2008 Progress Report

Some Background on our Process

More details on our process

The year 2008 marks the 40th Anniversary of the birth of Ultimate, making it a fitting year for the UPA to adopt its first Five Year Strategic Plan. After more than a year and a half of listening to Ultimate players throughout the country, we have come up with a plan that provides a thoughtful foundation for the next forty years -- and for the continued growth and evolution of the sport -- based on the needs and interests of those who know it best, the athletes who love the game.

We titled the process of developing this plan Ultimate Revolution. While the concepts contained in the plan may not seem revolutionary when taken individually or at a glance, in the context of Ultimate and sport in general, they take on a greater meaning.

For example, for many years the UPA has struggled with how to be true to Ultimate's roots of self-officiation while ensuring fair uninterrupted play at the highest levels. In the Ultimate Revolution plan, the UPA is investing in and committing to an expanded role for observers, a willingness to partner with others in order to apply innovation and experiment, as well as a renewed commitment to bring the concept of Spirit of the Game to greater understanding among players of all levels. This is a clear acknowledgement that self-officiating and arbitrated competitive play need not be mutually exclusive, but can work together in such a way that sportsmanship and personal responsibility remain “an essential part” of Ultimate.

What is also revolutionary is the UPA’s promise to the sport that success will not be achieved simply or by accident, but by a thoughtful commitment to organizational priorities and a willingness to consistently review established targets and adapt them to meet the ever-changing landscape of Ultimate throughout the United States.

The UPA thanks all of those who participated in the process – thousands who took time to complete a survey (or two or three), participate in one of more than 25 local community forums and/or 4 regional planning summit, or who served on one of the task forces that drafted the reports used as the basis for the strategic plan. Without you the Ultimate Revolution would have little relevance to what the Ultimate Players Association is all about…the game of Ultimate and the people who embrace it as players, coaches, organizers or fans.

Simple words that together combine to create a strong statement about the future of Ultimate and the role the Ultimate Players Association will play within it.

In order to execute this role, the UPA Board of Directors has adopted the following Strategic Priorities for implementation in 2008-2012.