UP has been running practices in communities in the Middle East since 2009, at each practice we have at least one ‘Mentor’ coach – A UP staff member or volunteer who knows the game of ultimate and plans and runs the practice. As the LIT program has developed, LITs have begun helping and taking on more responsibilities with practices. Sometimes, when schedules and holidays collide, and we do not have a Mentor coach, practice has to be canceled. It’s rare, but it happens.
This Friday, however was a UP first: A community practice planned and run entirely by community coaches with no outside help! Arabe residents Yara Nassar, ’14 CIT (now LIT) Graduate head coached the practice along with 3rd year LITs Eman and Feras. 18 Arabe players joined practice, where they worked on give-and-goes and setting up a vertical stack quickly before playing an ultimate game.
This is a big new step in the development of the Year Round Program as a whole, and especially the LIT program. As our LITs and LIT graduates become more skilled and self confident, we expect to be able to create more practices fully run by local coaches adding to the sustainability of the program.
