Empowering Young Female Athletes: A Step Towards Growth in Ultimate Frisbee

Ultimate NL was pleased to hold separate adult mixed and youth female-matching skill development clinics this Winter 2025. A great group of over 10 participants combined, including three youth female-matching athletes, got the opportunity to learn and improve their skills. These clinics are part of a broader upward momentum for women’s ultimate in the province.

Since the onset of the pandemic in 2020, the women’s ultimate scene in Newfoundland and Labrador has flourished, with remarkable achievements from both youth and adult teams. Recently, the MUN Seahawks women clinched the Division II title at the Canadian University Ultimate Championships (CUUC), showcasing the talent and dedication within our province. However, as Maria Dodd, UNL Sport Development Director notes, “reaching an adequate number of female-matching youth athletes remains a challenge for both competitive and school-based teams.”

To address this, we proudly hosted our first Youth Female-Matching Skill Development Clinic on December 15, 2025. This clinic was designed to create a supportive environment where young female athletes could develop their skills, gain confidence, and foster camaraderie. The clinic was all about creating space for these athletes to develop their skills, gain confidence, and support one another.

Maria emphasized that “Ultimate NL is committed to expanding opportunities for female-matching youth to develop and strengthen their skills through free clinics such as this one.” Initiatives like these “represent an important first step towards achieving this goal,” she goes on to say.

As a crucial first step in building a robust pipeline of talent in our sport, we are excited to continue offering such opportunities, ensuring that every young female-matching athlete has the chance to thrive in ultimate frisbee, not only recreationally with our youth leagues or competitively on the national or international stage.

Ultimate NL is already looking forward to the next clinic and to empowering the next generation of female-matching athletes!