The UAP Conference for Coaches 2015: Day 1 recap

This updated article was originally published in on Skyd Magazine. You can find the original article here.

The UAP's Conference for Coaches 2015 (aka URCA 2015) kicked off on Sunday with a keynote presentation from WFDF President Rob “Nob” Rauch about WFDF’s path to gaining recognition from the International Olympic Committee and what future lies ahead for ultimate in the Olympic movement. Rob provided a detailed overview of the IOC review process and then fielded an interesting array of questions from the attendees. And, in light of the recent Olympic news, we’ve decided to make the full session available to everyone! Click here to see the full conference session from Rob. 

Takeaways From The Keynote Session 

• WFDF estimates that ultimate and other flying disc sports are played by 7.5 million people worldwide
• Level of participation is on par with gymnastics and field hockey
• WFDF has 65 member associations in 62 countries. Must have male participants in 75 countries on 4 continents (female participants in 40 countries on 3 continents) minimum requirement for inclusion in the Olympics
• Rauch is unequivocal in stating that ultimate does not need referees in order to gain legitimacy in the eyes of the IOC. Self officiation is, in fact, a selling point for an Olympic movement that is trying to get back to the principles upon which the Olympic movement was founded.
• When will ultimate be in the Olympics? We have a reasonable shot at 2024!

How Can YOU Help?

• Support fundraising efforts for teams aiming to participate on the international scene.
• Become a sister city to developing programs. (More info to come from WFDF on this new program!)
• Like to travel? Learn about WFDF’s Disc Missionary Program.

Q&A Insights
Kan asked, “Are the Men’s semi-pro leagues and the disassociation with USA Ultimate a bad thing for ultimate being added to the Olympics? How does the IOC view the AUDL/MLU? Will they disrupt the visionary culture of our sport if they don’t adapt to WFDF standards?”

Rob responded, “The IOC is aware of the semi-pro leagues, finds it interesting, but does not view it as a WFDF endeavor because it isn’t,” and continued that WFDF believes the semi-pro leagues are promoting a version of ultimate that isn’t true to the spirit of the WFDF programs. He concluded, “I think they are missing a great branding opportunity [self-officiation], and one which would make it a whole lot easier for not only USA Ultimate but also the world to be supportive of what they’re trying to do.”

Ken was also the lucky winner of a free jersey from URCA sponsor Five Ultimate. Come to today’s talks, ask questions, and you can be a winner too!

Clip Of The Day

Rob discusses the feedback the IOC gave to WFDF on their application, including positives in the sport’s development, such as gender equity.  You can follow WFDF on Facebook

Join The Conference!

Today’s talks:

• Melissa Witmer: 14:00 EDT, “How To Plan A Focused Scrimmage Your Players Will Love!”
• Alex Snyder: 21:00 EDT, “Dumps, Swings, Breaks, Oh My: Attacking Lateral Space and Using the Width of the Field.”

What Is this Conference for Coaches?

The UAP's Conference for Coaches (aka URCA) is a free online coaching conference. We believe coaches will determine the growth and trajectory of ultimate. Through the Conference, we hope to inspire more people to become coaches, especially at the youth level in the US where a lack of coaches inhibits the growth of the division. Most importantly, we hope to foster discussion about best practices in coaching not just for teaching skills, but also for passing SOTG on to the next generation of players.