CUPA Public Statement on Coronavirus Concerns #7
President CUPA Board
Dear CUPA Community,
Happy Friday! I know that the last couple of months have been challenging for all of us, but I hope this communication finds you safe and well. With the summer right around the corner and the outlook of the COVID-19 pandemic showing some positive signs, there at least remains hope for brighter days ahead.
In the last couple of weeks there have been some significant announcements regarding policies for staying at home as well as returning to certain activities. The State of Ohio has been opening activity back up in a systematic schedule (more details here). Specifically related to our interests, there has been guidance on “Sports and Sports Leagues”, but the application to our specific sport is more complicated to discern given how ultimate is played (particularly the continuous proximity of athletes during play). USA Ultimate also shared their most recent update on May 15 and extended the postponement of most events further into the summer until their next update on June 5. The CUPA Board of Directors has used all of this information as well as any guidance from the World Health Organization and Center for Disease Control and Prevention to evaluate the next steps for our organization, prioritizing participant safety above all else.
With that in mind, the decision has been made to maintain the suspension of CUPA-related activities until further notice. The timing for the next update is planned for the week of June 8, but we will communicate sooner if anything comes up. We understand that the lack of clarity on timing can be frustrating (we all feel it too), but our intention is to maintain flexibility so that we can return to play as soon as safely possible (as opposed to definitively canceling events up to a certain date, knowing that the available information continues to change daily). However, to provide points of reference for everyone, we do expect to have updates shortly after USA Ultimate’s update at the beginning of June. At this time we believe that it’s unlikely that we’ll be able to resume activities in June, so the next potential and reasonable start date would be July 1. Again, we appreciate everyone’s understanding and reiterate that we share your desire to get back to playing our beloved sport soon.
Summer league registrations remain open as a placeholder in the event that we can resume activities. Everyone is welcome to sign up, but no payments are being collected at this time. We will continue to communicate specific updates as they become available.
In the meantime, I want to take a moment to celebrate some of the great achievements within our community even during these unprecedented times:
CUPA Jersey Fundraiser: COVID-19 won't break us! CUPA partnered with disc organizations around the country in a jersey fundraiser campaign. Thanks to everyone that supported this project (we raised about $860 for the organization!) and we look forward to seeing these “Force Home” jerseys (designed by members of the Bay Area Disc Association) around town soon!
CUPA’s Anniversary: CUPA celebrated 21 years as an organization on April 30th! Thanks to everyone that has brought us to this point and we look forward to many more amazing years to come!
Club Team Leadership: Leaders from multiple area club teams got together (virtually) to collaborate on plans for the upcoming season, despite the uncertainty that lies ahead. Our club scene is in great hands to navigate these upcoming months!
COVID-19 Relief Project: A group of individuals in the community took the initiative to lead a relief project specifically for those in the area in need of assistance during the pandemic. Thanks to those working to support others!
2020 Callahan Award Finalist: Congratulations to Cara Sieber (Ohio State Fever) for being selected as one of this year’s Callahan Award finalists in the women’s college division. Cara is a YUC alumni and played with Belle at YCC. We’re proud of Cara as an outstanding representative of our community!
As you can see, there is still plenty to celebrate, and during these times it’s important that we do so. I wish all of you the best as we continue to navigate the challenges of this pandemic and want you to know that the community is here to support you. If you have any other questions or concerns, don’t hesitate to ask and we’ll do everything we can to get the answers. Have a wonderful weekend and we’ll see you soon!
Thanks,
Ryan Gorman
President, CUPA Board of Directors
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The Cincinnati Ultimate Players Association (CUPA)'s mission is to serve as a regional resource, promoting growth in the sport of ultimate and instilling Spirit of the Game™ at all levels of play. CUPA is an Ohio non-profit corporation run primarily by volunteers. CUPA is tax-exempt under IRS section 501(c)(4). To see how CUPA can help you or your organization at any level of ultimate, please visit the website or contact the Board of Directors.