Disc Northwest Explained

Disc Northwest (also DiscNW or Northwest Ultimate Association) is a Seattle based ultimate frisbee organization with the aim of increasing participation in the sport of Ultimate at all levels. DiscNW claims to be the largest and most active Ultimate organization in the United States, supporting many teams at the club, local, high school, middle school and elementary school levels. Their mission statement is "Serve as a regional resource, promoting growth in the sport of Ultimate and instilling the spirit of sportsmanship at all levels of play."^[1]

DiscNW is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit, educational organization in the state of Washington. DiscNW has a full-time staff of six, an active board of directors, and more than 250 volunteers.

DiscNW was founded by Joey Gray, Tom George, Mary Lowry, Jordan Dey, Maria Langlais, Mark Friedland, Bill Penrose and Lisa Thomas in 1995 as a nonprofit repository for funds generated by the growing Potlatch tournament. Soon, DiscNW became an umbrella for the spring ultimate league founded by Mark Friedland and others in 1984 and the fall league founded by Mike King. The first independent Juniors ultimate league was started in 1993 by Mary Lowry, Joe Bisignano, Jeff Jorgenson and others. The growth of youth ultimate in the region was rapid: in 2014, the DiscNW Middle School Spring League had over 1000 players on 79 mixed teams. In spring of 2007 DiscNW inaugurated what is believed to be the world's first elementary school League, with eight teams, and in 2016, the first stand-alone elementary school youth tournament.

Today, DiscNW runs recreational programming for youth and adults, serving more than 9000 players in the greater Puget Sound region annually, Programs offered include Adult Rec Leagues, Summer Youth Day Camps,^[2] Youth school-based and club leagues, youth and adult tournaments, and learn to play and coach development clinics.^[3] DiscNW is committed to reducing traditional barriers to access for underserved populations and offers financial aid for participants in every youth program. The 2019 Aspen Institute State of Play report highlighted the popularity of youth ultimate in our region, and indicated the sport "has high participation rates across racial, ethnic and socioeconomic groups."^[4] The 2019 State of Play report for Seattle-King County found that "Nontraditional programs and non mainstream sports, like Ultimate frisbee, offer models for positive youth development."^[5]

DiscNW tournaments

• Resolutions - mixed team, early January
• Slog In The Bog - mixed team, March
• Spring Reign - high school and middle school teams, April
• Spring Jam - elementary school teams, May
• Sunbreak - mixed team, July 4 weekend
• Men For All Seasons - men's hat, July
• Sea Plastic - beach (5v5), mixed team, late July
• Spawnfest - mixed team, August
• Turkey Bowl - mixed hat, November (Thanksgiving weekend)
• Chick Flick - women's hat, December
• Dangle Wrangle - men's hat, December

DiscNW leagues

• Winter Women's League - 16 teams, December–March, women's hat, highly spirited and social
• Winter Team League - 35 mixed teams, December–March, no scorekeeping
• Winter Tacoma Indoor and Outdoor Leagues - 8 teams
• Youth Winter High School League - 28 mixed teams, December–March
• Youth Winter Tacoma High School and Middle School League - free beginner-friendly learning league
• Spring League - 60 mixed teams, March–June, highly competitive
• Spring Verns League - 8 teams, mixed hat, March–June, beginner friendly
• Spring Mixed Hat League - 6 teams
• Spring Shoreline Women's Hat League - 4 teams
• Spring Tacoma Indoor and Outdoor Hat Leagues - 8 teams
• Spring Bellingham Hat League - 6 teams
• Youth Spring High School Girls League - 30 teams
• Youth Spring High School Mixed League - 10 teams
• Youth Spring High School Boys League - 6 teams
• Youth Spring Middle School League - 65 mixed teams
• Youth Spring Elementary School League - 75 mixed teams, fastest growing league
• Summer League - 55 mixed teams, June–August
• Summer Corporate League - 26 mixed 'corporate teams', June–August
• Summer Hat League - 12 mixed hat teams, June–August, beginner friendly
• Summer Mens Hat League - 4 teams, July–August
• Summer Masters Hat League - 8 teams, July–August
• Summer Womens Hat League - 4 teams, June–August
• Summer Tacoma Outdoor Leagues - 4 teams
• Youth Summer Leagues - 4-8 teams, various age groups, equal gender ratios
• Fall Team League - 60 mixed teams
• Fall Hat League - 16 teams, mildly competitive
• Fall Tacoma Indoor and Outdoor Hat Leagues - 8 teams
• Fall Tacoma Womens Hat League - 4 teams
• Fall Redmond Mens Hat League - 4 teams
• Fall Olympia Hat League - 4 teams
• Fall Bellingham Hat League - 6 teams
• Youth Fall High School Boys League - 50 Teams
• Youth Fall Seattle Public School Middle School League - DiscNW supports this SPS program - 75 teams
• Youth Fall High School Girls League - 6 teams

See also

• Seattle Riot (Ultimate)
• Seattle Sockeye

External links

• DiscNW official website

Notes and References

1. Web site: DiscNW - Northwest Ultimate Association . 2024-06-09 . DiscNW.
2. News: Nystrom . Andy . Following the flying disc at youth ultimate camp in Bellevue . 3 June 2020 . Bellevue Reporter . 30 July 2019.
3. News: Johnson . Derek . Ultimate Frisbee Gaining in Popularity with Local Youth . 3 June 2020 . Woodinville Weekly . 21 May 2019.
4. Web site: 2019 State of Play Report.
5. Web site: 2019 State of Play Seattle-King County. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20200111010307/https://assets.aspeninstitute.org/content/uploads/2019/08/2019-SOP-Seattle-KingCounty-Web-FINAL.pdf . 2020-01-11 .