Just a few years back the Youth Club Championships were invented to bring teams from across the nation together for one common goal: Youth, Spirit, Competition. Isn't this like Nationals? Pretty much accept this is a championship comprised of the top teams from there league. You have to apply for the YCC's and the UPA chooses you to participate in this. It is an honor to represent your area and your team in these championships since few actually get to participate in it. Teams may participate in three divisions: Open, Girls, Mixed. Last year Seattle owned both the Open and Women's division with Atlanta winning the Mixed. This year the San Francisco bay area would like to see if they have what it takes to battle with the best.
Allen Thoe of Jam, and Foothill High School's Ultimate Coach has sent in an application to participate in this year's YCC's. The team would be comprised of youth Ultimate players from around the bay area and would like to make there mark in this year's YCC's held in Blaine, Minnesota. If the team is accepted Coach Thoe will hold tryouts for the available spots on the team. What is meant of "available spots?" He has players already in mind that will automatically make the team if interested and then there will be at least one tryout for the remaining spots.
A smiling Foothill High School player known as JT has already thought of a name "I like the name Jam Jr." I believe this to be one of those players to be on Coach Thoe's "already on the team list."
Only eight Open and Mixed teams make the championships and Seattle will get more than one of those bids. So Thoe is hoping that they will be accepted as a Mixed team. According to former YCC participant Casey Ikeda (Seattle), on the Seattle teams if you tried out for the team you were asked what you would prefer and if you didn't make the single gendered teams would you be willing to play mixed. Does this mean that Mixed is easier than single-gendered? I believe that in the competitive Ultimate area's like Seattle and Boston/North East Ultimate is played like other sports (Basketball, Baseball, etc.) where the sports are all single gendered, so it's not surprising at the thought of those area's players wanting to play single-gendered. If Thoe's team wants to make a name for its self than maybe this is best for the boys and girls of the bay area.
As a coach I understand what kind of opportunity this is, but what would a player think though? "I love
YCC and I had a great time in 2005 and 2007," stated Casey Ikeda when I talked to him. "You get to see and play against the best youth ultimate players in the nation. Also you get to play with the best players in your community which is ton of fun and for the players who are use to only 3-4 great ultimate players and the rest are just learning the game. To be on a team with 17 vet ultimate players, with a coach who doesn’t have to waste time going over basic, the level of play is amazing." Casey brought all of the knowledge he learned through his youth experience to Las Positas College and the club team Yeah Right. Ikeda also brings up a great point about what could come of the competition in the bay. "The players on the YCC team will bring what they learned to there own high school team. Also if your a new team (like the bay will be) YCC is a great chance to see how other youth programs are being run." This YCC team could put the bay area teams in check. These players are not going to want to come back to there teams and then play with mediocre players. I'm sure they will want to advance there team to what they have just experienced.
Even if this team isn't chosen this year they soon will be and the bay area will never be the same. Is the bay ready for this change? Some coaches are and some aren't but it's going to happen, or your team will remain on the bottom of the league totum pole.
Good luck to the Coach Thoe on getting the bid. Here at UlternativesSports we hope that you get the bid and get these deserving kids a great experience.
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