| September 2003 | CUPA e-newsletter | Volume 1, Issue 1 |
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There are many changes afoot at the Canadian Ultimate Players Association this year. Many of you may be wondering who the Board of Directors are, and what the Board actually does, how decisions get made, and how you can help make a difference to Canadian Ultimate. In brief, John Harris stepped down last year as CUPA's longstanding Executive Director.
A restructuring committee was formed and headed by Kiersten Stead, who had to step down due to personal obligations early in the summer of 2003. Several Montrealers stepped up to fill the void and have been working alongside the Board of Directors to help map out CUPA's future. First on our list of tasks is to hire an Executive Director who will take care of the day-to-day organization of CUPA. This Executive Director's other immediate tasks be responsible for registering CUPA as a non-profit organization and look into securing Ultimate's future in Canada, as CUPA looks into registering as an amateur athletic association. The Executive Director will be a paid position for the first time in 2003-2004. See below for details about the job! Secondly, there are 6 positions open on the board. All applications must be in by September 15th, 2003. Shortly after all nominations have been accepted, all members will receive an e-mail asking them to vote on on the candidates they would like to have representing them on the BOD. Every vote counts! For more information, click here. All these changes and more are going to take place over the coming months. Please visit www.canadianultimate.com regularly for updates. We have a long way to go and any support, suggestions, and help you would like to offer will only benefit CUPA. Please direct your feedback to cupa@canada.com Thank you. Sincerely,
Alison Fischer |
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The Canadian Ultimate Championships results are in! And the winners are...
For a complete list of results, reports and photographs, visit the CUC 2003 website. |
The CUPA Board of Directors voted unanimously that the position of Executive Director should be paid for 2003-2004. Qualified candidates should submit their resumes and a brief blurb (250 words or less) about their involvement with Ultimate by September 15, 2003.
This is an excellent opportunity to help develop Ultimate across Canada and forge new directions for CUPA. The job description will develop as the year progresses and tasks are accomplished. If you are innovative, hard-working, with strong organizational skills, a familiarity with non-profit organizations and a passion for Ultimate, please consider applying for this position.
The Board of Directors will contact and interview all candidates whose resumes warrant further examination. This is currently not a full-time opportunity, as this year will be used as a gauge to determine how much work the Executive Director will have on average for the entire year.
Please e-mail resumes or any questions you may have to cupa@canada.com. Please put the words "Executive Director of CUPA" in the subject line of your e-mail and be sure to include your name and how we may contact you.
In an exclusive interview, Mike Grant reveals who his Ultimate starting seven are, what pickup line is a surefire hit and why juniors' Ultimate is where it's at. Read on for more...
1) Where do you see Ultimate in Canada in 5 years?
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MG: Canadian ultimate will be amazing in 5 years if there's continued growth in our junior programs. The more effort put forth by current players to create solid high school leagues will undoubtedly spur the growth of Canadian Ultimate. We need growth, youth, and excitement in order to become more competitive as a country. Teams like Phoenix are needed in each city (young exciting teams where players can hone there skills) to create a middle learning ground between juniors and top open teams. Then these players can join the more experienced team to maximize their potential. This is exactly how Furious was created why it continually fields a great team. YOUTH DEVELOPMENT!
2) Who is your favourite player to watch?
MG: Tough question. Very tough. I guess I love watching guys who play a similar game to me because I'm always trying to learn more to add to my game. Andrew Lugsdin has taught me more about lane cutting than anyone else in ultimate (still does) so I guess he'd be my top pick. Other notable players who impress me are Moses Rifkin and Fortunat Mueller from DOG, Sammy CK from Sockeye, John Hassle from GOAT, and Damien Scott from Jam.
3) What is your favourite Canadian city?
MG: Nightlife - Montreal by far. Outdoors - Vancouver. Need to combine both cities to have the world's best city. Think about it, you'd have the ocean and mountains during the day (swimming, skiing, snowboarding, etc) and the amazing nightlife, cobblestone streets, patio's, bars, and restaurants at night. I'd live there for sure. I'm pretty sure that city would have the worlds best ultimate team too.
