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High School
Travel Team
Est. 2012
Our Travel Team AKA Tournament Team gives motivated high school players the chance to experience tournament Ultimate, advanced coaching, and higher-level competition through just two tournaments this fall.
A bigger Ultimate experience without a huge "travel-baseball" commitment.
Virtual Info Meeting: Wed 12th @ 7pm
Tryouts: Aug 17 + 19. Backup Tryout: Aug 26
6-8pm @ MacKay Jaycee Park
2 TOURNAMENTS
Experience Ultimate beyond local league play
1 PRACTICE EACH WEEK
Wednesday evenings with the team.
KEEP YOUR LOCAL TEAM
Continue to play with your school/community team.
Managable Scehdule
Our Fall includes three weekend tournaments.
THE COMMITMENT
IS THIS TEAM A GOOD FIT?
The High School Travel Team is for players who want more Ultimate beyond their local team.
This team is a great fit for players who:
✅ want more competition
✅ enjoy being challenged
✅ want more coaching and feedback
✅ are excited about tournaments
✅ want to grow with other committed players
⭐ Players do not need to be elite to try out.
We are looking for coachable, competitive, reliable teammates who want to improve. This team is competitive, but also welcoming and supportive.
Players still practice and play with their local team. The Travel Team is an additional opportunity.
WHY WE CREATED THIS TEAM
Tournament Ultimate gives players a different kind of experience.
Players compete against teams from outside West Michigan, learn to handle pressure, build stronger team chemistry, and see what Ultimate can become beyond their local season.
This team was created for players who want more competition, more coaching, and more chances to grow.
It does not replace the local team. It builds on it.
FALL 2026 SNAPSHOT
Virtual Info Meeting: Wed Aug. 12th at 7PM
TRYOUTS: 6-8pm
@MacKay-Jaycee Park
Mon Aug 17 + Wed Aug 19
Backup: Wed Aug 26
PRACTICES: 6-8pm @ MacKay Jaycee park
Wed Aug 26 - Oct 28
TOURNAMENTS
Sept 26-27 in Loves Park, IL
Oct 24 in Grand Rapids, MI OR Ann Arbor, MI
COST
$250 + Team Jersey + shared coach hotel expense
And Also Spring
You are trying out just for the Fall Season. The team is designed as a fall and spring commitment, with the season building toward the State Championship in early May. Players who make the team in the fall will have their spot secured for the spring. Playing both seasons is encouraged, but not required.
The team does not practice or compete from November through March - there are supplemental indoor opportunities.
Fall Season: 2 tournaments
Spring Season: 4 tournaments + State Championship
JUST TRY OUT.
NOT SURE YOU’RE GOOD ENOUGH?
Come anyway. Every season, players surprise themselves.
We’re looking for effort, attitude, athleticism, coachability, and teammates who love the game.
Some athletes make the top team. Some make a developmental team. Some simply leave tryouts excited to improve.
No matter what happens, trying out makes you better.
MEET THE COACHES
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COACH
JAMES HANISCH
James Hanisch loves Ultimate Frisbee. He was one of the first players to ever join the Grand Rapids White Lightning and hasn’t stopped playing since. He spent 5 years playing with the Grand Rapids White Lightning. He then captained Cornerstone University’s Ultimate Frisbee team for 3 years.
James has since coached for several years in all levels of our program.
COACH
JOHN PETERSON
“Nothing brings me more joy than watching a young athlete discover that the game they love is both something fun and something they can be good at”
Played Ultimate at Knox College and Davenport Unviersity
Played professionally for the Detroit Mechanix
Middle school music teacher at River City Charter Academy
Great teacher, communicator, and mentor
COACH DAN BOYNTON
"My favorite thing about coaching the travel team is watching athletes from various different schools come together to build new friendships and unlock their next level of their play."
- Started playing competitively in 2009 at Eastern Michigan University
- Climbed the national rankings from 297th to 17th while at EMU (led the team in points scored at the national championship tournament)
- Coaching with ZZU since Fall of '21, full-time since Spring '25
- Coached the travel team to win the '25 Nequa knockout, and '26 Mid-west MS Classic.
FAQ
How much travel is involved? We have one Saturday or Sunday tournament in the Fall in Illinois and one local weekday tournament. The Spring Season we have 3-4 Saturday or Sunday tournaments including the State Championship!
Do I still play with my local team? YES! Still play with your local team at practices and games. We have Wednesday evening practices.
Do I have to be really good? Please still consider trying out. Our coaches would love to coach up the enthusiastic. Can you play defense? Can you run a disc down? Great. Each player brings their own piece to the puzzle of a great team. We are also aiming to create a developmental team as well with the same schedule.
How do the tournament work? The teams come in from all around the Midwest! Illinois is a great central location to a lot of "hot beds" of Ultimate Frisbee. We will play 3-4 games in a row (woah) per day so that means lots of playing time for everyone and we'll need a full team to keep legs fresh throughout the day. There is swag to buy at these tournaments! Attending these tournaments exposes you to a wide range of athletes, pushes you athletically, and it is so much fun!
How many players make the team? A typical competitive High School Ultimate Frisbee team is anywhere from 15 -23 players. We are aiming for that number!