A primer on the American Ultimate Disc League's Chicago Wildfire
The Chicago Wildfire opens its home schedule in the American Ultimate Disc League at Benedetti-Wehrli Stadium in Naperville at 7:30 p.m. Saturday against the Indianapolis AlleyCats. The Wildfire and the AUDL have been in action since 2013, and today the league has 23 teams, including three in Canada.
In this Q&A, edited for length and clarity, Wildfire player and managing partner CJ O'Brien talks about the growth of the sport, the game's appeal, the team assembled in Chicago, and the future of the fast-paced noncontact team sport that uses a flying disc (Frisbee™) to score points.
Q: This is a 7-on-7 noncontact game with four 12-minute quarters played on a football or soccer field. How easily can fans catch on to it?
CJO: Ultimate is the fastest growing sport in North America with over 6 million athletes participating at some level in 2017. Full-field throws and a multitude of diving and leaping plays make this action-packed, high-energy sport enjoyable for spectators and players. It combines the nonstop movement of soccer with the aerial passing of football.
Q: Who are a some of the top players for the Wildfire?
CJO: Kurt Gibson is widely regarded as one of the best (if not the best) current players in the world. He has won championships at the college, club and pro level.
Nate Goff was one of the top defenders in the AUDL last year and played for the Raleigh Flyers but moved to Chicago (to attend classes at Northwestern) and has meshed very well with the Wildfire defensive line.
Ross Barker played for the Madison Radicals last year and was a standout at Wisconsin, and also competed on the U-24 Team USA group that won gold in Australia in January at the World Competition.
Finally, we're returning 20 players from last year, including captain Pawel Janas, who led the league in assists, and Mike Pard, who led the league in scores for most of 2017.
Q: There are 23 teams in the league. What do you hope will happen in the next five or 10 years?
CJO: I think our biggest challenge right now is still just general awareness with the public - that Ultimate is a sport, that there's a professional league, that Chicago has a team, and that we play nearby.
Things are slowly improving to help us increase exposure, like with the new two-year deal with Stadium (watchstadium.com) that puts Ultimate on national television multiple times a week in addition to the sporadic Sports Center appearances that help us gain credibility.
In five years I hope Ultimate is better established in more states as a high school varsity sport, and by then the Stadium or other national TV network will have us regularly broadcasting each professional game. In 10 years I hope Ultimate has been in the Olympics at least once, is an NCAA varsity sport with full scholarships for student athletes, and we have sold-out stadiums.
Q: Clinics are conducted before each game. Who participates and what is that like?
CJO: As part of our efforts to grow the sport, we provide free youth clinics for elementary, middle and high school kids to come learn to throw, run through some basic drills and get 1:1 feedback from a pro athlete. Usually it's kids from nearby high schools or middle school teams that come to learn some pro tips to improve their games, and occasionally we'll have parents that are former players bring their younger children to get them started in the sport at the elementary-school level. It's a great opportunity for kids to learn about the game and get mentoring from good role models.
We do also run a weeklong youth camp later in the summer for kids looking to spend more time learning about ultimate (http://wildfireyouthcamp.ultimatecentral.com).
If you go
What: Chicago Wildfire of the American Ultimate Disc League
Teams: 23 teams, with Chicago in the Midwest Division
How it's played: 7-on-7 noncontact game played in four 12-minute quarters on a rectangular field with end zones, It combines soccer's nonstop movement with football's aerial passing. One point is awarded for each catch in the end zone.
Tickets: $10 per game or $40 for a season pass available at chicago-wildfire.com
<b>Wildfire home schedule</b>Saturday: Indianapolis, 7:30 p.m.
May 12: Pittsburgh, 6 p.m.
May 19: Madison, 6 p.m.
*June 9: Madison, 7 p.m.
June 17: Detroit, 1 p.m.
July 7: Indianapolis, 6 p.m.
July 15: Minnesota, 1 p.m.
Six home games will be played at Benedetti-Wehrli Stadium, 455 S. Brainard St., Naperville, on North Central College's campus
Instruction: One-hour youth clinics will be held two hours before all home games.
*Game at Sportscore Stadium in Rockford during High School National Invite; full schedule at theaudl.com