2014 State of the Villainous Empire! Part 3/3

Welcome back reader, prepare yourself for the final installment of this years trilogy!!! If you're a baddie and haven't read the other two... Part 1 & Part 2.

Part 3 - The year to come (the remainder of 2014):

Halibut is coming, August 23 – 24! Once again Townsville will be sending two teams! Jerseys have been ordered, accommodation is being booked, however teams are yet to be finalised as we’re waiting to see which women will be available for the tournament. Andrew Gosbee and Laura Knecht are your contacts for this team.

Australian University Games is in Sydney this year, if you’re keen let Tim Saunders and Andrew Gosbee know.

Semester 2, 2014 will be run by Andrew Gosbee and Tim Saunders. There is a discussion about modifying the current format to a Div 1, Div 2 style with the intention of higher level players in Div 1 and the social league being Div 2. This should allow captains and key support players to be better supported in both formats. Regardless of the format the feedback from last season is to make the games a little longer. The only way to do this will be to have the fields opened at 6.30 for a 6.45 start which should extend the games by a further 10 – 15 minutes but having the late game still finish before 9.30. If you have a passionate feeling about this, let Andrew Gosbee know!

TSVL Season 4 will be kicking off shortly after the social league. Again this will be run by Andrew Gosbee and Tim Saunders. An announcement will be made when registrations open and players will be expected to pay if they wish to be drafted. There is also a bit of a debate with regards to what should happen with late registrants, primarily if the draft cycle should continue, or if they should be allocated to the team with the lowest numbers, or some other method. Again, let Andy know your feelings on the subject!

The big discussion item among the senior members at the moment is the selection process for this year’s AMUC team. The process hasn’t been finalised yet, however trials will be needed and the process will be laid out so everyone knows what will be expected of them and the captains. The group has a number of resources being provided to make this process as transparent and fair as possible.

Speaking of AMUC, there will be a need for a large volunteer base to effectively deliver the event. If you’re keen to help out let me know. Currently the website is being developed, the disc design has been finalised, merchandising has been sourced and a number of grants have been applied for to reduce the cost of the event. Primarily we’ll need people to help out on the day setting up cones (fields will be line marked), setting up scoreboards, setting up marquees, filling water, manning the canteen, and being visible to help players with any questions. At this stage our jerseys will remain the same unless someone chooses to design something.

A massive thank you to those that have helped out over the year, particularly Scott, Bob, Andy, Saunders, Phipps, Phil, Kramer, Timmy and Finny.  

A special big thanks to Laura for being the acting President whilst I’m overseas and doing special jobs for me.

Thank you to the Townsville City Council for your support of AMUC and through the Excellence in Sports Grant.

Thank you to QUDA for the subsidies that allow our members to attend Northern Regionals and Halibut.

Thank you to all of the members for making this sport and club as amazing as it is!

Chris Ende

President

2014 State of the Villainous Empire! Part 2/3

I see you're still reading this epic novel! If you missed Part 1, GO BACK AND READ IT!!!!

Part 2 - The year that was (2014).

With all of this new equipment Townsville did something that hasn’t been seen in many years, training commencing in January! Although the rain made some sessions harder than others, it was great to see Scott Adams leading the charge with Dave Dehollander in improving the skill and fitness level of about 15 members a session. Several members purchase the Tim Morrill f.u.t.u.r.e. package and others subscribed to Rise Up. Both resources have been invaluable to improving movement and skill.

2014 Northern Regionals in Brisbane was a massive learning experience for a number of players. Despite losing all three games, the team was the best spirited on the day and several players have since started training with intent. The training session held on Sunday was a massive benefit to those that attended as it gave them an opportunity to train alongside Firestorm and to learn from two coaches that had attended the RISE Up workshop in Melbourne. It is great to see a those players putting what they learnt into practice.

Semester 1 saw big changes for the social league as it moved to a dual pool and dual timeslot format with a record breaking 12 teams. A massive thank you goes to the captains, David Dehollander, Rob Dehollander, Scott Adams, Michael Kramer, Matt Hamilton, Timmy Roland, Josh Phipps, Ash Dodd, Tim Saunders, Sean Beveridge and Phil English, for making this a fairly smooth transition.

The season was relatively close with one team probably being a little overpowered... The final saw Blue Balls of Steel continue their undefeated streak knocking over Titans of Terror. A super big thanks to Scott Adams for running the league, to Tim Saunders for setting up the fields every week, to Andrew Gosbee for keeping track of scores and MVP’s, to Timmy Roland for the Social Event shenanigans, and Laura Knecht for doing all of the admin stuff I didn’t have time to do (like entering 150 members into the AFDA website)! You all make this league a success and it is a far cry from the days of one person doing everything!

