Ultimate Frisbee might be the only sport where players get a score for their spirit.

“A huge part of the sport is sportsmanship and spirit between the teams,” said Daniel Lyons, who coaches the Champlain Valley Union High School team. “It’s about being really competitive and playing hard, but being honest and respecting the other players and teams.”

The sport is self-officiated, leaving control of the game in the hands of the players. Often, there aren’t even coaches. After each game, players rank the other team’s spirit on a one to five scale.

“It’s definitely spirit-oriented,” said CVU senior and Charlotte resident Caleb Ladue. “You’re there to have a good time and play a great sport and be competitive.”

Teams across Vermont are set to play in the statewide tournament on Saturday. 

In Ultimate Frisbee, teams advance down the field similarly to soccer, but score in an end zone like football. The seven players on the field must get the disc into their end zone by passing it; players are not allowed to run with the disc.

Ultimate Frisbee’s popularity is growing, both at CVU and around the state.

When Lyons first came to CVU seven years ago, the Ultimate Frisbee club consisted of about 10 students playing against themselves after school, he said.

This year, between 40 and 60 players show up for practices. Last weekend, the team played in a tournament with more than 600 students from five states.

Ladue said he joined an Ultimate Frisbee team in the fall of his freshman year, since he wasn’t playing another sport. He liked it so much that he stopped playing baseball his sophomore year to play Ultimate Frisbee in the spring, which is the typical season for the sport.

“It was definitely a lot more athletic and a lot more team-oriented than baseball,” Ladue said. “I thought it was a better choice.”

Lyons said the sport is much more laid back than other team sports, which might be a factor in its growing popularity.

“If (students) have homework or a job or some other responsibility, they don’t have to feel obligated to come to practice,” he said. “It provides an outlet for students to come when they can and have a good time and get some pretty good exercise.”

Lyons said people play “super, super hard,” but Ultimate Frisbee doesn’t get too intense.

“It’s very athletic and competitive, but there’s an underlying tone of sportsmanship and camaraderie that feels different from typical varsity level team sports,” he said.

For more information or to find a nearby league, visit www.burlingtonultimate.com or www.upa.org.

 

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