A pioneer of women’s ultimate in Texas, Jodi Stauffer began playing ultimate frisbee at North Texas State University in the fall of 1981. Encouraged by early leaders of the sport, Mac Newton and Mark Kendall in 1982, she helped recruit women to form one of the university’s first women’s Ultimate Frisbee teams, laying the foundation for the growth of women’s ultimate in the region.

In those early days, building a roster was no small task. With a committed core of four — herself, Vicki Gempko, Lisa Brown, and Tracy Roten — the team often scrambled to find three additional players to compete. Their perseverance paid off in 1983 when North Texas State’s “NTSbuzz” captured the Central Texas Centex tournament, marking a milestone victory for the young program.

A favorite early memory of bonding with the women at North Texas State was dubbed “horizontal practice”. It usually occurred after Happy Hour on rainy days in the mud puddle that formed next to Bruce Hall on campus.

Jodi continued playing competitive ultimate for the next 18 years, competing in California, Hawaii, and ultimately returning to Texas. Her Ultimate career included appearances at two national tournaments — first with a Hawaii-based team in Eugene, Oregon in 1990, and later with the Austin Woo Dolls in 1993, where she helped secure a Masters National Championship victory.

Beyond the field, Jodi built a life defined by dedication and service. After raising three children, she returned to school to earn a graduate degree. While working with hospice for seven years she gained additional clinical training to become a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with certification in life coaching for serving adults on the autism spectrum. Today she has a private therapy practice in her college-town community where she counsels a variety of people, including university students, and life coaches’ adults on the autism spectrum who are living independently.

Jodi Stauffer’s induction into the Texas Ultimate Hall of Fame honors her competitive achievements, her pioneering spirit, leadership, and enduring impact on future generations. “I am humbled to be a part of another beginning that honors women who love to play Ultimate”.