4) If you could pick an Ultimate starting 7, who would be on that line?
M.G.: Evan Wood, Al Nichols, Jeff Cruickshank, Andrew Lugsdin, Marc Seraglia, Kirk Savage, Span.
5) Rumour has it Furious boys practice yoga. Is this true and if so, how does/has it helped your game?
M.G.: If by 'Furious boys' you mean 'myself and Marc Seraglia' then yes you're correct. I stumbled onto Bikrams yoga 2 years ago after a few injuries and a lack of flexibility hindered my game. I went about 2-3 times a week for 6 months or so and my speed, endurance, flexibility, and agility improved incredibly. I stopped going last September (2002) b/c I felt like I was in a cult, however, I still have the flexible base 1 year later! I think it's good but in moderation.
As for the rest of Furious going...one thing about our team is that we're an extremely lazy team, meaning that things like yoga are not a priority in the off season.
6) What is your favourite throw?
M.G.: My favorite throw is the flick huck. I look for it first every time I look upfield and get disappointed when it's not there....Next in line is the upside down backhand that I'm too scared to throw in games. I can launch it in warm-ups and league games...almost ready for big games.
7) Why have you taken on a thrower vs. receiver role over the last few years?
M.G.: Consider Vince Carter (not that I'm even remotely comparing myself to him...). When he first started out in the NBA, he was an exciting dunker who didn't do much else. Over the last few years, he's stopped dunking as much and has developed an all around offensive game so that he's not so predictable. He's now much more valuable to his team.
I'm a lane cutter who loves to huck and strike and I'll always be that until I'm too old to jump. Last year, with the brief retirement of Jeff Cruickshank, I definitely came in more for the disc as opposed to going long but that was more because we had some great strikers who were more confident going long than coming in. I've worked hard on my throwing the last few years to become more than a one-dimentional player so i took a brief striking hiatus last season to try something new. Now with Jeff Cruickshank back, and a rejuvinated Kirk Savage hucking the disc I'll definitely find myself in the endzone with the disc more often. The only difference is that I'll be more confident at all aspects of the game than in the past.
8) How did you like the venue for this year's Canadian National Championship finals?
M.G.: After being skeptical at first, the Fieldturf at Molson Stadium blew me away. It was amazingly fast and soft to run on in my GAIAs (no need for turf shoes) and laying out was as natural as it is on grass. Definite thumbs up from all of Furious. Now we have to figure out how to change all grass fields to the Molson Stadium Fieldturf ;-)
9) What does it feel like to be the reigning UPA and Canadian National Champions?
M.G.: Winning Canadian Nationals this year was an exciting feeling because we put a lot of effort into our training after all the East/West hype. When there's a chance to represent Canada at World Championships on the line, it makes the victory even sweeter though. With that being said, I was excited to hear the build up to Nationals this year b/c it means all other Canadian cities are taking ultimate more and more seriously. It's great to see the dedication and improvement displayed in Canadian Ultimate over the last couple years and I guarantee a more competitive nationals next time round, with the great talent displayed by GOAT, Phoenix, Mephisto, and Calgary. All it takes is a bit of effort!
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Nichols of Furious George (Al-Bob) By: GWAC Chasing Plactic |
As for winning UPAs last fall, that feeling compares to no other. It's by far the most satisfying victory I've had in Ultimate (more so than winning World Championships and World Games). I've never been prouder to be apart of a team than after we scored the final point. The cheers from Fuse drowned out the American majority and made me feel extremely proud to be a Canadian Ultimate player. The best part of winning was remembering back to what got us that moment - Canadian Nationals, league, pick-up, etc. We started playing in Canada and learned from each other for so many years before battling American teams. So satisfying.
10) What's the best Ultimate pickup line?
M.G.: This one always works. "Hello, my name is Al-Bob from Furious George. Will you come home with me?"