About Us
Halifax Ultimate is a registered not-for-profit with the goal of providing affordable and fun Ultimate for the residents of HRM. We offer one of the lowest cost organized sports in Halifax.
We offer multiple leagues all year-round at various fields, fieldhouses, gyms, and all-weather turf facilities in the Halifax area. In the summer, we play on grass (e.g. Wanderers, South Commons, Graves Oakley, Ravenscraig, and Rockingstone) and turf (e.g. Burnside All Weather Turf). In the fall, winter, and spring seasons, our leagues are indoors on court (e.g. Canada Games Centre) or turf (e.g. BMO Soccer Centre).
Our Vision
To make quality & spirited Ultimate available in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Our Mission
Spirit
Halifax Ultimate recognizes sportsmanship, fair play and rule knowledge are integral to providing quality ultimate. Halifax Ultimate also recognizes the importance of fun and being social.
Diversity of Offerings
Halifax Ultimate will strive to offer a variety of playing and non-playing opportunities for all age groups and skills levels. Halifax Ultimate will deliver learning opportunities for members of any skill level to get better. League offerings will focus on inclusiveness allowing members opportunities to play several times per week year round.
Sustainable Capacity
Halifax Ultimate will work with stakeholders to meet the playing and practice needs of its membership. Halifax Ultimate will also focus on activities to raise the profile of the organization.
Member Satisfaction
Halifax Ultimate wants to ensure its members (and potential members) are satisfied with its offerings. Halifax Ultimate wants to offer members opportunities to play at ‘their’ skill level. This includes activities that are transparent, inclusive, ethical and fair.
Volunteerism
Halifax Ultimate recognizes that having an engaged group of volunteers is the key to its future success.
Player Skills Development
Halifax Ultimate will deliver learning opportunities for players of every skill level to improve.
Inclusivity
Halifax Ultimate will make Ultimate accessible to anyone who wants to take part.
Strategic Plan
Halifax Ultimate went through a Strategic Planning process to set the overall goals of the organization and articulate a plan to achieve them.
Committees
In support of the Mission of Halifax Ultimate, cluster committees have been established. These are led by a Board Member and open to any member of Halifax Ultimate contribute. The committees are as follows:
Engagement
Lead: Aric Reynolds
This committee aims to ensure members are enthusiastic, loyal, and happy with HU. It also measures retention.
Field Fund
Lead: Greg Thomson
This committee manages the Capital Field fund and seeks recommendations in conjunction with HU’s bylaws to use it.
Inclusivity & Women
in Ultimate
Lead: Desta Shaw Naka
This committee recognizes the imbalances in our sport and aims to make feels welcome, respected, and given equal opportunity.
Leagues
Lead: Josh Millard
This committee works with the League Coordinators to ensure HU is running leagues (based on field availability) that members want.
Social Media and Communication
Leads: Brodie Fitzgerald
This committee leads communication within HU. This includes developing content and creative ways on social media to engage members and HU’s brand.
Spirit and Observers
Lead: Brent Wallace
This committee aims to provide a high level of spirit and involvement in HU by promoting sportsmanship, rule knowledge, and fair play.
Touring Teams
Lead: Aric Reynolds
This committee aims to assist Halifax’s touring teams through partnerships and sponsorships to ensure they can compete at top-level tournaments.
Volunteerism
Lead: Greg Thomson
This committee aims to ensure HU has members that want to get involved to better the organization, as needed.
Volunteers Make Halifax Ultimate
Halifax Ultimate was built by ultimate players that volunteered their time and skills to make something amazing. We continue to build ultimate in Halifax through the hard work of our community. Do you have some time or skills to volunteer?
Leadership
League Coordinators
Kelsey Hayden & James McKenna
James has been playing ultimate competitively for about 11 years, including as a player and captain on both Warriors of Rad and Red Circus Ultimate. In the past, he was a member of the Disc NS board and coached the Nova Scotia Blues Junior women’s team. James’ favorite HU league teams he has ever played with were Fiji Mermaids, an open league draft team from 2012, and Prom Date, a summer team in 2014-2016.
