Our very own Felicia Yang wrote a post for 99 Days of Ultimate Women detailing the formation of our league. Check it out below!
Day 2 of #99DoUW: Perks of Pro. by Felicia Yang.
One of the biggest challenges I took on this year was the formation of the West Coast Women's Ultimate professional series which comprised 4 games between Los Angeles Ninety-Nines, San Diego Wolfpack, and Seattle Cascades women's rosters. I'd like to spend some time talking about the benefits of professional ultimate from my perspective, particularly in comparison to club as the traditional format.
First and foremost, the VISIBILITY that the professional stage provides is unmatched. Having a stadium setting that's built for spectators to come see our sport makes it easier for people to come watch and enjoy our game. The announcers and stadium seating and game day experience only add to that to allow muggles, non-ultimate people, to get a taste and learn about ultimate in a welcoming environment. I found that my teammates and I were able to invite friends and family to come watch our games in ways that would not be possible in club. There, guests have to squeeze onto the sideline, fear being hit by discs or bidding players, and there's no one to explain what's going on while we are all busy playing. If we want our sport to be more watchable, there's a strong case for pro.
Another point about local communities being involved came to mind when following the Eurostars tour this year. Top tier club teams like Fury and Brute Squad posted that their Eurostars showcase game would be the ONLY opportunity to see them play locally all season. I'm betting that for a lot of the audience at those games, it was pretty incredible to see these world-class athletes in a live setting, and I expect they would love for more of those live high-caliber games to be ACCESSIBLE locally.
One more point on visibility-- the live stream. Coverage of all levels of ultimate are being covered at an unprecedented frequency. Even so, there's so much more that can be done. The benefit of pro here is that the revenue from promoting a professional level team and selling tickets and merchandise can go directly toward producing more streamed games and content to increase visibility. Companies like Ultiworld and Fulcrum and TVX are doing an amazing job already and I love being able to watch live games or video replay from distant tournaments, and adding another path to streaming more games is another benefit of pro, especially for people who may not be on club teams that tend to get featured in current filming schedules. Really it's about increasing the BREADTH of the coverage that's available.
Next point-- GAME FORMAT. 7-8 game tournament weekends are standard, and they are brutal on our bodies. They are difficult to strategize for, and the injuries that occur when we are fatigued can be extremely damaging and costly both physically, mentally, and financially. Professional ultimate offers a way to avoid that. 1 game per day. Maybe it's low efficiency if you're trying to squeeze in a bunch of games against a bunch of opponents in a short time (I do understand why club tournaments are the way they are). But it's really nice to be able to plan to be fresh for your one game, have your entire roster firing and ready to play at their highest level for a short period of time, and not be as concerned about staying fed and hydrated and healthy through an entire grueling tournament weekend. From the coaching perspective, this also allows time for more detailed film study and strategic planning against a particular opponent.
Last point, everyone's favorite. MONEY. I see this in terms of sustainability more than profitability. We know money makes the world go round, and we need it to play. In club, players pay their own way and often have to fundraise because club seasons with just 2 tournaments requiring flights can easily cost $1000+. Professional ultimate offers an avenue for that money to come from external sources rather than players own pockets. When fans pay to watch our games, when they buy our jerseys, when sponsors give us money or products because they can advertise to our crowds, they are diffusing the cost of playing at a high level. This means the things like marketing ourselves and promoting our games become an essential part of participating in a professional league. This also means that players are less limited by their socioeconomic status or financial burdens which generates more EQUITY in our sport and creates opportunity for more diverse representation. Maybe pro ultimate provides a goal to work toward, an opportunity to say, "If I can work hard and improve my game and make a professional team, I will not have to pay to play the sport I love."
My ask here is that people consider the benefits of a format that is different from what we are used to. I think professional ultimate can create opportunities for playing, visibility, and community that are distinct from club and are extremely valuable.