Sports tend to be seasonal. For instance, no one plays baseball in the winter and no one plays ice hockey in the summer. Well maybe I shouldn’t say no one, let’s say very few play sports out of season. However for ultimate frisbee players, the weather does not stop them from playing the game. No matter what the season is, there are always people playing the game of ultimate. Whether it’s just a pick-up game or a league game, ultimate players love to play.

Not everyone knows the game of ultimate frisbee so I’ll give you a crash course on the game. There are two opposing teams and two endzones. When one team has “possession”, without letting the Frisbee touch the ground or be intercepted, that team will try to score into the opposing endzone like a touchdown in football. Furthermore, whoever has the frisbee is not allowed to run with it, they are only allowed to throw it. However, if the frisbee is intercepted or is knocked to the ground, “possession” of the frisbee changes, which means the defending team will now be the offensive team. Rules can change but those are the general rules to Ultimate. The simplicity of the game is what makes the game fun for so many.

The Vancouver Ultimate League (VUL), established in the early-80’s, is an organized recreation league for ultimate frisbee players to come together and play. It began as a small league with very few teams but through the years, the league has expanded to over 4000 members. Like in most sports, ultimate players are exposed to the game at first and their love of the game grows from there. “I played in highschool and some of my friends played outside of school as well and so I joined them and has played ever since,” stated Mike, a member of VUL for 5 years.

As much as players in the VUL are competitive, they are also encouraged to exhibit good sportsmanship. By awarding teams “spirit” points, players on and off the field are always super friendly to one another. There are a variety of ways that teams get “spirit” points, all of which are designed to create healthy competition amongst its players.

Ultimate utilizes skill to catch and throw the disk; agility to deke and lose “checks”; and endurance to run up and down the field. The combination of the three is what makes Ultimate a challenging sport but at the same time, a fun one. When I asked one of the players why he played the game, he said “it’s better than going to the gym and working out or just going for a jog. I get so much more when I play than just pumping iron.”

Physical activity and a healthy diet are essential for optimal living, that’s a fact. For some, both are ritualized in their daily lives but for most, including myself, eating right and getting exercise is hard. Balancing work, school and a social life can get really exhausting but getting exercise doesn’t have to be a chore. If you are looking for a fun way to get your daily physical activity, I strongly recommend you give Ultimate frisbee a shot because its exciting, competitive and ultimately, it’s fun.

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