Our Reason For Being

During an independent study I created entitled “Sports Culture and Youth Well-being”, I was struck by the epidemic of poor youth mental health in the United States. As part of my research, I came across, in contrast, the strong levels of mental health in Scandinavians. Digging deeper, I found a manual, created in Norway, that guides all youth sports in that country. Prominent in their approach was giving voice to the young players and ensuring they were safe physically. In addition, a core part was that financial constraints would never stop young people from joining sports. There was also a very intentional curbing of competition in sports for the younger athletes, to maintain a focus on the joy of play. This brings a sense of belonging and community to their

play. 

With this new lens, I took a look at sports in the United States and how it is often, at the club level, focused on a profit goal with many sports being very expensive to play. This profit motive often leaves out a lot of kids who would otherwise want to play. In addition, even with school sports, the focus on competition often alienates players and replaces what should be the goal of youth sports, that of playing for the joy of the game. 

Out of my research, I concluded that Ultimate Frisbee achieves a lot of the youth sports principles that the Norwegians have in place. It has a lower risk of injury than many traditional sports. It ensures the voice of players is prominent since the athletes self-referee. In addition, the main focus of the game is on the pure enjoyment of the sport, which helps create an environment of belonging. This is such a large factor in the positive well-being of youth. It is a great solution to what felt like a competitive and profit-making landscape of youth sports in the U.S.

Thus our organization, Ultimate Wellbeing, was born.