We are an ultimate Frisbee family.
If you have never seen ultimate Frisbee played, it is a 7 v. 7 field sport played on a narrower football field in which the objective is to catch the disc in the opponent’s end zone, much like in football. The disc is advanced up the field through a series of throw-catch completions, and play is continuous like hockey, so if a disc is downed or goes out of bounds, the defensive team is immediately on offense. The pace is fast and play is intense. Currently, my son plays for a college club team, my daughter plays on her high school ultimate team, and my husband is commissioner of our youth program. I lend my support wherever and whenever it is needed.
If you know ultimate, you are already aware of the spirit of the game which is built into the laws that govern the sport, stressing sportsmanship, fair play and respect. Ultimate Frisbee is a self-officiated sport where players make their own calls and any disputes are respectfully worked out on the field between the two players involved. Spirit of the game is what makes the ultimate Frisbee community so attractive and creates such dedication among the players.
The ultimate Frisbee community is inclusive and welcoming. This weekend, our youth league in Arlington, VA is hosting a large high school ultimate Frisbee tournament with 44 teams traveling from Massachusetts to North Carolina. Traditionally, many of our local families host entire teams in their homes to help the traveling teams defer the cost of lodging. Currently, I am waiting on a girls’ team from Princeton, New Jersey to arrive at my house. Sixteen high school girls will stay with us over the next two days. My husband and I will make them breakfast in the mornings, before they head off for their first games, and then we will head out to watch and cheer on many teams, including our daughter’s high school team.
Our family is an ultimate Frisbee family and we are way better for it.
(This is a photo of my daughter on the ground and my son leaning over her after their mixed-gender D.C. team won the national championship against San Francisco)
Fun fact: Ultimate Frisbee will most likely be a showcase sport in the 2024 and ‘28 Summer Olympics. The coolest aspect of this possibility is that the Olympic ultimate team will most likely be a mixed gender team. How cool will it be to see a high level team made up of both male and female athletes competing together as one team.
The Way I See It 
Thank you for introducing me to this sport! How fun it will be to have the girls at your house! You made me think of my Uncle Jim, who would say respectfully, “Sounds like a damn chicken house” with a smile on his face:) Thank you for bringing this memory to me!
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I’ve had friends who play ultimate, but I never knew about the great sportsmanship side of it. I love that we might have a mixed-gender team at the Olympics someday! I also love the picture of your kids after their big win. Great slice.
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I have seen ultimate frisbee played and it is fun to watch! How wonderful for your family to all love the same sport, and to be able to share that with traveling gaggles of high school girls. Thank you for sharing.
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I have never seen Ultimate Frisbee, but your post makes it sounds fun to play and fun to watch. And I also love the idea of a mixed gender team.
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I loved learning about this sport by reading your post. So glad you added the caption at the end as I was thinking the photos were just randomly chosen from google images. Loved seeing a mixed-gender sport and “meeting” your son and daughter through that photo which tells so much about them and the game. I also loved meeting your husband in this line: Sixteen high school girls will stay with us over the next two days. My husband and I will make them breakfast in the mornings, before they head off for their first games. It is so true that readers meet characters through their actions! What a cool family! Thanks for sharing.
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These are great pictures! And you son and daughter playing on the same team! What a great experience for all of you!
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