August 19, 2024
Detroit Mechanix defender Terry Gaither has been awarded the 2024 UFA “BE The Change” award. An active U.S. military member, Gaither teaches the game and values of ultimate frisbee to youth in both Michigan and Indiana. He will be officially recognized with the title at the 2024 UFA Championship Weekend in Salt Lake City, Utah this coming weekend.
For the second consecutive year, the UFA and its official apparel partner BE Ultimate have partnered to present the “BE The Change” award, honoring one current player each season who has given their time and energy to have an outstanding positive impact in their local community. Previously named the league’s Community Engagement Award, the UFA Inclusion Initiative (UFAii) began recognizing the achievement in 2021. Rafael Castro of the Oakland Spiders received the honor in 2023.
“Terry engages with every community he touches in ultimate,” says Mechanix owner and Head Coach Brent Steepe. “He is a force of positivity in the Midwest and makes it his accomplished goal of never knowing a stranger by talking to everyone he meets. Terry is always looking for opportunities to bring our sport to youth and adults alike.”
Gaither is a captain of the Mechanix and volunteers his time with Habitat for Humanity and Amazing Athletes, the latter being an organization that partners with schools and communities to help set kids on a path to an active and healthy lifestyle by teaching them the basics of sports, health, and nutrition. He also founded the ultimate frisbee club team 8-Bit Defenders in 2017, organized around the core pillars of inclusivity and skill development.
Gaither has played in the UFA since 2018, and was second on the Mechanix in goals scored in 2024 (22). He was also instrumental in helping end the franchise's historic winless streak.
Gaither's teammate Christopher O’Brien submitted one of his nominations for the award this season. “Terry is a man of high morals,” says O’Brien. “He demonstrates this greatly through displays of respect, growth, kindness, competitiveness, courage, and most importantly honesty. He is a person anyone can recognize as someone trustworthy.”
In total, 27 nominations were submitted for the “BE The Change” award, one of the core initiatives supported by the UFAii. Overall, the UFAii strives to increase racial and cultural diversity and inclusion in the sport of ultimate by engaging communities of color and partnering with people who share the same mission. To learn more, visit watchufa.com/league/aii.
2024 “BE The Change Award” Finalists:
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Rodrigo Gould Rodriguez, Colorado Summit
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Nate Knutson, Portland Nitro
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Brandon Pastor, Philadelphia Phoenix
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Jake Rubin-Miller, Chicago Union
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Mason Zetsch, Austin Sol
UFA Community Award Winners
- 2021: Dylan DeClerck, Minnesota
- 2022: Joe Anderson, Colorado Summit
- 2023: Rafael Castro, Oakland Spiders
- 2024: Terry Gaither, Detroit Mechanix