Tula Wins 3rd Canadian University Championship

The University of Toronto, Torontula, Open won a third Canadian University National championship in a row, and the fourth in our history as a team. Some of us have been talking, and there's a feeling that this is the best one yet, and I wasn't even involved. I guess it's that sense satisfaction for building something and seeing it maintain itself at the high standard. Of course, I've only been away for a year, and time will tell with the program. That, and if I get a Professor job in Montreal (McGill) as it's one of my potentials in the Northeast, than Tula better watch out ;)

Pictured Above: Torontula winners out in Alberta.

The thing about programs, wherever and whatever activity they are in, is that they're maintained by the efforts of the members. This is true until the institution obtains a status where it becomes bigger than just a group of people that get together to play, do, and compete.

Let's look at Torontula as a case example and try an evaluate what it needs to become self maintaining. Torontula was established as a team in 1997. In Ultimate terms, that gives it some sort of history. The team has specific traditions (at least the Open team) that are repeated yearly. Some of these are:

• Didn't get cut party - a celebration of everyone making the club
• Buddy system - an undeerstanding that at tournaments and parties there is someone you're watching out for
• Velvet and Velour party - a season ending celebration in unique materialed outfits

These traditions change over the years, but they make the club feel like there's something special about belonging to the team.

Torontula has a logo that hasn't changed significantly over the years. This is a branding element that people see and recognize. Torontula also has championships, which gives people the sense that it's a winning program.

That's many things helping push the team forward, but it's not an institution that is guaranteed to last into the future. There are a number of reasons for this, but for dynasty college sports (football, basketball, etc.) teams are built around pillars, and those pillars again are the people (fans, administration, and coaches). In Torontula's case, people are only in the system for a matter of four years. To make these systems last the first step is getting a long term coach in place, and this costs money to draw and keep these people. Then as the program develops maybe the fans will come (highly unlikely in Canada).

That's the next step that college teams need to take to keep up there systems and get better recognized. These are early days in Ultimate, and there's a small window of opportunity to make your school a giant.

I've thrown my applications out to McGill, University of Michigan, Waterloo, Boston University, and University of Minnesota (and others). Hopefully, one of these schools will hire me (as a professor not as a coach) and I can be one of the people helping a program grasp that window of opportunity. I'm hoping to be in this next wave of building some dynasties.

PJ