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Category: Youth Ultimate

Ultimate NL announces Storm, youth tournaments sponsor

March 20, 2019Written by Communications Coordinator

Pictured are Ultimate NL vice-president Melissa Wheeler, John Mackenzie, Dr. Trina Bailey and president Nick House at the 2018 awards gala. — Left to right: Ultimate NL vice-president Melissa Wheeler, John Mackenzie, Dr. Trina Bailey and president Nick House.

Ultimate Newfoundland and Labrador is pleased to announce that Veterinary Specialty Centre (VSC) of Newfoundland and Labrador is the new corporate sponsor for Storm and our youth provincial tournaments.

VSC, co-owned by Dr. Trina Bailey and John Mackenzie, is the only clinic in Newfoundland and Labrador that provides advanced medical care for pets in the province.

The duo became interested in sponsoring ultimate after watching their son, Ewan, participate in the junior open Storm program last year.

“I am so impressed by the communication, problem-solving skills and camaraderie of players on and off the field,” said Mackenzie. “I wanted to determine if there was anything our company could do to further support this inspiring behaviour, the skill development of the players and the growth of this commendable sport in the province.”

VSC’s sponsorship will help offset the cost of field rentals, athletic gear, travel and other expenses related to operating Storm, the province’s junior open and female competitive club teams. The sponsorship will also go towards expenses associated with hosting Ultimate NL’s annual elementary, junior high and senior high provincial tournaments this spring.

“We’re excited to partner with Veterinary Specialty Centre as it’s an organization that is invested in our community and shares our values in providing many opportunities for young people to play ultimate in this province,” says Nick House, president of Ultimate NL. “It will have an immediate impact on our Storm and youth programs, and help us expand them beyond what has been possible until now.”

“Ultimate is a great sport that is adaptable to many skill levels, making it inclusive and fun. It also brings people together in a positive way,” adds Dr. Bailey. “We look forward to being a part of an exciting season ahead.”

To learn more about Storm, click here.

Storm tryout dates

March 14, 2019Written by Communications Coordinator

Members of Storm, Newfoundland and Labrador's junior competitive club teams, march in the opening ceremony of the 2018 Canadian Ultimate Championships. — Storm at the opening ceremony for the 2018 Canadian Ultimate Championships.

Youth players are invited to try out for Storm, the province’s junior competitive club teams, next month.

Ultimate Newfoundland and Labrador offers junior open and female teams in its competitive Storm program. Male- and female-matching players who are between the ages of 14 and 18 as of Dec. 31, 2019 are eligible to try out.

The teams will compete at the 2019 Canadian Ultimate Championships from Aug. 11-14 in Edmonton, AB.

Tryout dates are as follows:

Junior Women

Wednesday, April 17, 7-8:30 p.m.
Saturday, April 20, 5:30-8:30 p.m.
Wednesday, May 1, 7-9 p.m.

Junior Open

Saturday, April 6, 8-9:30 p.m.
Saturday, April 13, 8-9:30 p.m.
Saturday, April 20, 5:30-8:30 p.m.

All tryouts will take place at the Techniplex in St. John’s.

Athletes outside the Avalon who cannot make the tryouts and are interested in the team, as well as all other inquiries, may be directed to Luke Dyer, Youth Development and Competition Director, at youth@ultimatenl.ca.

Storm is sponsored by Veterinary Specialty Centre of Newfoundland and Labrador.

Storm coaches named for 2019 season

February 20, 2019Written by Communications Coordinator

Left to right: Craig Stoyles, Laurel Penney, Natalie O’Donnell and Claire Moore-Gibbons.

Ultimate Newfoundland and Labrador has selected two returning coaches and two new coaches to lead the 2019 Storm season.

Craig Stoyles is returning as head coach for the junior open team while Laurel Penney also returns as assistant coach.

Stoyles is a trained community ultimate coach and Special Olympics coach with 15 years of coaching experience. He also currently heads the team at Holy Spirit High School and is working on competitive coaching certification.

