Uneven Social Strata in
Ultimate Frisbee Hinders Team Growth

In the spring semester of the 2022-2023 school year, I stood on the sidelines of Miami University's indoor sports center (conveniently called The DISC) and realized I had gotten myself way in over my head. Before me, a group of around twenty women were putting on cleats, changing into gym clothes, and getting ready to run a lap around the turf field. Looking around, I noticed that not only was I the only person who didn't have a clue what was going on, but I was also the only one to whom absolutely nothing was being explained. That is, until I mentioned—very quietly—that I had played frisbee somewhat casually in high school. Suddenly, eyes were on me, and questions were being asked left and right.

"Where did you go to school?"

"What position did you play?"

"Do you want to practice throwing with me?"

Three years later, however, I walk out onto the field for the first practice of the year, and notice the same warmth isn't offered at all to the new players who haven't played the game.

Within the world of Ultimate Frisbee, student-athletes at Miami University are being treated differently by fellow teammates, long before they even get to know each other properly. To solve this? Team leadership should approach practices with new players as if everyone is on the same beginner playing field, to not only prevent the reinforcement of harmful social hierarchies, but to also give everyone on the team equal footing when it comes to having the self-confidence and team support to become members of leadership themselves later down the line.

Among the new players, a line is drawn between those who have athletic experience and those who have none, and these lines also overlap with those of gender and sexuality. These players feel like separate groups occupying the same space, rather than a unified team working towards a common goal. This division is reinforced by returning players, forming cliques that affect the efficiency of frisbee practices: When there are players with less experience present, the drills and activities are redundant, and don't focus on learning to play the game, whereas practices with more returning players actually focus on learning the ins and outs of a frisbee game.

Similarly, the leadership structure itself has a ranking of respect based on who has played frisbee longer, with time before college weighing in more than time during. With the presence of all three captains not guaranteed for each practice, the activities done during practice can vary in their relation to actual frisbee. One day might have you running several physically intensive drills to learn complex field formations, while another consists mainly of standing in rows throwing a disc with a partner. And, since not every player can show up on the same day of the week, players become more bonded with those that show up on the same days as them, creating groups within the team that have vastly different perspectives on the amount of work required to play the game.

Now sure: there are limitations to what can actually be revised within the team. People only spend three to four years at a time as players, and some play only with the intention of getting some exercise and never attend a tournament. Reform requires voting, and often those willing to participate in a vote for a club sport are also those who benefit the most from the way things are set up currently. However, taking the time to make these changes will ultimately benefit the team in the long run, creating an opportunity for the Frisbaes to be known not only as the team with great spirit, but a team that can work together to win games.