It’s time! As part of the AFDC’s ongoing commitment to fostering SotG, we’re starting a full Spirit Ranking system (including Spirit Awards!) for regular season, MST, and EOST.
Here’s how it will work:
We’ll continue to do Spirit Circles after each game, just like we did for Spring League. Your captains will run the circle and show you what to do. If you weren’t in Spring League (or happened to miss the three weeks we actually got to play!) and would like some information about SotG and Circles, check out this earlier post.
Additionally, we’ll be using the WFDF Spirit Rankings sheets to give each team a chance to give and receive feedback about the level of spirit for each game. Your captains will report the scores you give to your opponents along with the normal game score, and each team’s average spirit score will be displayed along with the rankings on the Summer League homepage. Here’s what the sheet looks like:
There are five categories: Rules Knowledge and Use, Fouls and Body Contact, Fair-Mindedness, Positive Attitude and Self Control, and Communication. Each of these categories measure an important aspect of SotG. Collectively, they help us articulate the standards we expect all the members of our community to uphold.
The scale ranges from 0 to 4. A score of a 2 in any given category reflects a normal, good-spirited game. A 1 or 3 reflects a game that was either worse than normal or better than normal in that category. Zeros and 4’s are exceptional and rare. They represent either major spirit violations or the best ultimate has to offer. Accordingly, most games will end up with an average of the 5 categories that’s somewhere between 8 and 12 or so. A game with an overall score of 10 is considered a good-spirited game.
We’ll be continuing to discuss and spotlight SotG throughout the league. If you want to start exploring more for yourself, check out WFDF’s excellent spirit page. We know that there’s going to be a growing process as we all get used to this new system. Always feel free to contact me, your Spirit Chair Cat Prueitt, if you have any questions or concerns.
Photo by Christina Schmidt