Sure, we have all played it — spinning a plastic disk in the air and racing to grab the frisbee when it comes back flying. But today, this simple children’s game is played at the professional level, and competition is fierce.
The sport, initially called ‘ultimate frisbee’, is now commonly referred to simply as ‘ultimate’. Played on football-size fields, it involves two teams who try to score points by passing the disk to a player in the end zone on the other side of the field, while dodging their opponents.
Groups such as ‘Learning to Fly’, ‘Spin Doctors, ‘Falcons’ and ‘Disc-O-Deewanee’ in Bangalore have brought in a streak of professional competitiveness to the game.
Clifford Joseph, a member of Learning to Fly, says the group has been playing since 2008. “We used to play in college earlier but developed a passion for the game and decided to take it to a professional level. We find that playing the sport is a much better way to spend time rather than just visiting malls and pubs,” he says.
The group consists of over 20 members, mostly information technology professionals aged between 22 and 35. Mr. Joseph points out that age and gender is less of a barrier in this sport, with women too being part of the game. It is more of a collaborative sport rather than a competitive sport, he adds.
Members of the Ultimate community say the bond with various groups across regions sets this community apart. Manuj Bharadwaj, a member of Spin Doctors, is one of those who joined recently but recommends others to participate actively in the sport as well.
Learning to Fly has also helped train underprivileged children. Many of these children come from lower social backgrounds and their exposure to different kinds of people has helped them overcome inhibitions, Mr. Joseph adds.
