Community Input To Be Sought For Ultimate's Golden Anniversary Celebration & Planning The Next 50 Years



Colorado Springs, Colo. (July 14, 2016)—In 1968, a group of students at Columbia High School in Maplewood, N.J. created the modern-day sport of ultimate. Fast forward several decades and ultimate is poised to celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2018. Throughout the past half-century, the sport has changed and evolved considerably. And now, with ultimate’s semicentennial less than two years away, USA Ultimate is seeking the community’s input to honor the past and shape the next 50 years.

At its recent summer meeting at the U.S. Open, the USA Ultimate board of directors began creating a nationwide task force that will recognize and pay tribute to the sport’s past and present, as well as gather feedback from the community on ultimate’s future.

Current plans for commemorating 50 years of ultimate already include a Hall of Fame gala and player reunion in conjunction with the 2018 USA Ultimate National Championships. Additional events will also be planned after gathering input from many of the sport’s esteemed alumni and members of the ultimate community.

Once the task force is fully formed, it will begin planning a national tour designed to engage the ultimate community in planning the next five decades. A series of gatherings hosted by USA Ultimate’s state-based organizations and affiliates, as well as other key members of the community, will allow the task force to solicit ideas, listen and learn more about the ultimate community’s hopes, dreams and long-term vision for the sport.

Although the size and composition of the task force has not yet been confirmed, it’s expected to include Hall of Famer, seven-time national champion, two-time world champion (and Team Spirit Award winner), and board member Steve Mooney.

"While I’m a new board member, I’m not new to ultimate," commented the Rude Boys and Death or Glory alum. "In fact, you could say that I’m a lifer, proud to be part of our 50-year anniversary, and mindful of what made those first 50 years great – values that are deeply ingrained in who I am as a person, a leader, and even a parent. I'm impressed with how far we've come in such a short time, both as a sport and organization. I look forward to celebrating with friends in 2018, as well as looking forward to helping us frame the next 50 years for an even bigger impact on the world. To that end, I am humbled to be a part of this effort."

The task force will also use the tour to collect input on another very important topic: Spirit of the Game. One of the goals of USA Ultimate’s current strategic plan is to "make Spirit of the Game real for today’s ultimate players and community." As part of this initiative, ideas will be sought on how to redefine, clarify and communicate what Spirit of the Game is and how it applies to participants both on and off the field of play.

With many new athletes joining the ultimate community, including some from other more traditional sports, the objective is to make Spirit of the Game meaningful, tangible and highly valued by athletes today and in the future.

"We have been discussing this project and the creation of a task force for a few years," explained DeAnna Ball, USA Ultimate board president, "and now that we are better aligned with WFDF on the definition and measurement of Spirit of the Game, this tour is a great way to involve the ultimate community in discussing the future of our sport. It’s exciting to be celebrating the first 50 years while developing and launching a plan for the next 50."

"When we launched our current strategic plan almost four years ago, it was clear that protecting and celebrating Spirit of the Game as a fundamental principle and foundational element of ultimate is very important to our community," added Tom Crawford, USA Ultimate chief executive officer. "We also recognize that with a major influx of new athletes unfamiliar with the concept of spirit, along with the introduction of different variations of the sport, we need to revisit what Spirit of the Game means and reinforce its importance. I’m really looking forward to meeting with and discussing Spirit of the Game with today’s athletes and planning the next 50 years with input from players of all generations."

Have any questions or comments? We welcome community feedback and discussion made in a respectful manner. Please refrain from profanity or personal attacks, as such public comments negatively reflect on our sport and community.