Ultimate Players Association
|
|
The Ultimate Players Association, founded in 1979, is a not-for-profit organization that serves as the governing body of the sport of Ultimate frisbee in the United States.
Its mission is "to promote and support the sport of Ultimate and its players; to increase participation in the sport of Ultimate at all levels; to uphold the Spirit of the Game™, including personal responsibility and integrity; and to provide a framework for players to organize and conduct competition and other activities related to Ultimate." [1] (http://www.upa.org/upa/factsheet.pdf) (PDF)
The UPA's main focus is the Championship Series; it sanctions certain tournaments that are held throughout the year in three divisions (Club, College, Youth) and runs the championship tournaments at the end of the respective seasons. The Club division is subdivided into Open, Women's, Mixed, and Masters divisions which have their season in the fall. The College and Youth divisions are subdivided into Open and Women's divisions and have their season in the spring. Aside from the championship series, other programs exist, such as Innovation Grants which are given out to local ultimate organizations who apply for funding for special programs.
The UPA is run by a twelve-person Board of Directors that is elected by the membership; a director's term is three years, rotated such that four seats come up for election each calendar year. At least one representative is elected from each of the six UPA Club regions (Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, South, Central, Southwest, Northwest) with the remaining six elected from the membership at large. The Board is responsible for hiring staff, budgeting, and considering proposals and rule changes.
Over 20,000 people are currently members of the UPA; memberships are $40 per calendar year ($30 for college students, $20 for players 18 and under) and allow participation at sanctioned tournaments, as well as a subscription to the quarterly UPA newsletter and discounts on some ultimate paraphernalia.
External link
- www.upa.org The UPA homepage