Kelsey has been playing ultimate for about 6 years. She has been playing with Salty since 2018 and was recently elected to be one of their 2022 captains. In 2019, Kelsey was the team manager for Madhouse. She also began writing part-time for Ultiworld and continues to write for the site today. Her favorite HU league team was Huck Dynasty, her first Halifax summer team that got her “hooked.”
You can contact them via: info@halifaxultimate.ca
Board of Directors
The board of directors for 2021-2022 are:
Brent Wallace
Chair
Brent started playing ultimate at Mount A in 2015. Moving to Halifax in 2017, he joined Red Circus and is currently a captain. He has captained Madhouse and played on Anchor.
Brent works in human resources, and he enjoys spending time with friends and exploring the city outside of work.
Kaitlyn Baillie
Vice-Chair
Kaitlyn started playing Ultimate in 2016 when she was asked to join the Saucerheads and fell in love with the sport at first flick. She has been playing Ultimate at least once a week since 2016 and her favourite format is 4v4. Off the field Kaitlyn works in occupational health and safety and spends her free time sewing, hiking, and playing the occasional video game.
Greg Thomson
Treasurer
Greg started playing Ultimate in 2006 (because he was perceived as being fast) as a member of Strangelove (Halifax Ultimate’s longest running team) and played the summer seasons for the first five years. Greg’s main Ultimate goal is the post game drink/ season-ending parties.
Greg has varied interests outside of Ultimate including teaching part time at several local universities and working at b4checkin. He also does significant volunteering with Junior Achievement of Nova Scotia, Saint Mary’s University and Atlantic Division of Canoe Kayak Canada.
Greg is also a competitive runner and is always open to anyone joining him. (He runs around the SouthEnd at 7am daily.) He also is obsessed with professional tennis (Serena & Rafa) and follows most professional sports.
Aric Reynolds
Board Member
Aric accidentally started playing ultimate in 2009 when a scheduling error had his team thinking they were going to a HSSC dodgeball information session and ended up in a frisbee one; this gave birth to the (still running) “We thought this was Dodgeball” team! Since then, Aric has captained several teams, including a reoccurring summer team that focuses on bringing beginner level players into the sport. When is isn’t playing ultimate, he has a passion for refining his go-to rib rub recipe or beating you at Mario Kart.
He brings a recreational level player point of view to the board and is focused on membership engagement and satisfaction. If you have any feedback on your HU experience, give him a shout on his personal email: Aric_123@hotmail.com
Desta Shaw Naka
Board Member
Desta started playing Ultimate in 2013 in grade 12. Desta played for many years in Kelowna, BC where she was also on the Ultimate board there. Since moving to Halifax in 2020 Desta has been playing in leagues and on Salty (the Halifax women’s competitive team). Desta works as a teacher, enjoys playing disc golf, and spending time with friends and family.
Josh Millard
Board Member
Josh started playing Ultimate in 2010 as a member of St. FX’s inaugural club team. Since moving to Halifax in the fall of 2011, Josh has been an avid HU member and has played open club Ultimate (both Red Circus and the Warriors of Rad) every season his body has allowed him to compete, making his mark on the field with big pulls and a bigger chest.
When not slinging plastic, Josh works in healthcare (where my nurses at?!), drinks too much coffee (impossible), and works his on his huck game with his spaniel Boris (much better at frisbee).
Brodie Fitzgerald
Board Member
Brodie began playing Ultimate at the age of 10, after one of her family member’s brought the sport to her hometown. She’s been addicted ever since! After her varsity days playing at Nipissing University, she moved from city to city, province to province, joining the ultimate community wherever she went! She was amazed to see the talent grow and is blessed to be a part of such a humble, fun and kind sport.
If you don’t see Brodie on the field, giggling her way through the game, you might see see her with a camera glued to her hand! Brod’s in love with photography and all things social media, so next time you see her, smile for the camera! 