Before you register to attend tryouts for the 2025 Utah Wild professional roster, read through this information and list of frequently asked questions!
Quick Hits:
When:
Saturday November 16th, 1-5pm MT
Intros and warm ups start promptly at 1pm! Check in starts at 12pm, plan to arrive early enough to spend 5-10 minutes signing in and doing anything else you need prior to the group warm up.
Sunday November 17th, 10a-2pm MT
Intros and warm ups start promptly at 10! No registration will occur on Sunday. You may arrive prior to 10 but we expect not to be able to take the field until 10.
Where:
Saturday: Lakeside Sports Park, Orem (outdoors, 1 field of turf, 1 field of grass)
Sunday: Riverside Park, Salt Lake City (outdoors, all grass)
This shows where the fields are, where you should park, where you should not park, and where the entrances/sign in tables will be for each day.
Who:
This team and tryout is open to all people who play ultimate as defenders of women, or women-matching players. This may include but is not limited to cis women, trans women, non binary people, and gender nonconforming people.
Players must be 18 by March 1st, 2025 in order to be eligible for a spot on the roster
Cost:
$40 for adults
$30 for students
Pinnies will not be included in the registration fees this year but will be available at a deeply discounted rate at tryouts for tryout attendees.
Everyone attending tryouts or pursuing a spot virtually are required to pay the fee during registration
We do not want finances to be a barrier to entry for any potential tryout player, please select the "Name Your Price" ticket option during registration to choose a price that works for your budget.
Communicable Illnesses:
All people attending tryouts are expected to monitor for any symptoms of illness (Flu, COVID-19, other) prior to tryouts. If you are experiencing any fatigue, shortness of breath, coughing, or un-seasonal allergies you are expected to wear a mask or stay home.
Utah Wild will have free surgical and N95 masks on site for anyone who wants to wear one!
Testing will not be required by Utah Wild but it is strongly encouraged that everyone attains a negative COVID test prior to the start of tryouts.
If symptoms arise during the weekend, we will have a small number of tests available on hand to be purchased at cost in order to minimize trips to the drug store.
Attendees should isolate or mask in line with CDC guidelines if they have been in close contact with a positive case of COVID-19.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Who are our coaches? Will I have a chance to get to know them before tryouts?
We are very excited to be carrying over the experience from last year's coaching staff into the 2025 season. You can shake off the rust and meet our coaching staff at our Pre Tryout Mixer! We will be in Draper on Saturday 10/19 from 10a - 1p.
Pre-Tryout events will be opportunities to get some reps and a sneak peak at the drills that will be tested at tryouts. Anyone can attend, even if they do not plan to try out so register and bring all of your women-matching friends!
Do I have to attend both days?
This is a two day tryout and all players are expected to attend both days; however, it is acceptable to attend only one day if you have a religious, work, or other legitimate exemption.
If you cannot attend these dates, please fill out the tryout registration form and indicate that you will not be attending. You may be sent a follow up email to provide additional information and reference material for the Tryout Committee in place of an in person tryout.
We highly encourage you attend the tryouts in person if possible! There is no replacement to seeing someone on the field!
Other information that may be requested by the coaches:
Game Footage: Any previous game footage to help us assess your playing style and skills.
Ultiworld Articles: If you've been featured in Ultiworld, please share them with us to highlight your achievements and contributions.
Other: Any other information about you that you feel like we should have when making roster decisions
I am not local to SLC, can I stay at someone's house?
If you are in need of local accommodation, please reach out to info@utahwildultimate.org no later than Sunday Nov 10, 2024 with your travel plans and we will do our best to find you a place to stay.
I am a parent and will have my kid(s) with me at tryouts, will there be space for them?
Yes! We recognize that many people who are interested in attending tryouts have caregiving responsibilities and are making accommodations for those responsibilities.
We will have a dedicated babysitter on site on Saturday and Sunday of tryouts. If you plan to utilize this service, please make sure you reach out to info@utahwildultimate.org or to Erica directly so we can make sure we have enough hands on deck. The Wild will be covering the baseline cost for this service, but tips directly to the babysitter(s) are appreciated if you are able.
There will be shade tents available for children and coparents to keep them out of the sun or rain.
We can set up a private lactation space if required, please list this in your tryout registration!
I am injured, can I still try out?
You are still encouraged to register and will be considered for a spot based on your projected recovery. We prioritize a safe return to play and do not want anyone to sacrifice recovery timelines for tryout attendance. You have an opportunity to tell the coaches about yourself and your injury in the tryout registration form.
Are spectators allowed?
Spectators will be allowed both days under the following conditions:
It is encouraged that if they are able, each spectator contributes a $5 donation per day to observe and learn from the athletes and coaches at tryouts.
Spectators are not allowed to socialize with players who are trying out throughout the duration of tryouts.
Exceptions: Parents of players under 18 as well as co-parents/caregivers of children of players at tryouts are not expected to donate and may interact with their family member as needed.
What are you looking for in a Utah Wild player?
Someone that values promoting ultimate for people of all genders and the progressive mission of the Wild and WUL.
People who are committed. Given the nature of the season with just 6-8 games we need people that will prioritize attendance to weekly practices, practice weekends, and other team events.
