Atlanta Soul

Last updated
Atlanta Soul
Atlanta Soul logo.png
SportUltimate frisbee
Founded2018
League Premier Ultimate League
Based in Atlanta
Head coachesAileen Thomas, Meredith Leahy
Website atlantasoulultimate.com

The Atlanta Soul is a professional women's ultimate frisbee team based in Atlanta which competes in the Premier Ultimate League (PUL). The team joined the PUL for the league's inaugural 2019 season. [1] Their stated mission is to "increase the visibility of female athletes and catalyze a culture shift in sports entertainment by providing quality and accessible programming that encourages girls in under-resourced Atlanta communities to realize their potential and power." [2] The team is also noteworthy for their sponsorship of the Color of Ultimate: ATL game, the first Color of Ultimate showcase game. [3]

Contents

Franchise history

The Atlanta Soul formed in 2018 for a series of women's professional games featuring matches between teams from Indianapolis (Red), Detroit (Riveters), Nashville (Nightshade), Raleigh (Radiance), and Austin (Torch). The Medellin Revolution also played one game in this series. [4] Most of these teams, including the Atlanta Soul, went on to become founding members of the PUL.

The Soul is one of the original eight teams in the Premier Ultimate League, which had its inaugural season in 2019. [5] [6] The Soul is co-owned by Angela Lin and Maddy Frey. [7]

The team would have played its second season in 2020, but the PUL cancelled the season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. [8] [9]

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the PUL elected to hold a limited 2021 competition season with games occurring across three weekends in August 2021, but the Soul opted not to compete. [10]

Record

In their 2019 regular season, the Soul defeated the Austin Torch 19-15 and the Nashville Nightshade 23–16. They fell to the Medellin Revolution 20-30 and 17–24, and to the NY Gridlock 19–21. [11] In the playoffs semifinal game, the Soul fell to the Medellin Revolution in a tightly contested double-overtime rematch, 26–27. [11]

YearReg. SeasonPlayoffsFinish
20192-3 (5th)0-1 [11] Lost in Semifinals
2020Season cancelled0-0Season cancelled
2021Did not competen/aDid not compete
Total2-30-1

Current coaching staff

Roster

The team's 2020 roster was as follows: [12]

2020 Atlanta Soul
#NamePronounsCollegeMost Recent Club Team
Alex Fairley University of Georgia Atlanta Ozone
3Caroline Taylor*Atlanta Bucket
Cate YackeyAsheville Superlame
Chupzi Lema Georgia Tech Atlanta Bucket
Claire Bidigare-Curtis Belmont University
Courtney Testa University of Florida
Ellie DanielsMadison Heist
52Erynn Schroeder College of St. Benedict Atlanta Ozone
8India Stubbs Harvard University Atlanta Ozone
24Kate TravagliniUniversity of FloridaFlorida Tabby Rosa
30Katherine Yost Georgia College Atlanta Bucket
Katie Gainer Georgia State University Atlanta Bucket
Kat Smith
Lanie O'Neill Clemson University Triangle Area Warhawks
Larissa Ferreira Florida State University Florida Fiasco
41Leah TsinajinnieGeorgia TechAtlanta Ozone
Lily PonitzAtlanta Ozone
00Lisa FittonFlorida State UniversityFlorida Weird
2Liz Leon Bowdoin College
Maddie Boyd Auburn University Atlanta Ozone
Mary Virginia RockwellUniversity of Georgia Athens (GA) Murmur
Meg HarrisAtlanta Ozone
Melanie Lindsey University of Tennessee
Merideth BylAuburn University
27Mo McCamley*Atlanta Ozone
49Robyn Fennig* University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, University of Iowa Washington D.C. Scandal
44Sam HillAtlanta Bucket

*captain

Color of Ultimate

The Soul, along with the Atlanta Hustle, sponsored and supported the first Color of Ultimate game, held in Atlanta on June 22, 2019. [13] [14] The Color of Ultimate showcase games are a project of the Atlanta Flying Disc Club (AFDC) Project Diversity initiative aimed at raising the profiles of elite ultimate players of color from around the world.


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References

  1. comments, Charlie Eisenhood in News with 0 (2019-01-22). "New Women's & Non-Binary Semi-Pro League Set To Launch In April". Ultiworld. Retrieved 2020-05-20.
  2. "About Us | Atlanta, GA". Atlanta Soul. Retrieved 2020-05-22.
  3. "The Color of Ultimate: ATL". Atlanta Flying Disc Club. Retrieved 2020-05-21.
  4. "Women's Pro Ultimate Schedule | USA | Atlanta Soul Ultimate". Atlanta Soul. Retrieved 2020-05-22.
  5. Zagoria, Adam (2019-06-28). "Born of a Boycott, a Women's Ultimate Frisbee League Charts Its Own Path". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2020-05-20.
  6. "Welcome to the Women's Ultimate Frisbee League - Ms. Magazine". msmagazine.com. Retrieved 2020-05-27.
  7. "Atlanta Soul: Meet the city's new professional Ultimate team". Atlanta INtown Paper. 2019-05-02. Retrieved 2020-05-27.
  8. comments, Charlie Eisenhood in News with 0 (2020-03-12). "Western Ultimate League Postpones Start of Season Due to Coronavirus Outbreak". Ultiworld. Retrieved 2020-05-20.
  9. comments, Charlie Eisenhood in News with 0 (2020-04-14). "Premier Ultimate League 2020 Season Has Been Canceled". Ultiworld. Retrieved 2020-05-20.
  10. "2021 Champ Series". Premier Ultimate League. Retrieved 2022-03-22.
  11. 1 2 3 "Results". Premier Ultimate League. Retrieved 2020-05-20.
  12. Raynor, Keith; Opinion, Daniel Prentice in; comments, Preview with 0 (2020-03-05). "PUL 2020: A Look At The New Rosters". Ultiworld. Retrieved 2020-05-20.
  13. News, Daniel Prentice in; comments, Recap with 0 (2019-06-26). "The Color of Ultimate: ATL Earns Center Stage". Ultiworld. Retrieved 2020-05-26.{{cite web}}: |last1= has generic name (help)
  14. "Atlanta Flying Disc Club aims for diversity at upcoming game". FOX 5 Atlanta. 2019-06-20. Retrieved 2020-05-26.