November 8, 2025
Vancouver Ultimate is proud to announce the 2025 Inductee to our Hall of Fame is William Arlotta.
Will was the VUL’s Youth Programs manager from 2011 to 2023, though his contributions began decades earlier. For more than thirty years, he has been at the heart of youth ultimate in Metro Vancouver—building pathways, developing communities, and ensuring that young players can find their place in the game. His work transformed the VUL from an organization that served only adults to one that now sustains one of the largest and most vibrant youth ultimate communities in Canada. Under his leadership, youth membership at the VUL grew from zero to now over 1400 players in 2025.
Will’s roots in youth development began in 1994, working alongside Mike Kaweski at the BC Disc Sports Society (BCDSS) Outreach Program. Getting right into communities, he helped introduce countless young people to the sport.
“I have always enjoyed giving kids the opportunity to play sports, so why not do it in a sport that I love?”
When the VUL sought to establish its own youth program, Will was the natural choice. Working with Jeff Malmgren and later Art Hawkins, Will shaped the league’s early youth offerings—first summer pick-up sessions at Memorial Oval, then as structured summer leagues and camps, and eventually as a year-round slate of leagues, clinics, and development programs that continue today.
Recognizing that youth players are the future of competitive ultimate, Will helped lead the integration of four youth club programs into the VUL system. Beginning with Misfit in 2013, then Vortex, Savage (now Reign) and finally Bonfire (now Canyon), he ensured that these competitive pathways had proper structure, support, and long-term visions.
Will’s advocacy and leadership created a unified developmental structure—one that allowed players to grow from elementary to high school to club while staying rooted in the values of Spirit of the Game. His development of systems, policies, and community networks culminated in the hiring of the VUL’s first full-time Youth Programs manager—Pratik Garud, ensuring that the work he championed would not just continue, but thrive.
Today, the landscape of youth ultimate in Metro Vancouver is a direct result of Will’s legacy. The players who now wear national jerseys, play on touring rosters, coach new generations, or simply play in our rec leagues, all share roots that trace back to the systems he helped shape.
“Almost all of the touring players that have grown up in the Lower Mainland have come through the youth programs either via the BCDSS/BCU or the VUL. These days, unless you moved here as an adult, you would have participated in these programs at some point, whether it was for casual play, clinics, tournaments, or even for some of the top touring youth teams.”
Join us in recognizing Will's induction to the Hall of Fame at this year’s Vancouver Ultimate Awards on November 15, 2025. Tickets available until November 14.