Professional Ultimate

Its always a fun bit of what-if-ism for people to talk about 'professional ultimate'.

Part of the attraction is the idea that professionalism means that a sport has 'made it' (although its probably more accurate to say that once a sport generates significant spectators it has 'made it' and can then start paying players).

Part of it is also the hard-core players who dream of a world where they do nothing but play Ultimate - having to keep an income happening doesn't get in the way.

I wonder though, given that Ultimate players have a tradition of being cheap, if the minimum threshold for a what a professional Ultimate player would expect to be paid would be a lot less than elsewhere.

What do you think YOU would need to earn to be calling yourself a professional Ultimate player?

$50,000 per annum?
$30,000 per annum?
A job pulling beers at the local Ultimate Clubhouse?
$10,000 per annum?
Having your travel, accommodation, uniform and event fees paid for?
Getting a uniform for free?

I guess this is the ladder, and I suspect that people getting to play for free (ie having travel, accommodation, uniform and event fees covered) would be several kinds of awesomeness for most of us.

How much better do you think the level of Ultimate would be with each of these levels? How far up the ladder do you need to go to attract people from outside the sport?

I wonder when the Australian and Queensland teams will start to aim for that. Some will say 'maybe one day'. But I really reckon you *could* start working on it soon.

Sorry for the questioning ramble. I have another post ready, but waiting on the embargo to lift. And I haven't got any new photos recently to massacre ...