Colorado Springs, Colo. (October 7, 2024)—USA Ultimate, the national governing body for the sport of ultimate in the United States and member of the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee, today announced the hiring of Kevin Erlenbach as its next chief executive officer.

Erlenbach comes to USA Ultimate after spending the past 18 years at USA Hockey where he most recently served as the assistant executive director, membership. As part of USA Hockey’s senior leadership team, Erlenbach led the organization through a period of significant growth, highlighted by record levels of participation that has culminated with 1.2 million current members, including 122,000 youth players in hockey’s 8 and under entry-level category and 660,000 on-ice participants. 

With an emphasis on growing female participation in hockey, Erlenbach also developed various programs that have led to a 95% increase in girls’ entry-level participation over the last decade and more than 100,000 female players, coaches and officials.

Some of the grassroots programs Erlenbach led in support of USA Hockey’s national growth initiatives include Try Hockey For Free Days, which provided more than 230,000 children with their first hockey experience, Welcome Back Week, a national member retention program, Girls’ Hockey Weekend, Learn to Play, and the Hat Trick Challenge – all programs that are credited with fueling hockey’s growth and popularity.

Erlenbach also brings to USA Ultimate vast experience in building and maintaining strong partnerships with local and regional organizations and other strategic partners, including professional leagues, sponsors and community leaders. He established USA Hockey’s Club Excellence platform, a program designed to set local clubs up for sustainable success through governance education and leadership training. Erlenbach also acted as USA Hockey’s main conduit between the national governing body and the National Hockey League on various growth-focused programs and revenue generating activities.

As the leader of USA Hockey’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion efforts, Erlenbach also brings experience to USA Ultimate in an area of continued importance and focus for the organization. His work has contributed to the introduction of several new initiatives that are helping to evolve the culture of hockey by creating opportunities that encourage and support participation for everyone.

“The opportunity to join this amazing community is the thrill of a lifetime,” said Erlenbach. “Ultimate’s core values, Spirit of the Game, and culture of providing a sporting community that makes sure there is space for every person, was something that matched my personal ethos. I am a strong believer that sport is culture’s greatest classroom and unifying force. The high character and passion of the people I’ve already met and am learning about with the board, staff, stakeholders and membership, made me want to become an influential part of this rapidly evolving community. The opportunity to be a part of the USA Ultimate team is an honor for my family and me. There have been so many milestones for USA Ultimate and I’m excited for us to collectively continue its expansion.”

A recreational ultimate player himself, Erlenbach holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Bowling Green University in Sport Enterprise and Marketing. He currently resides in Colorado Springs with his family where he coaches the 15U girls’ hockey team for the Colorado Springs Junior Tigers.

The appointment of Erlenbach was unanimously approved by the organization’s board of directors following a nationwide search led by executive recruiting firm TeamWork Consulting and a four-person CEO Succession Task Force that included USA Ultimate board members DeAnna Ball, Dave Klink, Benecia Newhouse and Tom Crawford.

“I am excited to have Kevin on board for this new chapter of USA Ultimate,” commented Ball. “Kevin’s experience will allow him to come in and immediately support our strategic plan with an emphasis on growing our youth, local and grassroots communities. He is eager to learn more about our members and stakeholders and begin engaging with the staff on the hard work they take on every day, all while keeping DEI at the forefront of everything we do. As a board member, I am thrilled to work with Kevin on the business side of our organization, and as a member, I am excited about the energy and vision that Kevin will bring.”

“Along with our consultants, TeamWork president and founder and pioneering sports industry recruiter Buffy Filippell and her teammate Brad Stith, our task force collaborated extensively over the course of the last seven months to review, evaluate and interview candidates from a pool of more than 170 applicants,” described Klink of the board’s thorough search process. “We’re thrilled with the board’s unanimous approval of Kevin’s appointment and excited to welcome him to our team.”  

About USA Ultimate

USA Ultimate is a member of the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC) and serves as the official national governing body for the sport of ultimate in the United States. USA Ultimate is a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit membership organization with its national headquarters in Colorado Springs, Colo. Founded in 1979 as the Ultimate Players Association, USA Ultimate is the largest flying disc organization in the world with more than 60,000 members, including athletes, coaches, observers and league and event organizers.

USA Ultimate organizes the full spectrum of ultimate in the U.S. and hosts several major events annually, including national championships for youth, college, elite and masters divisions, as well as the U.S. Open, a major international tournament. It also owns and operates the Triple Crown Tour, the highest and most competitive level of ultimate in the United States, consisting of men’s, women’s and mixed-gender divisions.

As one of 100+ member organizations of the World Flying Disc Federation (WFDF) – the international federation for flying disc sports and member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) – USA Ultimate is also responsible for the selection of U.S. National Teams for all major international events, including junior, U24, elite and masters world championships and the quadrennial World Games.