Assessment Finding: "Canada and Beyond"

The UPA, as the United States governing body for Ultimate, has allowed Canada to participate in its club and college championship series since 1999. However, ever since Canadian teams started capturing qualifying spots and then winning the Championship, there has been uneasiness about the impact of that decision.

• For three of the past five years a Canadian Team has won the open division of the UPA Club Championships.

• In 2005, the team representing the United States/UPA in the Open Division was not the “national” champion – the Open division that year was won by Furious George, a Canadian team. The losing team in the Championship Games (i.e. highest ranking at the Club Championships) represented the US.

National Association Membership - Based on WFDF World Census

Country	2003	2006	% Increase
USA/UPA	17,497	24,633	41%
Australia	1,631	3,101	90%
Japan	2,288	2,523	10%
UK	604	1,566	159%
Germany	828	1,086	31%
Canada	1,400	1,400	0%

Some Quotes:

• “There were several Canadian reps at the conference (B.C., Calgary, NL, AUM), yet some of the sessions (particularly the charitable status and liability session) focused on the American perpective without acknowledging the Canadian orgs in the room. I heard UPA staff refer to the UPA as a National Organization several times, often recommending reps refer to their local state laws, etc...(Province was never included). This left me slightly unsure about the role the UPA would have as a North American organization, particularly in Canada. Does the UPA's mandate extend into Canada? Overall, I thought the conference was amazing and I learned an enormous amount, which I am eagerly summarizing/sharing with my own board tonight at our own meeting.”


From the local player survey: players from Ottawa Carleton League

• “CUPA is one mixed up organization.”

• “CUPA is entirely useless for anyone who doesn't play at Nationals in Canada -- they do nothing for the sport in general.”