Happy New Year!

 

During this big thaw I’m sure thoughts are beginning to turn to the spring and the upcoming season.  There’s plenty of winter to go still, but it is time to get underway.  We have major changes and improvements planned for the spring.  The two major ones are:

 

1) The ENTIRE league (not just Division 1) will be UPA sanctioned.  We have made this decision for several reasons:

-          the “L” word, Liability.  It costs BUDA nearly $10 per player to provide liability insurance for teams playing in the league.  This cost was picked up by BUDA last year, but we will not be able to do this again.  The UPA’s liability insurance, which is available to all teams in the league, is a much better deal. 

-          As Ultimate in Massachusetts continues to grow, we want to be sure to appear as professional and well-organized as possible to parents, schools and athletic administrators, to reassure them that we are a legitimate alternative sport.   Sanctioning from the national organization goes a long way towards that, and reduces the temptation on the part of these parties to bar Ultimate or, even worse, to try to step in and take over its organization.

-          Membership in the UPA, particularly for newer players, helps make them aware of the wider world of Ultimate out there, and hopefully stimulate a greater degree of commitment to the sport.

 

            What does this mean for each team?  For Division 1 open teams, and girls teams, there is no change.  You needed to do this anyways to participate in the end-of-the-year tournaments, we are merely asking you to get your paperwork together earlier.  OK, there is one change -- there WILL be stiff penalties for not getting paperwork in on time.  For Division 2 teams, this is a new paperwork challenge, but we will be working very hard to make the process as easy as possible for you.  And yes, there is the additional expense of a UPA membership or, if you choose, the $5 one-time fee.  This should not pose a huge financial hardship for most players; if for any reason this is the case we are open to hearing about it and trying to work something out.

 

2)  A new registration and team contact system similar to the one used by BUDA’s summer club and fall club leagues.  It will offer much better schedule management features and greater privacy for team contacts.  Each team will have a page accessible by other listed team contacts that can include information like directions to fields, etc.  We are in the process of customizing it for high school teams, and should have it ready for team registration by mid-February.  Again, more details and step-by-step instructions will be available soon.

 

Those are the major announcements for now.  Stay tuned to the BUDA HS website for updates, and keep an eye out for specific details of the scheduling meetings.  The eastern one is tentatively scheduled for March 4 or 5.

 

That’s it for now – any questions or concerns, please let me know. And don’t forget the Ultimate Coaches and Players Conference January 26!

 

Thanks,

Catherine Greenwald

Director, BUDA HSUL