Penney is a trained community coach and is also working on certification at the competitive level. She’s currently the head coach at Beaconsfield Junior High and Waterford Valley Senior High and has organized many events and tournaments related to promoting Spirit of the Game.

“I love this sport,” says Stoyles. “I want to foster growth at a grassroots level by teaching the team the importance of Spirit of the Game and how to win with dignity and lose with grace.”

On the female-matching side, Natalie O’Donnell has been selected as head coach with Claire Moore-Gibbons filling the assistant coach role.

O’Donnell and Moore-Gibbons are two of only three nationally certified competitive coaches in the province. They are co-coaches at Mount Pearl Senior High, and O’Donnell also leads a team at Paradise Elementary School. They both coached the junior women’s team in 2015 that attended the Canadian Ultimate Championships (CUC).

“I’m excited to work with Ultimate NL to build a junior women’s program that’s sustainable and successful in the long-term,” says O’Donnell. “I really think that we have a lot of talent and room for development at this level here in Newfoundland and Labrador.”

All four coaches are currently involved in Ultimate NL’s youth competitive development camp.

Storm tryouts will be held in April.

Winter elementary, junior high leagues announced

January 25, 2019Written by Communications Coordinator

Elementary-aged participants in our summer elementary camp are pictured with discs. — Ultimate NL is hosting elementary and junior high development leagues this winter.

Ultimate Newfoundland and Labrador is pleased to announce that it is hosting development leagues for elementary and junior high-aged players this winter.

The winter elementary development league will be held on Tuesdays from Feb. 19-March 26 from 5:30-6:30 p.m. Players in Grades 3-6 are eligible to participate, and the cost is $50.

The winter junior high development league will be take place on Mondays from Feb. 18-April 1 (no games on March 18) from 7-8 p.m. This league is open to players in Grades 7-9 and there is a $50 registration fee.

Both leagues will be held in the gymnasium in the Paul Reynolds Centre in St. John’s.

These leagues will focus on introducing new skills and enhancing understanding of ultimate while also providing the opportunity for more experienced players to develop their skills with progressive drills, one-on-one coaching and weekly scrimmages.

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Ultimate NL launches competition development camp for youth athletes

January 10, 2019Written by Communications Coordinator

Ultimate Newfoundland and Labrador is offering a youth competition development camp for teens ages 13-18 this winter.

Participants will enjoy drills, skills development and game situations while also receiving one-on-one mentorship and guidance from experienced ultimate players and coaches. It’s the the first time that Ultimate NL has offered a camp specifically targeted at developing potential competitive athletes.

“The purpose of this camp is to help young players take their skills to the next level,” says Luke Dyer, Ultimate NL’s youth performance and development co-ordinator. “We will work with them to identify their strengths and weakness as well as show them what’s necessary and expected for players on a provincial-level team. Through individual feedback, we hope they can gain a greater understanding of what they need to work on to improve as ultimate players.”

“The purpose of this camp is to help young players take their skills to the next level.” – Luke Dyer

One of Ultimate NL’s priorities is to grow its junior competitive program. There are currently two competitive club teams in the junior open and women’s divisions, both named Storm. The competition development camp is intended to build player skills and capacity that will eventually help increase the competitiveness of the Storm teams.

In 2018, Ultimate NL sent its first junior women’s team to the Canadian Ultimate Championships where they finished 20th overall and second in the spirit rankings. The open team broke seed to finish 20th (up from a 24th-place ranking) and 11th overall in spirit.

“We’re offering them the opportunity to demonstrate and improve their skills, which they can then bring to competitive teams like Storm now and in the future,” said Dyer. “While you don’t have to be a Storm player to take part in the camp, we hope many participants will discover the fun and camaraderie that comes with playing on high-level teams and come out to tryouts later this winter.”

Storm tryouts will be held in February and March. Details will be announced in the coming months.

