Ashleigh flying the cause for Frisbee

DUBBO Ultimate Frisbee Federation (DUFF) has its first state-level representative coach.

Ashleigh Boatman has been will coach the NSW under-22s men’s side, alongside Sydney’s Mitch Sutton in the lead-up to the 2017 Australian U22 Ultimate Championships in November.

Ashleigh is excited to take the step up to elite-level coaching.

“It was good to get the opportunity to do something like this because it is difficult to get a start in these kind of things when all of the training, all of the tryouts and all of the people involved are based in Sydney,” she said.

“It makes it very difficult to network or get your foot in the door and I feel privileged to have earned my spot in this elite group. Hopefully I’ll be able to pave the way for other regional Frisbee people in the future.”

Ashleigh is no stranger to representative sport. She has coached high-level representative teams in sports and helped establish and coach, such as the Western NSW Wanderers (mixed) and Inland Gypsies (women’s) representative Frisbee sides.

“The U22s campaign is a major development pathway for Australia’s up-and-coming ultimate players and coaches and a significant achievement for Ashleigh who has been based in regional NSW for her entire ultimate career” according to DUFF president, Tim Hosking.

Ashleigh told Dubbo Photo News she is looking forward to coaching a men’s team.

“I feel I can bring something different to the role. As a female I have the opportunity to push the men well beyond what I could push a women’s team. I’m going to be able to extend them to do things that I can’t do,” Ashleigh said.

“I can only run so fast, but I can expect the men to run twice as fast. In that age group the sky really is the limit so there is plenty of scope for me to challenge the boys.”