NEWBURYPORT — There is a new sport on the horizon, and it's floating its way into the River Rival Region with high school and middle school students in tow.
While originally coined "Ultimate Frisbee" because of the Wham-o based disc, the new sport is aptly titled Ultimate, due to the fact that toy competitor Discraft produces the sport's trademark discs.
Ultimate is a game similar to football in which seven players on each team attempt to receive a teammate's pass in an end zone. Like basketball, you can't run with the disc. Instead, a team gradually works it up the field through passing. If the other team intercepts the disc or if it hits the ground, it's a turnover and the disc changes possession. There is no time limit and the game is played until a team reaches 15 points.
Newburyport Youth Foundation (NYF), along with a pair of history buffs, have helped turn a promising idea into a successful reality.
The coaches of the Newburyport-based team are two history teachers in Brandon Sturma and Jen Groskin.
BUDA (Boston Ultimate Disc Alliance) sponsored Port Ultimate is the team, and it's a veritable merging of high school students, freshmen through seniors. The team plays against schools from all over New England including Timberlane, St. John's Prep, Rockport, Londonderry, and St. Paul's.
Sturma was confronted last year by a group of upperclassmen who were interested in getting a league going, and coincidentally, Groskin was getting involved with the same thing at her middle school. The combination of the two seemed to add fuel to the Ultimate fire, and before anyone knew it, the first season was underway.
"This is our first proper season," explained Sturma. "It started off slow, but once we got the jerseys they seemed to legitimize us a bit more.
"It took a while, obviously," said Sturma. "There was a lot of going over the rules and the basics, but they've come a long, long way. Especially the freshmen."
Sturma and Gorskin never had any doubts about how Ultimate, generally a college and beach sport, would make the jump to the high school level.
"I think Ultimate is probably the next lacrosse," said Sturma, who acknowledges Andy Egremont and the NYF for their work in helping obtain playing fields and waivers. "Lacrosse has exploded in the last four or five years, and this program as well as programs at a lot of other schools have begun to form club teams. Its popularity is definitely surging."
There is a wide variety of athletes on Port Ultimate, said Sturma, from kids who just don't play spring sports, to a large share of kids who haven't played a coordinated team sport since they were in youth leagues.
Separating itself from other sports is Ultimate's common motto of "Spirit of the Game." Ultimate is a self-refereed game where if a participant is fouled on the field and the other person disagrees, the play is reset and started anew.
"All the teams have their own quirky personalities, names and traditions," said Sturma, who began playing Ultimate when he was attending Hamilton College. "Camaraderie is a huge part of Ultimate."
Groskin went on to add that sportsmanship isn't a one-sided affair.
"You see it every game," said Groskin, who helped finalize the team by finding and organizing the logo-designed uniforms. "Whether it's your team or the other team, if there's a great play on offense or defense, competitors and teammates alike share their approval. It's very different from organized sports in that regard."
The athlete pool in Ultimate does not seem to carry over from another sport.
"Everything about Ultimate is fun," said 14-year-old freshman Brent Harvey, who competes in cross country in the fall. "Frisbee is just a fun sport, it's more laid back than all the others, and the team is great."
"It's a great team sport, and the action of moving up the field really gives it an exciting flow," said 10th-grader Joe Keery, who also runs cross country in the fall. "It's an exciting game where teams can make great comebacks. You just don't know what you're going get until you play."
"Mr. Sturma and Miss Groskin have done a great job getting us organized." said junior Phillip Arets, who plays soccer in the fall. "We've had a fun season and hopefully we can get something going in the summer as well."
With the last game of the season being held yesterday, Groskin and Sturma are both delighted with this year's turnout and hope to have an even better team next year.
"It's a new sport, it's exercise, and it's fun," said Sturma. "At the end of the day, these kids just enjoy coming here. It's also a loose sport where if you have other obligations like school or work, it's OK because the team will always understand."
