USA Ultimate Competition Working Group Meeting: Outreach Update
Posted: December 12, 2017 10:26 AM
Cross-Division Outreach Opportunities, Volunteer Structure, Targeted Outreach Areas Discussed
Colorado Springs, Colo. (Dec. 12, 2017) – USA Ultimate’s Competition Working Group met in Denver last weekend for its annual meeting to discuss various aspects of the sport’s competition structure across competition divisions – youth, college, club and beach – as well as outreach. The meeting included eight USA Ultimate staff members, two members of the board of directors and 25 key volunteers and was held over two days. Following the meeting, we are releasing summaries of each smaller group’s discussion. The youth competition recap was released yesterday. Beach, college and club updates will follow.
The outreach working group consists of USA Ultimate Manager of Youth and Education Programs Dan Raabe, USA Ultimate Coordinator of Youth and Education Programs Sarah Powers, National Outreach Director Chuck Gargaly and Girls’ National Outreach Director Rachel Johnson.
2017 Outreach Working Group
L-R: Johnson, Raabe, Powers, Gargaly
The outreach working group continues to refine their nationwide volunteer structure. When possible going forward, they will recruit multiple outreach volunteers per state, instead of the current model that accounts for one outreach coordinator and one girls’ outreach coordinator per state. Having multiple outreach coordinators will allow each person to focus on a particular city or portion of their state, since needs and effective practices may not be the same in all parts of a state.
The group took advantage of face-to-face time with the youth competition working group to determine how they can work together in identifying and targeting areas where outreach efforts could be the most effective. The youth competition group helped the outreach team name states where considerable differences exist in the existing infrastructure and support for boys’ and girls’ programs. They also identified areas that have boys’ leagues but currently do not have girls’ leagues, so outreach volunteers can focus efforts in those areas.
The group also connected with the college, club and beach working groups on ways to better integrate outreach efforts. One example is the development of groundwork for a high school girls’ team startup project, similar to the already existing College Women’s Startup Project. The initiative will provide resources such as coach stipends, youth membership support, recruitment support, a coach membership and free background check, and a coach support network over the course of three years for new girls’ teams. Ideally, teams participating in the program will be geographically close together, so they can provide additional support for each other.
The outreach working group will also work to target cities around the country that have diverse college scenes and active youth playing opportunities and encourage them to host clinics that connect kids to existing playing opportunities. A focus on running more clinics in areas where participants have the opportunity to continue playing through existing opportunities, instead of areas where little organized ultimate is happening, will persist going forward.
The Girls’ Ultimate Movement (GUM) Ambassador Program was also discussed. Perks and swag will be available for players who will represent GUM throughout the year through photos and social media or possibly for those who run clinics.
Stay tuned to usaultimate.org for more summaries from the 2017 Competition Working Group meeting. The beach division recap is up next.
2017 Competition Working Group
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