This is a list of organizations related to the sport of Ultimate.
Ultimate is a type of sports competition using a Frisbee type of flying disc, which is flown between different players.
There are several different associations that organise such competitions, with different aims and in different regions.
Players associations are the governing bodies of the sport, tied to a specific region (global, national, or state/regional). These are typically independent of professional players leagues like the AUDL or PUL.
Founded in 1985, the World Flying Disc Federation (WFDF) oversees the sport globally. In May 2013, under the leadership of Robert L. "Nob" Rauch, the WFDF was granted provisional recognition by the International Olympic Committee and is a member of the Association of IOC Recognised International Sports Federations. [1]
The American Ultimate Academy (AUA) was founded in 2017 and launched its inaugural overnight summer camp in 2018. Based in Washington, DC AUA hosts camps and leagues with a focus on growing the sport through youth development. [4]
The National Ultimate Training Camp (NUTC) was launched in 2001 by Amherst Leisure Services and Tiina Booth. NUTC is the oldest overnight summer camp for youth ultimate players and now has camp sessions for teams and coaches as well as individual players. NUTC also presents the weekly college power rankings through Ultiworld. [5]
The Upwind Institute is the next generation of Upwind Ultimate LLC. The Institute, commonly known as Upwind, has a mission to research, create, and disseminate policies in sports that promote equity. They acknowledge that some identities have received less access to opportunity, resources, and power in sports in the past, and believe that to move towards equity in sports, we need to take on the challenging work of reflection, recognition, and commitment to putting actions behind our theories. One of their projects was the popular #HuckYes campaign [6] aimed at promoting awareness of the need for consent in the sporting community.
Without Limits is a non-profit organization founded by Sara Jacobi and Michelle Ng in the Summer of 2010. The organization was created to foster relationships within the women’s ultimate community at the youth, college, and club levels, as well as promote and further the growth and development of the women’s division. [7] In 2010 Without Limits produced the College Women's Ultimate Resource Manual. In 2018 Without Limits produced the 2nd Edition of the College Women's Ultimate Resource Manual. [7]
A frisbee, also called a flying disc or simply a disc, is a gliding toy or sporting item that is generally made of injection-molded plastic and roughly 8 to 10 inches in diameter with a pronounced lip. It is used recreationally and competitively for throwing and catching, as in flying disc games. The shape of the disc is an airfoil in cross-section which allows it to fly by reducing the drag and increasing lift as it moves through the air, compared to a flat plate. Spinning the disc imparts a stabilizing gyroscopic force, allowing it to be both aimed with accuracy and thrown for distance.
Ultimate, originally known as ultimate frisbee, is a non-contact team sport played with a disc flung by hand. Ultimate was developed in 1968 by Joel Silver in Maplewood, New Jersey. Although ultimate resembles many traditional sports in its athletic requirements, it is unlike most sports due to its focus on self-officiating, even at the highest levels of competition. The term "frisbee" is a registered trademark of the Wham-O toy company, and thus the sport is not formally called "ultimate Frisbee", though this name is still in common casual use. Points are scored by passing the disc to a teammate in the opposing end zone. Other basic rules are that players must not take steps while holding the disc, and interceptions, incomplete passes, and passes out of bounds are turnovers. Rain, wind, or occasionally other adversities can make for a testing match with rapid turnovers, heightening the pressure of play.
USA Ultimate is a not-for-profit organization that serves as the governing body of the sport of ultimate in the United States.
The World Flying Disc Federation (WFDF) is the international governing body for flying disc (Frisbee) sports, with responsibility for sanctioning world championship events, establishing uniform rules, setting of standards for and recording of world records. WFDF is a federation of member associations which represent flying disc sports and their athletes in 100 countries. WFDF is an international federation recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), a member of the Association of IOC Recognised International Sports Federations (ARISF), GAISF, and the International World Games Association (IWGA), and it is a registered not-for-profit 501(c)(3) corporation in the state of Colorado, U.S.
Riot is an elite-level women's ultimate team based in Seattle, Washington. Riot was founded in 2000, after the previous top-level women's team in Seattle, Women on the Verge, disbanded. They were the women's champions at the 2004 and 2005 UPA Club Championships. They have also won the WFDF World Ultimate Club Championships in 2002 and 2014.
Flying disc sports are sports or games played with discs, often called by the trademarked name Frisbees. Ultimate and disc golf are sports with substantial international followings.
