Ultimate was developed in 1968 and the UPA was formed in 1979. There
has been interscholastic competition since the early 1970s and U.S.
national and world championships have been held since 1977 and 1983,
respectively. The UPA has crowned team national champions every year
since 1979 but, outside of those few players honored through the
"Spirit" and "Callahan" awards, there has been no vehicle to also honor
the many individual Ultimate players and contributors to the
development of the sport who attained the very highest level of
achievement as measured by their peers. In conjunction with the 25th
anniversary of the founding of the UPA, we are therefore hereby
establishing the Ultimate Hall of Fame (approved UPA Executive
Committee, August 26, 2004). In addition, the Hall of Fame will serve
as a means of telling part of the story of Ultimate for future
generations.
For the immediate future, the
Ultimate Hall of Fame will begin as a "virtual" presence without a
physical location. A UPA web page will be created to state the mission
of the Ultimate Hall of Fame, list the Hall of Fame inductees and
highlight their accomplishments. A wall plaque will also be hung at the
UPA Headquarters listing all inductees. In the future, it is our goal
that a permanent site be established to preserve the memories and
memorabilia of Ultimate, its players, and contributors for all to view.
The
mission of the Ultimate Hall of Fame is to honor the men and women,
past and present, who by their deeds as Ultimate players and/or
contributors, and by the example of their lives, merit acknowledgement
by all individuals involved in the sport of Ultimate. By establishing
the Ultimate Hall of Fame, we seek to celebrate the history, honor the
heroes, inspire the youth, and preserve the legacy of the game of
Ultimate and the "Spirit of the Game."
In 2005, the Hall of Fame Organizing Committee will provide a proposal to the UPA Board including the following elements: