Ultimate frisbee comes to AHS as club sport

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October 19, 2011
Filed under Sports, Sports X-tra

Senior Alec Villafana leaps into the air to make a catch during a scrimmage at Ossian Hall Park. Some students meet informally on Fridays after school to throw around.

When you think of high school sports, the first few that come to mind may be football or lacrosse. However, ultimate frisbee is a growing sensation that is gaining popularity across the country and in the FCPS system.

Many students in previous years have attempted to create an ultimate frisbee club at AHS, yet it has never worked out. This year, students have acquired two sponsors, science teachers Neil Jarvis and Thomas Chorman, and are currently working on the paperwork to become an official club.

“Woodson has a team and I played with them over the summer so I got the idea to start one here at AHS,” senior Patrick McCann said. McCann is the creator of the team and has worked hard to generate enough interest in the student body to form the club. He will serve as the team’s captain.

“I played a lot [of frisbee] over the summer and realized it was really fun,” McCann said.

The club has already gained popularity among the students and has been organizing events to throw around and practice after school.

“It’s a good workout and it’s really fun to chill with the bros and have some competitive competition,” senior Alec Villafana said. “I can’t wait until we start playing other schools.”

Ultimate frisbee is played on a regulation field 70 yards long with 25 yard end zones. One team throws off to the other to begin the continuous game.

“It’s pretty much handball but with a frisbee,” senior Willie Labarca said. “It’s seven-on-seven and once you catch the disc you can’t move. If you or your teammate drops it or it is knocked down, the other team picks it up from that spot and the play starts immediately, you don’t have to wait for the other team to get set.”

“I play ultimate in a league. It’s a fun game and good for the body,” Jarvis said. “If you can teach kids to expand the idea of it and practice good sportsmanship, it should be fun.”

The club will hold practices throughout the winter, but will not actually start playing other schools until the spring. Games will be held on Saturdays to accommodate students who already play a spring sport.

Many FCPS schools such as Woodson already have teams and have been playing for years.

“I can’t wait until spring when we start competing against other schools, I want to see how we’ll do,” senior Adam Huenemann said.