Dates, Locations Announced for 2018 Youth Club Regional Championships
Posted: May 15, 2018 01:47 PM
Colorado Springs, Colo. (May 15, 2018) – USA Ultimate, the national governing body for the sport of ultimate in the United States, announced today the dates and locations of the 2018 Youth Club Regional Championships.
The Youth Club Regional Championships, introduced last year, have been re-branded as non-championship events for new teams and players, as well as existing teams. The "new" Youth Fall Cups will provide an additional, accessible opportunity for youth ultimate players, opposite the traditional spring school season and the summer club events, with an emphasis on new players and/or teams.
These events have been redesigned to encourage players who have never attended an ultimate tournament to participate. Players can compete with a one-time event membership, an affiliate membership or a youth intro membership (if they qualify), as well as a traditional USA Ultimate youth membership.
In 2018, USA Ultimate is supporting four of the Fall Cups, one per region, but we hope to increase the number of these events in the future. The regional boundaries, which have not changed since 2012, are reflected in each event’s name, but will not limit teams to a specific event. Teams may choose to apply to compete at any of the four events.
The Northeastern Fall Youth Cup will be held October 13-14, at the Oxbow Marina Fields in Northampton, Mass. The event will be hosted by New England Ultimate, one of USA Ultimate’s state-based organizations.
"New England Ultimate is thrilled to be selected to host the 2018 Fall Youth Northeasterns," said New England Ultimate Executive Director Jonathan Levy. "In this 50th anniversary year of our sport, the site venue is in the heart of Massachusetts, very close to the progenitors of ultimate at Hampshire College and the Northfield School. October is a beautiful time to visit New England and see the fall foliage, as well as view some top-level youth ultimate."
The Central Fall Youth Cup will be held October 13-14, at Mercyhealth Sportscore II in Rockford, Ill. – the home of this year’s Division III College Championships, as well as several other past USA Ultimate championship events. Ultimate Chicago and Illinois Ultimate will serve as the local organizing committee.
"Ultimate Chicago and Illinois Ultimate are excited to co-sponsor this event in the fall," said Stephanie Landry, Ultimate Chicago president. "Hosting the tournament locally will help us attract both established youth teams and newer clubs, and working together allows us to pool our resources and personnel to ensure a high-quality tournament experience."
The Southern Youth Fall Cup will take place November 10-11, at BB&T Sports Park just outside Winston-Salem, N.C. with North Carolina Ultimate, another USA Ultimate state-based organization serving as the local organizer.
"We look forward to continuing to develop playing opportunities for youth club teams in the Southeast and are excited to be working with USAU on this event," said North Carolina Ultimate Executive Director Ken Randby.
The Western Youth Fall Cup will be held November 3-4, at Portland Community College – Rock Creek Campus with Portland Ultimate serving as the local organizing committee.
"Portland Ultimate is very pleased to have been selected to host the Fall Youth Cup’s Western Championships for 2018," said Ron Hartmann, executive director of Portland Ultimate. "We are experiencing tremendous and sustained growth in our youth programing year over year and believe this opportunity will do a great deal to institutionalize that growth. We have secured an excellent facility to host the tournament, and Portland is centrally located in the Western Region with easy access for all teams. Plus, it’s a great place to visit."
Team applications for these events will be accepted in three age divisions: U-20, U-17 and U-15. Applications will be available beginning in July 2018 with submissions due by August 10.
Additional information about the Youth Club Regional Championships, including team and player requirements, is included in the 2018 Youth Guidelines at usaultimate.org/youth_guidelines.
Have any questions or comments? We welcome community feedback and discussion made in a respectful manner. Please refrain from profanity or personal attacks, as such public comments negatively reflect on our sport and community.