Knoxville Ultimate

Our Mission:

To serve and grow the Ultimate community of the Greater Knoxville Area. To encourage sportsmanship, respect, and trust with players of all skill levels, abilities, and backgrounds.

Our Community Values

Safety

Above all else, we strive to create and encourage a physically and mentally safe environment for players

Spirit

We are committed to encouraging Spirt of the Game, which places the responsibility of fair play on the players and enforces mutual respect and trust between opponents.

Community

We seek to create a diverse, supportive, and safe ultimate community for all players. We encourage our members to be responsible and engaged members of the Greater Knoxville Community

Competition

Play Hard, Play Fair, Have FUN

View of Player Code of Conduct

Our Organizational Vision

Year-round programs and leagues to develop players of all ages and skill levels.

Providing opportunities which encourage the growth and diversity of the Ultimate community.

Connect our community, the Greater Knoxville Area, and the Ultimate community at large.

Meet Our Board of Directors

Click on one of their photos to learn more about them

Jenny Newby

President

Jenny leads the Knoxville Ultimate Board of Directors in setting priorities and carrying out the work of our organization.

Jenny Newby

President

Jenny has been a part of Knoxville Ultimate since it captured her heart during her first Summer League in 2012. In addition to playing with regional teams at the Club and Master's level (including coming in 2nd at Master’s Nationals!), she helps coach the UT's Women's Ultimate Team (BOS). She lives for costume tournaments, adores beach ultimate, and thinks a high-release backhand is just the bee's knees. Jenny joined the KU Board in 2018 with the goal of giving back to a community that she loves, and her goal is to make Knoxville Ultimate the most welcoming, inclusive, and fun ultimate scene around.

Email:knoxleague@gmail.com

Tim Pollock

Treasurer

Tim carries out all financial responsibilities for our organization, from reporting and accounting, to budget management and payments.

Tim Pollock

Treasurer

Tim Pollock is both new and old: he started playing ultimate beginning with the 2024 summer league, at age 58. He has participated in every recreational league Knoxville Ultimate has put on since then, and plays pickup goalty almost every Sunday. His frisbee skills are still a work in progress, so he doesn’t have the impressive ultimate resume the other board members do. But, he loves the sport, loves the community that’s welcomed someone like him, and appreciates that people have been so generous with their knowledge, patience, and friendship. He was excited when the opportunity arose to join the board and leverage some of his "more developed" skills by becoming the treasurer. Tim spent 11 years in college (3 degrees, not just slowly drinking his way to a BS), has worked as a compensation consultant and in financial services, and is a professor whose taught strategy and entrepreneurship for almost 30 years. He looks forward to helping the Knoxville Ultimate community continue flourishing.

Email:knoxleague@gmail.com

Jane Velk

Secretary

Jane serves as the secretary of the board, keeping us on track and organized. She also chairs our Inclusion Force, making sure we stay true to our values and mission.

Jane Velk

Secretary

Jane started playing ultimate back in 2009 and has been a part of the Knoxville Ultimate community since 2021. She served as president of her college team, Hartford Lighthouse, and helped them make their first regionals ever. She also spent two seasons captaining Chicago Pizza Party!, a mixed club team. She's retired from playing but still stays involved in the community as secretary of the Knoxville Ultimate board, and as a member of USA Ultimate's Youth Spirit, Officiating, and Rules committee. Jane's number one goal as a member of Knoxville Ultimate is promoting and encouraging Spirit of the Game.

Email:knoxleague@gmail.com

Ben Smith

Communications Director

Ben oversees all web, email, and social media for Knoxville Ultimate. you may also see him around our leagues and events with a camera.

Ben Smith

Communications Director

Ben has been a member of the Knoxville Ultimate Community since 2011, when he made his debut as a high schooler in the Knoxville youth league. The next year, he found a love for the community in his first summer league, playing on the infamous Midas Touch. Since then, Ben has played at the college, club, and local levels and has coached high school. With a professional background in media production and communication strategy, Ben is excited to connect with and inform the community.

Email:communications@knoxvilleultimate.com

Mark Filer

Leagues Director

Mark leads our leagues committee to plan and carry our adult leagues throughout the year.

Mark Filer

Leagues Director

Mark moved to Knoxville in 2017 and discovered the local ultimate community through a rag-tag pickup group at West Hills. What started as a fun way to stay active quickly grew into a passion, and by 2019 he joined Knoxville League and has been hooked ever since. In 2023, he began playing club with Folklore and started looking for every opportunity to get on the field. He loves organizing pickup games, competing in leagues and tournaments, and helping new players find the sport. As League Director, he is excited to continue growing Knoxville Ultimate and creating a welcoming, fun, and competitive experience for players of all skill levels.

Email:knoxleague@gmail.com

Mitch Smith

Competitions Coordinator

Mitch is our point person in planning all tournaments and competitions in Knoxville Ultimate. He also serves as the tournament director for many tournaments in Knoxville.

Mitch Smith

Competitions Coordinator

Mitch has been playing Ultimate since 2015 when he played his first Summer League. He fell in love with Ultimate and the community of players immediately. Since then, Mitch has leapt at every opportunity to help organize and grow the Knoxville community and spread the love of the sport. Mitch plays with, and helps run, several “party tournament” teams going to tournaments like Poultry Days, HoDown ThrowDown, and Turkey Tourney.

Email:knoxleague@gmail.com

Jeremiah Branson

Youth Director

Jeremiah guides our Youth Committee to develop and carry our programing for youth players.

Jeremiah Branson

Youth Director

Jeremiah has been playing ultimate since 2012, when he started playing for the L&N STEM Academy. Since then he has played for the U20 Nashvillains at the Youth Club Championships, the UT-Chattanooga Swamp Donkeys, and for the club teams Knoxville Crush, Huntsville Freaks, and Tennessee Tanasi. Recently, Jerm started playing in the AUDL with the Indianapolis Alleycats. Ultimate has taken him all over the country and drastically impacted his life, even introducing him to his now-wife, Emily Branson. Despite playing all across the country, Knoxville has always been his home Ultimate community and he is glad to be serving his community.

Email:knoxleague@gmail.com

Our Mission:

To serve and grow the Ultimate community of the Greater Knoxville Area. To encourage sportsmanship, respect, and trust with players of all skill levels, abilities, and backgrounds.

Our Community Values

Our Organizational Vision

Meet Our Board of Directors

Click on one of their photos to learn more about them

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