WFDF Partners with USA Ultimate on the U.S. Open
Posted: January 29, 2013 01:41 PM
WFDF PARTNERS WITH USA ULTIMATE ON THE U.S. OPEN
NGB and International Federation Join Forces to Promote World-Class Ultimate
Launched last summer, the U.S. Open is the premier international Ultimate event in the United States and features an industry gathering of the global Ultimate community to network, learn, share ideas and celebrate USA Ultimate’s mission of promoting Character, Community and Competition.
"We are extremely pleased to have WFDF partner with us on the U.S. Open," explained USA Ultimate Chief Executive Officer Tom Crawford. "There is a great spirit of cooperation between USA Ultimate and WFDF, and the U.S. Open is an international event that creates a unique and powerful opportunity to advance the sport of Ultimate worldwide. Both the competition and convention components are equally important, and our goal is to work together to help all WFDF-member organizations gain further knowledge of best practices. The 2013 edition will feature sessions on coaching education, youth development, and league and tournament organization with interactive and hands-on opportunities. By attending this event, our colleagues from around the world will be able to access a broad range of educational sessions with ideas on how they can further stimulate the growth of Ultimate in their respective countries.
The 2013 edition of the U.S. Open will also include an athletes’ forum, designed to gather feedback from participants and encourage dialogue in order to continually improve and refine the event.
"It’s also very exciting to have WFDF play an important role in the first component of the inaugural Triple Crown Tour, participating in a truly world-class event to launch the season in the U.S. This partnership will also mark our first international broadcast alliance with WFDF, which we hope will create additional interest from broadcasters in other WFDF-member nations to begin covering the coolest sport on the planet!"
As part of the agreement, WFDF will have the opportunity to conduct educational sessions during the convention and will collaborate with USA Ultimate to select international teams for the tournament. The international federation will also promote the event to its member national governing bodies and assist in the recruitment of the best Men’s, Women’s and Mixed teams from around the world. USA Ultimate and WFDF will also cooperate to identify optimal dates for future editions to ensure that the U.S. Open thrives as an annual international-caliber tournament and educational opportunity.
"WFDF welcomes the opportunity to partner this year with our single largest member association in support of their tournament and convention," stated Robert "Nob" Rauch, WFDF President. "The U.S. Open Ultimate Championships and Convention will serve as an exciting platform for WFDF to promote and facilitate the growth of Ultimate and Spirit of the Game on a global basis. We encourage players and administrators throughout the international community to take advantage of the extraordinary educational and networking opportunities as well as enjoy the top quality competition as a participant or spectator."
The inaugural U.S. Open Championships and Convention was held in Colorado Springs, Colo. and was won by Denver Johnny Bravo (Men’s division), Seattle Riot (Women’s division) and San Francisco Polar Bears (Mixed division). Hosted by the historic four-diamond Antlers Hilton and the Colorado Springs Sports Corporation, the convention featured sessions on league development, youth leadership, maximizing athletic potential, marketing and sponsorship, athlete development and successful team building.
The 2013 U.S. Open Championships and Convention are scheduled for July 4-7 with announcements regarding the host city and venue, as well as a major international broadcast partner, coming soon.
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