In the scorching heat, a relaxing game of cricket seemed more appropriate, but instead it was straight into a typical session. A quick warm up, involving fitness and a few basics, was followed by a series of drills. At first I though I had the hang of it, managing the simple skills, but things soon got more complex.was completely dispelled. I quickly discovered that ultimate frisbee is a high tempo, physically challenging, and tactical game.
The first problem started when they talked about “the force”. “The force? This isn’t Star Wars”, I thought. I was perplexed, and not knowing anything about the sport such technicalities went straight over my head. Then we moved onto breaking the force, and by this time a three year old would have been as clued up as me.
After some explanation by the helpful members of the society, who were somewhat more experienced than me, I realised that they were in fact talking about blocking opposition throws. The drills that followed encompassed both defensive and attacking tactics, neither of which suited me.
Even from the drills, it became clear that this was high tempo game which required high fitness levels, and the blazing sun quickly drained your energy, lowering the intensity. Constant drinks breaks were required to rehydrate, but despite that, and my lack of natural ability for the sport, the drills were still enjoyable.
The series of drills were followed by a practice game, with the members split into two sides. Once more things got complicated, as I realised that I didn’t understand any of the rules. I felt like a fish out of water, and decided that the best ploy was to start off, and learn by watching.Fortunately, others were willing to explain. The game is 7-a-side, and is a bit like a combination of American football and netball, with a frisbee. Imagine that – confusing I know. Well it’s not like American football since you can’t tackle people and wrestle them to the ground, but the principles are similar, in that you have to move the frisbee to end zone. Similarly to netball, you aren’t allowed to run with the ball, or in this case the frisbee, and thus have to rely on the movement of your teammates.Despite the heat, the game moved at a rapid pace, the frisbee going from one end of the pitch to the other in minimal time, and with plenty of running. What also struck me were the tactics and codenames. Once more all of this went straight over my head, much like the frisbee…After observing for about ten minutes, it was time for my team, who were at this stage losing, to throw on their secret weapon. On I went, trying to remember the rules and hoping for the best. At times I did alright. The running around was my strength, and made it difficult for whoever was marking me. That was about as good as it got though and I don’t think the opposition saw me as a major threat.
My moment of glory was an interception, when I positioned myself perfectly to cut out a throw and instigate a move of our own. Such inspirational moments were few and far between, and I shan’t be winning any awards for my excellence at the sport for a while. In my mind my role was to make everyone else look good, and I successfully achieved that.
York Ultimate train regularly up to four times a week, and have numerous tournaments across the year, including one last weekend. For those of you who believe that as a sport it is a joke, think again. As member Rachael Venables said: “People have a grudge against the sport, considering it as a bit of a joke. It’s a shame, Ultimate Frisbee is a fantastic sport which really doesn’t get the credit it deserves.”
I wasn’t sure what to expect before I arrived, but I quickly realised that it was a serious and physically testing sport, combining both fitness and skill. Despite my struggles to master the game, I found the session really enjoyable, and would undoubtedly encourage others to go down and have a go. It’s the type of game you may only ever be able to experience at university, and it is definitely worth giving it a try.
When you read the first paragraph and the last part of the second paragraph you get the feeling of deja vu.