Not just a sport but a support system

It is the kind of stuff inspirational movies are made of: a teacher turning intractable students into socially-responsible citizens through the transformative power of sports.

However, this story is real — each ‘flying’ bit of it.

Through Ultimate Frisbee, Janani Rangarajan, a former assistant professor, mathematics, at Kumararani Meena Muthiah College of Arts and Science, has instilled a sense of purpose in a group of students. When these students needed direction, Ultimate Frisbee and Janani were there for them.

“They were smart kids who had come under wrong influence, which included local gangs. They were hardly in the class. I did not want them to drop out. Their energies had to be channelled properly. That’s when I came across Ultimate Frisbee and learnt about the teams that play on the beach,” says Janani.

She was impressed with the rules of the game, which had no referees and required the players to resolve their differences themselves. She thought it would encourage students to act responsibly. This was back in 2009, she and ten of her students formed a team called Blitzkrieg — popularly called Blitz — which is still in circulation.

“Ultimate Frisbee transformed the lives of these students. They learnt what it is to work as a team, and picked up communication skills essential for problem solving, and developed self-confidence. As some of them had to contribute to the family income, they opted for part-time jobs.”

Now, the group, which has expanded, has eleven post-graduates. All of them work in reputed firms. One of them started a team of his own, calling it Blitz Legacy.

All of them hold jobs, but still make time for the game, reach out to youngsters in their neighbourhood, inducting some of them into Blitz, which now has close to 60 players.

A former professor transformed the lives of her students by introducing them to Ultimate Frisbee