URI’s ultimate frisbee team rallies for a new season. Photo contributed by a past Ultimate Frisbee team.
While COVID-19 changes can make full competition in practice difficult, the ultimate Frisbee club team at the University of Rhode Island has successfully been able to create a routine that balances both engagement and player safety.
When the season began in mid-September, junior captain Myles Wagner said the team was limited to practicing in “stable groups of five.” They were only able to hold throwing drills, as the groups were not large enough for full scrimmages. However, these groups have expanded to 10 in recent weeks, which has created more flexibility for what activities the team can do.
“When we were practicing in groups of five, it was hard to do any drills or practice anything that looked like ultimate [Frisbee],” Wagner said. “Now that we have 10 we can do some more productive drills.”
The amount of players allowed at practice is not the only major change that was made as a result of the virus. As with most teams, players must wear masks at all times and be properly distanced when participating in drills. The team is also working to be extra sanitary without having to constantly to clean off the Frisbee.
“We have everyone make sure they wash their hands before and after practice,” said Wagner. “It would be hard to sanitize every Frisbee in between each practice.”
Another major concern the team had before the season was the amount of interest they would receive from new students. While they were unable to use events this year such as First Night to promote themselves, they were still able to add many new players to the roster.
First-year student Kaden Powers is one of the many new faces to the team.
“I played ultimate Frisbee all throughout high school,” Power said. “I obviously wanted to play Frisbee in college. I wanted something to keep me active.”
This year, the team focused on promoting through social media and fliers around campus. They were initially able to add fifteen new players this year, and that number has since grown to around twenty. Wagner credits the lack of opportunities for students to go outside and socialize for the increased turnout of new players this semester.
“People get outside, they get to meet new people. It’s harder to meet new freshmen when you’re stuck in your dorms,” he said.
For now, the team is limited to just practice; there are no competitions for club teams this semester. While all is uncertain in terms of when they will be able to finally play again, there is a lot of excitement about what this new group has to offer and is looking forward to what they can do going forward.