Intramural teams such as Ultimate Frisbee provide a competitive and friendly environment for students. As it has been around for about five years, the team’s popularity has grown. This self-officiated and co-ed sport consists of about 18 students and the team is looking to expand it. The team is coached by three USA ultimate frisbee certified coaches, who have played in college and even started teams.

Ultimate frisbee is extremely popular around the Twin Cities. Teams have the opportunity to participate in weekend tournaments, which consist of six to eight games.

Hunter Wiehe, junior and team member said, “Ultimate is a competitive sport, but everyone gets to play in the games and everyone participates at practices. The team is made up of all types of students and it provides a way to interact with students that are in other classes.”

The teams around the metro get to play at the state tournament and the team hopes to place in the top ten of our division.

The team practices four days a week and have games one day a week. Students from local schools’ teams play against each other. Competing against other teams aids each athlete as they get more opportunities to practice and play.

Hannah Brown, junior and team member said, “It’s a very welcoming atmosphere and you can really feel that within the team. We invite kids to play with us on Frisbee Fridays to just test it out. There are fun kids to be with. Practice usually consists of us practicing our throws and getting accustomed to the wind and stuff outside. We then move on to fun drills and scrimmages.” Practices provide a variety of activities to help the team improve and to have fun.

The team practices on the field three and occasionally inside depending on the weather. With the short spring season, players are able to make the most out of their practice with the different activities and drills involved.

Eric Volkmeier, senior and captain said, “For away games, we travel all across the Twin Cities to play against teams that Minnesota Ultimate deems good competition.” It provides an opportunity for teams to meet each other and some people make it as competitive as they can whereas some people play it in a noncompetitive way.

This co-ed sport is looking to create a women’s team or even a second team. As it has grown in popularity, it provides a sport that isn’t the mainstream such as football, basketball or volleyball.

The team has two head coaches and three assistant coaches, who coach almost every day. “The team started [five] years ago by Wyatt See, one of our coaches. He started the Mahtomedi High School team, and the Bethel College team as well. He started the team because he enjoys ultimate.” Wiehe said.

On Fridays, the team creates bonding activities such as going out to dinner or hanging out at a team member’s house. The bonding experiences help them get to know each other better and play well together.

Volkmeier said, “We have a lot of fun, but we stay competitive while doing it. Ultimate [Frisbee] is a great game based on a concept called Spirit of the Game where honor and integrity rule how the game is played. We strive for greatness, but having fun and learning the skills is our top priority.” Integrity is a main part of the game, since it is self-officiated.

Ultimate Frisbee provides a fun way for people to get to know fellow students, be outside, participate in games across the metro and sharpen their skills. The team’s hope of growing the team will help more students get involved in the future.