The Proactive UPA

To answer George's question regarding how can RC's (and indirectly, the UPA) be more proactive, I have a few undeveloped ideas. I think the biggest thing they can do is not only remove any financial risks assumed by the tournament directors, but also help them profit.

I think long gone are the days of players resenting other players making a buck off of ultimate -- given the service provided is of a high quality. Look no further than Rob of UltiVillage for evidence of that fact. The guy is obviously turning a profit, else he'd have given it up long ago. Either that, or he's got a sugar mama and is the hardest working volunteer in ultimate.

I have no idea how much Rob is making, nor do I care, nor has any real resentment toward the profit he's making amassed. Why? Because he's providing an extremely valued product. We players value PT, probably more than video footage, which is why I've never really heard much backlash against steep tournament fees (at least not for a couple years). Even Potlatch, the world's biggest and most expensive (from a registration fee perspective) tournament, no longer has "why is the registration fee so expensive?" on their FAQ page. I guess it's not asked very frequently anymore.

Of course, they do publish their $5k+ deficit budget, so maybe that's why no one's asking.

Regardless of the profiting, let's face it, tournament fees are the smallest of the tournament expenses for individuals. I typically spend $20+ on travel, $40+ on food, and $20+ on lodging. Yes, I've spent less than that at tournaments. At some point, every ultimate player has put 7 people and all their gear in one minivan, only to meet another car at the hotel to share one room that by Sunday morning makes you wish you were in a gas station restroom because you need relief from the odor. But now, I'm employed and prefer to sleep without feet next to my head and on a soft surface. As such, being that my club team is 14+ players, it's rare to see my share of the tournament fee more than $20.

With that in mind, after having a conversation with Greg Williams over the weekend, I know he's lost a lot of money over the years putting on tournaments. And I know he's not alone. It's a lot of work and a lot of risk. The UPA needs to assuage that risk to promote the likelihood that a TD will step up and run a good tournament AND not lose any of his or her personal money. Frankly, it's ridiculous for the UPA to ask a person to put dozens of hours into a thankless job that will also potentially leave his or her wallet hundreds of dollars lighter.

How does the UPA do that? I don't know exactly, as I've not seen every budget of every UPA tournament and I've only personally directed one tournament (it wasn't UPA sponsored). Maybe they already do this, but if the UPA were willing to assume some of the financial risk of every UPA Championship Series tournament (in exchange for capitalizing on a percentage of their profits), I'm sure individuals would be more willing to step up. The UPA Event Hosting outline doesn't explicitly address who pays and who profits.

It was not long ago that tournament fees were regularly just $100, but those were the kinds of tournaments run on "ultimate time." The transition to better run and more expensive events happened quickly. Maybe the trend needs to continue.

Bottom line, TDs need not be afraid of making more money and UPA should not only encourage them to make a buck, but help them do it (by promoting the event and supporting the TD's decision to do so). For tournaments such as Regionals, with literally 1000 players, an extra $5 per player goes a long way toward the TDs' pocketbooks, without affecting the individual player's budget. This is especially true in the Central Region this year. A centrally located regional tournament could save hundreds of individuals literally hundreds of dollars each. I know I'd gladly rather choose to personally pay a TD $200 for a tournament within driving distance, than spend $400 on a plane ticket and rental car. Now multiply that by 10 teams of 20 players each.

Is there a TD out there willing to put in a good bid in Chicago and get paid $40,000?

Mo[vi]e on DVD

Moe appears in 3 "highlights" on the UltiVillage DVD. I'm in one of them allowing my guy to cut up field on the break side while I poach the dump. Of course, an easy break to my guy is followed by an easy huck to a wide open receiver. I'm bummed because that was the point after I made a similar play where, instead of essentially allowing a goal, I intercepted a pass on the dump followed by a forehand to Jeanine for a goal and the break. Why couldn't THAT play have made the highlight reel?

Also not making the video was Jake's awesome spike that literally bounced higher than his head (I realize that's not saying much) and would have been the best clip in the spike montage, had it not been left on the cutting room floor.

I learned later that the pass I intercepted was intended for a man I spent considerable time on the phone with in 2004 after my eligibility stupidity: Josh Greenough. I wish I had known. I'd have liked to have a conversation with him.

So ... I bought the team package DVD set from UltiVillage, which was supposed to guarantee Flaming Moe 5 minutes of highlight footage on the DVD. Rob reneged on his promise due to our failure to have any important games of interest to the general ultimate viewing audience beyond Thursday. In an effort of good will, he did provide DVDs of all the Moe footage he captured. How do I feel about that? Well, the 3 clips that made the final cut are among those that portray Moe the most poorly of all the footage. I don't feel good about that. I don't blame him, but I still feel cheated, since I wouldn't have made the team package purchase without the 5 minute guarantee. He asked me about it, but I've not yet responded and I am undecided on how I will.

Which brings me to ... I have several of the DVDs available for $35 ($13 cheaper than ordering from UltiVillage). If you want one, email me at hotlou@gmail.com.