Ultimate frisbee at UTSC

"STALL 1, STALL 2 STALL 3!"

Know what that means?

If you're an ultimate frisbee player, you do!

"Stall is the term used when a defender is covering an opposing player with possession of the frisbee. The defender calls 'stall 1, stall 2, stall 3' until they reach 8, in which the opposing player loses possession ofthe disc if they have not already thrown it."

The game of ultimate frisbee can be a new sport for most. For a select few however, the game is more than throwing a flat disk casually across the field. At UTSC, this intense game is taken to another level. UTSC ultimate frisbee player Kyle Larkin explained the basics of the intramural sport offered at our school. The fourth year journalism student gave me a clearer understanding of the game and how it is played.

Ultimate frisbee player - Kyle Larkin.

When did you join the ultimate frisbee team?

I joined back in first year but was only able to play one game due to time constraints. This year I decided to play again because I hadn't played a sport since baseball in the summer, and I was looking to have some fun while keeping in shape.

What part of the game do you like the most?

I have always loved frisbee, but to play on a competitive level makes it that much better. I definitely love running for those hail mary passes. 

What's a hail mary pass?

End to end!

Tell us about the sport to those who are unfamiliar (rules, what you wear, where you play, etc).

During first semester the schools play traditional ultimate frisbee on a soccer field. In the winter, we play an indoor game called speedpoint, horizontally on a soccer field. Each team has 5 players, of which 2 must be girls. One team begins with a pull (kind of like a kick off). When the frisbee is caught, you have to slow to a stop, and can only pivot on one foot. From there, you have 8 seconds to throw it. You get a point if you catch the frisbee in the endzone. Once you score, you drop the disc, and the other team immediately picks it up and starts their possession!

What sort of teams do you play? 

There is an A and B level, and we play in the A level. Every year UTSC is among the upper echelon of talent.

Do you think the sport is commonly unknown to UTSC? 

I don't think it's that well known, especially because there aren't really competitive leagues at the high school level. However, the talent at UTSC seems to be pretty competent on an annual basis.

What could UTSC do to promote the sport more? 

I think the school could promote the sport by imploring students to come out and watch our games down at Varsity Stadium!

What would you say to those who are new to the game?

A lot of people laugh when they hear about UTSC having a competitive team, but to those I urge to just watch one game and see it intense it can really be. Last Saturday, one of the boy's tricampus teams were privy to one of our games for the first time, and they ended up being louder than a stadium full of fans. They were shocked at the insane throws, catches, swats and overall athleticism that the teams displayed.

What has been the most valuable lesson since being on the team? 

Definitely the most valuable lesson is to not take the sport lightly. Our coach, Hussain Masoom, likes to run us pretty hard in practice, and it's not so easy after sitting on your butt for four months! I enter each game with as much intensity as I would when I play rugby. We want to outmatch our opponents in every way possible, and coming away with a victory is as satisfying as any other sport I have played.

Team huddle! 

Thoughts on ultimate frisbee? Would you ever play? Remember to tweet me a @Jessica_Moy! If you're interested in going to a game, the team plays every Saturday afternoon at Varsity Stadium!