Benefits and Value of Ultimate
AN ALTERNATIVE SPORT
It is very important that people are exposed to as many different sports and activities in order for each individual person to find a physical activity that they have fun doing and have the desire to participate in regularly. With this exposure to a variety of sports and activities, a person can make more informed decisions about their recreational endeavors in order to stay more physically active and more involved. Ultimate is a fun and competitive sport that is quickly growing in popularity all across America and lends itself perfectly to addition into any Parks or Recreation Agency.
Ultimate has been commonly deemed as an alternative sport that provides an outlet of play for those people who aren't necessarily interested in the "mainstream" sports of our society. Combining the athleticism of soccer but the skill and tactics of football, Ultimate provides the perfect balance of strategy and conditioning. Opportunities to play both recreationally and competitively now exist across the country giving people the chance to play at any competitive level that they choose.
SKILL VS ATHLETICISM
Perhaps the most unique aspect of Ultimate compared to most other sports is its use of a disc (or Frisbee™) instead of a ball. With the use of a disc, aerodynamics and physics become a major factor in the sport, giving the game a whole level of skill not found in other 'ball' sports. Wind, wrist rotation, speed, and angle are just some of the variables that are involved with throwing and trying to catch a disc. It is due to these factors that almost all people start out on an equal playing field when learning to play the sport of Ultimate. It doesn't matter how athletic a person is if he or she isn't able to catch and throw a disc. It's because of this that almost any person regardless of physical conditioning can become a good Ultimate player simply by practicing and mastering throwing and catching. Ultimate has become attractive to a lot of non-athletic people because of this reason, but what's even better is that these players will eventually become more athletic just through playing Ultimate.
EVERYONE'S INVOLVED
Unlike other sports with varied positions and downtime on the field, Ultimate requires that every player on the field be constantly active and attentive to the game. The fast-paced speed of the sport and the constant transitions from offense to defense also provides a lot of opportunities for all the players to catch or throw the disc. This has proven very useful to participants as it allows everyone to get involved in the game, and not feel like their role is not as important on the team. Every player on the field gets a sense of purpose and can quickly gain more experience through the opportunities to obtain a lot more touches with the disc.
Ultimate is also a sport where coed play is not only encouraged but also easily implemented. Unlike other sports where certain players may be given positions with lesser duties, Ultimate allows every player on the field to have the same responsibilities and power. This has proven extremely successful in providing confidence boosts to people who normally are self-conscious about playing sports.
SIMPLICITY
Ultimate is unique in its simplistic foundation allowing people to learn and begin to play the sport almost immediately. The full rules of the game can get slightly more complex, but aren't really needed until higher competitive levels of play. Simply by reading through the "10 Simple Rules of Ultimate" one can begin to play a game. This is beneficial as it allows the participants to begin playing much earlier without them getting bored with rules and explanations, gaining actual game experience and getting more physical activity right off the bat.
COST & MODIFICATIONS
Since Ultimate is so simplistic at its basic level, the cost to play is much lower than any other sport and there is a much greater flexibility in the implementation of the sport. All you really need to play Ultimate is a disc (however, cones and a proper playing field are usually favorable). Ultimate can be suited to fit any space, equipment, or other limitations you might face. For bad weather, Ultimate can be easily played in a gym. If you don't have cones, you can use trees or shoes to mark an endzone line. The size of the field can always be manipulated to fit either your number of participants or your space limitations. The possibilities are really endless when setting up games of Ultimate.
SPIRIT OF THE GAME®
Ultimate is governed by what is called Spirit of the Game (SOTG). This means that the players are responsible for adherence to the rules, maintaining respect among the players, and keeping the game fun. Ultimate is unique in the sense that it is a non-contact team sport and that it is self-refereed. It is through these aspects of the sport that people are able to learn valuable life lessons including problem-solving skills, teamwork, communication, self responsibility, and fair play. And since it is self-refereed, you don't have to worry about having a referee or umpire around to play the game.
PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
Ultimate provides non-stop movement including sprinting, cutting, jumping, and running with very little down-time assuring that each participant is gaining valuable physical exercise. Ultimate is also great for learning hand-eye coordination, aiming, and visualization skills. Most importantly though, people find playing Ultimate fun and exciting. This allows a much better participation rate than playing traditional sports that most people already know if they like or don't. Ultimate can be a great way to get others in community involved in a sport that normally wouldn't be.
SUMMARY
Ultimate has been rapidly growing in popularity all across the United States and the world, and it is easy to see why. With its use of a disc instead of a ball, a whole new element can be found in the game that most people can't seem to get enough of. And with the added variables involved with a disc it makes the game both entertaining to watch and exciting to play.
