Frisbee gains faithful fans

Come on, you've seen them. Groups of men and women taking over campus fields, throwing disks at each other -- none of which even hit the ground. Engineering freshman John Gensel broke his leg earlier this year, but he still considers himself a member of what he describes as an "addictive cult." What group is generating this intense loyalty? Its playing field contains end zones and points are tallied as goals. Pressure defenses -- like those in basketball -- try to force turnovers. There is only one sport that fits this unique description -- ultimate frisbee. The object is simple. Pass the disk up the 70-yard field into a teammate's hands in one of the 25-yard end zones. And while the University's ultimate players execute this task well, drawing on their skill, strategy and experience -- members of both the men's and women's teams said they are proudest of their camaraderie. "After classes are done, you get to go outside, get a workout and get dirty with your friends," Gensel said. "One time last fall we practiced through a hurricane and then played in the mud for awhile," he said. "It was great." Since only a handful of high schools support ultimate frisbee -- a sport invented in New Jersey around 1975 -- many University players are newcomers to the game. College senior Tom Shin, co-captain for the men's team, said ultimate frisbee is one of the fastest growing sports in the nation. He attributes the growth to the "spirit of the game." "Ultimate is one of the few non-contact sports that is played outside," Shin said. "I don't know anything like it." The University's men's team was formed in 1985 and won the national title that year. The team's success has gone "downhill since then," Shin said -- but it prides itself on having fun and staying competitive. The women's ultimate team has a different history. Since its beginnings in 1989, the team has competed in every national competition but two. College junior Bethany Rubin, co-captain of the women's team, fell in love with the sport during her first week at the University. "We are competitive, but we play to have a good time -- no one ever goes crazy," Rubin said. "Ultimate is a very social sport." But hard work is an integral part of the teams' success. Rubin said the teams usually practice four nights a week. "We practice just as much as any sports team, but we don't get the recognition," Rubin said. But the lack of attention does not seem to affect the morale of the players. Shin maintains that ultimate has "taken over a large part of my life." And the popularity of the sport has remained steady at the University. Composed of both undergraduate and graduate students, the University's men's team has 14 members and the women's has 17. College senior Andrew Loughrey, co-captain of the men's team, said he enjoys the year-round aspect of ultimate frisbee. From September to November the ultimate teams practice with non-collegiate club teams. During the competitive season -- which begins in March and continues into May -- the University's ultimate team has tournaments almost every weekend. And throughout the summer months, many University players join city leagues. Loughrey said the leagues, which are found in any major city, are an invaluable learning experience. During spring break this year, the teams will travel to compete in Gainesville, Fla. and Wilmington, N.C. -- but the players are saving some energy to party, according to Shin.

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