BC ULTIMATE
4v4 Winter Championship Series

Message from the President

In the hectic weeks since BC Ultimate’s fall AGM, the hurried introduction of the inaugural 4v4 provincial series has focused on logistics, and spreading the word. In this flurry of activity, there has been scarce opportunity to explain the purpose, strategy, and vision of this initiative to curious members. On behalf of BC Ultimate and Ultimate Canada, I am writing now to share the specific reasoning behind the inception and characteristics of this series.

Why Is BC Ultimate Hosting “Local” Tournaments?

A Provincial Sport Organization (PSO) has a mandate to provide direction and opportunities for growth for the entire provincial community. Historically, BC Ultimate and its predecessors have maintained a comparatively distant relationship with its constituents. We have administered specific championship tournaments and relied on communities to develop an underlying season of independent tournaments. Although this model has served its purpose well thus far, it has its limits, and it leaves the PSO with limited tools to reach members, to expand programmes, or to steer the sport. Financially and logistically, it hampers BC Ultimate’s ability to bring benefits (whether through programming or communication) to a majority of members.

With the introduction of the 4v4 series, BC Ultimate is adding a new approach to its portfolio. In this model, the PSO provides strategic oversight to several related tournaments, designed to link the provincial community together through a common season, to facilitate growth, and to improve its own financial position to provide benefits to members. The PSO shoulders all the risk, the financial and administrative overhead, and markets those tournaments on behalf of the local communities. This is a step toward what we hope will become a stronger, healthier organization in which the province will take pride — one in which everyone sees their share. It empowers the PSO and engages the membership.

Format

In spite of its hasty execution, the format, division, and timing of the inaugural series was in fact decided upon long in advance, at the recommendation of Ultimate Canada’s strategic planning.

The 4v4 format is known to erode barriers to growth and to regional competition by virtue of the smaller rosters required to field a team. It also engender favourable logistics and economics — more fields and more teams can fit into indoor field space, allowing full tournaments to take place affordably (and even profitably) in many communities. These economics boost overall capacity, allowing more players and more teams to participate, more easily than historical 7v7 alternatives. In turn, profits can be used to reinvest in programming; one day, it is hoped, an entire nationwide varsity series can be subsidized by the growth promoted by 4v4 ultimate.

Far from mere speculation, this model has proven very effective in Quebec (and countries like the UK), where the FQU’s successful 4v4 championship circuit has provided the blueprint for expansion across the country. In 2014, every Region in Ultimate Canada is planning a series event.

Series

In recent years, Ultimate Canada and BC Ultimate have begun emphasizing initiatives that promote growth, particularly on a local or provincial scale. Series events are believed to reduce inhibitors to participation and to favour local development.

Historically, Regions hosting events in series (e.g., CEUUC/CUUC, CQU4/7) have exhibited the most growth, in large part because the existence of the series (i) provide more playing opportunities, (ii) long-term goals for aspiring clubs, (iii) a greater sense of regional competitive community. Data collected over a decade in Canadian university ultimate suggests that series attracts participants who might not otherwise invest effort in raising teams for one-off events.

Timing

Canada’s northern climate presents a constraint to competitive development, especially in the collegiate age group, where a substantial fraction of our lifelong membership is forged. The necessarily short autumn season limits an outdoor series expansion, and most of Canada remains snowbound through April. The remaining months are saturated with Canadian and American series events. The long winter (November-March) represents a largely untapped market for ultimate players. Thus, any plans for expansion should focus on this block of opportunity.

However, due to far more limited field spaces in the winter months (indoor and outdoor artificial facilities), tournaments only become viable if played in small-field formats (3v3, 4v4, and 5v5). Thus, our reasoning comes full circle, and once again re-affirms the choice of format.

We Are All BC Ultimate

Thank you for your time and your interest in our winter programme. I hope this letter has answered your questions. Please contact BC Ultimate at the contact information provided if you have feedback, thoughts, or ideas to contribute to our PSO. This is your Society, and it exists to serve you.

Alex Davis
President – British Columbia Ultimate Society

CONTACT INFORMATION
General Inquiries – info@bcultimate.ca
General Manager – gm@bcultimate.ca
President – president@bcultimate.ca