A group of nine students, coached by Dr. Lamarre-Vincent, are reintroducing ultimate frisbee to the Circle. For those that don’t know, ultimate, as some call it, is a non-contact sport that involves throwing and passing the frisbee along a field in order to score in an end zone. There are usually seven players on the field at once, and substitutes are rotated in after a team scores. JJ Cheng ’18, says, “Frisbee is such a simple sport, that some people don’t think it’s a sport at all. That’s the beauty of it.” He hopes that interest in ultimate will continue to grow on campus and that the team will build on its undefeated record.

The team consists of a total of nine players: two “handlers,” four “mids,” and three “deeps.”JJ Cheng ‘18 and Myles Maxson ‘18 are the handlers, who are responsible for throwing the frisbee most of the time. Becky Zhang ‘18, Cherian Yit ‘17, Kevin Xiao ‘18, and Michael Xiao ’18 play as mids, and Andrew Pearson ‘18, Ben Milliken ‘18, and Charlie Sun ’18 are the deeps. The players practice with drills and scrimmages Monday through Thursday and, on Friday, refine their throwing finesse with frisbee golf. Despite the difficulty of mastering such a sport, and the wind and rain that has been plaguing this year’s spring, the players are thoroughly enjoying themselves: “My only regret is that we don’t have any home games,” says Kevin Xiao ’18.

Although this is the team’s first year together, it is already competing against various other teams around the New England area. So far it has a 1-0 record after beating Northfield Mount Hermon High School 15-3 and is looking for further success in the upcoming games against Andover and Nobles. The Ultimate FSA is the quintessential team; its players constantly work to improve each other.

Many people have complimented the new FSA, remarking on the developing skill level of the players. The members are dedicated to their newfound passion, choosing to spend time outside of practice, during the rigorous Groton weekdays, to condition themselves for the demanding athleticism required of them.

Perhaps most impressive is that the team has already begun to develop some lasting traditions. Every Friday, the winner of the previous week’s Friday frisbee golf competition chooses the clothing theme of the practice. So far, “Hawaii 5-0” and “Tanks and Sunglasses” have been used.

The future of the Ultimate Frisbee FSA looks very promising. The team hopes that as popularity increases, so will its opportunities. Although it will not have the chance to participate in any of the local tournaments this year, the player look forward to chances in the following years. Coach LV summarized the team’s outlook: “Playing ultimate this spring has been a blast. As a teenager ages ago, I was drawn to ultimate because I love athletics and a funky sense of competition where you play with intensity but the score doesn’t really matter. For me the team embodies this spirit. They all have a real palpable joie de vivre.”