Flexible and experienced players - there won't be a lot of time to build chemistry. Players who can work within many systems and are easily coachable are desirable. We are looking for people willing and able to be team players.
What if I don't live in Utah?
You will still be considered for a spot on the roster. If a player is good enough to make the team they will be given a spot.
Players from outside of Utah are required to participate in their local pod practices every week.
Based on the team makeup from pervious seasons, we can anticipate out-of-state pod practices to be hosted in Boise and Missoula. Proximity to one of these cities, or any other out-of-state city is not required to be considered for the Utah Wild roster.
Are players paid?
Yep! Check out the breakdown at the bottom of this page under Season Expectations.
Do you offer feedback from tryouts?
Our tryout committee will have many people to watch and evaluate over the weekend. They have been encouraged to take notes in order to provide feedback but we cannot guarantee that every person will have detailed feedback provided to them. If you are interested in feedback after the tryout feel free to reach out to info@utahwildultimate.org and we will do our best to gather feedback from the committee.
If you have requested feedback in your tryout form, we’ll make note to send feedback to you when we notify you of the results of the tryout. If you would like feedback after the tryout, please reach out to benjee.012@gmail.com or info@utahwildultimate.org and we can provide it at that time.
When will we hear whether we have made the team?
Players should hear no later than midnight on Wednesday November 20th whether they are being offered a spot on our roster or as a practice player. All players must accept or reject their spot within 48 hours of being offered.
How many late night practices will there be?
Likely many :(
Indoor spaces are unfortunately more competitive than ever. Finding indoor field availability is very challenging, more so during “normal” hours. Be prepared for potential two-a-days with a couple two hour block practices in one day, or late night practices on practice weekends.
NEW Utah players can expect the following for January, February, and March practices. April and May will be outdoors at a more "normal" hour:
Mondays from 8-10p or 10p-12a at Spence Eccles Fieldhouse
What indoor facilities do we use for practices?
Spence Eccles Fieldhouse in SLC
Zion's Bank Turf in Herriman
Sports City in Draper
Assorted gyms or outdoor fields as needed
2025 Season Expectations
What does it look like to be offered a spot on the 2025 Utah Wild?
At this date, we have limited information on the 2025 WUL game schedule and format. Below are the expectations as we currently know them, this page will be updated as we learn more.
NEW We currently anticipate a roster size of up to 30 players. We will not designate "practice players" this year. Exact numbers will be based on the skill exhibited at tryouts and the final tryout pool.
Note: Game day and travel rosters will be approximately 20 players. Players will be given ample warning on their status for a game to arrange travel. Some players may be designated early on as attending every game by coaches, others may hear on a game to game basis.
Our season will run from November to early June, and will consist of the following events (subject to change). All players, both in-state and out-of-state, will be held to the same expectations.
Virtual team kick-off meeting(s) in November and December: will cover expectations of being a player (on + off the field) and introduce internal Utah Wild systems (such as how to get reimbursed).
Virtual team coaching session(s) in December: will cover more on-field topics, run by coaches.
3-4 team practice weekends in the pre-season. Expect to be in SLC from Friday evening to Sunday afternoon (~4pm) on each of these weekends (tentative):
Weekend 1 (this may change to Jan 11-12 and outside)
Jan 4: 7pm - 11pm (Spence Eccles)
Jan 5: (outside)
Weekend 2
Feb 1: 12pm - 4pm (outside)
Feb 2: 10am - 2pm (Spence Eccles)
Weekend 3
Feb 22: 2pm - 6pm (Spence Eccles)
Feb 23: 10am - 2pm (Spence Eccles)
Weekend 4
Mar 8: (outside)
Mar 9: (outside)
3 home games in SLC, UT and 3 away games from March - May for six total regular season games
Subject to change with WUL scheduling
Opening weekend: mid-March (pending)
Final regular season weekend: mid-May (pending)
Home game weekends will also have practices, clinics, or other events that will be required - expect to be in SLC from Friday evening to Sunday afternoon (~4pm) on each of these weekends.
Game rosters will be a subset of the rostered players based on availability and performance selected at the discretion of the coaching staff no later than four weeks in advance of a game.
(If we qualify) WUL Championship Weekend will be on the first or second weekend of June 2025.
Off-field:
Fitness and lifting workouts outside of practice.
Learning team playbook and WUL rules
Participation in community outreach events such as fundraisers, clinics, volunteering, etc.
Participation in WUL Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion training modules
Cost of the Season
The goal of the Wild is cover as many costs as possible for players. Each rostered player will receive the following financial accommodations:
A $25 baseline salary for the season + $10 for each game played + a portion of home game ticket sales
Travel
All hotels and housing accommodations covered
All rental car and gas reimbursement covered for out of state trave
New Minimum 60% of flight costs reimbursed/covered, ideally 100%
Overall, this has come out to 85%+ of total travel costs covered by Wild in past years
All jerseys (light, dark, shorts) covered, additional roster-specific merchandise such as hoodies or pinnies.
There will be no team dues
We do not want finances to be a barrier to entry! Please let us know if you feel limited by the financial burden of playing or trying out and we can make accommodations!
If you have any edits to your tryout interest form, please email us and we will add them, please do not fill out the form multiple times.
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