April 13, 2025
Article by Weldon Genies
Photos by Norman Timonera
CHICAGO—The Chicago Union hosted its Media Day for the 2025 season at Double Clutch Brewing Company in Evanston. The six-hour event was filled with anticipation and excitement as this year's squad of players and coaches rotated through various stations. This included taking headshots, slow-motion video shoots, and doing trendy video challenges.
Steve Delahoyde, a parent of the Union’s youth programs, volunteered his time and equipment to make sure the event was as professional as possible. This included his Cinebot robotic arm for capturing slow-motion video content. Footage will be used for upcoming social media promotion and video board content at games this upcoming season. The Union made great use of the space to offer a spectacular experience for everyone involved, along with tasty food and beverages courtesy of Double Clutch Brewing Company.
Tyler Hoff is the Union's Creative Director and came up with the vision for upgrading Media Day. He also designed new Union merchandise, including new track pants, windbreakers, and Union tees. Tyler is the co-founder of Stucco, a creative agency in Evanston. He volunteers to create, design, and film for the Chicago Union.
Chicago Union head coach Dave Woods spoke highly of the foundation that the Union has set, which allows for the newcomers to gel and thrive in their system:
"It's nice having that established foundation with the returners that we have, which include past captains, mixing with a new crop of young talent," Woods said. "It allows us to evaluate what they bring to the table, offering new opportunities for new strategies while knowing that we have that foundation to fall back on."
Woods also alluded to the organization's constant strive for success as a key contributor to the Union's overall culture:
"Starting from the top, there is a constant strive for greatness that trickles down within this organization and I hope that we continue to bring out the best in all of our players," Woods said. "This contributes to a rich fabric of talents, personalities, and positive traits that are woven into a beautiful tapestry that is the Chicago Union."
Sam Kaminsky, one of the team captains for the 2025 season, spoke about his selfless perspective on uplifting his teammates and allowing them to focus as much as possible on just playing ultimate:
"Honestly for me, I want to make it so the guys on the team get to solely focus on playing frisbee," Kaminsky said. "Behind the scenes, I will try to do everything to keep things organized, whether that's with travel, practice planning, gear, etc."
Going into year seven with the Union, Jeff Weis said he would mentor the newcomers, who are still learning the intricacies of ultimate frisbee:
"We have lots of guys who are willing to compete and there's a lot of parts of the game that strategically take some time to learn such as working the clock and understanding what opponents want coming right after a timeout," Weis said. "With these young bucks, who are stronger and faster than me, I hope that I can give them a mental edge as well."
Media Day was more than just lights, cameras, and content—it was a celebration of the team’s culture, chemistry, and commitment heading into the 2025 season. With new energy and familiar leadership, the Union has its sights set on Championship Weekend. Be sure to follow the Union on Instagram and across all social platforms to catch the latest team content, player features, and a behind-the-scenes look at everything building toward our opening pull.
