Over at the DiscNW.org Message Boards, there’s an interesting thread developing about the future of Youth Ultimate in Seattle.

Mike Mullen, along with Joe Bisignano, both Ultimate coaches at the Northwest School, are proposing a possible split between the Youth Ultimate leagues in Seattle and DiscNW, the organization that has ran and maintained the leagues for years.

After reading through the thread and its long responses, the one thing that became apparent to me is this: DiscNW may be unwisely frittering away the best thing they have.

If there is one thing that DiscNW needs to hold on to as tightly as they possibly can it is Youth Ultimate. It is a shining beacon for the sport, for the Spirit of the Game. There is no greater example of kids who play at the highest levels competition and with so much respect and regard for their teammates and opponents than the kids in Seattle.

The Youth scene in Seattle is a bastion of champions. From MoHo to the Northwest School, from Asa Mercer Middle School to the YCC teams, you couldn’t be prouder of their performances. Not to mention the kids who graduate to the club scene and win National Championships with Sockeye and Riot and Shazam.

Youth though—not Sockeye or Riot—is the crown jewel of Seattle Ultimate and deserves to be the centerpiece of DiscNW’s mission. If not, Mike Mullen might be right; it might be necessary for Youth Ultimate in Seattle to be lead by people who value its importance.