Use it or lose it!
May 4, 2021 by Sydney Hostelley in Opinion with 0 comments
Tuesday Tips are presented by Spin Ultimate; all opinions are those of the author. Please support the brands that make Ultiworld possible and shop at Spin Ultimate!
During a normal season, ultimate frisbee college and high school teams don’t have a problem spending money. They need to pay for bid fees, transportation, gas, hotels, and other traveling expenses.
But, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this past season has been anything but normal. Most college and high club teams have barely touched their funds, as there have been no tournaments to spend money on.
If your team is lucky enough to receive financial support from your school, you are probably facing pressure to use up your budget. If you don’t, you may not receive the same amount of funding for next year. But what on earth are you supposed to spend all of the money on (other than more discs, of course)?
Times like these call for creativity and a little ambition. So, I’ve put together some things you can buy for your team to make future seasons better. I might’ve gone a little overboard, but I think your school will approve these items (most of them, anyway).
1. Tournament Tent
As you’re well aware, ultimate frisbee tournaments go on almost no matter the weather. You’ve played through freezing temperatures, intense heat, and pouring rain.
When you’re on the field, you can only do so much to protect yourself from the elements. But with a tent, you’ll be nice and comfortable on the sidelines.
A canopy tent like this one should do the trick. Thanks to the shelter it provides, it will keep everyone in high spirits, all weekend long.
2. Chairs
Why make your teammates sit on the wet grass when you can provide them with these foldable chairs? It won’t be practical to get one for everyone, but add a couple to your cart. They’re perfect for taking a quick rest in between points. Plus, your coach will have a place to sit and contemplate why Tim keeps throwing stall three, cross-field hammers.
3. Portable Bench
Even better than foldable chairs is a portable bench. I mean just look at this thing!
This particular one can fit six people — almost a whole line. All of the other teams will be raging with jealousy and asking where you got it.
4. Team Water Bottles
We know everyone should be bringing their own water bottles to practices and games. But, team water bottles are always good to have. Everyone will stay nice and hydrated when their own supplies run out. Plus, the carrying case just makes your team look so official — and there are eight bottles in the set so everyone on the line — and the coach — can get a drink.
5. Team Cooler
If not in the carry case, your water bottles need to go somewhere else. Why not in a team cooler?
Grab one of these bad boys, fill it with ice, and take it to your next tournament. You’ll be a hero when everyone’s water, fruit bowls, and hummus are perfectly chilled.
(A $350 Yeti cooler might not fly with your school. But, hey, go big or go home. It’s worth asking. Of course there are much cheaper options as well.)
6. Agility Ladders
Let’s face it — next season, your team will be rusty. Build yourselves up after COVID with training equipment like these agility ladders. There are tons of awesome Frisbee-relevant drills you can do that’ll whip you back into shape.
7. Cones
This one is kind of boring, but every team needs a good set of cones. Use them for drills or marking your fields for practices or games.
8. Practice Pinnies
You tell everyone to bring a dark and white shirt to practice. But when at least half the team shows up in grey, you wonder how you’re going to run a scrimmage. Avoid this problem by getting some practice pinnies.
9. Team Jerseys
If your current set of team jerseys has seen better years, it’s time for a new one. Update it with a fresh design that the other teams won’t see coming. There are many ultimate frisbee jersey companies to choose from, and you can always opt to skip jerseys and go for team sun hoodies, hats, or some other swag and plan to get jerseys next season.
10. An Ultiworld Team Pack
Getting an Ultiworld Team Pack is a great way to get your whole team access to Ultiworld subscriber-only content, video footage you can use for learning and/or entertainment, a chance to submit questions to the Ultiworld Film Room, and more. It’s just $120 for three months of subscriber access for your full team and coaching staff.
11. Discs
When in doubt, buy more discs. As an ultimate frisbee club team, you can never have too many.
Hopefully, this list will help you go on the ultimate shopping spree. Good luck, and make sure to get all of the items in your team’s colors!
