangible benefits for the membership. Boulder has made notable progress in the last year (ESPN streaming, provisional IOC recognition, a new competitive structure (granted, that some of us might dislike)) while working towards new goals: helping WFDF move beyond provisional IOC recognition, strengthening ties with the USOC, and expanding youth camps and opportunities, among other initiatives.

At the end of the day, I can see two primary responses to this argument: (1) stop being such a USAU homer; and (2) semi-pro partnership does not preclude/should not be subjugated in favor of improving IOC relations and recognition. Both are reasonable responses, but the IOC path simply appears to mesh best with USAU’s mission statement and strategic growth plan.

An aside: If you don’t agree that seeing ultimate in the Olympics is a worthy end goal, then we’d need to have a separate discussion. To me, it seems like a stepping stone to an exponential increase in growth, exposure, and legitimacy.