The ‘Ultimate’ Sport?

What attracts people to play a sport?

Is it the sheer physical exertion? The potential joy in victory? The camaraderie and belonging from teammates? The chance to improve oneself and learn new skills? The opportunity for catharsis? The well-rested nights that follow? Whether it is one or all of these things, Ultimate Frisbee provides them and more. So why is it that none of these cravings for sportsmen spring to mind for the average Brit when Ultimate is mentioned?

Ultimate is not lacking on these fronts – it is the lack of knowledge of the sport which is preventing it from becoming a force on British shores. The majority of Brits will have stood in a park or on a beach and leisurely thrown a disc around with their friends or family, however, the intensity, speed and technicality of Ultimate remains unknown to most. Immensely popular in the US and growing steadily in popularity here, it is only a matter of time before we adopt this US custom (as we do with most American trends) into our plethora of favourite sports where it deserves to stand alongside rugby, tennis, swimming and golf in popularity due to its accessibility, entertainment value and sporting values.

Created in 1968 by a group of students in New Jersey, Ultimate is a high-paced, technical and demanding sport combining recognisable elements from American Football, basketball and netball to create a unique sporting experience. The outdoor version pits 7 players against 7 on a full size football pitch where the aim is to work the disc up the pitch to catch it in the end zone and score a point.

While the basics are simple enough that anyone can pick up a disc and play, the game contains such complexity that top university students and world class athletes need all their wits about them to master it. The importance of university students and societies to the growth of Ultimate in the UK has continued to this day. Up and down the country, university clubs are bursting with world class athletes representing their countries at National, European and World Championships who are determined to inspire new generations of players such as Rory Curran, a qualified doctor, who has played and coached Ultimate for over 10 years and has played at Regional, National, European and World Championship level.

Figures like Rory make Ultimate one of the most popular and fastest growing sports on university campuses and as he passes on his love of the sport to generations of students, so too will they pass it on to their friends and family.

The influence of social media and platforms such as YouTube also play their part in growing the numbers of Ultimate players. Brodie Smith for example has amassed a following of over 2 million subscribers on Youtube and over a million on Instagram for his Frisbee trick shots and technique videos which only increase Ultimate’s popularity. Marquez Brownlee is another who uses his popular tech-focused videos online with over 7 million subscribers and over 1 billion total video views on his YouTube channel to promote his favourite sport. Both men play the sport to a professional level in the US and serve only to inspire others to take up playing. The online presence of Smith and Brownlee is part of what is required for Ultimate to become a mainstay of our sporting culture as they expand the audience of potential players and provide a ‘cool’ image of the sport.

Another factor is the lack of media exposure Ultimate gets. We are regularly exposed to our typical sporting fare (rugby, football, golf etc.) on our various screens but Ultimate remains woefully under-represented. This will soon change however, for a brief time. Recognised by the International Olympic Committee, Ultimate will light up our screens when it is played and broadcast worldwide on all media platforms at the upcoming Olympics in France and the US. This exposure will show the world the many positives of the sport and underline the advantages Ultimate can provide in terms of accessibility for participants:

• Accessible year-round due to indoor and outdoor versions of the game.
• Variety of skill-sets required.
• Cheap: Only £10 for a disc.
• Values of Sportsmanship reflected in Ultimate’s ‘Spirit of the Game’.
• Equality between men and women within the sport.

With this in mind, one of Ultimate’s most unique selling points is that up to World Championship levels, men and women can play tournaments together. While biology dictates that the best men will physically outstrip the best women, the importance of technical, organisational and positional skills to Ultimate means that female players are just as highly valued as their male counterparts at the top of the game. These inclusive aspects of the sport make it ideal for all ages.

The positives of bringing Ultimate into the mainstream are endless. Compared to the price of playing golf, tennis or even football – which to your average Brit is one of the first stumbling blocks for accessing many sports – Ultimate sits bottom of the pile for expense. Additionally, compared to rugby or swimming where a certain build is required to succeed, Ultimate needs all skill sets and body types for its positions and tactics. Imagine a 7-aside football team containing, Lionel Messi, Gareth Bale, Romelu Lukaku, David Luiz, Sergio Ramos, N’golo Kante and Peter Crouch and you’ll get an idea of the differing styles and physicalities required by Ultimate. There is a place for almost anyone in a game of Ultimate.

Another key aspect of Ultimate which makes it uniquely placed to become a central sport in British culture is its focus on the ‘Spirit of the Game’. From grassroots to the professional AUDL (American Ultimate Disc League),players are expected to run the match themselves – without referees – respect opponents, make sportsmanlike calls and discuss all issues throughout the game between themselves. Many young people’s first access and knowledge of a sport comes through school in PE and what better sport to encourage fair play, teamwork and sportsmanship than Ultimate. With greater exposure to and knowledge of Ultimate, teachers cannot ignore its benefits and will bring it to their students all over the country.

Transitioning from throwing a disc around to playing Ultimate requires nothing more than a few cones or jumpers and a basic knowledge of the rules but it has not taken hold in the UK quite yet. As more and more people become taken with the sport through university societies or seeing it on YouTube or TV however, it is surely only a matter of time before people recognise it as being the ultimate sport.