healthy bytes: the ultimate sport
Hello, summer – and hello, summer sports! Not just tennis and swimming and cricket, but other sports too. Over the next few weeks, I’ll be investigating the less known summer sports of Australia and the women who play them professionally. This week, ultimate frisbee.
What is ultimate frisbee?
Ultimate frisbee is a non-contact team sport, played with a frisbee (rather than a ball) on a narrow grass field. The rules cross between netball, touch football and grid-iron, but there are no referees – the players are expected to both adhere to and oversee the rules themselves. Another aspect of ultimate frisbee that makes it unique is that teams are often co-ed. See the official Australian site for more information about the rules. Ultimate frisbee is played in over 30 countries around the world.
Where can I get involved?
If you live in Victoria, this site lists all the leagues and comps located across the state. If you live elsewhere, find your region here. Or you could set up your own game in your local park – the only equipment needed is a frisbee and a few cones to make a perimeter.
Women and ultimate frisbee:
Over in the US, ultimate frisbee has been running long enough that they have their own Hall of Fame. Women like Anna (Cohan) Orders and Heather Morris Raker have made it to the Hall of Fame for their ‘continued lead[ership], [their] play and athleticism on national calibre and champion teams’.
What’s your favourite summer sport? Can women play it professionally?
