Scobel Wiggins Photography

Adam SIGELMAN
Player: Dartmouth (5 years)
Coach: Darthmouth (2 years)

I am going to "go Palin" on you guys and not directly address any of the questions you posed to us. Here are my few, disjointed thoughts on the recruiting process:

1. Document Process and Results
Recruiting tactics will vary from school to school. What you do depends on the size of your school, the prior success of your team, your team's reputation at the school, the school demographics and culture, your competition for athletes, and surely other factors. You may decide to pursue burnt out varsity athletes, or maybe you want to plaster the dorms with fliers, or you may arrange to have pick-up every day on the green. Whatever recruiting you decide to do, make sure you have a plan in place. Put someone responsible in charge of all recruiting activities. Know who you are going after, why, and how. Reflect afterward on how you did and how you wish you had done things differently. Most importantly, put your plan down on paper and store it somewhere for future captains' to reference. You don't need spend hours on end writing a book. But go through the process of planning things out and document your plan and the results. Continuity of leadership is a huge issue for all club sports team, and the creation of a team leaders' manual goes a long way to keeping you program strong.

In my opinion, that's the most important thing you can do. Here are three other thoughts and ideas that I've seen work in the past:

2. Provide a Social Outlet
Many freshmen are looking for friends and a social group. Whether it's post-practice dinners, weekly rounds, disc golf, parties with the women's team, or whatever else, make sure the new players feel like the ultimate team is an inclusive, fun group. Get them hooked on the group, and commitment to the team will fall in place naturally.

3. Make the First Practice Hard
I always liked ending the first practice with an optional series of hard sprints to send the signal to the new players--and especially the former high school athletes—that we worked hard and took the sport seriously.

4. Showcase the Game
Ultimate with a bunch of people who can't throw is without a doubt a terrible sport to both play and watch. Because the nature of throwing a disc is different from sports kids are used to playing growing up, it often takes beginners longer to hit the learning curve. The result for them is often boredom and frustration. It's important to show those folks who are new to the game what the sport looks like at a high level. This can be accomplished with a showcase scrimmage, watching videos, or bringing a team of new players out to the club series.