By Bret Fitzgerald
The formula for ultimate Frisbee is simple: a few well-conditioned athletes, a Frisbee, a wide-open field and don''t forget to add the height and speed.
Once all of these qualities are mixed together, suddenly there''s a quality ultimate Frisbee team. But there''s one important thing that can''t be forgotten.
'You''ve got to know what the heck you''re doing,' said Jeremy Alsup, an 18-year-old mechanical engineer major. 'Organization is the key to ultimate Frisbee. If you just think you''re going to get by on athleticism, you''re not going to do very well.'
An ultimate Frisbee field is just as long as a flag football field, but there is one major difference -- the action doesn''t stop as much as it does in flag football.
'There''s more aerobic workout, definitely,' said Olivia McCord, a 23-year-old nutritional science graduate. 'Ultimate Frisbee allows you to run around a whole lot more.
'I get to play with the guys, which leads to harder competition. But to catch the ultimate throw and feel the Frisbee in your hands, and then to step over that line, it''s just wonderful.'
Besides the running, there is another difference from flag football -- there should be no physical contact, which leads to some distinct advantages for some teams, said 18-year-old Kevin Nufer.
'Just the other day we were playing this team with a really tall guy, and he was just eating us up,' Nufer said.
As those words fell out of Nufer''s mouth, Alsup interrupted with his own opinion.
'Yeah, but with speed you can move the Frisbee a lot quicker; with height you just kind of lob it up there,' Alsup said.
So which is better? Probably a combination of the two, but does it matter? It doesn''t to Nufer.
'I like ultimate Frisbee better, because I can play ultimate Frisbee,' Nufer said.
Maybe the formula to ultimate Frisbee isn''t so complicated after all. Show up and play.
Ultimate Frisbee is held 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays at the intramural fields located directly across from the LaVell Edwards Stadium parking lot.