I’m really sad I can’t fly down to San Jose for the 2nd annual Youth Ultimate Coaching Conference (YUCC 2015) this weekend, but I was glad to hear that some content will be online via Skyd. The theme this year is Long-Term Athlete Development (LTAD).
Background/description of Youth Ultimate Coaching Conference
Registration is $95
The Friday after Thanksgiving (11/28/14) the Rainmakers will offer middle and high school players near Seattle an opportunity for improvement! Their 2nd youth clinic of the year, this fall clinic will happen from 3-5 pm at Jefferson Park in the Beacon Hill neighborhood of Seattle. It is open to players 12-18 years old of all skill levels and will be led by top players from the Rainmakers team!
Kids can expect:
Please encourage any youth you have on your teams to join us. The cost is only $25 and all participants need to do is show up. Participants will be required to have a parent/guardian sign a waiver to participate and are encouraged to bring cleats and a water bottle.
For more info please encourage your kids visit us at the Rainmakers Facebook page or TicketLeap or if you have any questions please feel free to contact gabe.fertman@seattlerainmakers.com
2014 tryouts for the Fryz teams (open, girlz, mixed, and small Fryz) are now set for December 7 and 14th (both Sundays) from 10-3 p.m. at Magnuson Park. Details are archived below from the Fryz website (where you will find the waiver in PDF format) and there is an announcement and some player comments on the Fryz Facebook page.
Last year (December, 2013) 130+ kids attended the first tryout, vying for ~30 spots. In December 2012 there were 100+ attendees. That suggests high demand and high growth in demand for more ways to play youth ultimate in Seattle!
The first tryout this year (on Sunday December 7, 2014) should be an exciting chance to see yet another manifestation of the explosive growth in youth ultimate. Note that the second tryout (on December 14) is by invitation only, each day of tryouts costs $10, and the pre-registration form involves input from both parents and players (a short essay on why you want to play for Fryz).
Some questions and answers, specifically about Small Fryz:
If you know an answer or have other questions, please comment! We will incorporate further information below as it accumulates…
Archived information from the Fryz website (where you will find the waiver in PDF format) —
Please pre-register. There are 2 tryout dates. December 7th and December 14th. The December 14th Tryout will be by invitation only for all teams: Open, Fry Girlz, Mixed and Small Fryz teams.
Pre-Registration Form: http://goo.gl/forms/kQQayZsOSu
We use our tryouts to evaluate players on the following qualities by playing, drilling, conditioning and character.
Being a good teammate, fitness, dedication to Fryz, dedication to the sport of ultimate, spirit of the game, skill, desire and ability to have fun while competing at a high level. We expect our players to maintain a 2.5 GPA, which is monitored 2-3 times/year by coaches to ascertain whether extra help (from coaches or teammates) is necessary to remain a student first and an athlete second. We also expect our players to remain role models in our community by their stewardship to ultimate as well as their behavior on and off the field – fighting, drinking and the use of illegal drugs are prohibited on and off the field for members of the Fryz team. We expect dedication from team members and practice attendance is not optional – delinquency is grounds for removal from the team. (Please note that we practice most Sundays year around from 2:00pm-4:00pm). If the player makes the team, there is a yearly membership. (All players participate regardless of their ability to fund.) – part and full scholarships are available upon request.
Tryouts are for 4 teams:
Fryz Open • Fry Girlz • Mixed • Small FryzLocation: Magnuson Park
*Potential carpool: If you are unable to get to Magnuson Park, we will be offering carpools based on demand. Please indicate your need for or your ability to provide a carpoolTimes: 10:00am-3:00pm. Be there 30 minutes early for registration & warm-up
Ages: 6th grade – 12th grade
Cost: $10 (per Tryout day)
If you are interested in trying out, pre-register (with a photo) and download the waiver below, sign and send back. Please make sure all the contact information is legible so that we can contact you after tryouts. If you turn in a waiver at the first Tryout on Dec 7th, you will not need to do it again at the second Tryout on Dec 14th. However, a 2nd Tryout fee of $10 will be requested if you are invited back. Please show up 30 minutes early to register and warm up. Please bring plenty of water, light and dark jersey with numbers or names.
*Fryz is represented by 18 different high schools and 13 different middle schools from the greater Seattle area. Last year, 28 high schools and 21 middles schools were represented at tryouts. In order to keep our reach as broad as possible, we are testing out the possibility of carpools for tryouts and throughout the practice year.
Last month during the final day of the Disc NW Masters Hat league, Andy McRea of the Whidbey Flyers introduced me to a GREAT disc game called “Durango Boot” (or just “boot” or “Durango”). It turns out it has wonderful potential for youth players, primarily because it demands that you maintain awareness of the whole field all the time — a skill that is elusive for most beginners and seems to only come slowly with experience.
Our Masters team had a huge roster, so none of us were getting much playing time during our first game. Andy threw up his hands and declared “I haven’t even broken a sweat. Who wants to play boot?” I raised my hand, but had no idea what a workout I was in for… Here’s a video that captured the craziness that ensued —
Not many players were familiar with the game (including me), but it turns out the game has it’s own website — Durango Ultimate. In the simplified form that Andy taught us (and that the Aussies are playing in the video), you place two cones (or better yet boots) a few meters apart near each end of your playing space, mark center field with 2 more cones, and proceed to pass among your teammates trying to knock over a goal cone with a scoring throw. A huge novelty is that you can head for the goal at either end of the field, and switch your goal at any time! Another key rule is that on a turnover (upon interception, stall count to six by any defender, ground contact, or a score), the team gaining possession must first complete one pass that crosses the center line.
Though different than the official version, Andy really increased the pace by reversing the normal rule that a score results in a turnover. Instead the offense that just scored stayed on offense (but still had to “take back” the disc by passing it once over the center line before attempting to score again). This may be known as the Albuquerque Variation.
In addition to improving full-field awareness, Boot could be useful in the context of youth ultimate in at least these ways:
The U16 Girls YCC team is running a clinic THIS MONDAY, August 4th, 2-5pm at Franklin HS.
The clinic is for all ages, no experience necessary, and run by the players from the YCC team. Here is the flyer with more info! All funds raised at the clinic help players on the team get to the Youth Club Championships in Blaine, MN.
Preregister Today
http://tinyurl.com/youthultima
