Join organizers from around the country to learn and build community.
The Organizer Convention is back in person in 2025!
Join us in beautiful Colorado Springs, Colorado from January 31 – February 2.
We will continue to balance the great benefits of learning and connecting in person with the accessibility the virtual format provides by alternating in-person and virtual conventions.
* If you will be attending on behalf of a USA Ultimate Affiliate or State-Based Organization, please complete this form. *
Contact leah@hq.usaultimate.org with any questions.
The 2024 Coach Convention is set for November 17-18, with sessions being held via Zoom.
USA Ultimate is committed to increasing access to the Organizer Convention for Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) members of the ultimate community. Through the Delrico Johnson Fund, we will help cover costs for BIPOC attendees. If you are interested in financial assistance, please fill out this Google Form.
We encourage registrants who are able to make a donation to the Delrico Johnson Fund via your USA Ultimate member account to help cover the costs of BIPOC organizers and coaches who may not otherwise be able to attend the convention.
Questions about the 2025 Organizer Convention? Contact us at convention@usaultimate.org.
Organizer Convention Speakers
Meet the great speakers who will share their knowledge and expertise with us during the 2025 Organizer Convention!
Speakers will be added as they are confirmed.
Organizer Convention Schedule
All times MT.
* Session start and end times are approximate. Additional details to come.
All sessions will be held at the Antlers Hotel.
Friday, January 31
3:00 – 4:00 p.m. – Registration
4:00 – 6:45 p.m. – Sessions
Anticipated Topics:
– Get to Know the USA Ultimate CEO
– Organizational Understanding
– Networking
Saturday, February 1
8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. – Sessions
Anticipated Topics:
– Youth Club Competition Structure
– Adult Ultimate Programs
– Investigating Best Practices to Encourage Youth Growth
– Sponsorships
– Finance & Budgeting
– Fundraising
– USA Ultimate Updates
– Women’s Ultimate
– Networking
5:30 – 7:30 p.m. – Happy Hour
Location: Cottonwood Center for the Arts
427 E. Colorado Avenue, Colorado Springs, 80903
Sunday, February 2
8:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. – Sessions
Anticipated Topics:
– Volunteer Retention & Engagement
– Equity, Diversity & Inclusion
– Outreach Strategies
– The Power of Sports
Lunch will be provided on Saturday and Sunday. Saturday’s happy hour will include heavy hors d’oeuvres.
Location & Lodging
All sessions will take place at the Antlers Hotel in downtown Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Antlers Hotel
4 S. Cascade Avenue, Colorado Springs, CO 80903
Book your room at the Antlers with USA Ultimate’s discounted rate!
Coach Convention Speakers
Meet the great speakers who will share their knowledge during the Coach Convention!
Coach Convention Schedule
All sessions will be held virtually via Zoom
Sunday, November 17
7 p.m. ET
How to Pre-Game: First Game, Mid-Day, and before Finals. Lessons Learned from Past Successes and Failures
Speaker: Alex Ghesquiere
Pre-gaming is an art. The team needs to be together, but individual players have their own idiosyncratic approaches to being at peak performance. The players need to be warm and get in the zone, but expending too much energy early will hurt performance later. The emotions need to be high to fuel an intense start, but the intensity needs to spread out for the entire game. All in all, it’s a delicate balance to strike and one that I’ve made mistakes on many times. I will share my views based on past experiences, share current thinking on best practices, and provide a blueprint for warming up at each phase of a tournament.
8:30 p.m. ET
An Ecological Approach to Skill Development in Ultimate
Speaker: Rob Gray
In the presentation, Rob will share how the principles of ecological dynamics can be applied to coaching in ultimate. How can methods like the Constraints-Led Approach and Differential Learning be used to develop more adaptable and creative performers, improve decision making, reduce injuries, and improve teamwork?
Monday, November 18
7 p.m. ET
Culture and Team Architecture
Speaker: Sean McCall
This session details how to establish a model for a team that maximizes clarity and transparency to get the most buy-in and maximum discretionary effort from team members. Given coaches are mostly volunteering – yes, the team may pay your expenses and may also offer some wages – the bottom line is that the team can only reach its full potential when all roles on the team, from players to coaches, are fully bought in and each gives their maximum discretionary effort to the team. Participants to this session will walk away with additional perspective on team architecture, actionable advice, critical conversations to have with the team, to get the most out of the experience for all involved.
8:30 p.m. ET
Down 4-8? Gametime Defense to Win the Game
Speaker: Robin Davis
Zone, person, force middle, 3-person cup, box-and-one? Come game-time, good coaches and players know a wide range of defensive looks. What makes a great coach and a great team is being able to utilize the right defense at the right time. In this workshop, Robin will share how she makes defensive game plans based on her team’s strengths and scouting the opponent. Great plans don’t always come to fruition, though; Robin will also discuss how she uses real-time stats to influence in-game adjustments. This combination of thoughtful planning and data-driven instant decision-making has been a winning combination for her Superfly team.
FAQs
Will the Organizer Convention be held in-person or virtually in 2025?
The Organizer Convention will be held in person in 2025! All sessions will take place at the Antlers Hotel in downtown Colorado Springs.
How do I register if I am attending on behalf of a USA Ultimate affiliate or state-based organization?
Contact Leah Dolan-Kelley, and she can get you registered.
Are registration fees refundable?
If you are no longer able to attend the Organizer Convention, we will refund your registration fee until January 19, 2025. After that, no refunds will be granted.
We can also transfer your registration to someone else who will be able to participate in your place.