The World Flying Disc Federation (WFDF) is pleased to announce that its Board of Directors and Congress have approved its Strategic Plan for the period 2023-2028, which will provide a roadmap for the International Federation for the next five years. The WFDF 2023-2028 Strategic Plan can be found here.
“WFDF will be using this strategic plan to guide our decisions over the next five years, as it spells out our vision and values, core strategies, and the tactics for achieving them, with the goal of building upon the progress made since 2010.” said WFDF President Robert “Nob” Rauch. We are seeking to make the transition to ‘WFDF 3.0,’ building upon our previous successes, with the years 1985-2010 representing WFDF 1.0 and 2011-2023 representing WFDF 2.0. This will require that Flying Disc sports are supported by a robust global organization that can provide appropriate support to member national federations, host world-class championship events, promote and grow the sport at the youth and grass roots level, and increase the visibility of its disciplines to a level approaching many of the globally recognized Olympic sports.”
“In order to get this next level, WFDF will have to think more boldly. A prerequisite will be to increase the people resources within the WFDF platform to both do more as an organization and also to provide more support to our members, which we are in the midst of doing. Key areas for development are in event management, member support, IT, and communications. The revenue model will need to be expanded and grown to support this. It requires long-term planning, especially in the area of youth development in order to expand participation at its broadest level. And Flying Disc sports need to raise their level of visibility both within our community but even more importantly with the general sports-spectating community across the globe.”
“We highlight pursuit of inclusion in the Olympic Programme, with a specific target of Brisbane 2032, not as a goal unto itself but rather as an important component of our holistic approach. We want to encourage participation and viewing of flying disc sports at all levels, from grass roots participation as a leisure time activity up to the highest levels of elite competition, for both men and women. Participation in the Olympics will provide the visibility and credibility to support our objectives.”
WFDF has reaffirmed its Mission Statement, which is “To support and promote the inclusive growth and development of all flying disc sports and spirit of the game.” It has articulated the values of the organization: the Frisbee lifestyle of playing disc sports over one’s lifetime; Spirit of the Game; passion, community, and inclusiveness. WFDF has also outlined its strategic goals:
- supporting member associations in promoting youth development as path to growth;
- pursuing inclusion in the Olympic Programme and Other Multi-Sports Games;
- showcasing Spirit of the Game as an essential element of disc sports;
- ensuring the well-being of our athletes and our sport and encouraging gender equality and diversity in all aspects;
- building our audience by increasing the visibility of disc sports competitions supported by proper branding with the help of sponsors and other partners;
- promoting the “frisbee lifestyle;” and
- optimizing organizational resilience and effectiveness.
This document is the fourth formal strategic plan by WFDF. The first was adopted for the period 2012-2014 and was used as a purely internal guide by the Board. It provided a three-year road map leading up to the quadrennial World Ultimate Club Championship in 2014 and was capped off with provisional recognition by the International Olympic Committee in 2013. The second Strategic Plan was for the period of 2015-2018 and resulted in strong growth of the membership of WFDF from 56 to 84 countries and a significant expansion of the organization’s financial resources and visibility. The latest strategic plan covered 2019-2024, over which period WFDF has built its infrastructure to be able to handle the demands of a far more complex events calendar and a much larger membership base, at 107 countries as of year end 2023.