Ultimate Frisbee has long been a core sport at Hyla. Over the years, many alumni have shared that Ultimate has given them a footing in life in often unexpected ways. Alumna Amy Allen told us, “I was introduced to Ultimate Frisbee at Hyla, and I credit Hyla for the opportunities I’ve had since college thanks to Ultimate.”  She went on to explain that when she moved to new places in her twenties, she always sought out the Ultimate clubs as a starting place for making friends and building community.

Another Hyla grad, Conrad Zimney, wrote about his experience with Ultimate in a college entrance essay. Conrad has given us permission to share his essay here:

“When I was a kid I played the usual, T-ball and soccer, but I never particularly enjoyed them. It wasn’t until Middle School that I discovered ultimate frisbee. Frisbee has been my favorite activity since then. To me, there are four defining aspects of frisbee that make it more than just a game, and actually make it a good preparation for adult life. There are no referees, it is often co-ed, it is non-contact, and there is a particular attitude associated with it, called the ‘spirit of the game’.

Since ultimate frisbee is played without any referees, it makes it very different from other sports. The lack of referees means that I need to make my own calls. There are many rules to follow when I make a call, such as whether or not I am ‘in-bounds’ or not. Without any referees, I must take responsibility for my actions, rather than seeing what I can get away with when the referee isn’t looking. Learning to take responsibility for my actions is perfect preparation for adult life.

Being a non-contact sport is another unique feature of ultimate frisbee. Other sports such as football and lacrosse encourage contact, sometimes even violently so. To me, however, the objective of playing a game is to have fun, not to get injured or to hurt others. This is a sophisticated aspect of frisbee, and is good preparation for dealing with interpersonal conflict off the playing field.

In middle school and high school, ultimate frisbee is played with both boys and girls on the same team. In the DiscNW league, which is where I’ve played, teams of 7 must have a minimum of 3 girls on the field at all times. There isn’t another sport that I am aware of that is also co-ed. As in adult life, playing a sport with both genders is more realistic. Not only that, but it’s a lot more fun!

A final defining aspect of frisbee is the attitude which players show during games. Most sports encourage sportsmanlike behavior, but the ‘spirit of the game’ is actually  written into the official ultimate frisbee handbook! The official definition of ‘spirit of the game’ reads: “Highly competitive play is encouraged, but never at the expense of the bond of mutual respect between players, adherence to the agreed upon rules of the game, or the basic joy of play.” The ‘spirit of the game’ is exercised naturally. Being kind and fair to your competitors is an important part of adult life.

These features have helped to shape me, and in the future I will utilize the capabilities I have learned. I will take responsibility for my actions without relying on others to tell me what is right. I will not tolerate violent behavior to settle differences with other people. I will equally respect women, whether in the work place or in my personal life. Even though competition is inevitable, I will not let it damage my relationships with others, and I will treat them with kindness. Although I learned these lessons on the playing field, the unique aspects of ultimate frisbee have taught me valuable behaviors for my upcoming adult life.”

Information about Hyla’s Ultimate team can be found here.