Before, we played in grumbling groups, skirting NYC Parks officials whenever we set cleated feet on even the smallest patch of grass.
Former leagues, relegated to the treacherous Dustbowl where today, only pickup survives, left you dirty if not injured and discouraged. Players got fed up, decent field space became increasingly impossible to find, and the likelihood of a cohesive ultimate frisbee organization on this island seemed slim.
In 2008, John Kim and Venu Manne stormed the scene with ambition, influence and connections to spare. In their quest for a league of equal teams on grassy fields, they not only secured permits for fields at Inwood and East River Park, but, with the fundraising prowess of Alex Berzofsky, renovated our new field at Riverside Park / 72nd Street. Their whole process fosters spirit and community, our league's most prized possessions.