Whatever success UFA had in 2014 would not have been possible without the volunteer efforts of many fine, forward-thinking community members. I would like to mention some of them in thanks for their work on your and my behalf. Hopefully I don’t forget anyone.
Hy Carrel is a non-stop, selfless, social, volunteer machine. In the beginning he agreed to be our Volunteer Coordinator and in the end he did so much more than that. Astris* would not have had the success it had without Hy. And I probably would have gone crazy along the way without his wise and kind reassurances.
Beckie Menten and David Morley were the first two people to commit to helping me with this. They are visionaries in their own rights and they nurtured this idea into a reality. The bay area ultimate scene would not be the same without these two. Beckie’s love for this sport and all those who play it inspires me. I’m lucky to have her as a friend and you’re lucky I have her with me in important meetings raising questions and negotiating on your behalf. Morley’s passion for teaching ultimate and his ability to connect with people made him incredibly useful at our practices. Under his coaching on Alchemy, I benefitted directly from his knowledge as did all Mini Campers. It was his commitment to the vision of UFA that allowed me to integrate my own playing experience with the organization we were starting. Another great friendship spawned on the ultimate field.
Rusty May was our first benefactor. He donated discs and cones before we’d ever stepped onto a field so that we could have a successful Mini Camp. His efforts on our behalf came entirely of support for our vision, we had never met until introduced by a mutual friend. He found time to scout fields for us during his preparation for his position as Volunteer Coordinator at the World Championship in Italy. His support meant a lot to me even though he never stepped out from behind the curtain.
Much credit must be given to the leadership of each individual team. Thank you Eli Menaker, Beckie Menten and Jacky Lee for bringing Barbary Coast Dance Hall together. Anarchy captains Panda, Tweak, and Skippy all did fantastic jobs. The many-faced Alchemy army of David Morley, Cathleen Hamel-Hartge, Colyn Flynn, Jesse White, Ginger Wong, and Tiffany Fields led our team to a Regionals berth in our first year of existence, no small task in this area. Hy Carrel, Jessica Smith, and Jannon Frank helped Astris* through the tough times and towards the promised land.
We also had help from our friends at the Bay Area Disc Association, without which we could not have dreamed nearly so big for Year One. Jesse White was instrumental in bringing our idea to BADA and garnering the support that led to their supporting UFA as a BADA program with the multitude of benefits included in that arrangement. Thanks to everyone on the BADA Board for seeing the value in what we are offering and especially to Jim Berry, treasurer extraordinaire. Jim was always available to help with our budget, software problems, and other things that nobody wants to deal with. He was the real unsung hero of 2014.
Many thanks also to everyone who helped run drills at Mini Camp or practice. Colin “Money” Morgan, Bill Liu, Jeffro Valeros, An-Chi Tsou, Greg Marliave, Drew Kim, Evan Brydon, and anyone escaping my mind at the moment.
Lastly, THANK YOU for participating in our crazy experiment. Some things worked. Some things didn’t. We have much to learn as we build the most fun, high-yield, sustainable, player-centric ultimate experience we can imagine. We have a long way to go before my vision for UFA is realized and we’re going to need a lot of help along the way. There will always be a place for you on our fields, on our volunteer list, and in our ranks of leadership. Stay tuned for a look ahead at Year Two.
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