Atlanta Soul
The Atlanta Soul is a professional women's ultimate frisbee team based in Atlanta which competes in the Premier Ultimate League (PUL). The team joined the PUL for the league's inaugural 2019 season.[1] Their stated mission is to "increase the visibility of female athletes and catalyze a culture shift in sports entertainment by providing quality and accessible programming that encourages girls in under-resourced Atlanta communities to realize their potential and power."[2] The team is also noteworthy for their sponsorship of the Color of Ultimate: ATL game, the first Color of Ultimate showcase game.[3]
 | |
| Sport | Ultimate frisbee |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2018 |
| League | Premier Ultimate League |
| Based in | Atlanta |
| Head coaches | Aileen Thomas, Meredith Leahy |
| Website | atlantasoulultimate.com |
Franchise history
The Atlanta Soul formed in 2018 for a series of women's professional games featuring matches between teams from Indianapolis (Red), Detroit (Riveters), Nashville (Nightshade), Raleigh (Radiance), and Austin (Torch). The Medellin Revolution also played one game in this series.[4] Most of these teams, including the Atlanta Soul, went on to become founding members of the PUL.
The Soul is one of the original eight teams in the Premier Ultimate League, which had its inaugural season in 2019.[5][6] The Soul is co-owned by Angela Lin and Maddy Frey.[7]
The team would have played its second season in 2020, but the PUL cancelled the season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[8][9]
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the PUL elected to hold a limited 2021 competition season with games occurring across three weekends in August 2021, but the Soul opted not to compete.[10]
Record
In their 2019 regular season, the Soul defeated the Austin Torch 19-15 and the Nashville Nightshade 23–16. They fell to the Medellin Revolution 20-30 and 17–24, and to the NY Gridlock 19–21.[11] In the playoffs semifinal game, the Soul fell to the Medellin Revolution in a tightly contested double-overtime rematch, 26–27.[11]
| Year | Reg. Season | Playoffs | Finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 2-3 (5th) | 0-1[11] | Lost in Semifinals |
| 2020 | Season cancelled | 0-0 | Season cancelled |
| 2021 | Did not compete | n/a | Did not compete |
| Total | 2-3 | 0-1 |
Current coaching staff
- Coach - Aileen Thomas
- Coach - Meredith Leahy
Roster
The team's 2020 roster was as follows:[12]
| 2020 Atlanta Soul | ||||
| # | Name | Pronouns | College | Most Recent Club Team |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alex Fairley | University of Georgia | Atlanta Ozone | ||
| 3 | Caroline Taylor* | Atlanta Bucket | ||
| Cate Yackey | Asheville Superlame | |||
| Chupzi Lema | Georgia Tech | Atlanta Bucket | ||
| Claire Bidigare-Curtis | Belmont University | |||
| Courtney Testa | University of Florida | |||
| Ellie Daniels | Madison Heist | |||
| 52 | Erynn Schroeder | College of St. Benedict | Atlanta Ozone | |
| 8 | India Stubbs | Harvard University | Atlanta Ozone | |
| 24 | Kate Travaglini | University of Florida | Florida Tabby Rosa | |
| 30 | Katherine Yost | Georgia College | Atlanta Bucket | |
| Katie Gainer | Georgia State University | Atlanta Bucket | ||
| Kat Smith | ||||
| Lanie O'Neill | Clemson University | Triangle Area Warhawks | ||
| Larissa Ferreira | Florida State University | Florida Fiasco | ||
| 41 | Leah Tsinajinnie | Georgia Tech | Atlanta Ozone | |
| Lily Ponitz | Atlanta Ozone | |||
| 00 | Lisa Fitton | Florida State University | Florida Weird | |
| 2 | Liz Leon | Bowdoin College | ||
| Maddie Boyd | Auburn University | Atlanta Ozone | ||
| Mary Virginia Rockwell | University of Georgia | Athens (GA) Murmur | ||
| Meg Harris | Atlanta Ozone | |||
| Melanie Lindsey | University of Tennessee | |||
| Merideth Byl | Auburn University | |||
| 27 | Mo McCamley* | Atlanta Ozone | ||
| 49 | Robyn Fennig* | University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, University of Iowa | Washington D.C. Scandal | |
| 44 | Sam Hill | Atlanta Bucket | ||
*captain
Color of Ultimate
The Soul, along with the Atlanta Hustle, sponsored and supported the first Color of Ultimate game, held in Atlanta on June 22, 2019.[13][14] The Color of Ultimate showcase games are a project of the Atlanta Flying Disc Club (AFDC) Project Diversity initiative aimed at raising the profiles of elite ultimate players of color from around the world.
References
- comments, Charlie Eisenhood in News with 0 (2019-01-22). "New Women's & Non-Binary Semi-Pro League Set To Launch In April". Ultiworld. Retrieved 2020-05-20.
- "About Us | Atlanta, GA". Atlanta Soul. Retrieved 2020-05-22.
- "The Color of Ultimate: ATL". Atlanta Flying Disc Club. Retrieved 2020-05-21.
- "Women's Pro Ultimate Schedule | USA | Atlanta Soul Ultimate". Atlanta Soul. Retrieved 2020-05-22.
- Zagoria, Adam (2019-06-28). "Born of a Boycott, a Women's Ultimate Frisbee League Charts Its Own Path". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-05-20.
- "Welcome to the Women's Ultimate Frisbee League - Ms. Magazine". msmagazine.com. Retrieved 2020-05-27.
- "Atlanta Soul: Meet the city's new professional Ultimate team". Atlanta INtown Paper. 2019-05-02. Retrieved 2020-05-27.
- comments, Charlie Eisenhood in News with 0 (2020-03-12). "Western Ultimate League Postpones Start of Season Due to Coronavirus Outbreak". Ultiworld. Retrieved 2020-05-20.
- comments, Charlie Eisenhood in News with 0 (2020-04-14). "Premier Ultimate League 2020 Season Has Been Canceled". Ultiworld. Retrieved 2020-05-20.
- "2021 Champ Series". Premier Ultimate League. Retrieved 2022-03-22.
- "Results". Premier Ultimate League. Retrieved 2020-05-20.
- Raynor, Keith; Opinion, Daniel Prentice in; comments, Preview with 0 (2020-03-05). "PUL 2020: A Look At The New Rosters". Ultiworld. Retrieved 2020-05-20.
- News, Daniel Prentice in; comments, Recap with 0 (2019-06-26). "The Color of Ultimate: ATL Earns Center Stage". Ultiworld. Retrieved 2020-05-26.
{{cite web}}:|last1=has generic name (help) - "Atlanta Flying Disc Club aims for diversity at upcoming game". FOX 5 Atlanta. 2019-06-20. Retrieved 2020-05-26.