The University of York has a myriad of sports societies with Ultimate Frisbee being one of the nichest on paper. This shouldn’t put you off, and if you don’t know Ultimate Frisbee, get to know.
Let’s set out the context. Ultimate Frisbee is on the rise. In 2023, approximately 57,000 people played Ultimate across the UK. It involves throwing a frisbee across the pitch to try and get into an end zone to score points. It is a first to fifteen match and is a non-contact sport. It involves physical endurance with players in constant sprint whilst on the pitch as the frisbee is projected across the air. Players must switch between attacking and defend in quick succession and each new point begins with teams lining up in each end zone before releasing the frisbee.
Olly Newton, who has been a part of the society for two and half years and is now the first team captain, spoke to me after a 15-4 loss to Durham where he positively reflected on the team's performance. “They are a strong team, Durham has a college Frisbee system so they have loads of players to choose from, whereas we do not have as many people. So taking that into consideration, we did well.”
What was noticeable in watching the sport was just how intense it can be. Many of the players come off the pitch looking like they have put their bodies on the line. Chloe Bennett-Lockey, the 1s women’s captain and former president spoke about the intensity of the sport. In training for the first hour we do drills but in the second hour we do gameplay. That gameplay is like mimicking what you do at a tournament. We also do endurance and sprinting.” Olly spoke of that endurance in game situations. “Normally you play a point and then you get one or two points to rest. So often you play with 100% effort that you can give on the pitch and take a breather whilst you're with the subs. But sometimes you just have to keep pushing.”
Despite the intensity of the sport, the positivity of the atmosphere surrounding the game is remarkable, something conveyed across the broader society as a whole. Ultimate try to make their sport as inclusive as possible. 1s player Rauri Devlin, who has been with the society since he started at York conveyed this when recounting the experience of joining the society. “I came to a training session and found it really welcoming. All the people were having fun, and I just started playing.” He followed this up by giving a short but powerful answer on his favourite thing about the society which is “the community”. Rauri also spoke about how some moments stick with you in both a social and competitive sense. “Olly had a very nice layout catch at roses last year that was really good, we also the Portugal trip that happens every year now.” The Portugal trip is “frisbee on the beach” which Rauri says is just “good fun”. He finished by telling me that he cannot wait to get back from a mild injury and play again.
The positive sentiment goes right to the top of the club though. Chloe said “I think it is very inclusive, there are opportunities for everyone and opportunities for everybody. There are lots of different tournaments - and they are so fun, they really provide the energy.” Olly also talked about how it had shaped his university experience. “Most of my housemates play frisbee, I met my current girlfriend through playing frisbee so safe to say it has been a big part of my uni experience.” Similar to Rauri, he says he “wasn’t planning to play it” when he came to uni but that “the sport was so welcoming, and the environment so fun” that they could not keep him away.
But what makes this community so unique? Having noticed a circle team talk at the end where both teams come together and talk I asked Olly to clarify what that was and the community that Frisbee as a sport provides. “It’s a self refereed sport, so the circle at the end is to discuss the match, any fouls and stuff like that. That carries on to the highest level, to the GB teams, to the International teams, it’s something that is really unique and really great about frisbee.”
The spirit of the game is something which the governing body of the sport, UK Ultimate, believe is vital. They describe it as something which is of “the utmost importance” which “encompasses core principles of sporting values, knowledge and fair application of the rules”. This helps to create a fun, healthy and encouraging atmosphere for the sport to be played.
One lingering question then, might be, does this positive mindset come at the expense of healthy competition? The answer was an emphatic no.
Having been promoted last year, the Men’s 1s have already qualified for the BUCS National Championships in April next year, something which Olly says they are ready to work towards. “It will be a really fun weekend, lots of uni teams are there. We have got lots of time to train, prep and get our tactics together. I am excited to see the team's improvement.”
After this interview, the mixed indoor competition was played in Nottingham. The 1s team managed to finish fifth - an exceptional result considering that there were many sides which were competing.
The big event on both the mens’ and womens’ sides is Roses and having only won two out of the six matches played in last years’ tournament - both Chloe and Olly spoke of unfinished business. Chloe said “We will be ready. We thought last year was our year but they hid loads of their players until Roses which is cheeky. We are going to be ready for this year.” Olly also had some stern words for Lancaster - “This year, and I hope Lancaster is listening to this, we are going to absolutely smoke them. We know who they have on their team and it is not even going to be a challenge. We are prepping for Roses but we don’t even need to.”
All in all, Ultimate is accessible, inclusive and fun. Frisbee might be a sport you have never heard of before - but if you don’t know, get to know. Ultimate Frisbee society trains every week and can be contacted via ultimate@yorksu.co.uk and on instagram @yorkuniultimate for more.
