The Ultimate Carleton Conversion
Hannah admits to becoming an ultimate frisbee lover since coming to Carleton.
Hannah admits to becoming an ultimate frisbee lover since coming to Carleton.
In a previous post, I talked about my original (dare I say hatred) dislike for ultimate frisbee. I refused to be swayed by Carleton’s many frisbee traditions, including the New Student Week Freshman Frisbee Toss.
Well times and opinions change people, and I have to say I am now mildly obsessed. Despite my initial resistance, I now truly embody the definition of a Carleton student. All of a sudden I’m tossing discs in my free time. I’m even asking my friends to hit the Bald Spot with me (who am I?). Unfortunately, I am not able to participate on one of the 6 frisbee teams because I am on the Carleton Women’s Track Team. However, I have found a way to satisfy my obsession: through Intramural (IM) Ultimate Frisbee.
The Besties
I am on am ultimate team with about 10 other people, and our team is known as The Besties™. It’s basically my friend group, which luckily includes some CUT players, so we are feeling confident to dominate this season. For reference, IM doesn’t allow more than 2 CUT players on the field so that teams are not too stacked.
One of the great things about intramural sports is that you can make your own team and you don’t have to tryout. If you really want to play and you don’t have a team, you can become a free agent and get assigned to a team. We have made a new ultimate bestie this way, and it has been super cool getting to know new people!
We have a mixed variety of athletes (and self proclaimed non-athletes) on the team, and everyone gets a chance to play. In the words of my friend Gabe, “Yay sports!”
Our First Game
It’s up to your team how much you want to practice. And, one of the fun things about IM is that you don’t need any experience at all! There are games about once a week usually on Sundays, and at the end of the “season” we have a tournament.
The first game of the season was held in classic Minnesota style: a nice soggy snow shower in mid-April. Though the weather was chilly, we were ready to play in our various attire. (Hint: often you can tell if people are from Minnesota if they are wearing fewer layers than the average person.)
We play with 7 on the field at a time, and sub out players after every point. I’m not actually confident that I know all of the rules or game lingo, but that doesn’t stop me from having fun. I did learn that “Up” means that the frisbee is in the air, which is apparently something one declares while playing? Frisbee is weird.
We played against another one of the IM teams known as the Bridgebees, and won 13-1. Despite the game being so one-sided, they remained in good spirits and were incredibly great competitors!
Though we ended the game covered in mud, we had a fantastic time. I can’t wait for our next game!
Hannah is a freshman interested in Political Science and learning as much as she can about whatever she can. Born and raised in Minnesota, she considers herself somewhat of an expert on MN winters. She can’t wait for ice skating on the Bald Spot and Nordic skiing in the Arb, along with exploring all of the other amazing opportunities and activities on campus! When Hannah isn’t in class, she can be found reading, running for the Carleton Track team, watching TikToks, and tutoring with the Northfield Read and Counts Program. Meet the other bloggers!