The TSVL also underwent some changes moving from a dual time slot to a single time slot in the hopes that availability would improve. Personally I don’t think the participation numbers improved, and the second field is not the same quality as the first. It was certainly worth trying something different though. Thanks to Scott Adams for his administration prowess, Tim Saunders for setting up the fields, Andrew Gosbee for tracking MVP’s, Spirit, attendance and scoring and to each of the captains, Matt Hamilton, Scott Adams and Dave Dehollander. The final saw Gon’ Need a Wheel Chair knock off the Ninjas to take the shield home.

This was also the last game for our Kiwi duo, Scott Adams and Kat Gregory, as they pick up their lives and relocate to Mackay! Thank you Scott for all of your help, in particular running the seasons, training sessions, and numerous strapping jobs this year! All the best!

During the semester the club was nominated for the 2013 Townsville City Council Sports Awards – Team of the Year. With eight other teams competing for the prize, the club was selected as one of three finalists. However that was as far as we got, a massive congratulations to everyone that represented the club last year and it is great to see our club being recognised in the wider community considering the multitude of other sports in Townsville.

April saw the TownsVillains participate at Division II of the Australian Ultimate Championships being hosted in Adelaide. The team performed exceptionally well particularly with a number of players putting the lessons of Regionals into practice. The two day tournament concluded with us taking 5^th overall and Matt Finn taking tournament MVP for the second year in a row. Well done all!

Over the past few months a Tyson Buhagiar was commissioned to develop a website in conjunction with Ultimate Central, which is the new website platform that the AFDA is moving its site to. You can check it out here in all of its glory! There are a number of features still to come like the gallery and the history, which will hopefully be finalised before the end of the year.

Part of brining in a website is the hope that members will be able to register and pay through PayPal instead of hunting Matt Hamilton down or incurring bank fees when making a direct deposit from an overseas bank account. This will hopefully be trialled for Semester 2, 2014 and TSVL Season 4. Thanks to Matty and Tyson for their continued efforts.

One of the side projects has been trying to establish a schools program in Townsville. Unfortunately this has proven to be much more difficult and time consuming to get going. Therefore the QUDA Development Officer, Mat Ryan, is now taking over the initiative as he has more resources available. It is envisioned that our level 1 coaches will be doing the coaching and perhaps in a few years time the club will start seeing a return on this initiative.  

Earlier this year Michael Kramer was appointed as the clubs Grant Administrator to make our grant applications more consistent and to be written at a more suitable level. This largely came about due to my inability to allocate suitable time to each application. The club has been successful with a grant from the JCU Student Association, and a travel grant from the Townsville City Council’s Excellence in Sports, however all other grant applications have been rejected primarily due to “stronger” applications. Thank you Kramer for your time and patience! Oh and we won a water cooler from Gatorade!

The club had its AGM in May this year. Thank you to the elected and non-elected members of the executive that have helped over the year. The club truly doesn’t function without a team of people behind it. The minutes are here. Congratulations to the new elected members and non-elected members. You can see all of the positions here.

The NQ Hat was hosted in Kuranda near Cairns on the 21^st to the 22^nd of June. It was a great success and everyone had a fantastic time! There are plenty of photos on FB so go and check them out! The hat returns to Townsville next year so if you’re interested in Event Management and would like to be the TD, send an email to townsvilleultimate@gmail.com 


Part 3 - The year to come (the remainder of 2014):

2014 State of the Villainous Empire! Part 1/3

As with last year I've broken this into three posts as there is simply too much happening to cover it all in one or two posts!!!! So without further ado:

Part 1 - The year that was (the remainder of 2013).

Since August last year, Townsville Ultimate has been growing locally and achieving a number of milestones. Townsville Ultimate commissioned a new jersey for Halibut and we sent two teams to compete. The tournament provided a great learning experience with which some of those lessons are being applied this year. I’m happy to say that this year we’re looking to send another two teams (albeit smaller teams), and I believe Mackay and Cairns are also looking at sending a team each to Halibut.

It would be incredible to see four teams from North Queensland attend this year particularly as it wasn’t that long ago that it was a struggle for one team to be sent! Part of this is due to Queensland Ultimate Disc Association’s (QUDA) continued commitment to the region by providing a subsidy for the players attending. Townsville Ultimate has also been making the tournament more affordable for members by covering the team fee and reducing the cost of the jerseys to $50.

