SAVE THE DATE Annual Meeting/Return to Play Conversation

Though the annual WMass Coaches scheduling meeting will not be happening in the traditional manner, VU is hosting our Annual Meeting and a Return to Play Conversation in its place.

Coaches, players of all levels and parents are all welcome to attend this meeting. Some workshopped rule changes and (hopefully) updated USAU RTP guidelines will be primary discussion topics, in addition to updates on VU’s current and future endeavors. It will be on February 7 at 11am. Use this form to RSVP and get the link to attend this virtual event.

Save the date and pass the word (flick or backhand, whichever will get the furthest)!

Click to watch this GIF of Valeria Cardenas of the Colombian National Team, Medellin Revolution, and Seattle Riot and her HUGE forehand.

Join the VU Board!

Board Member Jo Sleigh at Hatsgiving Tournament Central 2016.

The Valley Ultimate Board is seeking new members!

Players, coaches, parents and fans welcome. We are specifically seeking better representation for community members of color, womxn, college community members and our casual adult players.

Itching to have ultimate in the Valley come back better, stronger and faster after the pandemic is under control? We want you.

Long time pickup player and social media lurker? We want you.

Just moved here from a vibrant ultimate community and wondering how you fit in? We want you.

Love ultimate, and have general organization skills? We really want you. 😉

Here for undergrad, staying over the summer, but maybe not after you graduate? That’s ok, we want you, too!

Never played ultimate, but your daughter did and you still get the mailing list, and happen to be a fundraising and grant writing expert? We really, REALLY want you.

Still in high school, love ultimate and take lots of photos at VU events? We want you, too.

The Valley ultimate community is diverse in more ways than one and we want VU to better reflect our community in all its glory.

Three (3) Board positions are open. The term for each member is a minimum of 1 year. Board meetings are the 4th Tuesday of every month. Valley Ultimate is a volunteer-run organization. Board members partially responsible for some day to day tasks in communication, social media, and event coordination–tasks get divided at Board meetings and in work groups/task forces based on topic/event. Board members vote on motions regarding mission, long term financials, program building etc. VU is building a culture of collaboration–as the saying goes, many hands makes light work. Experience with league development, fundraising, community engagement and social media would be highly valued.

Submit self-nominations and interest via this form. Nominations are due Tuesday 2/9 at 11:59pm. All applicants will get a follow up meeting with a Board member (or two!) before the Board votes on nominations at our regular meeting Tuesday 2/23. All interested parties are invited to the VU Annual Meeting on Sunday 2/7 at 11am, details TBD.

Not interested in full (voting) Board membership, but want to be part of the discussion? Fill out this form and get added to the Valley Ultimate Community Reps Google Group.

Questions, comments, concerns? Email valleyultimateboard@gmail.com

Color of Ultimate Screenings–LA Throwback Finals 2020

Photo Credit: Tino Tran tinotran.com

Thanks to those who have participated in our Color of Ultimate screening series so far. Both the Atlanta Showcase game and the Official Documentary proved to be fun and interesting opportunities to connect with our ultimate community in a new way. If you missed the screening of the Atlanta game, you can always watch it here. If you missed the documentary, you can find the film here and some of the questions we considered here.

Our next event will be a combo screening and conversation on Thursday, December 17 at 7pm. We will be watching the 2020 LA Throwback Beach Ultimate Finals game, with special guests Shanye Crawford, Jason Vallee and Max Charles–all three players in the Color of Ultimate squad pictured above! Watch out for bios of these amazing players on our social media and in the newsletter! As always, bring a snack, an open mind, and a disc to practice grip changes while you watch!

Register here to get the link to the event. Feel free to share the registration link (https://forms.gle/9EXDLEYDKUqsx6bj7) and information to anyone who may be interested!

For info on Color of Ultimate’s more recent projects, like Color of Disc Golf, check out their website or find them on social media (they have a Youtube channel too!) If you know about them already and can afford it, please consider donating via Paypal to colorofultimate@gmail.com

To get regular updates on other things our Taskforce and the rest of Valley Ultimate does, sign up for our email list.

Stay safe, stay healthy, stay spirited! See you on December 17 at 7pm!

Amber, Kelsey, Kyle, Joe and Lee

The VU Anti-Racism & Equity Taskforce

Color of Ultimate Screening Series!

