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Tag: ultimate skills development

Skills and drills series a success

May 16, 2019Written by Communications Coordinator

Melissa Wheeler, right, demonstrates throwing techniques. Credit: Nicole Bishop

Ultimate NL successfully hosted its first skill development series for female-matching players from April 10-May 15.

Fifty-three athletes participated in the inaugural series targeting female-matching players to improve their skills through group instruction and drills. With players divided into beginner and intermediate levels to better target the needs of participants, each session focused on one rule and one skill. Topics ranged from backhand and forehand throwing, proper cutting techniques, and offensive and defensive strategies.

All participants who provided feedback indicated that they enjoyed the sessions and felt that their skills improved over the series, says Kathleen Sullivan, Ultimate NL’s sport development co-ordinator.

“We identified the need for this series through feedback from the leagues and our membership, and we decided to create this league to improve the skills and confidence of female-matching players in the community,” says Sullivan. “I am so proud of all the facilitators for their commitment to this series and of all the participants for coming out and wanting to improve on their skills. It was amazing to see how much people improved their skills in only one hour sessions! I hope that everyone had fun and learned something.”

With participant feedback indicating an interest in continuous skill development, Ultimate NL will explore similar opportunities in the future.

Funding for this series was provided by the City of St. John’s Sport Grant.

Free MZU/Tempest clinic

May 4, 2019Written by Communications Coordinator

Mile Zero Ultimate (MZU) and Tempest, the province’s competitive club team for female-matching players, are hosting two free skills clinics soon.

The first clinic will take place on Monday, May 13 from 9-11 p.m. at the Techniplex in St. John’s. Primarily targeting beginner and intermediate players, the clinic will help participants improve their backhand and forehand throws as well as learn how to defend both cutters and throwers, and different cutting techniques.

There will also be a group warm-up and an injury-prevention discussion.

For more information, click here.

To register for the clinic, click here.

Details about the second clinic will be released in early June.

Summer of SWURL

April 29, 2019Written by Communications Coordinator

Registration for summer league offered by the St. John’s Women’s Recreational Ultimate League (SWURL) is now open.

SWURL is a women’s league open to female-matching players age 15 and up. The upcoming summer league will take place on Monday nights from June 17-Aug. 12 (with no games on Canada Day, July 1).

The league will be outdoor 5 vs 5 and is open to all skill levels, from “I’ve never held a disc” to advanced.

Game times will be 5:30-6:30 p.m. or 7-8 p.m. for the first four weeks of the league, then 5:30-6:45 p.m. and 7-8:15 p.m. for the remaining four weeks. All registrants may also participate in a skills and drills session that will take place from 6:30-7 p.m. for the first four weeks of the league. Topics covered will include throwing backhand, throwing forehand, defense 101 and offensive strategies.

Registration is $35 for eight weeks of play (plus a $30 2019-20 Ultimate NL membership if one has not already been purchased).

Interested players may register in pairs or as individuals.

Storm tryout dates

April 5, 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.

New skills and drills league for female-matching players

March 18, 2019Written by Communications Coordinator

Ultimate NL is pleased to introduce a new skills and drills league for beginner and intermediate female-matching players.

This six-week league will focus on introducing and improving skills related to throwing, cutting, defence and offence.

Kathleen Sullivan, Ultimate NL’s sport development coordinator, says the league will help gender equity efforts in the provincial ultimate community.

“With the increased attention on gender equity and the use of WFDF Rule A by Mile Zero Ultimate, increasing the confidence and skill level of female-matching players will translate to a better experience in all their encounters with the sport,” she says. “The goal is to have these players feel comfortable with the disc so they can fully enjoy their playing experience and continue playing ultimate in the future.”

The league is open to female-matching players ages 16 and over. Each session will focus on a specific skill with participants being divided by skill level for some drills in order to help players master the concepts being taught.

“This will be a learning series focusing on skills and drills to allow female-matching players the opportunity to improve their skills in a safe and inclusive indoor environment,” says Sullivan.

League dates:

Wednesday, April 10: 7:30-8:30 p.m.
Wednesday, April 17: 7:30-8:30 p.m.
Wednesday, April 24: 7:30-8:30 p.m.
Wednesday, May 1: 7:30-8:30 p.m.
Wednesday, May 8: 8:30-10 p.m.
Wednesday, May 15: 8:30-10 p.m.

All sessions will take place at the Techniplex in St. John’s. The cost is $60.

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.