.png)
TAKE YOUR GAME
BEYOND
FRIDAY NIGHTS
Our Two-Tournament Travel Team gives motivated middle school players the chance to experience tournament Ultimate, advanced coaching, and higher-level competition through two tournaments each spring and fall season.
A next level Ultimate experience without a weekly "travel-baseball" type commitment.
Virtual Info Meeting: Wed 12th @ 6pm
Tryouts: Aug 17 + 19. Backup Tryout: Aug 26
6-8pm @ MacKay Jaycee Park
THE COMMITMENT
2 Tournament Weekends
Compete against the best teams in the Midwest.
1 Additional Weekly Practice
High-level training alongside the area's dedicated players.
IS THIS TEAM RIGHT FOR MY PLAYER?
This team is for players who want to take the next step in Ultimate while continuing to play for their school team.
This if some someone who:
-
✅ wants to improve faster
-
✅ loves Ultimate and wants more opportunities to play
-
✅ enjoys being challenged by strong competition
-
✅ wants more coaching and feedback
-
✅ is excited to compete against top teams
-
✅ wants to make friends with players from across West Michigan
⭐ You do NOT need to be an elite player. We're looking for athletes who are coachable, work hard, compete with a positive attitude, and are great teammates. We believe effort, attitude, and a willingness to learn are more important than current skill at this age.
KEEP YOUR LOCAL TEAM
Travel Team complements your local team; it doesn't replace it.
Low Time Commitment
Two 1-day tournaments on a weekend each season.
WHY WE CREATED THIS TEAM
Many players finish middle school having never experienced Ultimate beyond local league play.
Tournament Ultimate is different.
Players compete against teams from across the Midwest, build new friendships, and discover what Ultimate can become in high school and beyond.
We created this team to give more players the chance to experience that next step while continuing to play for their school team.
This program is competitive, but player development comes first.
Our goal is simple: help more kids fall in love with Ultimate.
FALL 2026 SNAPSHOT
Informational Meeting: Wed Aug. 17th 6PM (virtual)
TRYOUTS: 6-8pm
@Mackay-Jaycee Park
Aug 17th/19th
Sept 2nd / 9th
PRACTICES:
Aug 17th/19th
Sept 2nd / 9th
2- TOURNAMENTS
Sept 27 in Loves Park, IL
TBD - Late Oct in Grand Rapids, MI
COST
$250 + Team Jersey + shared coach hotel expense *Due after being accepted to the team.
JUST TRY OUT!
Not sure you're good enough? Come anyway. Every season, players surprise themselves. We're looking for effort, attitude, coachability, and teammates who love the game.
Some athletes earn a spot on our Travel Team. Others join our Development Team, where they'll continue improving while attending the same tournaments and competing alongside the program.
No matter where you start, you'll leave a better player than when you arrived.
MEET THE COACHES
Our coaches are passionate about helping young athletes grow as players, teammates, and people. We believe in challenging kids, building confidence, and creating a positive environment where every player can improve and enjoy the game.
COACH
DAN BOYNTON
"My favorite thing about coaching the travel team is watching athletes from various different schools come together to build new friendships and unlock their next level of their play."
COACH
JOHN PETERSON
“Nothing brings me more joy than watching a young athlete discover that the game they love is both something fun and something they can be good at”
- Started playing competitively in 2009 at Eastern Michigan University
- Climbed the national rankings from 297th to 17th while at EMU (led the team in points scored at the national championship tournament)
- Coaching with ZZU since Fall of '21, full-time since Spring '25
- Coached the travel team to win the '25 Nequa knockout, and '26 Mid-west MS Classic.
Played Ultimate at Knox College and Davenport Unviersity
Played professionally for the Detroit Mechanix
Middle school music teacher at River City Charter Academy
Great teacher, communicator, and mentor
MID-WEST MIDDLE SCHOOL CLASSIC CHAMPIONS
Last spring, we won the Illinois classic against teams from all across the Midwest!
Come help us to do it again!
FAQ
How much travel is involved? We have one Saturday or Sunday tournament in the Fall in Illinois and one local weekday tournament. The Spring Season we have two Saturday or Sunday tournaments.
Do I still play with my local team? YES! Still play with your local team at practices and games. We have Wednesday evening practices.
How many players make the team? We have over 15 players signed up so we are planning to have 2 teams. If we don't have enough for 2 teams we will then need to make cuts (ugh) so please invite friends! Last Spring, we had no cuts and 2 teams (woot).
What if I'm a 5th Grader? Love it. We need a coach recommendation to have you attend tryouts. Email us and we will connect with one of your past coaches.
Do I have to be really good? Please still consider trying out. Our coaches would love to coach up the enthusiastic. Can you play defense? Can you run a disc down? Great. Each player brings their own piece to the puzzle of a great team. We are also aiming to create a developmental team as well with the same schedule.
How do the tournament work? The teams come in from all around the Midwest! Illinois is a great central location to a lot of "hot beds" of Ultimate Frisbee. We will play 4-6 games in a row (woah) so that means lots of playing time for everyone and we'll need a full team to keep legs fresh throughout the day. There is swag to buy at these tournaments! Attending these tournaments exposes you to a wide range of athletes, pushes you athletically, and it is so much fun!