Group Photo from 2019 ATL Showcase game. Borrowed from CofU website.

Back in September many of you joined us to watch the Color of Ultimate 2019 Atlanta Showcase game. We hope seeing such excellent performances from some top tier players of color filled some of the void we’re all feeling without ultimate right now. If you missed the screening, you can always watch it on your own time using the link above!

Our next event will be a combo screening and conversation on Thursday, October 22 from 7-9pm. We will be watching the official Color of Ultimate documentary, which features athletes from the showcase game speaking about their experiences as ultimate players. Bring a snack, and open mind, and a disc to practice grip changes while you watch!

Register here to receive more details closer to the event Thursday 10/22 from 7-9pm. Please also consider throwing some support to Color of Ultimate by sending them some $$$ on PayPal at colorofultimate@gmail.com

If you can’t make this event, you can always find the documentary on YouTube to watch on your own. You’ll also have a chance to watch the L.A. Showcase game with us next month!

Announcing the VU Equity & Anti-Racism Task Force

Signs made by Kelsey Wentling & friends for recent protests in Springfield, Holyoke and Northampton.

Black Lives Matter. The current protests represent the culmination of decades of unheard cries for justice. Valley Ultimate stands with the BLM movement in their quest for justice for Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery and countless others. As an organization based on community and youth development, Valley Ultimate believes in the power of outreach and investment in community programs to improve the lives of its inhabitants and supports the re-allotment of city and town budgets to prioritize such programs. Valley Ultimate encourages it’s community to educate themselves on terms and topics like anti-racism, implicit bias, racism, white privilege, Black Lives Matter, and Defund the Police; to support BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) owned businesses in a time of economic uncertainty; to donate to organizations doing the work; and to learn more about the platforms, policies and practices of your local representatives and authorities regarding social justice, equity and anti-racism.

Valley Ultimate’s mission is to promote and grow ultimate in Western Mass and the Pioneer Valley and to strengthen the ultimate community by documenting, encouraging and creating positive playing & learning experiences that embrace the Spirit of the Game. In the wake of this massive awakening across the United States, Valley Ultimate is examining our role in systemic racism and working to develop new methods to enact our mission in an anti-racist way.

To strengthen our community we must face the difficult truth that white supremacy is present in all parts of our culture.

We must face this as individuals, as members of a broader community, as Board members, and as an organization

To encourage and create positive playing & learning opportunities for all we must examine the ways white supremacy impacts these opportunities.

This includes both logistical items, such as where we host, how we advertise and how we conduct registration for games, youth leagues and workshops; and how we prepare coaches and workshop leaders.

To fully embrace Spirit of the Game, we must listen to and learn from BIPOC players’ experiences and dismantle even the most subtle ways that white supremacy presents itself in ultimate culture.

We must encourage an openness to self examination in our white players and community to ensure that BIPOC players voices are amplified and supported, so that the mutual respect and joy in competition that spirit of the game embodies is applied to all who enter the ultimate community.

Acknowledging Valley Ultimate’s complicity in a culture of white supremacy is the first step in a long journey that can only be continued through action. We invite the community to hold us accountable as we rebuild our programs in the “new normal” COVID-19 creates for us. As with any process, we will make mistakes, but we hope that with your help we can learn from them. Please also hold each other accountable and support each other in learning from our mistakes, rather than getting stalled by them.

The newly formed VU Equity & Anti-Racism Task Force will not only be spearheading Board education on these topics, but also assessing our programs, releasing resources on our social media accounts and website, and offering community events. The current task force members are Kelsey Wentling, Amber Tanudjaja, Joe Costello, Lee Feldscher, Kyle Taylor and Terry Plotkin. Visit our Equity Resources page for our living document of resources. If you are interested in serving on this task force please fill out our volunteer form.

If you have questions about the Equity & Anti-Racism Task Force, email us at valleyultimateboard@gmail.com

Stay safe, stay healthy, stay spirited!

New Valley Ultimate Leadership

Josh Seamon (he/him/his) has stepped down as board president after 6 years of leading Valley Ultimate. Amber Tandujaja (she/her/hers) will be taking over the duties as Acting President, Kelsey Wentling (she/her/hers) as Acting Vice President, and Lee Feldscher (he/him/his) as Acting Treasurer. Seamon will remain on the board as an emeritus member.

