I've struggled with this a lot myself. The biggest thing that I've felt that pushes toward this structure from the individual level (ignoring larger organizational decisions that support it) is folks prioritizing being on the best team that they can be on over say prioritizing smaller rosters, less travel, and more local competition.
My USA experience is from high school in Massachusetts, YCC in Massachusetts, a nationally competitive Division 3 college team in New England, club ultimate in Wisconsin, and UFA in the central division.
High school was the best and most enjoyable format by far.
I really appreciate you writing this up as I definitely feel the same way. I touched on this super briefly as well in a post I wrote about my own frisbee career:
> "I felt—and still feel—awkward about the idea of traveling to play frisbee. I don't own a car, partly out of a desire to do right by our environment. I would never travel to another city to play basketball or soccer, so doing lots of travel just to play frisbee has always felt a little off to me."
My reasons are pretty much the same as yours — environment and money — so I really appreciate that you've written up a longer version.
My one other travel-related comment that I don't think you touched on: I live in a small city where the best players mostly play for club teams an ~hour away in a larger city, so there's an opportunity cost (and environmental cost) there as well — an extra 2+ hours of driving every time you go to practice. If all the best players stayed here, we could put together a pretty strong team and save hundreds of person-hours on practice commutes.
I've struggled with this a lot myself. The biggest thing that I've felt that pushes toward this structure from the individual level (ignoring larger organizational decisions that support it) is folks prioritizing being on the best team that they can be on over say prioritizing smaller rosters, less travel, and more local competition.
My USA experience is from high school in Massachusetts, YCC in Massachusetts, a nationally competitive Division 3 college team in New England, club ultimate in Wisconsin, and UFA in the central division.
High school was the best and most enjoyable format by far.
Hey Ian,
I really appreciate you writing this up as I definitely feel the same way. I touched on this super briefly as well in a post I wrote about my own frisbee career:
https://someflow.substack.com/p/my-ultimate-frisbee-journey
> "I felt—and still feel—awkward about the idea of traveling to play frisbee. I don't own a car, partly out of a desire to do right by our environment. I would never travel to another city to play basketball or soccer, so doing lots of travel just to play frisbee has always felt a little off to me."
My reasons are pretty much the same as yours — environment and money — so I really appreciate that you've written up a longer version.
My one other travel-related comment that I don't think you touched on: I live in a small city where the best players mostly play for club teams an ~hour away in a larger city, so there's an opportunity cost (and environmental cost) there as well — an extra 2+ hours of driving every time you go to practice. If all the best players stayed here, we could put together a pretty strong team and save hundreds of person-hours on practice commutes.