A reminder: voting for the UPA's board of directors closes WEDNESDAY (Halloween) at 3pm EST - you can vote at any time though (so go vote now)
May i also add at this moment my personal endorsement for Josh Seamon.
Josh has been a contributor for this blog since March of 2006, he has coached St. Johnsbury Academy, and played college disc at Claremont before that, also currently plays for a mixed club team out of New Hampshire currently. He also runs UPA coaching clinics, started the Vermont Youth Ultimate League, and so much more, but more specifically...
Why should you vote for Josh?
Quite simply he has the interests of high school and youth ultimate in the forefront of what he would like to accomplish. Youth ultimate is the future of the UPA and the sport itself, and we need board members with this mentality. Additionally Josh has made efforts on both the national (on this blog and RSD) and local levels to find out what UPA members truly would like from their representatives. I personally think this connected attitude - not only of being available for contact - but actually seeking out the opinions of those who should be represented in the organization at large, is a great step especially in an organization in its comparative infancy such as the UPA.
Further, Josh has made it known that he would like to increase and better the online presence of the UPA. This is pure common sense and is an absolute must. Logical things like having the rosters of nationals teams available online for fans, connecting the local leagues with the national, giving all of the information to the people who want it. These are all things that have been mentioned in the comments of this website in addition to elsewhere and Josh hears the call. He is the man for the job and a guy that will get the job done.
The key points from Josh's candidate statement in his own words
- First, I would like to see youth Ultimate continue to grow as fast as it has been for the past 5 years. I believe that a vibrant youth Ultimate community is the key to the growth of college and club Ultimate.
- Second, I would like to see a dramatic increase in the number of women playing Ultimate, ideally so that there is an equal number of men and women playing the sport.
- Third, I would like the UPA to work towards a more powerful online presence that integrates seamlessly into the lives of players and the functionality of leagues.
You only need to be a UPA member, it doesnt matter the age or how long you have been a part of the organization - in this election your vote counts, so take 30 seconds log in and cast yours. Forward the information to your teams and friends. If you've competed in a UPA event in the last year you are a member, so vote. More specifically - vote for Josh Seamon.
(Side note: this endorsement is not that of the site as a whole but rather just me personally. Though i think in the future that would be a cool thing for us to do, and so i think we will. So next election we'll discuss among all the contributors and come to a consensus and give a whole-site endorsement. This is not to say that the other contributors do not agree with me, this is just to say that i am only speaking for myself here.)
