Colorado Springs, Colo. (Aug. 3, 2017) – USA Ultimate, the national governing body for the sport of ultimate in the United States and proud member of the U.S. Olympic Committee, announced today assistant coaches for the teams that will represent the U.S. at the World Flying Disc Federation’s 2018 World Junior Ultimate Championships.
Reid Koss (Seattle, Wash.) and Andy Neilsen (Chicago, Ill.) will assist Head Coach Sam O’Brien on the boys’ team, and Jason Adams (Boston, Mass.) and Alyssa Weatherford (Seattle, Wash.) will assist Head Coach DeAnna Ball on the girls’ team.
Koss is a longtime member of Seattle Sockeye and was a member of the 2016 U.S. Mixed National Team that won gold at the World Ultimate and Guts Championships. He has coached the middle school and varsity boys’ teams at the Northwest School in Seattle since 2009 and assisted with the U-20 Boys’ National Team at the World Junior Ultimate Championships in 2016.
Neilsen has been involved in the Chicago ultimate community for over a decade. He was a founder of the men’s club team Haymaker before going on to play for Chicago Machine for many years. He is currently the head coach of Machine, as well as the Chicago-area U-20 boys’ Youth Club Championships team, Chicago Elite.
Adams has been involved as a player and coach at both the college and club levels since picking up ultimate at the University of Delaware. He is currently the head coach of the Northeastern University Valkyries and the women’s club team Boston Siege. After serving as a selection assistant for several past national teams, WJUC 2018 will be his first foray as a coach at the national team level.
Weatherford is a well-known figure in the ultimate community. She has played and coached in the Seattle area for 15 years. She is a current member of Seattle Riot as well as the coach of Western Washington University Chaos and the Seattle Academy boys and girls teams. She has also coached at clinics around the world and was an assistant coach for the 2016 U.S. Girls’ National Team that won silver at the World Junior Ultimate Championships.
Head coaches were announced in June. Player applications will open later this summer.
The 2018 World Junior Ultimate Championships will be held August 19-25, outside Toronto in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. The event will be hosted by the World Flying Disc Federation with members of Ultimate Canada and Ontario Ultimate serving on the tournament organizing committee.
