New York Gridlock Ultimate (NYGL) is the first professional Ultimate team for women and non-binary athletes in the NYC metropolitan area. Founded in January 2019 by Eileen Murray, Julie Cook and a committee of local athletes, many of whom have stayed involved as athletes and staff. NYGL is a member team of the Premier Ultimate League (PUL), also founded in 2019 for the purpose of increasing accessibility and visibility of women and non-binary athletes. The Winning Edge recently announced their partnership with New York Ultimate Gridlock and had the opportunity to sit down and speak with Co-founder Julie Cook. Julie shared her personal journey with Ultimate along with her involvement and passion for New York Gridlock Ultimate.
How did you know you wanted to be in the sports industry?
I started playing Ultimate Frisbee in college in the mid 80’s in upstate New York. I was a track runner in high school and then at Union College in Schenectady, New York. I picked up Ultimate as a second sport, just for fun. When I graduated from Union College in 1987, I played with the women’s team out of New York City through ‘93. “We went to Nationals a couple of times and played in a few world competitions; I had a great group of friends up there in New York, many of who support NYGL.”
I met my husband at World Clubs in ‘93 and I moved to Alabama. From there I played with Atlanta’s Ozone for a couple of years which is where I met my Co-founder Eileen Murray. After having children, I played with mixed teams until 2005 and then some Grand Masters.
As the first professional Ultimate Frisbee team for womxn* and non-binary athletes from the New York City area, how did this come together?
A group of women out of Atlanta, Nashville, Austin and Indianapolis formed teams in response to a boycott of the American Ultimate Disc League (AUDL). They organized a series of showcase games in 2018 and had a positive response from the ultimate community. They began reaching out to other club teams around the country, resulting in the birth of the PUL.
When Eileen caught wind of it and decided to get involved, she extended an invite for me to join. Eileen gathered a group of women from New York and New Jersey who helped her submit a bid to join the league. Our bid was accepted and we got to work. Our team is a true team effort. Every member of the team has contributed to our growth. It has been an incredible experience to work with so many dedicated individuals who truly love the game of Ultimate.
What is one unique element of Ultimate that you would like to share?
Ultimate is a self-officiated sport. It is played throughout the world with no referees. The PUL is continuing this tradition. We have a guiding philosophy called, The Spirit of the Game, which adds a layer to competition that requires athletes to exhibit fair play and listen, learn and acknowledge another point of view, even in the heat of competition. I believe this is unique to the sport of Ultimate and it is one of the things I love about the game.
I have played internationally with people who do not speak my language; however, there have never been problems in regards to officiating the games. This element highlights the importance of having integrity and respect for not only your opponent but also yourself. I believe in the power of sports, sportspersonship and the importance of instilling these values into everyday life.
How did you hear about The Winning Edge?
To educate myself better on the ins and outs of running a sports team, I have been sitting in on webinars and joining all kinds of platforms. One webinar I was listening to featured Vince Pierson, an advisory board member of The Winning Edge. He was talking about the importance of equity and inclusion in the sports world and the power of sports to have a positive impact on society. Following the webinar, I searched him on LinkedIn and noticed he was in the Brooklyn area. I reached out to him and we connected. He shared a great deal of knowledge and ideas including The Winning Edge. “He was like, you need to know this organization!” From there, he connected me to Corinne.
What made you want to partner with The Winning Edge?
Overall, I feel that New York Gridlock Ultimate’s values are aligned with The Winning Edge. On top of that, Corinne has such great energy. She is somebody that you want to work with because she’s positive and wants to see every opportunity through. I feed off of that energy and I knew this would be a great chance for us to support BIPOC student athletes while also growing our organization.
The Winning Edge interns are supported by professionals in the business world. This provides an opportunity for student athletes to learn and for us to learn alongside them. It is a great opportunity for increased exposure for our very young organization.
I see that there currently are two different Gigs for Game Changers available with New York Gridlock Ultimate. Could you tell me a little about each Gig and the opportunity they each present?
The two gigs NYGL is offering for Game Changers at this time are, are a Corporate Strategist and a Content and Communications Strategist. The Corporate Strategist will be helping us create a sponsorship and fundraising plan and the Content and Communications Strategist will be working with our Media and Communications Committee on branding and social media.
Why do you think The Winning Edge Leadership Academy is important for the industry?
The Winning Edge is important for the industry because it is all about inclusion and creating opportunities for people who would not have them otherwise. NYGL is very excited about the partnership and centering BIPOC people and athletes. Providing leadership opportunities is part of our mission and the partnership was a perfect opportunity for us to continue this work. I also believe everyone should be paid for their work. I love that Winning Edge provides paid internships. The values of The Winning Edge are very consistent with our values and I am extremely excited to support them, work with them, and bring my ideas to the table.
Since speaking with Julie Cook, The Winning Edge has announced the two Game Changers selected to participate in the gigs for New York Gridlock Ultimate:
Taya Reimer, a former student athlete on the women’s basketball team at Michigan State, has been selected as the New York Gridlock Ultimate Content and Communications Strategist.
Jayln Foster, a former student athlete on the men’s football team at North Carolina A&T and Georgetown, has been selected as the New York Gridlock Ultimate Corporate Strategist.
For more information regarding New York Gridlock Ultimate, you can follow along on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
