Ultimate team hits the gym

With the fall semester coming to an end, there will be no more outdoor practices for Mount Allison’s varsity fall sports teams. While many of these teams go into hibernation, this does not mark the end of the Mt. A ultimate frisbee team’s season, as they look forward to a winter full of indoor play.

The ultimate frisbee club continues to play year-round, with tournaments across Atlantic Canada, weekly games in the indoor Moncton league, and multiple practices per week in the gym. The team is co-ed, and players travel together throughout the school year to compete in tournaments across the region.

Katie Gordon, a fourth-year commerce major, is one of the team’s co-captains. Gordon started playing ultimate frisbee in high school and has played on the team since coming to Mt. A.

“We went to a one-day St. FX tournament, followed by the Atlantics tournament with all of the other Atlantic university teams, along with a tournament in Halifax,” Gordon said. “We also go to a league play in Moncton every Tuesday night to play against Moncton teams.”

Practice makes perfect for the MTA ultimate team Ryan Macrae/Argosy
Practice makes perfect for the MTA ultimate team Ryan Macrae/Argosy

Recently, the team faced off against elite competition at a tournament in Halifax. “Even though we’re a university team without a lot of experience, we played a lot of great games better than I ever would have expected us to,” Gordon said.

Despite the weather stopping outdoor play, Gordon looks forward to next semester’s indoor focus. She stated that the team plans to play in four tournaments after Christmas and will continue to practice twice a week in the Mt. A gym.

Claire Genest, a first-year international relations student, joined the team not long after starting at Mt. A. She said her experience has been positive so far.

“I got to meet a lot of upper-year students. People I wouldn’t have met if I wouldn’t have played frisbee,” Genest said.

Genest played ultimate frisbee in high school and said it can be difficult to convince people to try the sport. However, once people try it, they’re often hooked and keep coming back.

Brent Wallace, a Mt. A graduate, has continued to play with the team this season.

“It’s a good group of people and you get to know everybody. You get to build friendships that will last forever,” Wallace said. “Playing games, practising and just talking to everybody is a great experience. It’s always nice to meet new people.”

After the completion of an eventful series of fall tournaments, the team hopes to see some new friendly faces come out and give ultimate a try next semester. Although the club has been practising since September, Gordon said that anyone is welcome to come try the sport, even if they have never played.

“Anyone can join. You don’t need to have any experience to play,” Gordon said. “We will teach you as you go.”

For more information on the club, there is a Facebook page entitled “MTA Ultimate 2016-2017,” which anyone can join.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Related Articles