Cadoux Stepping Down as GUM Chair
Posted: September 8, 2015 09:14 AM
Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sept. 8, 2015) – After two years spearheading the Girls’ Ultimate Movement, the program’s chair, Zara Cadoux, is stepping down from her national leadership role.
Alongside co-founder Heather Ann Brauer, Cadoux has spent the last two years helping guide the Girls’ Ultimate Movement, beginning with its inception as a nine-month task force and throughout its transformation into a standing part of USA Ultimate’s Education and Outreach Working Group. Her passion and insight have been valuable to the continued progress of the movement over the last two years. Her enthusiasm and vision will be sorely missed.
Cadoux will continue to be involved with the Girls’ Ultimate Movement and the continued development of girls’ ultimate on the local level in her hometown of Baltimore.
"Zara is incredible – her vision for gender equity and her passion for our sport has fueled the Girls' Ultimate Movement.," said Brauer. "I have been constantly inspired by how she thinks to create systems that are sustainable, community driven and powerful for girls and women in our sport. I am going to miss my partner in crime in this movement but am excited to see what she accomplishes at the local level. Baltimore is lucky to have her. Zara has given so much of her time and her heart to GUM these past two years. She has made many great ideas spring to life. I know for sure that without her, GUM would merely be a dream. I look forward to continuing to work with Zara on the periphery to hear more of her brilliant ideas and creative vision for GUM."
"I am extremely proud of the work we've done to build GUM in the last two years," said Cadoux. "Collaborating with Heather Ann and Mike [Lovinguth] to get GUM off the ground was such an exciting process, and I am so thankful to both of them for their friendship and commitment to this project. Looking forward, I can't wait to get more girls exposed to our sport as we build capacity at the local level."
With the news of Cadoux’s decision to step down, USA Ultimate began reevaluating the current youth volunteer structure with eyes on announcing some exciting new developments in the coming months.
"Infusing GUM with new energy will bring different perspectives and spark creative ideas," said Cadoux. "I am excited to stay involved in the vision of GUM as we move towards a day when 50 percent of the youth playing ultimate are girls!"
USA Ultimate sincerely thanks Cadoux for her enormous contributions to the Girls’ Ultimate Movement. Through USA Ultimate’s Education and Outreach Working Group, the national governing body will continue its youth and girls’ development initiatives and will remain inspired by Cadoux’s work as a valued volunteer for the organization and member of the ultimate community.
About GUM:
GUM was created to work on changing the gender paradigm that exists in many sports by taking a proactive approach to creating policies and programs that will inspire young female athletes to choose ultimate.
The Girls’ Ultimate Movement focuses on creating opportunities for youth and high school-aged girls to participate in sports, lead with their peers and celebrate the beauty of sport with their opponents. Through the Girls’ Ultimate Movement, USA Ultimate is collaborating with some of the nation’s most passionate and dedicated leaders to generate new and innovative ideas for programming, infrastructure and policy that will facilitate development of the girls’ division.
For more information about the Girls' Ultimate Movement, visit gum.usaultimate.org.
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