Phil Watanabe Retires from Ultimate and Becomes President of Toronto Rush

November 25th: Big changes in the Toronto Rush front office as the team announced today the appointment of Jeff Lindquist as VP of Business Development and Phil Watanabe as the first team President in franchise history. Both have been integral players for the Rush the past three years, including important roles on the 2013 title winning squad. For Watanabe, though, the announcement coincides with his decision to retire from competitive ultimate after almost two decades playing at the top of the sport.

“I am grateful for the opportunity to work with the Rush owners, management and players and to continue developing and growing the Toronto Rush franchise.” said Watanabe.

Taking the first step as team President, Watanabe announced the formation of “an Advisory Board made of passionate members of the Toronto Ultimate community who are also business leaders in their professional careers.” The board consists of three appointees:

Alyson Walker — An intense competitor as a player, her background in sport, marketing and sponsorship will be extremely valuable to the team’s operations.

Robin Coster — a long time fixture in the Toronto ultimate community as a former player, as a sponsor, as a fan and a father of fans.

John Hassell — a local and international legend on the field, brings winning pedigree and ultimate acumen.

via The Dish | The AUDL.