Preparing for Takeoff

     Have you ever wondered why frisbee isn't broadcast on ESPN?  Why don't frisbee players get the SportsCenter attention that Manning, Kobe, and Pujols receive?  Answer:  There isn't one.

     However, there is good news.  For those disc heads out there who have been waiting and waiting for ultimate frisbee to make the big screen, it's coming.  Well, at least to your computer.  NexGen Network just met a funding goal that will allow them to broadcast some major games (complete with milti-angle camera shots, expert commentary, and instant replay).  They will stream the Stanford Invite and the College Centex on their website.  Wanna see what they're up to?  Check 'em out at NexGen Network's website.

     This is a huge step in the ultimate world worthy of some celebration.  Look out world.  We'll be on the map one day.  One day soon.

Monkey See, Monkey Do

Want to learn the ins and outs of the game quick?  Watch the best.


These guys are phenomenal frisbee players.  The game, between Ironside and Doublewide, was played back in October during the 2011 CLub Championships.  Now, the commentators may not be from ESPN, but they make some great points about the sport as a whole and are very knowledgable about what goes on in the upper tier of ultimate.


               




                                       





                                        Click here to watch the game!

Ultimate Frisbee: A Gentleman's Game

      The game is intense.  The game is fierce.  The game has no refs.

     Ultimate frisbee is one of the few competitive team sports that does not have an umpire, a referee, or an official.  That's because frisbee doesn't need 'em.

     Frisbee is a gentleman's sport.  It was built on the idea that teams can play competitively and with intensity, but still be civil without mommy, daddy, or the guy who looks like a zebra to separate them when things get heated.  As much as you want to win, you must respect your opponents as people.

     There are plenty of fouls that can be called, but they are called by the players.  Usually the person most involved with the play in question calls the shots.  This can be tricky on skin-of-your teeth plays where no one is going to see the instant replay cameras, but more often than not honesty wins out.  Other player on the field or on the sidelines with a good view are often expected to share their best, most honest ruling.

      Part of being a good player is knowing not only when to call a foul, but when to keep your cool.  Using discretion in the midst of a heated battle can be difficult, but it must be learned.  Yes, games can get out of hand.  But the best solution is let your game do the talking.  Talking or playing dirty is never a desirable solution.  You and your team must keep each other in check should someone start getting his or her panties wadded.  



     Frisbee is a gentleman's game, and purists and disc heads and new players all agree that is is the only way it should be.  Long live sportsmanship.  Long live frisbee.  

The Layout

     One of the greatest beauties in ultimate frisbee is the layout.

     These are the plays that deserve to be on Sports Center's Top 10.  Few have made it.  But one day, good friends, one day.  

     The layout is the single best display of man's dedication to this great sport.  Two types of layouts exist: the defensive and of offensive layout.  The defensive layout? Running full speed ahead, jumping out entirely vertically, just tipping the disc away from the hands of an offensive player.  It's glorious.  The offensive layout? Same concept, the just finding enough of the plastic between the ends of ones fingertips before the disc makes any contact with the ground.

   Both require dedication and self sacrifice.  Both can leave beautiful battle scars.  Both deserve praise and respect from ones teammates.  The best way to do it?  Practice.  Don't be afraid of the ground, just get the disc at all costs.  It may not tickle, but the incredible feeling of actually making that catch far outweighs any main that could come from hitting the ground.  It's guts.  It's glory.  It's a layout.

Stall 10!

     Some sports have a play clock.  Others, a shot clock.  Ultimate?  A Stall Count.
          (Stall One.)
     When on defense, you don't have to give your opponent all day to throw.  Often times, the worst throws made athe throws that are rushed.  So rush them!
          (Stall Two.)
     The stall count can be started and continued by only one defender at a time, and this defender must be within 10 feet of the player with the disc.  They count to ten, each count taking roughly one second.  Most players, in the heat of the game, say, "Stall one.  Stall two. Stall three..." in order to keep their count to roughly one second. If the defender counts too quickly, the player holding the disc can call "Fast Count," and the defender keeping the count must start over.
          (Stall Three.)
     Once the defender reaches the "T" in "Stall Ten," it is a turnover and the player with the disc must fork it over.
         (Stall Four.)
     What makes this entity of ultimate so great?  It really keeps the pace of the game going.  Football players can stop and catch their breath for 15 seconds after every 5 seconds of play.  Not frisbee players.
          (Stall Five.)
    Let's examine the best way to counteract a stall count:
~Be aware.  Know where your teammates are when you get the disc.
          (Stall Six.)
~Know what kind of throws you can complete
          (Stall Seven.)
~Know who on your team can break free of their defenders
          (Stall Eight.)
~Get rid of the disc quickly.  The longer you hold it, the more time you give defenders to settle in their defensive formation.  Keeping the disc moving prevents this.
          (Stall Nine.)
~Desperate?  Once the stall count gets to seven or eight, get ready to rear back and huck a Hammer.
          (Stall Ten!)




