Mooncatchers Ultimate Frisbee Club Brussels
The main objective of this project was to address the lack of trained coaches and promote the development of Ultimate Frisbee in the community. By sending young, motivated players to Disc in Camp 2024, the club aimed to equip them with coaching skills, tactical knowledge, and organizational strategies to strengthen their club and contribute to the Belgian Ultimate community. Additionally, they aimed to develop leadership within their women’s section, prioritizing female participants.
Countries | Belgium |
|---|---|
Period | 2024-25 |
Funding | €24,470 |
Type | Mobility of Sport Coaches and Staff |
Background: From Players to Coaches
Ultimate Frisbee is growing in Belgium, but there are few formal pathways for people who want to learn how to coach. At Mooncatchers Ultimate Frisbee Club Brussels, they wanted to build a stronger club by helping more players become confident, capable coaches. Clubs often rely on informal advice and experience passed from one player to another. That approach can work for a while, but it becomes difficult when a club is trying to support both adult and junior teams.
Objectives: Learning from the best
The main goal was to give young players the knowledge and confidence to become effective coaches. Participants were expected to return with practical coaching techniques, tactical understanding and ideas for organising teams and training sessions.
This mattered at every level of the club. Better-prepared coaches could support junior players, welcome beginners and help existing teams train more effectively. In turn, that would give young athletes a stronger reason to stay involved in Ultimate Frisbee and help the club create a more sustainable future.
The project was not only about improving coaching. Mooncatchers also wanted to strengthen women’s Ultimate. Half of the participants were women, giving five promising female players the opportunity to develop their skills, broaden their networks and imagine themselves taking on greater leadership roles within the sport.
Mooncatchers also aimed to connect with the international Ultimate community. The relationships built at camp could support future collaboration and knowledge-sharing, while online resources would allow participants to continue learning long after the week had ended.
Implementation: A week of intensive learning
Through Erasmus+, Mooncatchers sent 10 young and motivated players to Disc in Camp 2024 in Saint-Martin-en-Haut, France. The international camp brought together more than 200 players and coaches from Europe and beyond, creating a lively environment for learning, exchange and inspiration.
Disc in Camp combined demanding on-field training with classroom sessions. Participants took part in drills, games and presentations led by some of the sport’s leading players and coaches. They were divided into three groups according to skill level, ensuring that everyone could learn at an appropriate pace and contribute their own experience.
The programme covered much more than throwing and catching. Sessions explored how to use space effectively on the field, how to approach the game holistically and how to build mental resilience. These topics helped participants think not only like players, but also like coaches responsible for developing individuals and teams.
On some days, men and women trained separately. This created a supportive, non-mixed setting in which female participants had more opportunities to participate, lead and share ideas. With players attending from clubs across Europe and beyond, the camp also became a valuable forum for comparing training methods and discovering new ways to solve familiar challenges.
Results: From Players to Coaches
When they returned to Brussels, the participants put their skills to use straight away. Some began coaching juniors, while others worked with beginners. Their experience has therefore fed directly into club life, helping Mooncatchers expand its coaching capacity and offer better support to different groups of players.
The women’s section also benefited significantly. The five female participants returned with fresh ideas, greater confidence and valuable connections with high-level players from elsewhere in Europe. Their experience contributed to the club’s wider effort to make women’s Ultimate stronger and more ambitious.
The results were visible soon afterwards. In September, Mooncatchers’ women’s team finished second at the European Ultimate Club Finals. Even more strikingly, Maria, one of the participants, went on to coach the Belgian U17 Women’s National Team to a historic bronze medal at the Youth European Championships. She credited the camp with helping her reach that milestone.
The learning continued beyond the camp itself. Participants gained access to the Disc In App, YouTube presentations and Instagram content featuring drills, tactical ideas and mental strategies. These resources gave the new coaches material they could revisit and use in their own sessions.
For Mooncatchers, the project showed how investing in players can transform an entire club. Ten participants gained new skills, but the benefits continue to spread through junior coaching, beginner sessions, women’s leadership and the steady sharing of new training ideas.
Testimonial:
“Maria went on to coach the Belgian U17 Women’s National Team to a historic bronze medal at the Youth European Championships. She credited the camp with helping her reach that milestone.”
To find out more about this case study, visit the Erasmus+ project database: https://erasmus-plus.ec.europa.eu/projects/search/details/2024-1-BE04-KA182-SPO-000213817