USA Ultimate

Inaugural U.S. Open set for July 4-8, 2012 in Colorado Springs

 

Boulder, Colo. (July 30, 2011)—USA Ultimate, the National governing Body for the sport of Ultimate in the United States, announced today plans for the inaugural U.S. Open, a major international competition and Ultimate convention in Colorado Springs, Colo.

 

Scheduled for July 4-8, 2012 at the Air Force Academy, the U.S. Open will be an annual event held during the Fourth of July weekend every year, and invite the world’s best teams from three divisions – Open, Women’s and Mixed. The event will host 24 teams and more than 600 of the best Ultimate athletes from around the world as they compete for the U.S. Open Championship. And while the championship will be an invitation-only event, a convention will be open to anyone and everyone worldwide that desires to advance and develop the sport of Ultimate globally.

 

As an important component of the U.S. Open, the annual USA Ultimate Convention will consist of a wide variety of expert speakers and discussion groups on topics such as leagues’ best practices, growing membership and participation, coaching education, marketing, revenue generation, high performance training, youth Ultimate, and growing the sport in nations across the globe. There will also be a trade show highlighting USA Ultimate’s corporate partners, as well as giveaways, fun contests for children and adults and opportunities to meet and interact with some of the top athletes in the world.

 

The Colorado Springs Sports Corporation, one of the nation’s premier sports commissions and partner to many Olympic NGBs, has hosted many world championships and major international events such as the World University Games. “The Sports Corp is thrilled to be a part of the inaugural U.S. Open event,” commented president and CEO Tom Osbourne. “It is exciting for us to showcase a world-class venue with the Air Force Academy and welcome world-class athletes from the sport of Ultimate.”

 

“The idea for the U.S. Open has been under discussion for a couple of years,” explained USA Ultimate CEO Dr. Tom Crawford. “The concept is to welcome the entire Ultimate community, worldwide, to literally experience our mission of advancing our sport through character, community and competition. Over the course of five days, we’ll have discussions centering around Spirit of the Game, tons of fun community-building opportunities, a world-class educational experience, social events, and of course, the best competition in the world… all in one location! This will be a premier event every year that will showcase our amazing sport and top athletes like never before. It will also serve as an important component to our club restructuring initiative, which will incorporate a U.S. Open Series as an element of our Club Series leading up to our Club Championships – all designed to highlight the best our sport has to offer.”

 

“The opportunity to partner with a world-class organization like the Colorado Springs Sports Corporation, and a second-to-none venue like the Air Force Academy in a city that’s known as the Amateur Sports Capitol of the U.S., just adds to the excitement we’re feeling. And having lived in Colorado for many years, I can personally attest that the Rocky Mountain and Front Range regions are a phenomenal place for a family vacation with all kinds of exciting adventures around every corner!”

 

The 2012 U.S. Open will kick off on July 4, with an Opening Ceremony in the evening and a meeting of the USA Ultimate Board of Directors and several committees throughout the day. The Ultimate community will be invited to meet the board and staff of USA Ultimate to provide input and ask questions, as well as build the community worldwide. Competition will then begin with pool play on July 5.

 

Stay tuned to usaultimate.org for more details and developments on the inaugural U.S. Open as they become available.