Some people may scoff at the idea of classifying throwing a Frisbee around as a sport, but Bruin Ladies Ultimate, the UCLA women’s Ultimate Frisbee club team, hopes to change any notions of this illegitimacy.
For starters, BLU has been to the Ultimate Players Association College Women’s Championships for three consecutive years, and the team aspires to capture the championship title this spring.
The team went into last year’s championships ranked No. 1 in the tournament and won third place in a field that included teams from Canada.
But the team lost to UC Santa Barbara in a close 15-13 semifinal contest. After having lost only six players from a year ago, the BLU team will look to build on its success and continue its tradition of excellence.
Led by captains Sarah Peters, a third-year, and KC Vampola, a fourth-year, the team will endure a brutal schedule throughout the year.
BLU will travel to Austin, Texas; Las Vegas; and a host of other cities for tournaments, often enduring an unforgiving schedule that requires playing from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
To put the team’s schedule into perspective, on a typical weekend, BLU departs for a tournament Friday afternoon and many not return to campus until midnight on Sunday.
Spending so much time together can wear on some teams, but UCLA prides itself on not allowing frustration to show on the field.
“We never really worry about playing together,” second-year player Meredith Callan said. “One of our strengths is how close we are.”
With one of the top coaches in the nation, Alex Korb, at the helm, BLU utilizes a conservative playing style that doesn’t rely on the long Frisbee throw.
Instead, the team capitalizes on its chemistry by completing shorter throws that require knowing exactly where teammates will be ““ a skill perfected during hours of practice. The bonds that players have made with each other have helped increase the team’s motivation.
It “makes us work hard for each other,” Peters said.
Even with all of the planning and practice, the team knows that its journey toward a fourth consecutive appearance in the championships will be challenging. Despite this obstacle, the goal this year is not simply to arrive at the tournament but to come away with the title.
“The ability is completely within them,” Korb said. “I have no doubt that if they put in the work all season, that when they get to nationals, they will win.”
What is ultimate frisbee?
Ultimate Frisbee is a club sport shared and enjoyed by more than 240 women’s teams and 600 men’s teams throughout the country.
The sport consists of seven players from each team throwing the Frisbee downfield in an attempt to get it to the end zone. A team wins if it is winning after a set period of time or if it gets to 15 points first. Everyone touches the Frisbee and plays defense.
The contests are mostly self-refereed, but the large tournaments employ observers to resolve questionable calls.