The competition development camp will be held on Thursdays from 4:30-5:30 p.m. at the Techniplex in St. John’s from Feb. 7-March 14. The cost is $60.

Coaches needed for Storm

January 4, 2019Written by Communications Coordinator

We are currently seeking head coaches (two positions) and assistant coaches (two positions) for the junior open and women’s divisions of Storm, the province’s premiere junior ultimate club teams.

The application deadline is Monday, Jan. 14, 2019. Click the links below for more information and to apply.

Click the links below for more information and to apply.

Head coach

Assistant coach

St. Bon’s wins Mount Pearl invitational

December 14, 2018Written by Communications Coordinator

St. Bonaventure's College recently won the Mount Pearl Senior High invitational tournament. — St. Bonaventure’s College recently won the Mount Pearl Senior High invitational tournament.

Six teams recently took to the court at the third annual Mount Pearl Senior High invitational tournament.

Mount Pearl Senior High, Holy Heart High School, Holy Spirit High School, Gonzaga High School and St. Bonaventure’s College participated in the one-day tournament held Dec. 8.

This year, the tournament format was changed to four-on-four to reflect the version of ultimate recently adopted as a Foundation Sport by School Sports Newfoundland and Labrador (SSNL). This version of ultimate is fast-paced and provides equal playing time for male and female players with a 2:2 ratio.

“Players really seemed to enjoy this change!” said Aaron Power, tournament organizer and coach of the Mount Pearl Senior High squad. “Play was very competitive and quick-paced with all games in the round robin being close and exciting games.”

The gold medal game saw St. Bon’s take on Holy Heart in a competitive and highly-spirited match. St. Bon’s won the game 14-9.

Celebrate Spirit of the Game!

November 30, 2018Written by Communications Coordinator

Spirit of the game is an integral and essential aspect of ultimate, and on Monday, Dec. 3 it’s being celebrated worldwide with International Spirit of the Game Day!

As International Spirit of the Game Day falls on Mile Zero Ultimate (MZU)’s regularly scheduled league play, we’re pleased to partner with MZU to help mark the occasion. We are:

– encouraging spirited play in all games (and leagues!);
– inviting all teams to play a spirit game following their spirit circle;
– celebrating the Most Spirited Players with swag and photo ops; and
– encouraging players to have discussions about spirit both on and off the field.

This year, the theme for iSOTG Day is “youth,” so we’ll also be giving Spirit of the Game extra emphasis in our youth leagues on Dec. 2. We’ll talk about the importance of spirit in ultimate as well as play some spirit games so the next generation of players is able to carry forward the respect, passion and fair-mindedness that spirit of the game represents.

Learn more about Spirit of the Game.

Follow our social media channels for much more about Spirit of the Game and iSOTG Day!

Coaches needed for Acadian Games

November 2, 2018Written by Communications Coordinator

Franco-Jeunes de Terre-Neuve et du Labrador is looking for coaches to lead Newfoundland and Labrador’s French youth ultimate team at this summer’s annual Jeux de l’Acadie.

The games are being held this year from June 27-30 with about 1,500 athletes from across Atlantic Canada participating in a variety of sports.

One or two coaches are needed to lead tryouts and practices leading up to the games as well as coach the team during the games itself. French skills are an asset but fluency is not required.

For more information, contact Stephen Theriault at stephen.theriault@liebherr.com.

NL Storm members named national junior all-stars

October 15, 2018Written by Communications Coordinator

Madison Hull

Cameron Penney

Two members of NL Storm were named to junior all-stars at the 2018 Junior Canadian Ultimate Championships.

Madison Hull was named to the junior female squad and Cameron Penney to the junior open team. A player from each team at the tournament is named a junior all-star.

NL Storm competed at CUC Aug. 12-19 in Brampton, ON, finishing with the province’s best performance at the national competition. The open team broke seed to finish 20th (up from 24th) and 11th overall in spirit. The junior women made their first-ever appearance at CUCs, finishing 20th overall and second in spirit.