“It has been my honor to serve Valley Ultimate.” said Seamon. “I’m so proud of everything the organization has been able to accomplish and create. The Valley is a special place, especially when it comes to ultimate, and it’s been thrilling to contribute to such a vibrant community. VU is in exceptionally good hands: Kelsey, Amber, and Lee bring a wealth of experience to their new positions. I’m excited to see where they helm the organization.”

“I’m looking forward to helping with Valley Ultimate’s bookkeeping, finances and filings to keep the organization moving into the future on sound financial footing” commented Feldscher.

Tanudjaja added, “I’m excited to help Valley Ultimate move into its next phase of life and find new ways to fulfill its mission to grow and support ultimate of all kinds in Western Mass. I hope to reinvigorate the board and our community by bringing in and raising up as yet unheard voices in ultimate. I’m really looking forward to working closely with Kelsey and the rest of the board to set up another good 6 years for VU.”

Acting Vice President Wentling is excited to get to work, saying, “I hope to use this time to learn what Ultimate means to folks here in the Valley, and from that, understand what our role is in shaping accessible, inclusive and joyful places in Ultimate. I am humbled by what Josh and the VU board have accomplished, and am looking forward to meeting the challenge alongside Amber and the entire board.”

COVID-19 Update: Responsibility, Equity and Returning to Play

You miss ultimate. We miss ultimate. We still have to wait to play ultimate.

Sadly, that’s the short answer. The long answer is that as an organization and a community we have to balance social responsibility, equity, and state & local regulations. For now, Valley Ultimate continues to strongly suggest that all pickup games and programs be suspended until further notice. Valley Ultimate will not be running any regular ultimate programs this summer. Below are some summaries of the information we are looking at.

Massachusetts Dept of Health categorizes ultimate frisbee as a high risk sport. In the July 6th report for Phase 3 Part 1 of the state’s reopening plan, ultimate frisbee can only be active in Level 1. In simple terms: we are limited to socially distant drills and workout groups while wearing masks and disinfecting discs. Groups are limited to no more than 25 people if social distancing and mask wearing is maintained at all times–a big number, but one that some pickup games reach regularly (and one that programs absolutely reach). While this may change in future phases, there are still Levels 2 and 3 before ultimate frisbee is approved for competitive play between teams–pickup games arguably fall into this category, as the players attending a game are not all from the same area or consistent in attendance (anyone is welcome to show up from anywhere). We will be watching the MA Dept of Health guidelines closely, and will not be recommending the safe return to play before it is approved by the state and local authorities.
We can’t ALL safely return to play right now. Essential workers who are exposed regularly; people caring for at risk family members; people in towns with higher rates of exposure; people who are immune compromised or have pre-existing conditions that put them at higher risk; people caring for children without any of the support they usually have; people who rely on public transportation–even on a local scale, our community is made up of a lot of different people. Valley Ultimate strongly believes that in order to return to playing ultimate as we know it, we need to be able to provide a safe environment for all members of our community. Right now, we aren’t there.
USAU Return to Play Guidelines include rule changes like 6’ distancing for any defensive player. That means that the organization has done the research and says to safely play ultimate–which requires very close proximity, despite being a non-contact sport–we have to fundamentally change the game. In addition, formal programs are suggested to include temperature checks, having contact tracing systems in place, disinfecting stations ever-present and other infrastructure requirements that many pickup games aren’t able to consistently provide. To top if off, USAU suggests we follow state guidelines–which puts us back where we started above.

Waiting to play doesn’t mean the ultimate community is gone. Valley Ultimate is working to provide alternative ideas for programs and events, based on the guidelines we have. Fill out this poll to help us decide which ideas will be most valuable. In addition, VU is updating the way we do things and seeking opportunities to engage the community in other ways. Fill out this form if you have input to share about VU’s future.

If you have further questions about this decision and our understanding of the USAU and MA state guidelines, please feel free to contact us at valleyultimateboard@gmail.com.

If you want to help VU continue to engage, support and grow the ultimate community in Western Mass, fill out our volunteer form or even consider joining the board!

If you live in a state other than MA, we urge you to look into and abide by your state’s regulations.

