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Starting a High School Team

Starting a High School Team

  1. Publicize – Let people know that you are starting a team. Put posters around your school and articles in the school newspaper. Carry a disc with you everywhere and throw whenever you have a chance. Tell your friends and get them to tell their friends.
  2. Find an adult sponsor – A teacher at the school will help your team gain legitimacy and will give you a voice with the administration as well as provide stability for a program where the participants graduate. A young teacher who is interested in learning the sport is ideal.
  3. Find a coach – Check your local Disc or Ultimate organization. There are likely many experienced adult players in the area that would be more than willing to help out a High School team. Perhaps even a teacher at the school. Check out information on local leagues.
  4. Show videos – A great way to get students excited about playing is to show them videos of high level Ultimate. They are also a great alternative when the weather does not permit practice. Schedule a get together at lunch or after school and show some Ultimate footage. Check out WrightLife for great videos and other products. I would suggest the Above & Beyond videos from 1999 and 2000.
  5. Schedule practices – Find a time where a lot of people can come out. It is important for your early practices to have a good turnout. If you can get a school field, great! If not, find a local field or park to play in.
  6. Register on the UPA website – Check out the youth website to register your team and find out where other teams are. Remember, if you have an adult contact it will be much easier for teams to get in touch with you. A sponsor, coach, or parent who is interested in helping out can be a valuable resource.
  7. Schedule a game – If you can get a game on or near campus you can promote it and get a large turnout of players and fans. Once students play against another team many are hooked. Look for a team in your area.
  8. Attend a tournament – The Juniors website has a list of Juniors tournaments and the main website has a list of club tournaments. Find one near you and contact the tournament director. Playing at a tournament is a great experience both athletically and socially.
  9. Recruit, Recruit, Recruit – I can’t say this enough. You can never have too many people who want to play Ultimate. If you have too many for one team you can always create a second or “B” team. It is great to recruit freshmen; they are looking for a social niche and once you get them they’ll be playing for four years.
  10. Pass on the team – When you are moving on, find a motivated, knowledgeable returning player to lead the team in the future. Remember to teach them what you know so that they can continue to improve what you have started. Don’t forget to update your team information on the UPA Juniors website.
Last updated 08/29/2004 - 15:50