Q: How many players participate in the series? In the championships?
A: Last year, over 10,000 club players participated in the club series with about 1,200 going on to the championships in Sarasota, FL. The number of participants in the championships remains fairly consistent from year to year (due to the limit of 16 open, 16 women’s, 16 mixed and 12 masters teams), however the overall number of participants in the series is expected to grow each year.

Q: How has the club series grown over the last few years?
A: Participation in the series has grown from about 8,000 players on 500 teams in 1998 to over 10,000 players on 600 teams in 2003.

Q: What is the open division? Why isn’t it called the men’s division?
A: While open teams almost always consist of men only, women are allowed to compete in this division, thus making it “open” to both men and women.

Q: When did each of the divisions begin?
A: The open division was established in 1979, women’s in 1981, masters in 1991, and mixed in 1998.

Q: What’s a wildcard and how do you determine who gets them?
A: The UPA provides each of the six geographic regions with two bids to the championships. The remaining four bids are allocated through a wildcard system. There are three types of wildcards: strength, size and growth. Strength wildcard allocation is based on the performance of each region in the previous year’s championships. Size wildcards are determined by the number of teams that participate in each region during the current year. Growth wildcards are based on the percentage of new members in a region over the course of the previous year.

Q: How is the championship tournament structured?
A: In the open, women’s and mixed divisions, teams start in pools of four on day one and are reseeded for day two; the top teams go into one set of pools, the bottom teams into another. Pool play begins again on day two, with the top three teams in each of the two top pools advancing to the quarterfinals. The top two teams from the bottom pools are matched up against the bottom two teams from the top pools for the last two spots in the quarters. Quarters and semis are played on day three, and the finals are on day four. The masters division is somewhat different. Play begins with two pools of six on day one and two, with the top four teams from each pool going to the quarterfinals on day two. The masters’ semis and finals are on day three.

Q: How are teams seeded?
A: Seedings are determined by UPA series coordinators.

Q: What awards are given out at the championships? How do you determine who receives them?
A: The open, women’s, mixed and masters division champions and runners up each receive a team trophy as well as individual medals. One team from each division is awarded a team Spirit of the Game™ award for sportsmanship, which is determined based on peer ratings from participating teams. Additionally, each team selects one player from their own team to receive an individual Spirit of the Game™ award. The Farricker Spirit Award is awarded to one player in the open division who best exhibits personal responsibility, integrity and fairness combined with a high standard of playing ability. Each team nominates one player from their team, and then a committee selects a winner from the nominees of the four teams that advance to the semifinals.

Q: How are sites chosen for the championships? How far in advance are they selected? Can I put in a bid?
A: Headquarters begins accepting bids for the site of the club championships almost two years before the event. The UPA looks at a number of factors when determining where the championships will be held; these include: quality of the fields, proximity to a major airport and medical services, local accommodations, weather, and the strength of the local organizing committee. A host site will be selected one year before the series begins. Learn more about putting in a bid to host the championships.

Q: How do I volunteer for the club series?
A: The UPA relies on hundreds of volunteers to pull off a successful series each year, and we can always use more help from energetic and dedicated individuals! Volunteers help in a variety of areas: scorekeeping and reporting, observing, set up and clean up, concessions, etc. Please contact Will Deaver if you’re interested in helping out with the championships in Sarasota, or contact your sectional or regional coordinator if you’re interested in volunteering for any other series event.

Q: Who sponsors the club series? Where do I get more information about becoming a UPA sponsor?
A: The UPA works with a number of local and national sponsors each year, including Discraft and VC Ultimate. For more information about becoming a UPA sponsor, please contact Executive Director Sandie Hammerly at ed@upa.org.