Ultimate Frisbee

[emon87]

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I think what I really want to say though is that the incentives to really play Ultimate are so limited that it doesn't attract great athletes. So the talent pool is of average athletic ability and thus things like height and leaping ability make a disproportionate impact.


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this has been my experience. in high school, the only kids that played Ultimate were the ones that got cut from the "real" varsity sports. at college, the only kids playing Ultimate are the ones that would get laughed off the basketball court. It's the truth, but since Ultimate players are so elitist/cliquey, of course I'll get flamed for this.

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Anyone who flames you is wrong. There are some sick athletes in Ultimate, but for the most part your post is true. The best Ultimate players don't compare in athleticism to Varsity athletes.

However, college Ultimate players are pretty much as athletic as most other club sport players. So if you compare apples to apples, Ultimate isn't an unathletic sport. And serious Ultimate players are way more athletic than your average college guy playing basketball in the gym.

Also, Ultimate is definitely growing, as more youth programs spring up across the country. For the serious athletes to get into it though, there would have to be a bigger reward (ie money), and I don't see that happening without major changes to Ultimate (which wouldn't happen).

[DJ Sensei]

I play on a pretty high level mixed team in san francisco, as a deep/mid. we've got like 5 dudes (including myself) who are 6'4" or so so we're in pretty good shape in that regard. My roommate plays open, at least this season. I'm not sure if i'm gonna stick to mixed or go back to open, my throws are getting much better lately but i hate running aside from actually playing, so i dunno if i'll be able to maintain the appropriate conditioning for open. I only started playing 2 years ago, senior year at duke, but we practiced a whole lot so i picked it up fast. Now i can huck and throw mad accurate mid throws too, so i'm getting much better. I need to learn to lay out though, thats for sure.

I think ultimate is one of the coolest sports out there, especially if you play with other good players who also are cool people (and they definitely tend to be). I plan to play as long as i can.

Also, I got my first callahan and my first greatest (thrown for a score, no less) this year, so i'm pretty happy about those.

[Peter]

I've played ultimate for about six years now and am now helping with setting up a junior team in our city. There are already a couple of juior teams in our country (Netherlands) but it's still mostly played by students.

I like the indoor games best as these allow for an even faster game than outdoor.

[paganini]

i play in toronto. played last year for university of toronto (national champions) and toured this summer with Grand Trunk (top ten finish at club nationals).

great sport...watch out for GOAT this year - they are going to surprise some teams in sarasota....

[7ontheline]

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Anyone playing in Chicago Heavyweight Championships in a couple weeks? Anyone need a team? I might have a couple spots on mine.

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I'll be playing with Mr. Briefcase.

[7ontheline]

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i hate running aside from actually playing, so i dunno if i'll be able to maintain the appropriate conditioning for open.

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Well, of course you have to work out if you want to really play competitively, but have you tried short distance workouts? You don't have to run 5 miles every time to train. Many players just do various sprint workouts, which are much easier for me to stomach. I also hate running, but sprints aren't as bad.

[emon87]

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i hate running aside from actually playing, so i dunno if i'll be able to maintain the appropriate conditioning for open.

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Well, of course you have to work out if you want to really play competitively, but have you tried short distance workouts? You don't have to run 5 miles every time to train. Many players just do various sprint workouts, which are much easier for me to stomach. I also hate running, but sprints aren't as bad.

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Those workouts are also much better for training you for ultimate. Since you never run five miles straight in the game.

[sethypooh21]

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i hate running aside from actually playing, so i dunno if i'll be able to maintain the appropriate conditioning for open.

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Well, of course you have to work out if you want to really play competitively, but have you tried short distance workouts? You don't have to run 5 miles every time to train. Many players just do various sprint workouts, which are much easier for me to stomach. I also hate running, but sprints aren't as bad.

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It's not just the track workouts though - Elite level open is a 20 hour + a week commitment, + 'losing' every other weekend, from about May to November, which kinda sucks when you have a real job...

To be honest, I don't miss playing open that much for just this reason...

[PocketZeros]

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i hate running aside from actually playing, so i dunno if i'll be able to maintain the appropriate conditioning for open.

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Well, of course you have to work out if you want to really play competitively, but have you tried short distance workouts? You don't have to run 5 miles every time to train. Many players just do various sprint workouts, which are much easier for me to stomach. I also hate running, but sprints aren't as bad.

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Agree 100%. Also getting in the gym is really important. Doing squats and cleans on a regular basis will make you substantially faster and give you better ups.

[PocketZeros]

DJ,
That's sweet that you got a greatest for a score. I've played for 6 years and I've only even completed one greatest. What mixed team do you play for? I have alot of friends who play on mixed teams in the bay area. Also what open team does your roommate play for?