Ever since my boyfriend got me into frisbee four years ago, I've been in love with it. I now play on the women's team at Michigan State University (shout out to Infamous Frisbee) and I've grown so much since I started playing with them. There are pllenty of people who have never even heard of ultimate frisbee, but I hope after reading this you'll go out and give it a try!
1. Frisbee is a mix of many different sports
She's looking like an interpretive dancer here
Abby Pearson
The way I describe ultimate to people is: "Like football, mixed with soccer, but with a frisbee". Ultimate frisbee uses end zones that you must throw the frisbee into to score points, much like football. It requires the same kind of endurance that you would need in track and field or cross country, and it utilizes many of the same types of cutting movements that are used in soccer. There are a lot of different influences for frisbee, but these are a few of the more popular ones.
2. The community is very welcoming to beginners
This is a rage cheer, which is a very fun cheer used specifically in the MSU community!
Abby Pearson
At least at Michigan State, our college frisbee teams do not have cuts. Our coaches and veterans are very accepting when it comes to beginners, and everyone will help you learn the ins and outs of ultimate frisbee with ease. The same goes for pickup games of frisbee, where you can bring a friend, a coworker or a sibling who has never touched a frisbee before and still have a great time with everyone while you learn!
3. You can find a game pretty much anywhere
Getting ready to score
Abby Pearson
If you google "Pickup ultimate frisbee (insert your city here)", I can pretty much guarantee that you will find at least one group of people playing sometime during the week within a 20-30 minute drive. At one point, I flew from Michigan to California and stayed there for a week. I searched up some frisbee on Google and drove 30 minutes to play for two hours with complete strangers. They all welcomed me with ease and we had a great time!
5. Goofiness is encouraged
Goofin' off
Abby Pearson
From halftime dance-offs to postgame spirit circles, frisbee players tend to find ways to have fun and goof around with each other, even if it's with strangers from the opposing team! People show up to frisbee games in costumes, we play dinosaur points, hand-holding points, piggyback points, you name it. Not to mention that frisbee can sometimes be considered a drinking sport where people can relax and have a fun time while also staying competitive.
5. Spirit of the game
The most important rule
Abby Pearson
Spirit of the game is a huge core part of ultimate frisbee. The game is self-officiated, which means we call our own fouls. There are no referees or line judges, so it's up to us as players to stay humble and stay honest; hence, having good spirit. Many of the leagues that I have played in personally give out spirit awards to the most spirited players on the opposing team, which just goes to show you how friendly this sport really is.
So, the next time you see a few kids on campus tossing a disc, go ahead and ask them if you can join. I know you won't regret it, and it very well could enter you into a whole new community of people who have a love for the Spirit of the Game!
