USA Ultimate Designates First Three Official State-Based Organizations
Posted: January 18, 2016 02:34 PM
Leadership in Place in Minnesota, New England and North Carolina
Colorado Springs, Colo. (January 18, 2016) – USA Ultimate, the national governing body for the sport of ultimate in the United States and member of the U.S. Olympic Committee, announced today the formation and recognition of its first three official state-based organizations – Minnesota Ultimate, New England Ultimate and North Carolina Ultimate.
An officially recognized USA Ultimate State-Based Organization acts as an extension of the national governing body and serves and supports USA Ultimate’s vision and mission by administering its programs and services to local affiliates and communities within their respective boundaries.
Last fall, USA Ultimate announced its intention to invest millions of dollars in grassroots development initiatives designed to stimulate the growth of ultimate at the local level through a national infrastructure of partners – a model that is common and successful for other national governing bodies of amateur sport in the U.S.
To begin, USA Ultimate will provide financial grants of at least $60,000 per organization over the first three years. The funding comes in the form of both a start-up grant and a portion of USA Ultimate’s annual membership dues from members residing in a state-based organization’s respective territory.
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North Carolina Ultimate will be led by Ken Randby, a former Triangle Ultimate board member and self-employed small business owner. As a USA Ultimate-certified coach, ultimate player and fan himself, and a parent of children who play at the youth level, Randby brings a unique and diverse perspective to the position. His mix of experience with ultimate on a variety of levels, along with his entrepreneurial spirit, will be an asset to North Carolina Ultimate and the sport’s future growth in the state.
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"I’m very excited about this opportunity to be part of North Carolina Ultimate and the continued growth of ultimate in our state," expressed Randby. "Having been involved with Triangle Ultimate the last two years as treasurer, I know first-hand how lucky we are to already have many great volunteers in our state. I look forward to continuing to work with them as North Carolina Ultimate develops its plans and helps lay the foundation for the sport’s growth in North Carolina for years to come."
Randby will be assisted by Jonathan Nethercutt. A familiar name to the ultimate community in North Carolina and the U.S., Nethercutt currently serves as USA Ultimate’s Regional Youth Director in the South. He also won the 2015 Callahan Award and led the University of North Carolina to a national title at last year’s college championships. As part of North Carolina Ultimate, Nethercutt will contribute to the administration and development of various events and programs on a day-to-day basis.
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Echoing the solid leadership that has been installed in North Carolina, is the appointment of Jonathan Levy as the director of New England Ultimate, which comprises Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island.
As an administrator, Levy has served as USA Ultimate’s State Youth Coordinator for Massachusetts since 2011 and was the tournament director for the 2012 and 2013 USA Ultimate High School Northeastern Championships. As a player, he first picked up the sport as a high schooler in 1975 and has competed continually for the past 30 years.
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Levy has also been head coach of the Concord-Carlisle Regional High School ultimate program since 2009, a USA Ultimate-certified observer since 2012 and a Level II-certified coach since 2011.
Levy’s ultimate experience is complemented by non-profit leadership and entrepreneurial experience. Since 1999, he’s served as president of the ACE Ski and Board Club and recently became the treasurer of the Wedeln Ski Club. Levy is also a self-employed sole proprietor of Polymath Tutoring and is in the midst of establishing Seven on the Line Photography.
"I’m extremely excited to be involved in the launch of New England Ultimate," commented Levy. "The sport’s growth in the past decade has been tremendous, but there are still plenty of opportunities to grow it further in our region. By working with USA Ultimate and all of the local organizations, I know that New England Ultimate can leverage that momentum to facilitate growth across all divisions, but especially to help foster the development of youth ultimate in areas where it’s currently under-represented."
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Unlike North Carolina Ultimate and New England Ultimate, both cases in which completely new 501(c)(3) non-profit entities are being formed, a different approach has been taken in Minnesota. Minnesota Youth Ultimate, previously an affiliate of USA Ultimate, has opted to expand its focus and serve as Minnesota Ultimate.
Bruce Mebust, longtime president of Minnesota Youth Ultimate, commented on the recognition.
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"Minnesota Youth Ultimate is honored to accept the designation as USA Ultimate’s official state-based organization," he said. "Becoming Minnesota Ultimate aligns nicely with our goals for the future growth of youth ultimate across the state. We’re excited about expanding our vision to the college, club and recreational aspects of ultimate in Minnesota and eager to invest the time and resources into promoting the growth of our sport across the board."
With additional funding provided by USA Ultimate, Minnesota Ultimate is now considering the addition of a full-time, paid executive director.
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