AGE UP meets young people where they are, and in Southend, many young people are playing ultimate. Over the past several years, ultimate has grown dramatically in popularity in Southeast Seattle, which is home to the highest proportions of low-income, foreign-born, and non-white residents in the metropolitan area. Currently, 90% of AGE UP participants are young people of color from South Seattle; predominantly second-generation youth from Filipino, Cambodian, Vietnamese, Chinese, Lao, Somali, and Eritrean communities.

We meet youth in their cultural context, through the sport we all love, in order to connect them to opportunities and resources as well as increase access to physical activity, mentorship and authentic leadership roles that extend their reach as agents in the community. By combining skill development, social justice education and healing within the cultural context of the Southend ultimate community we are building power among youth living at the intersection of race and class oppression.

Young people enter our programs – all of which are free – in a variety of ways: on a school team, playing catch on the black top, or under the arm of an older cousin at a neighborhood summer camp. By 8th grade they join our social justice leadership programs, by 10th grade they serve as paid interns running anti-oppression workshops. By 12th grade they’re competing in state and national championships with their teams, and visioning the future of their community on our Board of Directors. As young adults they’re hired as program directors, coaches, and mentors for the next generation.  We envision a world where all communities have the resources they need to be healthy and powerful, and believe that centering the leadership and expertise of young people of color is crucial to getting us there.