Two of Tasmania's youngest players, Alice and Ollie, playing in Two-Hat IX in 2007.
Youth ultimate (players under 19 years of old) has had somewhat limited targeted promotion in the Tasmanian Ultimate Association to date although youth players have been playing in senior competitions in Tasmania ever since the TUA started, with some notable youth based teams playing in the TUA leagues and players as young as 12 playing in the Two-Hat.
Two of Tasmania's youngest players, Alice and Ollie, playing in Two-Hat IX in 2007.
At a national level, youth players have also played for the Tassie Tiggers, the senior open team from Tasmania that plays the Australian Ultimate Championships. Ashley Button (2005 at Nationals) and Michael Dunne (2006 at Regionals) both received TUA grant funds to help them play for the Tiggers.
At an international level, there have been Australian male and female under 19 teams at Ultimate World Championships in 2004 and 2006. Tasmania's Ashley Button has the honour of being the first Tasmanian Ultimate player to represent Australia in Ultimate at an international level, with his selection to the 2006 Australian U19 Open Team, Thunder which finished in 4th place. Ash has promised to provide a photograph of himself in his Australian playing strip and a brief report of his experience playing for Australia. Look out for this here very soon! It could happen any day now...
One of Tasmania's most experienced junior players, Ashley Button, at Two-Hat IX.
Ashley Button also featured on an ABC TV Stateline story, before going to Boston for Worlds.
In other Australian states, High School Gala Days featuring a mini-tournament with high school students have become a regular part of the ultimate calendar. The first Tasmanian Gala Day featuring High School students was held on Friday November 23, 2007 at Wentworth Park.
This Gala Day was organised by Tania King, with assistance from the TUA youth co-ordinator, Joe Boyer. If you want more information about the Gala Day, check out this flyer.
Results for the Tasmanian Gala Day for Ultimate Frisbee - Friday 23rd November, 2007.
| Round | Winner | Second |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rosetta High (7) | Ogilvie 1 (2) |
| 2 | Ogilvie 1 (7) | Ogilvie 2 (5) |
| 3 | Rosetta High (8) | Ogilvie 2 (3) |
The winning team in the girl's division was Rosetta High School.
| Round | Winner | Second |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Clarence (6) | Rosetta (4) |
| 2 | Rosetta (10) | Geilston Bay (3) |
| 3 | Clarence (9) | Geilston Bay (3) |
| 4 | Rosetta (6) | Geilston Bay 2 (1) |
The winning team in the boy's division was Clarence High School.
Around 60 students from 5 different High Schools attended the Gala Day (includes the lone student who came from Taroona High School). Thanks to the following teachers for assistance with this Gala Day: Leesa Pettit (Rosetta High); Colleen Walker (Geilston Bay High); Neil Winter and Phil Hortle (Clarence High); Jane Brooks and Anne Allanby (Ogilvie).
There will be a National Juniors Training Camp in Melbourne in early January 2008. This camp is open to anyone aged between 13 and 19, and will develop players of all skill levels within this age range. It is also the beginning of the selection process for the Australian Youth Team, which will attend the 2008 World Ultimate Championships, although players who have no wish to represent Australia may still attend the camp, and will be guaranteed to get something out of it.
The camp runs from Monday 7th January to Sunday 14th January, and billeting is available for those who request it. Registrations close on December 7th, so download the Training Camp Newsletter #1 with all the information on how to register and get cracking!
The cost of the camp for Tasmanian players is $150. On top of this you will need to pay for your airfares, and any other 'living' costs (though lunches and some other meals are covered by the camp cost). The TUA has a funding grant available to subsidise travel costs, so download the TUA Youth Development Grant (in Microsoft Word or pdf). Any one interested in going to the camp is encouraged to apply for funding assistance by December 18 2007. A decision on development grants will be made on December 18 at the TUA committee meeting. Download the form and either print it out and return it to Joe Boyer, or complete it in Word and email to Joe.
Make your arrangements to arrive in Melbourne either Sunday 6 Jan or early Monday 7 Jan (camp starts at 9am) and depart Friday 11 or Sunday 13 Jan early evening (camp will finish by 4pm). You are encouraged to book your airfares as soon as possible. Although the TUA will make a decision on the grants as soon as possible, it might still be a few weeks before you hear back. You should not wait for notification before booking your flights. If such funding is critical for you to attend, please discuss the issue with Joe next time you can.
The TUA has supported a number of promising Tasmanian youth players to attend interstate and international events. The following table summarises the recipient of TUA Youth Development Grants awarded to date.
| Year | Recipient | Event attended | Location | Team |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Ashley Button | Australian Ultimate Championships | Perth, WA | Tassie Tiggers |
| 2006 | Michael Dunne | Southern Australian Ultimate Championships | Melbourne, Vic | Tassie Tiggers |
| 2006 | Ashley Button | World Junior Ultimate Championships | Boston, USA | Thunder, Australian U19 Open team |