A Message From Our Founder

Brothers and Sisters in Ultimate, we bring to you now a message from our Glorious Leader, the man without which none of this would be possible, and our time here in Korea would suck a lot more. Ladies and gentlemen, Marty Nedjelski:

I started up the ROK-U league back in the summer of 2009, on a whim.  I was hoping to find a few pals who wanted to throw around a Frisbee in the park.  I started up a facebook group, back then called the “Daegu Ultimate Frisbee League (DUFL).”  Within 24 hours, over 50 people joined!
 

People were asking about more than just meeting up at a park to toss the disc, they were talking something more organized, like a league.  This was a dream come true for me.  I dig sports and I love the whole behind-the-scenes management and administration aspects of a sports league.
 

So I started the league in Daegu, with 5 teams of 12 players.  We played on a field one-quarter the size of a standard Ultimate field, with a metal, UFC-esque cage surrounding the perimeter of the field.  2-meter end-zones and 6 on 6!  It was a lot of fun, but people wanted bigger and better. 

 "Bigger and Better" is what this league has grown into today, thanks to extra enthusiastic and knowledgeable captains and ass captains, and my new partner in crime, Chris Pyles – who has really lent a helping hand to help this league grow in the past year.  We now have 17 teams, with players hailing from almost 20 cities and towns around the peninsula!  We are over 250 players strong!

 The great thing about the league is that there is room for anyone!  Going into Fall 2012, we have players nearing 50 years old, and those who have just gotten out of their teenage years.  We have ex-college players and those who thought ‘frisbee’ was a game for dogs! 

Not only is this league inclusive for all-ages, all-nationalities and all-skill levels, over the years, relationships have blossomed, marriage proposals have been made on-field and life-long friendships have been formed.
 

Personally speaking, I really love the interaction between us, the foreigners, and the ‘local’ Koreans!  This league is the biggest recreational league of any kind in South Korea, and it’s great to see the ‘universal language’ of sport bringing together Koreans and foreigners.  I can’t think of another sport on the peninsula that offers all these great moments.

In order to make ROK-U the best sports league it can be, Marty has drawn up this mission statement as a set of guiding principles:

The ROK-U Mission Statement

Mission
 The mission of the Republic of Korea Ultimate League is to manage, serve, and promote The Game of Ultimate in South Korea, at all levels of play; to assist member teams and participants in their various forms of involvement with The Game; to adhere to all The Laws of The Game; and to encourage and facilitate the involvement of as many people as possible in Ultimate activities.

Vision
Within the next five years, the Republic of Korea Ultimate frisbee league will become the leading recreational sports league in South Korea. To do this, we will have an organized business plan, a financially-viable marketing and promotional scheme, as well as the popularity and spirit generated through the involvement and participation of The Game.

Purpose
To provide a fun and enjoyable recreational sport for anyone and everyone.

Business
To promote a high quality product and environment, customized to the needs of the participants, well-organized and executed.

Values
To deliver superior service and support in a financially viable and easily accessible manner.

This league certainly wouldn't be what it is without the hard work and love Marty brings to it. Stop by some time during a game, where he will be officiating and taking down meticulous stats (which he has intimated to us in the past to be his "favorite part" of running the league), and tell him how much you appreciate his effort. We certainly do!