Ultimate Frisbee team strive for strong season

Mt. A to host regional championships

Mount Allison’s Ultimate season has just begun, but unlike other sports with shorter seasons, it won’t end until April.

As a small club team, the Ultimate team does not receive funding, nor do they have priority on turf time. The team accommodates by holding two practices per week at 9:30 p.m.

“The energy you get on this team is unparalleled to any other sport I’ve played,” said Sam Chambré, a third-year player and computer science student.

While the weather is still nice, the team plays in tournaments on turf as a 7-on-7 game. Once the snow comes, they move indoors and play 4-on-4 games.

This year, for the second year in a row, the Mt. A team will host other university teams for Ultimate Canada’s Atlantic region qualifying tournament.

mta’s ultimate frisbee team is in the midst of a transition, as many of their core players graduated in the spring. savannah forsey/the argosy

The national organization for Ultimate holds the series, during which university teams from around the country compete for a spot at nationals.

The Canadian Atlantic University Ultimate Championships will be held at Mt. A on September 29 and 30.

According to Ultimate Canada, each province and territory in the country has at least one Ultimate organization. The sport is praised for being easy to learn and adaptable for athletes of other sports, as the basic skills required – throwing, catching, running and jumping – are similar to many other sports.

Ultimate is played on a field with two end zones. To score you must complete a successful pass into the defence’s end zone. The disk can move in all directions, and a player may have up to ten seconds with the disc.

Ultimate is a self-officiated sport and holds each player accountable for their own actions. It is a no-contact sport.

Usually, Mt. A’s Ultimate team plays approximately one tournament per month. They travel around the Atlantic provinces playing other university teams at UNB, U de M, Dalhousie, Acadia and St. FX – their biggest rivals.

Lauren Waye, a fourth-year player and biology student, said, “We’re not really at the top, not at the very bottom, we’re just fighting for that middle spot.”

Though a club team, they are still competitive.

“Our main goal is to get better,” said Hannah Sholtz, a fourth-year French student who has been playing with the team since her first year. “Whatever level you’re at, get better.” She also said that although they practice twice a week, many players are so committed to getting better that they find the time to practice on their own.

Their three captains, Sholtz, Waye and Claire Genest, take on the role of coach, and the team arrives at practice knowing what they will accomplish each night.

The players said that this year, they are a younger team and are in the middle of a rebuilding period.

Genest, a third-year international relations student, said that the team started to rebuild last year, and continues to as a number of last year’s players graduated in the spring. The team said they have a long-term goal of developing a core group of committed players to carry the team through the years to come.

The team said they are always open to new players and encourage anyone interested to reach out. If you would like to try Ultimate, you can contact the club at [email protected]. No experience necessary!

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