{"id":150,"date":"2017-08-01T22:09:39","date_gmt":"2017-08-01T22:09:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ucm.canadianultimate.com\/secure\/?p=150"},"modified":"2017-08-10T19:07:49","modified_gmt":"2017-08-10T19:07:49","slug":"canadians-help-build-womens-ultimate-on-2016-all-star-tour","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/ucm.canadianultimate.com\/secure\/2017\/08\/01\/canadians-help-build-womens-ultimate-on-2016-all-star-tour\/","title":{"rendered":"Canadians help build women\u2019s ultimate on 2016 all-star tour"},"content":{"rendered":"

Written By: Rebecca Thompson<\/em>
\nUCM Archive: August 2016 Issue<\/em><\/p>\n

The all-star tour launched a two-week journey across North America last summer with one goal; to promote women in ultimate. After a successful inaugural year, it\u2019s no surprise that it\u2019s back and better than ever this year.<\/p>\n

\"\"
All Star, Kate Scarth (right), bids for a disc against her club-teammate Candace Chan of Traffic during the All-Star tour’s visit to Vancouver. Tino Tran\/Photo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The all-star tour is made up of 17 college-aged women\u2019s ultimate players. Although the roster consists of mostly American women who play in the USAU college series, this year, there is a distinct international influence. In addition to the one returning Canadian, Kate Scarth, the tour has added two more Canadians, an Australian and a Japanese woman to help showcase the best of women in ultimate.<\/p>\n

The three Canadians on the team are Mira Donaldson, Ellen Au-Yeung and Kate Scarth who play together for the University of British Columbia, competing against many of their all-star teammates in the United States college series.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis tour offers the opportunity to put some of the top college players, from all across the continent and even the world, on the same field together,\u201d said Donaldson. \u201cMany of these players have been rivals over the past four years, and players who I have truly grown to respect. Being able to play on the same side as them will be an experience I will never forget.\u201d<\/p>\n

The all-star tour is dedicated to promoting women in ultimate and by doing so, gaining more media coverage dedicated to women. However, there is still a long way to go for equity in the sport.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Mira Donaldson plays for UBC at the Northwest Challenge. Emily Lim\/Photo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cThe increased exposure that the tour generates seems to be a \u2018once a year\u2019 thing, and we need to find a way to keep women\u2019s ultimate on an equal stage as the men\u2019s game without having to do so in the format of a women\u2019s showcase tour,\u201d added Donaldson.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think this tour is really big in pushing for more emphasis on women in ultimate and putting a positive note on playing like a girl,\u201d said Au-Yeung. \u201cThere\u2019s not a lot of coverage of women\u2019s ultimate, when this started last year there was nothing for women. Now we\u2019re building and hopefully that will encourage more coverage of women in ultimate.\u201d<\/p>\n

The all-star tour made a few alterations to their schedule this year, changing a few of the cities they are visiting and adding two clinics for girls in San Francisco C.A. and Washington, D.C. The tour partnered up with Girls Ultimate Movement to bring two clinics that they will be coaching with the women\u2019s club team in the two respective cities. The clinics will be focused on young women and giving them a context for what their future in ultimate can look like.<\/p>\n

Returner Kate Scarth is looking forward to the clinics, as well as having a better idea of what the tour will be like in its second year. \u201cThe clinics are going to be a really neat way to expand what we are doing and it supports the purpose and the cause in a different way,\u201d said Scarth. \u201cLast year, it was such a new experience for me personally. This year I think I can put some of that energy into thinking more, and being more aware of why we are doing it, and doing my best along the way to be thoughtful about that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Scarth also spoke about her involvement on the star-studded team, being the only Canadian last year. \u201cIt was a cool experience to go there knowing no one and to come out of it knowing 15 of the greatest people that I know now. It was kind of nerve-racking going in because there was so much of an unknown factor, but once I got there it was immediately clear that it was just going to be really fun.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is a truly unique experience and I am so thankful to be able to meet them and play with them.\u201d<\/p>\n

According to Qxhna Titcomb, founder of the All Star Ultimate Tour, it\u2019s important to ask the hard questions within the ultimate community.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think often times individuals, whether that\u2019s men or women, think that their voice doesn\u2019t matter,\u201d Titcomb said. \u201cOur sport is really young and it\u2019s really small. Individuals can have a lot of impact and create a lot of change. It\u2019s critical to have everybody involved in the process.\u201d<\/p>\n

Titcomb\u2019s work creating the tour, and the collaboration of members in the ultimate community will continue to grow women\u2019s ultimate. Canadian athletes Scarth, Donaldson and Au-Yeung are helping to build the blocks for the future of women in ultimate on the tour this year.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Written By: Rebecca Thompson UCM Archive: August 2016 Issue The all-star tour launched a two-week journey across North America last summer with one goal; to promote women in ultimate. After a successful inaugural year, it\u2019s no surprise that it\u2019s back and better than ever this year.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":154,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[14],"tags":[45,47,44,46,48,67],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/ucm.canadianultimate.com\/secure\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/150"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/ucm.canadianultimate.com\/secure\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/ucm.canadianultimate.com\/secure\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/ucm.canadianultimate.com\/secure\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/ucm.canadianultimate.com\/secure\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=150"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"http:\/\/ucm.canadianultimate.com\/secure\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/150\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":212,"href":"http:\/\/ucm.canadianultimate.com\/secure\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/150\/revisions\/212"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/ucm.canadianultimate.com\/secure\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/154"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/ucm.canadianultimate.com\/secure\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=150"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/ucm.canadianultimate.com\/secure\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=150"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/ucm.canadianultimate.com\/secure\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=150"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}