1. Why we are doing this
Tamil Nadu has one of the strongest Ultimate communities in India, but the number of women joining and staying in the sport has been falling for several years. Clubs across the state tell us the same story: fewer women at beginner sessions, fewer women staying beyond their first season, and harder roster decisions for mixed teams.
The women who are in the sport are committed, but there are not enough of them. Without a larger base, we cannot sustainably field competitive women's and mixed teams, grow a women's division, or send more Tamil Nadu women into national team pathways.
We also do not have reliable numbers on how many women are actively playing at each club, or a clear picture of why women are leaving or not joining. It may be session timings, travel and safety, pickup sessions dominated by men, a lack of women coaches and role models, or players dropping off after college. Each of these needs a different fix, so the first job is to listen.
A top priority for the Board
Growing women's participation is one of the SFDA Board's top priorities for the next two years. This is not a side project. It will be a standing item at Board meetings, it will shape how we plan events, sessions and selection, and the Board will give the committee its full backing, time and attention throughout its term.
A strong women's community is essential to everything else we want for Tamil Nadu Ultimate: competitive mixed and women's teams, a healthy club scene across the state, and more Tamil Nadu players representing India. We cannot achieve those goals without fixing this first.
2. What we want to achieve
Over the next two years, we want:
- More women starting Ultimate in Tamil Nadu, and more of them staying in the sport
- Regular women's sessions running in every active Ultimate community in Tamil Nadu
- A Tamil Nadu Women's Tournament before the start of the 2027–28 season
- More women trying out for Tamil Nadu and India national teams
We are deliberately not setting numbers in this document. Once the committee is formed, its first responsibility will be to build a clear picture of women's participation across the state and set specific targets with the Board.
3. The SFDA Women's Committee
Role
The committee will work with the SFDA Board to plan and run all women's player initiatives for two years. It will:
- Understand why women are joining, staying and leaving, starting with a community survey
- Shape and run the initiatives set out in Section 4
- Be the first point of contact for women players, clubs and captains on these issues
- Meet the Board for a monthly review, and more often when needed
- Be consulted by the Board before decisions that affect women players, such as event formats, the tournament calendar and selection processes
Composition
- Three members, all women players from the Tamil Nadu community
- Selected with regional spread in mind, so that the committee reflects the different Ultimate communities across Tamil Nadu
- A mix of experience, ideally including at least one newer player who remembers what it was like to start
- Term: two years, from October 2026 to September 2028, with a review at the end of the first year
- The committee will be supported directly by the SFDA Board, and may draw on advisors such as the TN team captain and coaches
What we expect from committee members
Being on the committee is a real commitment. Members will be expected to:
- Give regular time to the committee's work throughout the two-year term
- Attend the monthly review with the Board
- Be visible and approachable at sessions and events in their community
- Represent the views of women players honestly to the Board, including when those views are uncomfortable
- Work together as a committee, and with clubs, coaches and captains across the state
How members will be selected
- Any woman player in Tamil Nadu can express interest through the form linked below.
- The Board will hold a call with each applicant.
- The Board will select the committee against the criteria above and announce it on 30 September 2026.
All selection decisions will follow SFDA's conflict of interest practice. Board members will declare any close relationship with an applicant and step back from that decision.
Keeping the community informed
The Board and the committee will share a short progress update with the community every quarter, and a fuller update at the one-year review.
Beyond two years
The Board intends the Women's Committee to become a permanent part of SFDA. Over the next two years, the Board and the committee will work out how to make that happen, including how future members are chosen and how the committee fits into SFDA's structure.
4. Our starting ideas
These are the ideas the Board has discussed so far. They are a starting point, not a fixed plan. The committee will test them against what the community tells us, and add, change or drop ideas as needed.
1. Map women's participation across the state
Why:
We do not have reliable data today, and every other decision depends on understanding where women are playing, where they are not, and which clubs are growing or declining.
How it helps:
It gives us a reliable baseline to set targets against, shows where effort is most needed, and establishes a working relationship between the committee and every club. This will be the committee's first task.
2. Women's upskill clinics
Why:
Many women tell us they get fewer touches and less development time in mixed sessions, which slows their progress and makes it easier to drift away.
How it helps:
Regular skills sessions focused on women players, at all levels and led by women coaches wherever possible, build confidence and skill faster. Players who are improving are far more likely to keep playing.
3. Women-only pickup and beginner sessions
Why:
Walking into a mixed pickup game dominated by experienced men is one of the biggest barriers for new women players.
How it helps:
A welcoming, lower-pressure entry point makes it easier for women to try the sport, bring friends, and stay long enough to join a club. We want these running regularly wherever Ultimate is played in Tamil Nadu.
4. School and college outreach
Why:
Most players in India first discover Ultimate at school or college. If women never get to try the sport there, we lose them before they ever reach a club.
How it helps:
Demonstrations, beginner sessions and support for school and college teams across Tamil Nadu bring new players in at the source and create a steady pipeline into clubs.
5. A safe and welcoming environment
Why:
Players will not stay in a space where they do not feel safe, respected or welcome, however good the sessions are.
How it helps:
A clear code of conduct for SFDA sessions and events, and a trusted person women can approach with concerns, make the sport a place women want to be. This will be supported by SFDA's upcoming appointment of a Safeguarding Officer.
6. Women coaches, mentors and role models
Why:
Women are more likely to join and stay when they see women leading sessions, coaching and representing Tamil Nadu and India.
How it helps:
Pairing newer players with experienced ones, and developing more women coaches, builds a support network that keeps players in the sport through changes like graduating or moving cities.
7. Showcasing women players
Why:
Women's achievements in Tamil Nadu Ultimate are often less visible than men's, so newer and prospective players see few people like them.
How it helps:
A regular series on SFDA's website and social media featuring women players, coaches and teams builds visibility, celebrates the community and shows new players what is possible.
8. A women's hat tournament
Why:
Many women do not have enough teammates at their club to enter a women's event.
How it helps:
In a hat tournament, players sign up individually and are placed into teams, so anyone can take part. It brings women from different clubs together, gives newer players a first tournament experience, and is a useful check on our progress before the main tournament.
9. A Tamil Nadu Women's Tournament before the 2027–28 season
Why:
Players need something to work towards. A dedicated state tournament gives clubs a reason to recruit and train women players through the year.
How it helps:
It creates a regular competitive home for women's Ultimate in Tamil Nadu, and becomes a visible measure of how far the community has grown.
10. A clear pathway to TN and India teams
Why:
Tryouts can feel out of reach for women who are not already in the core group, so many do not put themselves forward.
How it helps:
Sharing what selectors look for, running tryout preparation sessions, and encouraging players early means more women try out for Tamil Nadu and for India national teams.
11. Working with clubs
Why:
Clubs are where players stay or leave. Some clubs have found ways to keep women players; others are struggling.
How it helps:
The committee will share what works across clubs and support captains to make their sessions places where women want to come back.
5. How you can help
- Women players: fill in the form, come to sessions, bring a friend
- Clubs and captains: make growing women's participation a priority for your club over the next two years, host sessions, and encourage women who would be good committee members to apply
- Coaches: volunteer for clinics
- Everyone: make pickup and club sessions a place where new women players want to come back
Key dates
- Form opens:
- 18 September 2026
- Form closes:
- 25 September 2026
- Applicant calls and review:
- 26–29 September 2026
- Committee announced:
- 30 September 2026
Form link: Apply here (https://forms.gle/PUmhAiRoiByMLN827)
Questions: operations@senthamizhfda.in