Ultimate Frisbee Tournaments
The sun was rising in the east. The temperature was in the low 30s, and the frigid wind, gusting up to 20 mph, made it feel even colder. Despite the adverse conditions, the sprawling fields at Mohawk Sports Complex in Tulsa, OK, were bustling with excitement. Music played from speakers, lively chatter filled the air, players and coaches milled about and teams tossed discs in their colorful jerseys. An epic weekend was underway.
Such was the scene on Feb. 21-22, as teams gathered for the Dust Bowl, an annual ultimate frisbee tournament in Tulsa. Amidst the vast array of colors, one could pick out the blue and white jerseys of our very own University of Dallas Ultimate Club (UDU).
The UDU men’s team was up against some formidable foes. The Dust Bowl featured many D-I schools, such as the University of North Texas, Oklahoma State University and Kansas State University, among others.
Despite going 1-5 in the tournament, senior classics major and last year’s club president, John Dougherty, saw “signs of improvement despite our relatively low average experience.” We were “neck in neck with some really good teams.”
One of the highlights of the tournament was when Judas Flores, freshman biology major, achieved an incredibly rare play called a “Callahan,” which occurs when a defender intercepts a pass in the opponent’s endzone for a score. It was nothing short of heroic.
As soon as the disc was thrown, Flores said, “I was primed and ready to pounce, ready to explode like a bullet out of a gun.” Indeed he was! He smacked the disc out of the air, followed its flight, and caught it in the endzone for the score.
John Dougherty stood out as the MVP of the tournament, tallying six goals and 10 assists. Asked about his performance, with a shrug and a grin, he said, “I was feeling myself. It felt pretty legendary.”
Dougherty says that tournaments are “an absolute blast, the best part of frisbee,” and if you ask anyone on the team, they will concur.
There is something awesome about piling into somebody’s car after Friday classes and driving several hours to an Airbnb, where you will spend the weekend. It is an incredible bonding experience to share meals, watch movies, play music and just hang out with each other. Whether it’s going to Mass, cooking dinner or maybe even fixing a tire on the side of a highway, everything is done together.
Many fond memories are made at ultimate tournaments, both on and off the field. Tournament weekends occasion great deepening of friendships. Looking back on his four years of frisbee at UD, Dougherty reflected, “Frisbee makes me grateful for the community that exists around it, and gives me a desire to pass down that tradition.”
This tradition of fellowship is not limited to one’s own team. The ultimate community is unrivaled in this regard. Junior politics major and Club President Andrew Arlinghaus said, “There is such a tight-knit community that you end up playing the same guys every year. It’s easy to have a healthy rivalry and a genuine friendship at the same time.”
An important part of ultimate frisbee is the “Spirit of the Game.” Ultimate places great emphasis on fair play and fellowship, both on and off the field. It is a self-officiated sport, with players making their own calls and resolving any disagreements with cool heads. Mutual respect and friendly communication between players ensures that the focus remains on the pure and simple enjoyment of the sport. It is quite beautiful.
Perhaps this is what Dougherty had in mind when he said, looking profoundly into the distance, “Frisbee is one of the highest pursuits of a rational creature. It is sublime.” He was, of course, joking – but only slightly.
But, all joking aside, many wonder how frisbee fits in with the more noble pursuits of man, especially as students at a Catholic university.
Throughout the ages, wise people have emphasized the importance of a sound mind in a sound body, and Dougherty sees UDU as the golden mean between doing physical activity as a solitary individual on the one hand, and as an official NCAA sport on the other.
“Most people who want to take the liberal arts seriously, participate in a range of activities, and also sleep and have a social life, find that an official sport consumes too much of their time,” said Dougherty. “But UDU is not so inflexible. At the same time, it is a commitment – a communal commitment.”
Frisbee, then, said Dougherty, with an absolutely brilliant and entirely original pun, “is not the ultimate goal – but it does help you achieve it.” Indeed, Arlinghaus said, “ultimate compliments academics,” helping students live a full life in a community of awesome friends.
At publishing time, UDU will have played another tournament in Denton, TX. Considering that the tournament features similarly-sized schools, Arlinghaus said, “We can really shine. I am super excited.” Let’s hope they live up to the hype, making memories and forming friendships along the way.