September was a busy month with the AFDA Women’s Conference, the Uni Games Fundraising Tournament and of course, the Australian University Games. The AFDA Women’s Conference was attended by Matthew Finn and I on behalf of the club after we had canvassed for other participants, however they all had previous engagements.

The conference was hosted in Brisbane over two days and it was a magnificent networking opportunity. After attending a number of individual sessions I’m happy to say that what we’ve been doing over the years in regards to recruitment to grow Ultimate in Townsville is the correct path, and we now have the resources and confidence to take Women’s Ultimate to the next level!

It makes me very happy to announce that as a result of the conference, the support of a number of women across Australia, QUDA, and AFDA, that Queensland’s next representative team will be, The Powerpuffs! This team will be captained by Laura Knecht and Ashlee Dodd. The team will have full access to the club’s resources and the team has already commenced training. Their first goal is to prepare for the Australian Mixed Ultimate Championships as they will be the primary picks for the mixed team, The TownsVillains. The Powerpuffs are planning to debut at the 2015 Northern Regionals and potentially attend the 2015 Australian Ultimate Championships.

September also saw a successful fundraising tournament held for the JCU Uni Games Team. The tournament catered for four teams and raised enough money to cover the Uni Games team’s food for the week. This team was the first JCU Uni Games team for a number of years. The team performed exceptionally well quietly surpassing everyone’s tips to finish 4^th in Division 2 and winning an award at the JCU ceremony, “Most Unexpected Result”! 

October saw a number of Townsville players travel to Charters Towers and Mackay to help spread Ultimate in the region by providing coaching support. Three cars travelled to Charters Towers to help Ashlee Dodd and Tyson Buhagiar run an exhibition match at the Active Lifestyles Festival. There were a number of spectators and the local players enjoyed the structured games. Thanks to QUDA for providing the money to cover the fuel.

Mackay saw its first Level 1 Coaching Course and a car full from Townsville made its way down to also participate. As a result both clubs now have additional level 1 coaches which should make teaching beginners much easier. Thanks to QUDA for providing John McNaughton as the coaching presenter and covering the fuel costs for Townsville to travel down.

October also saw the Australian Mixed Ultimate Championships (AMUC) being hosted in Canberra. The TownsVillains sent a team and started with a bang knocking off the 4^th seed, Canberra’s Burley Griffins, on universe point in the opening match. A full write up of the tournament can be read here. 

The Villains had a number of hard fought games and ended up placing 14^th at the end of the tournament. Our highest finishing place at AMUC since 2005. On top of this, it was officially announced that Townsville had won the bid to host AMUC 2014! This is the third time in the history of the event that AMUC will be hosted in Regional Australia and the first time it will be hosted in Regional Queensland! This is an amazing opportunity for the region to display high level Ultimate and to encourage club development beyond grass roots skills. AMUC will be hosted on the 18^th – 20^th of October 2014.

November saw the wrap up of both Townsville leagues with Robust Fawn taking out the social league in a dominating display over Ducks Tie Together. Meanwhile in TSVL we saw Rainbow Seagull Fantasy edging out Demigods in their final. This was Ash O’Sullivan’s last competitive match in Townsville as he moves on to greener pastures in Sydney to do his Masters. Good luck O’Suv!  Thank you to Matt Finn and Scott Adams for running the leagues, to all of the captains, Tim Saunders for setting up the fields each night, and Timmy Roland for being the Social Event Guru.

The Queensland Hat was also hosted in November and with the event came the 2013 QUDA Awards. The TownsVillains took out the Club of the Year Award and received a $150 rebel sport voucher from QUDA which was used to purchase 8 agility poles, 50 cones and 2 whistles. The club also took the opportunity to invest in a pair of agility ladders and is storing the equipment in the new kit bag which was given to the club at AMUC. Thank you QUDA!

That's the wrap for 2013, for the continuation: Part 2 - The year that was (2014).

Attention All Ladies!

A new team is forming in Townsville! If you would like to know more, read the flyer! :)

2014 Townsville Ultimate Disc Inc. AGM

Location: Strand Park

Meeting Open 10/05/2014 15:17

Attendees: Christopher Ende, Michael Kramer, Luke Sturgess, Andrew Gosbee, David Dehollander, Scott Adams, Tim Saunders Laura Knecht, Ashlee Dodd, Michael Saunders, Sean Beveridge, Joshua Phipps

Apologies: Phil English, Matthew Hamilton

Item 1: President's Report

State of the Villainous Empire! (short version)

The year that was:

NQ Hat – We had 6 teams participate, aside from the draw it was a highly successful tournament, big thanks to Andy Gosbee for his help. The NQ Hat has grown to be QLD's third largest tournament missing out on the second spot by only half a dozen participants. 

