MARCH 4, 2010 ISSUE
Ultimate Frisbee Registration Underway for Boone Ultimate Alliance League
The Boone Ultimate Alliance (BUA) is gearing up for the 2010 spring league. The Nomads, ASU’s club Ultimate team, established Boone Ultimate in the late 1970s-early 1980s. Since that time, the sport has grown in popularity and the Boone Ultimate league has expanded rapidly. Starting in 2005, local pickup games emerged and the passion for Ultimate began to grow beyond the college scene. The BUA was formed in spring 2008 to establish one Ultimate community, according to BUA’s website.
“About five years ago signs popped up at Boone Saloon advertising for pick up games at Valle Crucis park,” Eric Woolridge, one of the original founders of the BUA, recalled. “That was the first time I ever saw interest in Ultimate beyond the college arena. The BUA put ASU and community ultimate together to create a league atmosphere.”
The league atmosphere of Ultimate Frisbee in Boone that Woolridge speaks of is often described as a great excuse to get together and have fun, get great exercise and hangout with friends.
“Ultimate Frisbee is a perfect opportunity to get great exercise without really feeling like you’re exercising,” Brian Mueller, an ultimate Frisbee athlete from Boone, said. “You don’t think, ‘Man, I’m out of breath,’” he said. “Because you’ve got to make sure that your opponent isn’t about to go catch the disc.”
One of the main draws for Mueller and other athletes is the great exercise that the sport provides, with the added bonus that the sport takes place outdoors and involves such a great community of people.
“I really look forward to Monday nights,” Mueller said. “It’s a great reason to get out and run as hard and fast as you can for an hour.”
Ultimate’s appeal to the community is that it is setup in a way that allows athletes both young and old, beginner or advanced, a great opportunity to participate in a sport that provides great exercise in a fun and friendly format.
“Come out and play,” Mueller said. “All you really need to know is how to throw a Frisbee. From there it’s pretty easy to learn everything else.”
Mueller said that people are often intimidated by the sport, but believes that is unwarranted. One way that the organizers help offset the intimidation that many beginners feel is by offering warm-up learning sessions before the games.
“The cool thing is that before every game there is a half-hour learning session that provides beginners a great opportunity to get a feel for the sport,” Mueller said. These half-hour clinics help introduce the rules, lingo and strategy to the newer players and help to build the confidence that they need to be successful on the field.
The organizers are offering a pre-league beginners clinic on the next two Sundays, March 7 and 14, at 2:00 p.m. at Brookshire field. For those who can’t join this year, Mueller recommends attending the pre-league clinic and getting an idea of what Ultimate Frisbee is all about, and to watch the games this season.
“One of the best ways to get a feel for the sport is to go out and watch some of the games,” Mueller said. “If you’ve never seen it before you will be impressed. These guys sacrifice their bodies for this sport,” he said. “Often times they get horizontal to make these catches, and it’s something special to see.”
To learn more about the Boone Ultimate Alliance and how you can get involved, click to www.booneultimatealliance.org. The due date for registration and $30 league dues is Saturday, March 13. A draft will be held on Sunday, March 14. Discs will be given to all beginners the first week of games.
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