In much of Louisiana, ultimate frisbee is written off as more of a leisure activity than a real sport. It’s something to do with a dog, or maybe a schoolyard-style game with no rhyme or reason.
Members of the LSU men’s and women’s club ultimate teams are working to change this mindset in hopes of introducing more people to a sport that values community and sportsmanship just as much as competition and intensity.
There isn’t a better example of the inclusive nature of ultimate than the women’s club team, which began its first season as a University Recreation-sponsored sport this semester.
Environmental engineering senior Allyson Lutz said the team began to take shape during her freshman year when she and several other women played on the men’s second team. After the women’s team was established, it continued to share field space with the men’s team.
Lutz said the kindness of the men’s team is nothing new for the ultimate community. A chance run in with an LSU ultimate alumna at a club tournament demonstrated that the bond between players extends to all different ages.
“She saw that I was from LSU and she said ‘If you are ever in Houston, here is my number. I’ll hook you up with places to stay,’” Lutz said. “She didn’t even know me, or any of the people on my team, and she invited us to stay at her house.”
The source of the universal camaraderie between ultimate players is a concept called “spirit of the game.”
The USA Ultimate, the sport’s governing body, rulebook emphasizes it saying, “Competitive play is encouraged, but never at the expense of respect between players, adherence to the rules, and the basic joy of play.”
Sportsmanship is often an ideal that takes a back seat as soon as the game gets close in other sports. The old coaches’ mantra — if you aren’t cheating, then you aren’t trying — has no place in ultimate.
Finance sophomore Garrett Yetman said a player’s spirit can greatly influence how he or she is viewed within the community. Yetman said YouTube trickshot sensation Brodie Smith was notorious for his lack of spirit during his time at the University of Florida, which cost him numerous individual awards.
“The Callahan Award is given to the best player in the country, and [Smith] should have won it two or three years running,” Yetman said. “He just has the worst spirit, and no one likes playing with him.”
Lutz said there are few things that anger her more than opposing players violating spirit of the game.
“To me, it’s sacrilegious to break those rules,” Lutz said. “To take advantage of the fact that you are in charge of the game, I think, is the worst betrayal an ultimate player can have.”
By holding players to strong ethical standards, there are rarely any hard feelings after matches between teams. Lutz said the LSU club can be seen laughing and watching following matches with opposing teams even after heartbreaking losses.
English senior Maggie Tyson said the spirit of the game keeps troublemakers away from their club, making the experience more enjoyable for all involved.
“When you have a good group of people, who play the sport and understand how it should be played, that is what makes it awesome,” Tyson said. “You aren’t going to get a bunch of bad eggs coming out to play a sport where they aren’t going to be able to get away with stuff.”

Gallery • 7 Photos

Charles Champagne

LSU english literature senior Maggie Tyson practices Tuesday, Sept. 18, 2013 in the parade grounds for the LSU womens ultimate frisbee club