Colorado Springs, Colo. (March 5, 2020) – The 2019 Outreach and Girls’ Outreach Coordinators of the Year have been named. The annual awards recognize the outstanding work of volunteers around the country who work tirelessly to grow the sport of ultimate, particularly at the youth level.
In 2019, the Girls’ Outreach Coordinators of the Year are Gail Reich and Liz Siber.
2019 was Gail’s second year as the girls’ national outreach director (GNOD). Prior to serving as the GNOD, Gail ran a number of GUM clinics and served on the original GUM Strategic Planning Group in 2014. In her first year as GNOD, she spent much of her time learning the ropes of the position. In her second year, Gail’s organization, ingenuity and communication provided GUM and the management of the girls’ outreach coordinators (GOCs) with many improvements and successes, including helping us host our highest number of GUM clinics, leagues and participants to date. In 2019, she ran a new GUM League with one of our newest affiliates, Oak Park and River Forest Youth Ultimate, and designed their jerseys as well. Gail also achieved a goal she set at the start of her tenure as the GNOD – to collaborate with Michelle Ng and her non-profit Without Limits to publish a High School Girls’ Ultimate Resource Manual, which is set to be released later this spring. Gail’s passion for GUM and excitement for making thoughtful improvements have been instrumental in expanding GUM’s reach and influence.
Liz Siber has served in the girls’ outreach coordinator role for a little over two years. She first got into the position by running a successful GUM clinic. In 2019, she stepped up and served as a GOC advisor, and wrote and organized content for an internal GOC newsletter to celebrate volunteer achievements. Liz is a great communicator and quickly responds to emails from volunteers and also from those in the community who are interested in starting new playing opportunities in the Massachusetts area. She was crucial in the success of the two GUM clinics hosted by GUM Ambassador Team member Boston Brute Squad last year. In addition to her role as a GOC, Liz has also represented USA Ultimate at the Massachusetts State PE Conference, and currently coaches the Hopkinton Middle School ultimate team and runs a youth ultimate league in Hopkinton for grades 1-8. From Liz Siber, “It is easy to stay motivated to keep growing this sport because the kids and parents feel part of a community that is kind, rewarding, good for you, competitive but not too intense and, of course, spirited. It’s a great support network for all.”
In 2019, the Outreach Coordinators of the Year are Darius Tse and Grant Boyd.
Darius Tse has served a number of years as an outreach coordinator (OC). During his time as OC, he has continuously worked to grow youth ultimate through his partnerships with Dallas Ultimate Association and Texas Youth Ultimate, coaching high school and club ultimate as well as running GUM clinics. This past summer, he collaborated with the Dallas Parks and Recreation department to host a number of youth clinics throughout the entire city. Additionally, he has represented USA Ultimate at the last two Texas State PE Conferences. Lastly, Darius has also advanced in his role by serving as an OC manager for the past two years. In this role, he helps stay connected with other OCs, and his knowledge and experience as a youth organizer empower them to start new ultimate opportunities across the Dallas region.
Grant Boyd has served as an OC since late 2017, representing USA Ultimate at the California State PE Conference for the past two years. His innovative PowerPoint presentation at the 2019 conference has been a useful resource for other PE conference volunteers to use in their respective regions. He has also run exciting Learn to Play clinics for youth at our last two National Championships in San Diego. In his region, Grant has helped lead or inspire GUM clinics, Learn to Play clinics and observer trainings through USA Ultimate affiliate organizations Southern California Youth Ultimate (SCYU) and Santa Barbara Youth Ultimate. He is also excited about SCYU’s new partnership with Inglewood Active Communities, as well as about a new team in the Los Angeles area that was able to play at Beach of Dreams 2020 thanks to the Play It Forward program. In August of 2019, Grant attended the Outreach Task Force meeting where he shared his expertise as an organizer and lent his creative programming ideas to help us improve our outreach plan. Grant is in constant communication with the outreach team about new ways USA Ultimate can support organizers’ efforts in spreading ultimate; we are truly thankful for his dedication, passion and hard work!
Congratulations to each of the 2019 Outreach Coordinators of the Year!
If you want to get involved and are interested in serving as an outreach or girls’ outreach coordinator in your area, check out the current vacancies and the job descriptions for more information and how to apply.