And just for kicks and giggles, here's a video any ultimate player will enjoy:

Hammer Time!

    The Hammer.  Big.  Bold.  Daring.  Maybe even Desperate.

     The Hammer is a throw very different from the flick or the backhand.  Why?  Because it flies upside down.

     While "normal" throws are released right-side up for utmost distance and accuracy, the hammer flies upside down, making it a little more difficult to place that spot-on pass.  However, a throw as bizarre as this does have its place.  As the stall count gets high, it is much easier to rear back and unleash a Hammer than try to sneak a regular throw past a defender.

     The Hammer is thrown more like a baseball than a frisbee.  Take the disc in a grip similar to the flick (see The Flick for details), and release it upside down over your head.  The key to a strong hammer is a well-timed release and a strong snap of the wrist.  These take a lot of practice to place them where you want to.  They make good arching throws that can really clear a field of defenders better than a flick flying at head level.

Visual learners, check out this video if you want to see how it's done.

Typical Tournament

      There's no feeling like loading up a bunch of tiny, fuel-efficient cars and driving to an ultimate frisbee tournament.  Nervous anticipation builds as you get closer and closer to your destination, and reaches its peak as you step from the car, seeing your competition for the first time.  But by the time you take the field, all the butterflies are gone and it's just you, a disc, and your teammates.  

      Recently, the Tornado Magnets made their premier showing at No-Shave November, a tournament held at East Tennessee State University.  Their priorities were to get more playing time together as a new team (first and foremost), but they also came to win.  This may give you an idea of what a typical weekend tournament looks like for many players.  

Saturday

6:00 AM - wake up and finish packing/loading vehicles

6:40 AM - breakfast

7:00 AM - depart (1.5 hour drive to ETSU)

8:30 AM - arrive - Captain's meeting takes place while the rest of the team unloads and begins warm-up routine

9:00 AM - first game - pool play begins (Tornado Magnets vs. Tsunami Ultimate (ETSU)) Lost 10-13

11:00 AM - second game (Tornado Magnets vs. Tennessee Tech A) Lost 11-13

1:00 PM - bye - lunch break and breather

2:20 PM - discuss what went wrong in games 1 & 2, drills 

3:00 PM - third game - (Tornado Magnets vs. Tsunami Alumni) Lost 7-13

5:00 PM - depart for temporary housing

       Fortunately, one of the Tornado Magnets players lived about 40 minutes from the field, and his family welcomed the entire team to stay at their place.  They cooked a homemade meal (satisfying all the college students), and all of the players who were dripping sweat and covered in dirt took hot showers.  Bedtime came very early for a team of primarily college-age athletes, as all were tired and ready for some sleep. 

Sunday

7:00 AM - wake up, eat breakfast, pack vehicles

8:00 AM - leave for ETSU

8:40 AM - arrive late for the captains meeting.  discover that because Tsunami Ultimate used many of their Tsunami Alumni players without other teams consent, they would take a lower seed and play only their Alumni team, bumping the Tornado Magnets up in Sunday's bracket play

9:00 AM - fourth game - begin bracket play (Tornado Magnets vs. Tennessee Tech A) Win 13-9

11:00 AM - bye - play fantasy frisbee at the Tennessee Tech A vs. Tennessee Tech B game, rest

1:30 PM - fifth game - championship game (Tornado Magnets vs. ETSU Alumni) Lost 7-13

3:30 PM - depart for home

This was not the most well-organized tournament, and some teams lacked the sportsmanship a frisbee team should posses, but the weather was nice and the frisbee was fun.  Tornado Magnets returned battered, beaten, and exhausted.  However, there is no time that Tylenol is more effective, hot showers feel so good, and sleep is so amazing as the night after a frisbee tournament.  Play on, Tornado Magnets, play on!