Philly’s only woman-owned pro sports team blazing a path on and off the field

Fans crowd into bleacher seats, snack on ice cream, drink beer, and listen to a live band as athletes warm up on the field on a summer evening in South Philadelphia. They’re not there to watch baseball — it’s Ultimate Frisbee. Just across the street from Citizens Bank Park is the South Philadelphia Super Site, where fans can catch another Philly pro sports team playing most weekends from May to July: the Philadelphia Phoenix.

The Hotbirds, as the team is nicknamed, are playoff-bound for the first time since 2013, their second season. They compete in the American Ultimate Disc League, which consists of 25 franchises across the United States and Canada. They visit the D.C. Breeze in the playoffs at 7 p.m. Saturday (Fox Sports 2).

It has been a slow climb back to the top for the Phoenix, who haven’t had a winning season since their last postseason appearance and went 0-14 in 2016. But in their first season under head coach Roger Chu, the Hotbirds rebounded from an 0-3 start to finish 6-6 and nab the third seed in the East Division.

The Hotbirds’ other claim to fame? They have the only female professional sports owner in Philadelphia, Dr. Christina Lee Chung.

“Promoting diversity and creating opportunities for women in the sports industry” is a key part of the Phoenix mission, and that isn’t just a line on their website. It has translated into action. At almost every home game this season, the Hotbirds have had all-female vendor lineups in an effort to support women-owned businesses in the community.

“I’ve had people reach out to me, people come up to me and say, ‘This is really awesome,’” Chung said. “There are plenty of women out there who have guided me in my path. There are plenty of women who are going alongside me, building their own ventures and businesses that provide support and insight, and I hope that we can do that through the Phoenix — whether it’s in sport, whether it’s in anything.”

One of those businesses is Triple Bottom Brewing, co-owned by Tess Hart, who is making strides in a traditionally male-dominated industry. Triple Bottom Brewing also is a “fair chance business,” which means it intentionally hires people from a wide variety of backgrounds, including those who have experienced incarceration or homelessness. The Phoenix hosted Triple Bottom Brewing at their home opener on May 13 and several games throughout the season.

The home opener also featured the seafood truck Jammin J’s, owned by Malikah Crosby, and funnel cakes from Janell Savoy’s food truck, Fun’nel Cakes and More.

Chung took over ownership of the Phoenix with her husband, Dr. Jeff George, in January 2019. George introduced Chung to the sport as an amateur ultimate player and former coach himself.

Chung also is a practicing dermatologist and is the chief medical officer for the AUDL. Chung also has helped guide the league through the pandemic as chair of its COVID-19 task force. After canceling the 2020 season, the AUDL successfully navigated a full 2021 season without disruption.

Like other sports leagues, the AUDL was able to return to normal cross-border competition this year. The Phoenix closed out their regular season on July 30 with a 25-19 home win over the Ottawa Outlaws. With his 52nd goal of the season, Hotbirds cutter Greg Martin set a franchise record in the fourth quarter, breaking the mark he set the previous year. Martin finished the season third in the league in goals.

Martin forms part of a strong core of veterans who helped transform the team from winless to a playoff contender. Another name all over the Phoenix record books is Sean Mott, who has been with the team since 2014 and holds Hotbirds records for most career goals, assists, completions, and points played. In the July 30 game, Mott had seven assists and 43 completions to add to his lead.

Mott also is the longest-tenured player in the AUDL without a postseason appearance, a streak he finally will end on Saturday.

“Sean Mott is very much one of the most talented players that we have,” Chu said. “The team follows him on the field. They feel like he knows what he’s talking about, and he backs it up.”

The Phoenix, like most members of the AUDL, are professional athletes who must balance full-time commitments to careers or school. The pool of talent is limited by geography, but that also ensures that every member of the Phoenix has a connection to the city they represent.

“In the big sports leagues, you don’t have that — there’s no connection really to the city. People are just being signed from all over the place,” Chung said. “It is kind of nice to go back to grassroots city sports, where all these guys love the fact that we’re fighting for Philly.”

The Phoenix hosted a free Frisbee clinic for kids to learn from professional players before the July 30 game. They also run an initiative called “Pass the Disc,” partnering with local rec centers to offer free ultimate clinics and equipment to youth in underprivileged communities.

“Anyone can play this sport. It’s amazing. You don’t have to be a premier athlete,” said Phoenix defender Matt Esser, who helped run the pregame clinic. “There are levels — people that just want to go out and stay in shape, and there are levels of people in between. It’s a mixed sport a lot of times, so men and women play and compete on the same field together, which is really cool. And you don’t need much for it, so get out there.”

The Phoenix hope their postseason berth will help raise the profile of Ultimate Frisbee in the community. They face a tough test in the Breeze, who beat the Hotbirds by one point in both of their previous meetings this season. The winner will face the undefeated New York Empire.

The Hotbirds view this run to the playoffs as part of a bigger picture.

“I always tell everybody, there’s no blueprint,” Chung said. “You can’t do anything wrong. This is pro ultimate. Whatever we do, people are going to look at us 50 years from now and be like, ‘Remember those people who started all that stuff?’ That’s going to be you.”