Although it may not be common knowledge, women’s club Ultimate Frisbee team has a long and proud tradition of success at all levels of the sport.
The team is always one of the top teams in its region, the Atlantic Coast or AC, and many players graduate to go on to play at the elite levels of the sport. This, however, also means that sometimes the club finds itself in a rebuilding year where it has to recruit to replace this lost talent.
According to Alison Murray, a sophomore in parks, recreation and tourism management, she knew this season was going to be one of those years.
“We knew we needed a huge recruiting class this year because we graduated a lot of our starters, and they were some of the top players in the country,” Murray said. “We have 24 players on our roster this year, which is huge for us. But only 11 of those are veterans, so that leaves us with 13 girls who have never played college Ultimate before.”
The team got a glimpse of what the future may hold in the Wolfpack Invitational, the only tournament the team hosts all year, this past weekend. After a discouraging start to the tournament, the team rebounded to go undefeated on Sunday to win the “chumpionship,” the name the team gives to the consolation bracket, and a fifth-place finish.
Murray, who was voted freshmen of the year in the AC region last year, said confidence for the young players is important and after the first day of play, the team began to settle down and relax, thus improving its play.
“Saturday we did not play well. Everyone was just running around and didn’t look like they knew what was going on,” Murray said. “Confidence — that’s definitely the key. For a lot of these girls, it is a brand new sport. They have been playing other sports or not even playing sports before. Ultimate is really hard to pick up because it is so unfamiliar.”
Laurie Williams, a junior in sociology, echoed those sentiments.
“I think we have a great shot at making regionals and being competitive at that tournament,” Williams said. “Once we calm down and get a few tournaments under our belts, we will have a shot. Everyone will start eating, breathing and living Ultimate, and we will be competitive.” To remain competitive in college Ultimate, as Williams said, players need to maintain a high level of physical fitness and consistently work on improving their play. The team practices nine hours a week and travels to tournaments most weekends during the year.
“I throw for a few hours everyday,” Williams said. “And I carry a Frisbee with me wherever I go. You have to love it or else it isn’t really worth it. I love Ultimate Frisbee — I’ve got the bug.”
According to Brittany Burns, a freshman in English education, the team places a great amount of importance on success and working hard, but also enjoying the game.
“I could tell from the first day that it was going to be awesome,” Burns said. “I love the free environment. It is more about playing for fun. Winning is a definite plus, but it is a little more relaxed, so you can have fun while playing the sport.”
Burns attributed much of her enjoyment and success in the sport to the tutelage and companionship of the other girls on the team.
“We have a blast. I love the team and it has been a really good experience,” Burns said. “No one ever said anything negative when we were learning, they just taught you and it was all constructive criticism.”
Murray said she sees a great deal of evidence that the team is destined for success on the field. She remembers one specific instance that gave her optimism for the future.
“One afternoon last year I was walking home in the rain, and it was cold and windy. I saw one of our players out with her friend practicing her throwing in the rain,” Murray said. “She wasn’t practicing her layouts in the puddles like everyone does. She was throwing and working on her fundamentals. I thought to myself, ‘Wow, we are gonna be good.'”