Ultimate Canada is a not-for-profit organization that serves as the governing body of the sport of Ultimate in Canada. It runs the Canadian Ultimate Championships (CUC) and Canadian University Ultimate Championship (CUUC) series.
The American Ultimate Disc League (AUDL) is an ultimate disc league in North America. The AUDL was founded in 2010, and played its inaugural season in 2012 with eight teams. Regular season games are played April through July. The playoffs consist of three rounds: divisional wild card round, division championships, and finally culminating in a final four style showcase known as AUDL Championship Weekend in August. The winner of each division's championship game advances to Championship Weekend, with semifinals on Saturday and the championship game played on Sunday.
Brodie Smith is a former American Ultimate Disc League player, and current professional disc golf player and YouTube personality best known for his frisbee trick shot videos.
Beau Kittredge is a semi-professional Ultimate player for the New York Empire of the American Ultimate Disc League (AUDL), author, illustrator, and mobile video game entrepreneur. He is considered to be one of the greatest Ultimate players of all time, noted for his top-end speed and athleticism. As of 2020, Kittredge has won one college title, six USA Ultimate club titles, seven world championships, and five AUDL titles. He is popularly known for a video in which he jumped up over an opponent to catch the disc while playing with the University of Colorado.
The San Diego Growlers are a professional Ultimate team that plays in the West Division of the American Ultimate Disc League (AUDL). They played their first season in 2015.
The Premier Ultimate League (PUL) is a professional women's ultimate disc league that formed in 2019. The mission of the PUL is "to achieve equity in the sport of ultimate by increasing accessibility to the sport for, and visibility of women, transgender, intersex, non-binary, genderqueer, and genderfluid people through high-quality competition, leadership experiences, and community partnerships". The league strives for gender, racial, and economic diversity in the sport of ultimate frisbee. PUL players are paid $40 per league game.
Team "EuroStars" is an Elite European Ultimate women's team formed from over 10 nations each year to challenge the top North American teams in the "Americus Pro Cup" and promote the European women's game. The EuroStars provide an opportunity for these world class players to play in a strong team, learn about other cultures and promote female European talent. Founded in 2017 by captain Rebecca "Bex" Forth. EuroStars Tour were shared in 6 simultaneous clinics in 6 different European countries. The "You’re a Star" clinics will happen each spring to increase outreach.
Carolyn Finney, colloquially known as "Finney," is an ultimate player for San Francisco Fury and has represented the United States national team multiple times in international competition. She is known as one of the most well-rounded players in the USA Ultimate women's division.
The Western Ultimate League (WUL) is a professional women's ultimate league in the western United States founded in 2020. The WUL's stated mission is to "promote visibility, opportunity, and equity within women's ultimate."
The Milwaukee Monarchs are a Premier Ultimate League (PUL) professional "womxn"'s ultimate team based in Milwaukee, WI. They joined the PUL in 2020 as part of the 2020 expansion. The Monarchs are dedicated to "growing the sport with an emphasis on creating opportunities for and raising the profiles of womxn, girls, and players of diverse identities in Wisconsin and the broader Midwest"
The New York Gridlock is a professional women's ultimate team based in New York City which competes in the Premier Ultimate League (PUL). The team joined the PUL for the league's inaugural 2019 season. Their stated mission is "to achieve competitive excellence on the field and equity in the sport of ultimate by increasing accessibility to and visibility of womxn [sic] ultimate players."
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. 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." The team is also noteworthy for their sponsorship of the Color of Ultimate: ATL game, the first Color of Ultimate showcase game.
Boston Brute squad is a frisbee club ultimate team from Boston, Massachusetts that competes in the Women's Club Division of USA Ultimate (USAU). Brute Squad is a longstanding front-runner in the division, has won the USAU Club National Championships three times, and routinely wins and places highly at major regular season and post-season tournaments. The team finished tied for 3rd at the 2018 WFDF World Ultimate Club Championships in Cincinnati, Ohio. Brute Squad is particularly known for their defensive discipline and tenacity and indisputable moral superiority. There have been two winners of the Kathy Pufahl Spirit Award from Brute Squad: Leila Tunnell (2014) and Amber Sinicrope (2017).
The Medellín Revolution is a women's ultimate team based in Medellín, Colombia which competes professionally in the Premier Ultimate League (PUL) and as a club team in national and international competitions. The team has represented Colombia on the international stage numerous times. As a team, they are known for a unique free-spirited attitude and a fast-paced, relentless style of play; they are considered one of the top club teams in the world. Plays by several of their players have been selected for the ESPN SportsCenter Top 10 highlights show.