Ultimateplayer, I was not referring to getting enough players, I was referring to playing up to our ability.

As far as Girls Ultimate being a joke, I disagree, it is growing. The Open division has been around since, what, like 1998? The girls division just started within the past few years, this is only the 3rd year for Girls at States. We need more teams. How about, instead of jawing about how 'illegitimate' the sport is, you encourage those girls to put together a team and compete? Next year we add our 5th Girls team, and any Open team that is unable to grow a Girls team should really consider how they are contributing to the sport. Philly is, and will always be, true to the idea of breeding Ultimate at all level.

hm, seems ultimateplayer has no idea about Ultimate in Philly...Emily is one of the top players in the City. Congrats to LM! I hope we can get our game together at O'Hara in time to meet up in the States Final!

If we really look and consider Easterns/Westerns and the former, Nationals, they never really were, true 'national' championships.  They were big tournaments, with some very good teams, but most of the bids are given to teams based on prior year experience.  While this is acceptable, and I don't have a problem with that, if they were to be true Nationals, it should be with the teams that have earned it, this year, i.e. the teams that win their respective State Championship, and it should include more than 16 teams.  High school sports are NOT conducive to those kind of tournaments.  If you really want a "Nationals', then run the tournament, host the teams, and make it happen.  You don't need to wait for the UPA to do something, take some initiative and make it happen.  My hope is that this will foster more competition on the local level, by enticing players like you, starving for great competition, to host more tournaments and give more chances for everyone to play.  There is a ton of competition available, look at how many games Pennsbury and Amherst have played this year as evidence, sure they routed some teams, but they played some pretty damn good teams as well.

As far as canceling the PHUEL City Championship, believe me, it was an agonizing decision.  If you were in the loop at all, you would know that the weather on the day of the event had little impact, it was the previous 10 consecutive days of rain that water-logged the fields and caused multiple fields (we had several backup plans) to be revoked.  Even the school I teach at would not provide me with fields for the first time in 5 years.  The reality is that only a few teams will not get a final tournament of the year, most of the Div 1 teams will be at States, Div 2 will happen this coming Sunday, 3 teams played a round robin for a bid to States.  If you are one of those three teams, I am sorry, but I will gladly help you to put together a final tournament the week after States, or any time in June.  Don't act like there have not been a ton of tournaments and chances to play in Philly this year, if it wasn't enough, be one of those teams that takes action instead of complaining. 

Tom Cook

As a youth Ultimate organizer, my initial reaction is that this is a good thing. I feel that at the youth level, state championships are enough of a commitment, and I have never been a fan of a "national" championship, it takes too many resources and an emphasis on competition. I feel there is plenty of huge competition in the College and Club series, youth Ultimate is a time to learn the game, and become hopelessly addicted to how great it is, not so much about competition. Even after thinking about this for a week or so now, I feel that the UPA is moving in the correct direction with regards to this decision...definitely could have picked a better name though....