Colorado Springs, Colo. (Oct. 8, 2018) – As part of ongoing efforts to grow the sport’s infrastructure, USA Ultimate continues to add local affiliate organizations and state-based organization. So far in 2018, the national governing body has affiliated with three new local disc organizations: Charlottesville Ultimate Disc Organization (CUDO), Nickel City Ultimate and Southern California Youth Ultimate (SCYU). In addition, the two newest State-Based Organizations (SBOs), Illinois Ultimate and Colorado Ultimate, bring the total number of SBOs to six.
With these newest additions, USA Ultimate now has 24 affiliates and six SBOs. The expansion of the Affiliate Program and State-Based Organizations help grow the sport’s national infrastructure through local disc organizations and expands the reach of USA Ultimate resources, while providing additional support to local ultimate communities from coast to coast.
USA Ultimate’s Affiliate Program has been a significant step in the organization’s commitment to helping grow youth, college and league ultimate. The program helps support and formalize the development of local area ultimate organizations and leagues into USA Ultimate affiliates in order to unify and promote the sport and assist with the provision and expansion of programs and services to the boys, girls, men and women playing ultimate in their respective geographic areas. Affiliates receive various education, instruction and training materials, as well as financial support in the form of grants, discounts and rebate dollars.
Charlottesville Ultimate Disc Organization strives to unify the Charlottesville, Va., ultimate community by providing venues for recreational and competitive ultimate through organization of pickup games and both summer and winter leagues. CUDO is USA Ultimate’s first Virginia affiliate and has approximately 200 players with 25 percent of them being youth athletes. They currently run about eight events per year.
Nickel City Ultimate’s mission is to create opportunities for all ages, backgrounds and skill levels to learn, compete and become part of a community that embraces Spirit of the Game through the sport of ultimate. Based out of Buffalo, N.Y., Nickel City Ultimate is our third affiliate from New York, and like CUDO, are approximately 200 players strong, with youth representation at about 25 percent.
Lastly, Southern California Youth Ultimate strives to foster local, national and international amateur sports competition through the organization of activities that promote growth of the sport, including, but not limited to, educational programs, tournaments, leagues, fundraising, exhibition events and social events. Over the last three years, SCYU has worked closely with L.A.’s largest after-school program – LA’s Best, part of Beyond the Bell – teaching the sport to over 4,000 elementary school students in the summers.
USA Ultimate State-Based Organizations act as extensions of the national governing body and serve and support our mission by administering its programs and services to local affiliates and communities within their respective boundaries. Each new organization receives financial grants of at least $50,000 over the first three years of their existence to stimulate the growth of ultimate at the local level.
Illinois Ultimate, led by Board President Matt Nuoffer and Treasurer Lynne Nolan, developed into an SBO through the great work done by the leaders of Illinois Youth Ultimate, a member of the USA Ultimate Affiliate Program. In total, Illinois Ultimate hosts more than 10 local tournaments, including the well-known high school tournament Neuqua Knockout, and provides resources to about 40 local high school teams.
Colorado Ultimate, formerly known as USA Ultimate affiliate Altitude Youth Ultimate, is dedicated to developing athletes and promoting youth participation in ultimate across the state, including Colorado’s Front Range and the Rocky Mountains. Led by President Phil Lohre, Colorado Ultimate hosts middle school and high school leagues, tournaments, various clinics and camps, and is home to one of the premier youth ultimate clubs in the world – Colorado Cutthroat.
For more information on how to become a USA Ultimate Affiliate or State-Based Organization, visit usaultimate.org/affiliates, usaultimate.org/stateorgs, or contact USA Ultimate Director of Member Services & Community Development Josh Murphy at josh@hq.usaultimate.org.
