The "Ultimate" Summertime Austin Activity

A combination of the most popular aspects of soccer, football and netball, Ultimate Frisbee surprised me with its all-around ease and likability. (It will hereby be referred to as “Ultimate” due to copyright issues with the word, “Frisbee.”) I’d never heard of Ultimate before I moved to Texas, and I first started playing informally with friends on Sundays starting the week of my move. I haven’t missed many games since!

The object, in a nutshell, is to get the disc from one end of the field to the other and into the end zone to score points. Players are limited to throwing the disc to their teammates, who can’t move once they catch it. Basically, everybody is running around trying to catch the disc in the end zone, or dive trying.

Loving: the social interaction, playing outside, getting a great workout from all of the running.

Not Loving: the occasional side ache from the aforementioned running. Bring plenty of water!

It can be quite a sight at first, watching random sundry people running, dodging, leaping and cutting in attempt to get open and away from their defenders, sometimes gracefully and sometimes…not so much. But the game provides hours of outdoor entertainment and physical activity. And isn’t that good for you?

The team I play with is very inviting, and players of all backgrounds, sizes and abilities are welcome at Ultimate. Kids play with our group quite often, and many times they give the adults a run for their money!

While I’m not the best at what some would call “throwing,” I love catching the disc in the clutch (i.e. end zone) and have a few choice grabs for the Ultimate highlight reel. I also enjoy coming out of nowhere to block a lazy pass to an opposing team member. Ahhh, what a satisfying feeling.

So, if you use me as an example, you don’t need a comprehensive Ultimate skill set or even superior coordination, for that matter, to play this sport. Just get out there with some friends and throw the disc around. Once you’re a pro, there are plenty of competitive leagues and players to join.