The ultimate sport

Ultimate Frisbee catching on in the Queen City

Author: Erica Focht – Contributor

Although ultimate Frisbee may not be the most well-known sport in Regina, it has a booming reputation for those who do play the sport. The Regina Ultimate Flying Disc Club was officially founded in 1998 and has been escalating ever since. It was the first ultimate Frisbee league in Saskatchewan.

The goal of the sport, similar to football, is to pass the Frisbee to your teammates and make it across the goal line. However, you cannot run with the disc or make intentional physical contact with other players. This sport is different from most as it is solely based off of good sportsmanship, as there are no referees. The unique aspect of the sport makes it appealing to play, as it is a change from the basic structure of other sports.

Regina’s community is adapting and accepting Ultimate Frisbee, and the sport has a very positive impact.

“Ultimate is great way to meet new people,” said 25-year-old Eric Gyug. “The community in Regina is tight knit, but totally accepting of new members. After a few years of playing in the top-tier leagues, it’s not uncommon for a player to have met nearly everyone.”

The small, intimate relationship the league offers is very appealing for many people in the city.

Although the ultimate community is not very big, the future looks bright. The sport is continuing to grow every year, accepting more and more players.

“In Regina, we have a high school league that is constantly introducing the game to new players,” said Gyug.

It can only be predicted that the Ultimate Flying Disc Club will be overwhelmed with members as the years progress.

This high school league is only one of the many leagues in Regina. There is a very wide range of leagues appealing to a wide variety of athletes In the community.

“The leagues in Regina are fantastic,” says Gyug, who is currently playing for the Cougars. “There is a league for every skill level and each is well organized. There are options to enter with an entire team or there are also ‘hat’ leagues where you sign up as a free agent and everyone get out on a random team.”

This variety helps expand the community of the sport and introduce new players of all talents and ages.

Gyug has been playing ultimate for approximately nine years and takes a more competitive approach on the sport.

“For me, ultimate has been a way to stay active and competitive,” Gyug said.

Because of the variety of leagues, players can play more recreationally and at any age. Even though Gyug is competitive, he says, “It’s a sport that is super fun to play as a beginner and never loses that fun even as a veteran.” This shows that, even when you are competitive, the sport doesn’t lose its fun component.

Ultimate Frisbee isn’t the most played or most watched sport, but due to its unique structure, variety of leagues, and competition, soon enough everyone will come to see that ultimate Frisbee really is the ultimate sport.