Happy holidays to all Syzygy and CUT alums from the CUF board! The end of a year is a time for reflection and we believe we can say that by any measure our respective teams continue to be highly successful. Just last week Ultiworld came out with their pre-season collegiate rankings, placing Syzygy at #8 in the country and CUT as #1. (Full rankings here) These are of course meaningless numbers at this point until the season begins and players get on the field early in 2018 with tournaments around the country, but exciting nonetheless. Five CUT and Syzygy athletes are participating this winter on the USA U-24 national teams in early January in Perth Australia, taking on the best from the rest of the world. Both of these items are excellent results for our DI teams that operate out of a DIII-sized school. Best of all, Syzygy and CUT players continue to do all that they do with the class, talent, and desire that are the hallmarks of Carleton Ultimate.
So how do we maintain this success and sustain these programs for the long haul? With our hearts and our hands and our voices and our resources. We follow our teams on Twitter and other media when they play; sometimes we show up in person at tournaments and scream and applaud and ring cowbells; and we provide financial support so they ALL can compete with the best, at all the tournaments they need to attend across the country. CUF was founded to provide the funds that it takes to keep Syzygy and CUT competing at the highest level, and we need your support now more than ever.
If you read our recent email report regarding our operations you will know that CUF has committed to both a high level of transparency as well as giving equally to each program. In conjunction with officials at Carleton, in November CUF gave $10,000 each directly to the budgets of CUT and Syzygy. We will work with the teams, their treasurers, and Club Sports staff at Carleton to assure this funding goes toward the priority areas you, as donors, have deemed vital. Right now those areas are: coaching support; funds to support winter dome practice time; and individual grants to support team members in need. In addition to funding Syzygy and CUT, CUF still takes applications from those in our community who are coaching ultimate at the high school level or below and provides small stipends and jerseys to those applicants. This program both promotes the development of youth ultimate by helping to fund good coaches and gets the Carleton name out there.
So our simple message is GIVE to CUF for all the reasons above. Give because your support allows all to participate. Give because you want to see the teams travel and play in your neck of the woods. Give because you want another national championship. Give because these kids need great instruction to keep pace with the rest of the teams in the country. Give because the CUT and Syzygy community gives so much to all of us, and you want to see the tradition continue. Your support goes directly to the teams and makes a real difference to the players.
You can make your one-time or monthly gifts online via the CUF website here. If you still send old-school checks, the mailing address is there too. Reminder that CUF is a registered 501(c)(3) organization and your contributions are fully tax deductible. We even send you a fancy receipt these days to acknowledge your gift. We can’t thank you enough for your ongoing support and for considering a gift to CUF to wrap up 2017.
~ The CUF Board of Directors
Officers: Brent Nystrom (CUT ’92), Chair; Rich Price (CUT ’90), Secretary; Chris Borden (Frisbee Union ’84, P-Syzygy ’16), Treasurer
Board Members: Alex Evangelides (CUT ’11); Miranda (Roth) Knowles (Syzygy ’04); Emily Muirhead McAdam (Syzygy ’08); Charlie Pydych (Frisbee Union ’81); Lawrence Wang (CUT ’96); Ted Weldon (Frisbee Union ’83)
Carleton Ultimate Fund 