Mocked as “the greatest sport ever played (minus football, basketball, hockey, tennis, NASCAR and anything on ESPN), Ultimate Frisbee has evolved into something more than a bunch of friends tossing around a plastic disc. Frisbee is an actual sport with actual athletes and actual rules.
A Bit Of History:
– The casual outdoor activity began as a way for WWII soldiers to pass time.
– The first original Frisbee was a tin plate.
– In the 1960’s and 1970’s the casualness dissipated and turn into a game with rules.
– In 1968, Joel Silver created the game in Maplewood, NJ.
– Silver later started the first collegiate Ultimate club at Lafayette.
– Joel Silver became a huge film producer and made big knockers like The Matrix, Speed Racer and Die Hard.
– Ultimate Frisbee is not in the Olympics, but is part of the World Games.
– The Ultimate Players Association, founded between 1979 and 1980, regulates Ultimate.
– The German based World Flying Disc Federation regulates international competitions.
How Do You Play?
– A professional team consists of 7 players.
– A game has four 10-minute quarters; team players pass the disc into the end zone, much like American Football.
– Players cannot run with the disc.
“Spirit of the Game”
Silver and many of the founding members of the game were super psychedelic hippies, so it’s no surprise that the game runs on the “Spirit of the Game.” Players are encouraged to play with humility, partly because the game is self-refereed.
Brandeis and The Flying Disc:
Brandeis has two Ultimate Frisbee teams. The men’s team, “Tron,” and the women’s team, “Banshee,” have participated in national tournaments, travelling as far as Milwaukee. The two teams practice and condition about four times a week. Some members have experience with the flying disc in high school, but most are fairly new to the sport. During the school year, the teams participate in tournaments over the weekend, travelling all around the Northeast. The members are given treasured nicknames that they carry with them until senior year. Team leaders try to emphasize the importance of team dynamics and create environments where team members can trust each other outside the spirited game. Once they graduate, they are granted the cherished reason behind their four-year title.
Super Cool Facts:
– Players often run several miles during the span of one game.
– More Frisbees are sold than basketballs, footballs and baseballs combined.
– The first international game was introduced to the world during the Vietnam War on Independence Day in 1971.
– The first intercollegiate game was between Rutgers University and Princeton.
– The “Opening Toss” is usually determined by rock-paper-scissors.
– The end zones are twice as big as American Football.