This is a story about Kids Ultimate, a local youth ultimate program in Virginia who received a 2026 Ultimate Starter Kit Grant, as told by the coaches.
Kids want to play ultimate (their parents just don’t know it)! Most parents have only heard about baseball, soccer, basketball, and other traditional sports that are played on TV and get exposure during large sporting events. However, ultimate offers an incredible and friendly worldwide community that is hard to replicate in most mainstream sports.
Inspired by the work of Fairfax Ultimate and Alexis Planche, who for many years has taught ultimate skills to kids as young as 5, we decided that maybe it was time to start ultimate training right in our neighborhood. It was the summer of 2024, and our kids were 8 and 10 years old. We placed an ad on Facebook, and our story began: lots of local kids suddenly signed up!
We (the coaches) had all played with competitive clubs before becoming parents, and one coach even played all over the world: Australia, Latvia, Singapore, Malaysia, and every major city in the US, and learned that having cleats in the suitcase means finding new friends as soon as the plane lands.
The following year, 2025, after almost a year of weekly practices, the team – mostly consisting of now 9 to 14 year olds – won their first middle-school tournament. Today, in 2026, the older kids have graduated middle-school, and continue playing at local high schools. We hope that someday USA Ultimate’s Team USA may have players from Kids Ultimate. In the meantime, the travel team continues to play in all local middle-school tournaments.
Growing a grassroots program from a backyard idea into a neighborhood program requires support, and that is where the USA Ultimate Starter Kit Grant made a difference. Being awarded a 2026 Ultimate Starter Kit grant provided our coaches and players with the discs, cones, and curriculum needed to help our program thrive.
The local community has rallied to support Kids Ultimate as well, with local sponsors like Measured Results Marketing, Fairfax Ultimate, and the Burke Athletic Club all helping out. What started as an idea and a Facebook ad for a few neighborhood kids has grown into a thriving Kids Ultimate program.
When you donate to support The Ultimate Foundation, you aren’t just helping to buy a box of discs. You are providing a spark that supports local leaders to build their own youth programs. Your generosity is helping us build the next generation of ultimate players, and just maybe, a few future members of Team USA.