January 6, 2025
Article by Grant Loehrke
Photography by Noah Moell
On Saturday, January 4, the Chicago Union played host to an open tryout at Intentional Sports, an indoor sports facility in the area that the team has used for recent tournaments and other off-season events. Hence the name, this round of the tryout process was open to anyone that registered, regardless of experience level. Dozens of UFA hopefuls turned out to put their ultimate skills to the test.
The layout of the tryout was fairly simple: a dynamic warm-up led by captain Jack Shanahan to begin, then a gradual progression from 3 on 3 to 5 on 5 to 6 on 6, and finally, up to 7 on 7 on a regulation-size UFA field. Contrary to other UFA teams’ tryout processes, the evaluators at the Chicago Union tryouts were primarily focused on players’ application of skills in a scrimmage setting, rather than in individual drills for each. Union veterans and returners were sprinkled in with newcomers to divvy UFA experience amongst the teams and maintain a fast pace of play. Advanced ultimate skills, such as swinging the disc off the sideline, proper cut timing, and appropriate deep looks (this tryout took place indoors, so the expectation was that some would be too trigger-happy in this department), needed to be proficient to satisfy the expectation of co-head coaches Dave Woods and Charlie Furse. Endurance was essential for the 4-hour evening session. Off-season physical fitness of both returners and newcomers was not overlooked.
Tryout attendees are expected to be notified of their status in the coming week. If selected to move forward in the tryout process, attendees will be invited to a closed tryout at Intentional Sports, slated to take place on Friday, January 17. This allows leadership to narrow down the talent field to a greater degree, and to monitor the advancement in skills of those players who are most likely to earn a spot on the 2025 Chicago Union roster. League-wide roster announcements will take place in March 2025.