Welcome to the US Junior National Teams!

Since 1994 the UPA has selected and sent a US Junior open team to the World Flying Disc Federation (WFDF) World Ultimate and Guts Championships (WUGC) and the World Ultimate Junior Championships (WUJC).  In 2000 the UPA selected and sent a US Junior girls team the first year that WFDF held that division.  These events occur in even years.  The US did not send a team in either division in 2002 for a number of reasons.  Every team which the UPA has sent to represent the United States have medalled including earning the gold medal in 1998 (open), 2000 (girls), 2004 (open), 2006 (open and girls) and 2008 (open).

The current process for team selection begins with the head coaches attending the Youth Club Championships in the year prior to the event and scouting players. Next, interested players apply through the UPA website in the early winter.  Up to 80 applicants for each team are invited to attend a try-out camp hosted on each coast in March.  Coaches choose the top 20 players to represent the United States at the event in August.  The site of the world championships is chosen by WFDF. 

US Junior National team head coaches are chosen by a Selection Committee made up of representations from the top 8 leagues that participate in the Youth Club Championships from the year prior to application.  Coaches must be UPA Level I certified and are chosen by application.  Assistant coaches are chosen by the team’s head coaches and must also be Level I certified.

The US Junior National Teams provide an opportunity for the best of the country’s young Ultimate players to compete on the world stage against the best of their age throughout the world.  As the team is made up of players from across the country the team and the try-outs themselves foster goodwill and Spirit of the Game among the top players and leaders for their team.  The try-out camps expose the best players to the best coaches raising the level of play throughout the country.

The UPA will continue to select US Junior National teams biannually.  As the number of high level youth players grows the selection process may be refined to create a more clear channel for reaching the highest level utilizing UPA sanctioned Youth Leagues, the UPA YCC, and/or UPA Certified Coaches.