I'm talking about flying discs in the air. Wondrous leaps and fantastic dives. Ultimate Frisbee, my friends, is probably the greatest game to have ever happened...that is, to me.
As a child, we would tend to take camping trips, and what do you do on camping trips? You go be active! And one of the best ways to be active was to have a disc and just throw it around. So, thanks to my dad for bringing along a frisbee and letting us play around with it and teach us how to throw. Of course, he would show off and try throwing from behind his back or between his legs. I was never that good, but I was able to start throwing at a consistent rate and even catch some really odd throws.
Fast forward a couple of years and I'm at college. As per typical college fashion, I want to try a whole bunch of different things and I heard about a group that was playing ultimate frisbee. So, I decided to give it a shot, even though I had really never played before, at least not outside of gym class where, unless you were some super macho athletic person, you didn't really get to participate in the sports that were being forced upon us.
Turns out that joining this little club became one of the best things that I could have ever done. Through this group, I have met some of my best friends. Only with a small handful would our paths have crossed otherwise if there were no frisbee to tie us all together.
Ultimate is not the easiest game in the world. There is a lot of running, hand-eye coordination, and some thought to make sure that your team is successful. But what is great about it and most other team sports, is that you can play off of each other's skills and struggles. For instance, I'm not the best runner, but I can usually catch a frisbee fairly well, so I tend to be the cherry picker and try to get open for my team to make longer passes and score. However, some people are really good at handling the frisbee, but not always the most reliable catcher. Then there are the freaks that are just good at everything.
All of these components make for a great team. We know how to have fun and how to be competitive. We push each other to try new things and to challenge our bodies in how fast or long we run. Yes, we get frustrated with each other, but at the end of the day, we are an awesome team, with awesome people. We can hang out on or off the field because as it turns out, ultimate isn't our only thing in common. We like similar music, have the same sense of humor, and have just a blast every time we get together.
Ultimate frisbee can be a fun game to pick up, and if you have a league on your campus, or in your area, I would highly suggest getting into it. It's a great work out, and who knows who you will meet along the way.
This. Is. Ultimate.
