Club Team Spotlight: Women’s Ultimate Frisbee

By JACOB ATKINSON

When walking down Campus Walk on any given day, a group of students throwing a Frisbee around on Ball Circle will most likely catch your eye.  Ordinarily, a Frisbee being thrown would grab someone’s attention, but this is no mundane back and forth; these students are launching the Frisbee all the way across the grass in magnificent fashion.

This doesn’t just grab you, it stops you in your tracks for a moment to stop and stare.  If you’re wondering who these people are, they are most likely a member of a University of Mary Washington Ultimate Frisbee team.

The women’s Ultimate Frisbee team practices every Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 3:30 to 5:00 p.m. on the recreational fields behind the parking garage.  The objective of Ultimate Frisbee is to pass the Frisbee through the air to your teammates, with the goal of eventually catching it in the end-zone to score points.

The club is open to any female student that would like to try the sport and there is no requirement of prior experience or knowledge of the sport.  As it is an unconventional sport, the club is more than understanding of participants coming into the club without knowledge of the rules or techniques of the game.  As a team member you will be taught how to play and get to know your teammates in the process.

Savannah Steblein is a freshman on the women’s team and emphasized the connection that the team shares.  “The reason why I love the team so much is that sense of community,” Steblein said. I can trust that any girl will have my back and when we play, if a player does something well, at least one person, if not more, will be there to say ‘good job.’”

This club is not for one particular type of person. It is welcoming to those who have never played a sport in their life, or to those who have been involved in sports since they could walk.  Steblein came into the UMW community last semester with the intent of joining the women’s crew team.  After meeting some of the Ultimate team members and learning some new ways to throw a Frisbee in a casual setting, she was hooked.

The team spends the majority of their time on the recreation fields but will typically play in a few tournaments each semester.  These tournaments range from a more relaxed competition where the team can build a stronger connection by bonding as a team, to competitive and more challenging ones.

With two tentative tournaments for this upcoming semester, the women’s team hopes to stay involved with potential tournaments and continue to build the team.

This club is growing in their size, skill and passion for the game. They focus on the fundamentals, fostering a sense of community and having fun out on the field.  For anyone interested in joining the club, there is contact information along with the club’s brief description on the UMW Club Sports page.