Scobel Wiggins Photography

Every year, college teams like UVA Hydra receive a huge influx of new players, many of whom are unaware of Ultimate beyond what they played in high school gym class. The challenge faced by captains and coaches is how to get these girls hooked in a way that will keep them coming back to practices, and how to introduce these players to the Ultimate community that we all know and love. Early fall tournaments are typically the answer, though they often are not ideal in terms of competition and community building. Philly Fusion is the perfect solution, and Hydra is so glad Michelle and Sara were crazy enough to tackle such a huge undertaking.

The genius behind Philly Fusion is the combination of a late-season club tournament with an early fall college tournament. By having a skills clinic and trade show, Philly Fusion took full advantage of the opportunities offered by having club players together with college kids. Brand new rookies had opportunities to learn skills from some of the best club players around, which from a captain's perspective is an unbelievable opportunity for growth. Not only did they have the opportunity to observe and learn skills from these high-level players, but they had the chance to see what Ultimate is all about beyond the skills and the competition; they got to experience the fun, warmth, and uniqueness of the Ultimate community. This is something we as captains wanted more than anything to show our rookies. And at the end of the weekend, when we handed out pastries as prizes to all the rookies, we knew they'd be back at practice on Tuesday.

Devon Ericksen and Shannon McVey are the captains of University of Virginia Hydra.