Halibut – 2 teams were sent, new jerseys were designed, the teams were too big, it was great to see 32 NQ players participate

Women’s conference – what we’re doing is on track, it was a great networking opportunity

Fundraising tournament – for uni games, 4 teams, successful, covered the teams food for the week

Uni Games – 4thDiv 2 – fantastic result

Charters Towers and Mackay coaching/training we now have a number of level 1 coaches, QUDA supported by covering the costs for fuel

Mixed Nationals in Canberra equaled Townsville's highest result ever, 14th

Townsville's Mixed Nationals bid was successful and will be held on the 18, 19 & 20 of October

Townsville Ultimate was awarded Club of the year by QUDA, we were presented with a $150 rebel sport voucher which was used to purchase 8 agility poles, 50 cones and 2 whistles

Training commenced in January, under the guidance of Scott Adams and Dave Dehollander

Regionals, big learning experience for a number of players, for those that attended the Sunday training session they learnt a lot. Thank you to QUDA for the travel subsidy

We were nominated for the Team of the Year through the Townsville City Council Sports Awards where we made it to the final 3 nominations.  

Division 2 Campaign – 5th overall

Semester 1 – big changes for the league moving to a dual pool and timeslot format with 12 teams. Big thanks to the captains for making this a relatively easy transition

Website – Tyson has been working on this, pay-pal is coming! Check it out

AFDA registration – Big thanks to Laura for entering 200 people into the AFDA registration system

Schools program has been difficult to get going. QUDA is now taking over that initiative as they have more resources with the DO. It is hoped our level 1 coaches will be able to do the coaching

Kramer has applied for a number of grants however at this stage we haven’t been successful in securing any additional funding

Looking forward:

NQ Hat is coming up in Cairns June 21-22

Mix Nationals – There will be a team selection however at this stage we're unsure how that will take place

Halibut – we're probably sending two teams which Scott and Dave will be organising

Semester 2 – looking to modify the current format to a div 1/div 2 with the intention of higher level players in div 1 and the social league being div 2. Allows captains to be better supported in both formats

Mix Nationals will require bulk volunteers, website currently being developed, disc design being developed. At this stage jerseys will remain the same

A Women’s team is in the planning stages of being formed and will be led by Ash Dodd and Laura Knecht

Thank you to those that have helped out over the year, particularly Scott Adams, Dave Dehollander, Andy Gosbee, Time Saunders, Josh Phipps, Laura Knecht, Phil English, Michael Kramer and Matthew Finn

Thank you to Townsville City Council for your support through the Excellence in Sports Grant.

Thank you to James Cook University for your support through the JCUSA Clubs and Societies funding

Thank you to QUDA for the travel subsidies to attend Regionals and Halibut

Item 2: Other Business

TSVL - Attendance issues due to no commitment from players early on. Strategy moving forward should be upfront payments. TSVL is a league for regulars, so there doesn't need to be a grace period like with the Wednesday night league.

Mix Nationals Qualifier - Need to organise a Northern Regionals. (Andrew Gosbee)

Jersey Design for Mix Nationals - Scott Adams nominated to organise.

Grants Coordinator: Gatorade promotion successful, Michael Kramer attended Grants Clinic to better understand grant applications and what they're looking for.

Training:

-  Luke Sturgess suggested occasional organised training clinics separate to regular training. eg (Rise up). Luke Sturgess nominated for new position - Clinic Coordinator. (motioned J Phipps, seconded T Saunders)

- Training sessions/strategies to be reassessed

Tournaments: - Fundraiser Tournament for Uni Games earmarked for September (Andrew Gosbee)

Women’s Team - Committee formed with Ash Dodd and Laura Knecht

Item 3: Voting in New Committee

Position	Nominee	Motioned	Seconded	Successor
President	Chris Ende	Joshua Phipps	Andrew Gosbee	Chris Ende
	Tim Saunders	Scott Adams	Michael Kramer
Treasurer	Matthew Hamilton	Scott Adams	Laura Knecht	Matthew Hamilton
Secretary	Laura Knecht	Scott Adams	David Dehollander	Laura Knecht
	Joshua Phipps	Scott Adams	Sean Beveridge

Confirmed Positions- President (Christopher Ende), Treasurer (Matthew Hamilton), Secretary (Laura Knecht)

MEETING CLOSED: 16:15