Western Mass is a region where the numbers of infections have decreased enough to safely open many things. Let’s enjoy and honor that privilege and continue to protect our whole community.

Stay Safe, Stay Healthy, Stay Spirited!

YCC Update

This just in from VU’s YCC coaching staff:

Dear VU Team Members and Families,

We are thinking of you all, missing you tremendously, and hoping that you are all staying safe and healthy.

USAU announced last week that YCC 2020 has been postponed. Please see the official communication HERE. We are so sad that we will not be spending our summers with you all but are hopeful that some kind of Youth Club opportunity will be rescheduled for the fall season. We will be in touch as soon as we have more information and, in the meantime, please feel free to reach out with any questions or if there are ways in which we can support you and your ultimate development in the absence of the Valley Ultimate this summer!

Sending lots of Valley Ultimate love,

Your coaches, Leila, Joe, Dylan, and David

The Ultimate Community

Valley Ultimate is aware of certain incidences of unacceptable behavior by athletes from the Amherst Boys Varsity Ultimate team last spring. When situations come to Valley Ultimate’s attention that are not consistent with our values, and the core values of the sport of Ultimate, we are compelled to acknowledge and speak out against them in order to help create a better future for the sport and the athletes that play it.

We acknowledge the embarrassment these actions have brought on the Ultimate community and the wider community at large. We commit ourselves to support the Amherst Ultimate program in making the necessary changes in culture to prevent any future incidences. We acknowledge that the Amherst Ultimate Frisbee program does not exist in a vacuum, and we re-commit to support changes to build equity, respect, and justice into the overall ultimate culture of the Valley. Prevention of this behavior is a moving target, but Valley Ultimate is committed to constantly seeking solutions to ensure ultimate frisbee continues to be a leader in developing an equitable and safe sports community. We hope this commitment will have impacts in our broader community.

Our belief is that all people should be treated with dignity and respect at all times with no exceptions or special circumstances. Respect for the rules, for teammates, and for opponents are all central tenants of Ultimate. There are no exceptions. We stand for good spirit, fair play and adherence to the rules. This is the culture we stand for and will work to create and protect now and in the future.

The Valley Ultimate Board

WUD 4.0 Recap

We are so grateful to all the coaches and athletes who came out to our 4^th Womxn’s Ultimate Day. Coaches from Brute Squad, Slow White, Wild Card, and our local grand masters’ team spent the day running skills, mental-resilience, and body mechanics workshops for athletes whose experienced ranged from brand new to ultimate to having veteran club experience.

Athletes split into groups by skill level and rotated through clinic stations on throwing and breaking the mark, cutting, marking, and defensive positioning. Advanced groups learned about throwing windows and footwork for defensive dictating, and beginner groups learned the rules, set their first marks, and threw their first forehands (!!).

After applying new skills in a scrimmage, athletes split into two groups and rotated between mental-resilience and body mechanics workshops. The mental resilience workshop was led by Leila Tunnell and covered goal-setting and tools for refocusing that are key to reaching your potential as an athlete. In the body mechanics workshop, player learned techniques for improving straight-line acceleration and changing directions quickly and safely.

We are already looking forward to Womxn’s Ultimate Day 2021! Although it didn’t work out this year, we’re hoping that in the future, we can add another event with a longer series of workshops on equity in ultimate, leadership, and planning seasons and practices.

The clinic was led and organized by Hannah Baranes and Leila Tunnel. We had a stellar support team of all-star coaches and administrators who helped bring this day to fruition, including Valley Ultimate board members Josh Seamon and Joe Costello. And as always, thanks to Indoor Action Sports in Greenfield for hosting our event!

Our coaches included:

Hannah Baranes (Slow White)
Leila Tunnell (Brute Squad, Happy Valley)
Alex Ode (Brute Squad)
Olivia Hampton (Slow White)
Laura “Buzz” Davis (Valley Grandmasters)
Erin Rea (Brute Squad)
Sarah Judd (Wild Card)
Caroline Pellegrini (Happy Valley)
Tess Johnson (Slow White)
Caitlin Fitzgerald (Slow White)

Thanks again to all who participated, and we’re looking forward to seeing you on the field again soon!

-Leila Tunnell + Hannah Baranes