With two college Ultimate seasons lost to the pandemic, which college program has lost the most? Which team had a solid nucleus about to explode that has instead been mothballed?

From a personal perspective, I’ve been hurting so much for my @hodaglove juniors and seniors that had been paying dues and toiling hard and were about to burst in the new sunlight of their elders’ graduations. Those years gone.

And although @USAUltimate’s adjustments to the eligibility rules are welcome and appreciated, fact is most kids graduating don’t have the luxury of waiting around to play again. They get jobs and move because they have to and life goes on.

I’m honestly shuddering at deficit we’re accruing as this extends in the currency of leadership and experience at the college program level. @hodaglove and others are blessed w committed coaches but that’s not universal.

Many smaller programs rely on their upperclassmen to teach the next generation not just how to play Ultimate, but how to organize and recruit and jump through procedural hoops. If you’re running a team well, every rookie is a vet’s intern

And it’s more than just having access to older club players around; those older teammates are around all the time, building the culture with their daily actions.

I can’t imagine we don’t see a lowering of the competitive floor across the college division in an echo a couple years from now, as we see the full impact of that loss reflected in teams’ play.

And during this two-year caution flag lap, the programs that will emerge and accelerate ahead of others are those that have been investing energy in trying to mitigate this loss of leadership, organization and culture.