“I kind of just thought we would be throwing frisbees around and just talking in the sun. I did not really expect a real sport, and for it to be as organized as it was,” Leah Farb (Class I) said. After just half a practice on the Ultimate Frisbee (UF) team, these thoughts shifted as Farb’s expectations came face to face with reality. “It is definitely a real, athletic sport. [Coach Elliot] Sakach was a really good frisbee player, like a pro frisbee player, so you are getting really good coaching,” Farb said. Farb never joined the team officially, instead choosing to exempt her senior spring.
The UF team is one of the most unique teams on campus. It is neither varsity nor JV; games never have referees, and it is one of the few all-gender teams on campus. They are known as one of the most fun and easygoing teams at Nobles, drawing in hordes of seniors every spring who are looking to spend time with their friends and classmates, and get outside when the weather warms up. However, this year, many seniors have begun to realize that the UF team’s reputation may not align with the ever-evolving ultimate frisbee program.
Farb is just one of five seniors who tried out ultimate frisbee this year, only to decide it wasn’t for them. The reason why is simple. “It is a real sport for sure. We definitely want people to work hard, and we want to win,” Adam Davidson (Class I) said. As the UF team continues to develop, attract more athletic players, and become more competitive, the vision of a casual spring commitment becomes increasingly blurred. “Over the past few years, we have had a number of freshmen and sophomores joining the team and returning each year, which is wonderful. We have a good group that knows the rules, can throw and handle, make the most passes, and retain possession,” long-time Coach Ben Heider said. Additionally, Heider and the UF team coaching staff have welcomed Sakach, a former professional player for the Houston Havoc, to the coaching staff this year. With more players and coaches, the UF team is simply becoming a more serious program. “Noah Brauner (N ’25) came for a practice, and he was like ‘Oh my god, this team is way more serious than last year.’ I think it is cause all of the [players] are like super athletic and into it,” Alexie Tan (Class I) said.
This shift in the level of play is why many decided to leave the frisbee team this year. “Everyone was really good, and I just did not want to drop a pass or let them down. Honestly, the coaches and everyone were so nice. It was not about them being welcoming at all. It was really just a question of whether I had the rigor and capability to be on the team,” Sunehri Verma (Class I) said.
Balancing players’ abilities is one of the top priorities for the ultimate frisbee team’s coaches. “We would love to get a lot of players who come in as freshmen and want to play, but it’s also fun for us to get a lot of seniors who are new to the game. I don’t think we’ll ever move away from a fun learning environment, where we spend the first couple of weeks learning the basics: how to run, how to throw the disc, and how to play defense,” Heider said.
And even in spite of the more serious developments the UF team has seen in recent years, the team still prides itself on its welcoming environment. “We practice throwing and catching, and we run many scrimmages to simulate game-like situations. My favorite part is getting to hang out with my friends and play a sport that is low stress.” Additionally, most of the team is new to the sport, which adds to the low-stress feeling Davidson identified. Nana Tabiri (Class I) said, “The team is super beginner-friendly because there are only like three or four returners or people that actually know ultimate frisbee. The rest of us just kind of learn as we go.” Even still, a sport that feels “low stress” or “beginner friendly” for some may be hard and scary for others.
This team-first culture is no accident on the ultimate frisbee field. Ultimate frisbee is a team sport, which is one of the aspects that drew Sakach to the game. “I think in some sports, star players can dominate the game. A really good basketball player can put up all the points, or a really good soccer player can score all the goals, but in ultimate frisbee, by rule, you cannot move with the frisbee,” he said. “You have to pass the frisbee to your teammates. You have to collaborate and work well as a team in order to win. So I have just really enjoyed the teamwork, camaraderie, and egalitarian structure this sport creates.”
Spirit of the Game is a term often used in the Ultimate world and describes how athletes approach the sport. Put simply, it’s the foundational responsibility of athletes to play fairly, follow the rules, and resolve conflicts on the field. “Spirit of the Game is the idea that above all else, above winning and losing, above the competition, is the importance of good character, good sportsmanship, playing by the rules, and having integrity,” Sakach said. Ultimate Frisbee offers players a unique opportunity to practice sportsmanship and teamwork, qualities that benefit players for a lifetime.
