Trending:The American Ultimate Disc League and team New York Empire!
That’s right ‘Professional Frisbee’ is a big thing and getting bigger.
Matthew Stevens, a professional ultimate disc player, for the New York Empire wanted to help his team better reach their potential, so in 2018 he asked his business savvy parents Barbara and Paul Stevens, to come help run his team. They didn’t see that coming but they did it! Because who says no to their kid?
Paul owns a busy real estate construction company in N.Y. and Barbara worked her way up to become the President of a prominent Insurance company with four locations in CT. Paul funds the team and Barbara runs it. (She yells from the stands on game days kinda like Rebecca the team owner in Ted Lasso)
The two of them must know what they’re doing because the New York Empire won the championship in 2019 and 2022 and are currently one game out of 1st place this year. Even sister Melissa has joined the operation. The team is 53 and 6. They’ve won two AUDL Championships and have had two 15-0 perfect seasons. Right now they’re the number one team in the AUDL.
The AUDL is the ‘American Ultimate Disc League ‘ which has 24 teams in US & Canada. Think fast paced football, soccer and ballet combined.
More like football in that to score, you have to get the disc to someone in the end zone except a player can’t run with the disc, he must pass it. (Impressive to me as the last frisbee I threw is still in someone’s bushes.)
They travel the country competing, and thousands show up for a fun night out. There are 30 players on the roster and four quarters in the game, 12 minutes each. The team also engages the fans who show up with music and what they call ‘activations’.
An activation, said Barbara, is when you bring the crowd onto the field to do something, either throw a frisbee or chase a frisbee, any kind for fun for the kids who attend. They even do things like ball hop games, so if you’re looking for someplace to go to entertain your kids this might be it! Depending on their age they even use some kids as disc runners, letting them run up and down the field getting the discs that go out of bounds and throwing them back to the ref. (Too bad my mother didn’t know about this when I was a chubby little kid she might have opted for me to chase frisbees vs sending me to dancing school.)
The New York Empire games are very much a fun family atmosphere.
The team has even done exhibitions at halftime for The NY Giants and Minnesota Vikings.
Paul and Barbara Stevens would love more people to come out to their New York Empire home games. Home base is the Joseph F. Fosina Field in New Rochelle, NY. and games take place on Saturday evenings at 7pm.
Captain Lawrence Brewing is their main sponsor and they have a food truck and snacks and a DJ to keep the crowd engaged. Kids under 12 are always free- Adult tickets are $12.
Check out their website at theaudl.com/empire to find out more.
You can also check out the sport on Audl.TV.
Enjoy the fun podcast of my live conversation on The Debbie Nigro Show with Paul & Barbara Stevens owners of New York Empire.
