Moving U: Ultimate Frisbee Puts Fun Twist On Classic Game
Follow CBSMIAMI.COM: Facebook | Twitter
OAKLAND PARK (CBSMiami) – CBS4 Chief Meteorologist Craig Setzer went to Wimberly Fields Park in Oakland Park in search of a sport that seems to be growing in popularity at local parks.
This is where he found the El Niño Ultimate Frisbee team. He quickly discovered that this isn't your typical Frisbee in the park.
Ultimate Frisbee is a non-contact sport that gets the blood pumping with every toss, jump and catch making it a great way to stay active with some friendly competition.
"It's by far the most fun and most exhausting game I've ever played," said Tim Vothang, Ultimate League Commissioner.
The game has been around for about 50 years and it draws men and women alike.
"I grew up playing soccer and I found it to be pretty similar to soccer," said Alexandra Hiley.
Craig explained that the game is a mix of some skill, some coordination and a lot of running.
"People who like to have fun, people who like to run, people who just want to have a good time join this group of people here," said Tim Vothang. "It's a great community aspect as well as great sport. It's fun to have a sport where we can really play together."
So how do you play Ultimate Frisbee? It's not that hard for those who like to run. If a player throws and makes the pass, then the player has ten seconds to try to catch the disc in the end zone to score. When a player has a Frisbee in hand, they're not allowed to run.
During turnovers, unlike in football, there's no stop in play. As soon as someone drops a pass or someone gets a deflection, the players have to run back the other way and start hustling and playing defense. That's what makes it a very tiring sport.
Craig took a stab at it and while he struggled through some of the moves, he got a good workout and enjoyed being a part of the energetic El Niño team. Watch the video as CBS4 Sports Director Jim Berry provides a play-by-play narration of Craig's game.
For more info on some local teams click on the following links:
- El Nino Ultimate (mens club team): elninoultimate.com
- Fiasco (womens club team): facebook.com/fiascoultimate
- Broward Ultimate League (league system): browardultimate.com
- Florida United: https://www.facebook.com/FloridaUnited/ or https://twitter.com/FloridaUnited.
The teams play competitively throughout the state and the United States as part of the USA Ultimate National Organization. For more information on the competitions go to: https://www.usaultimate.org.
CBS4 wants to know what is moving you. Let us know what you're doing to stay healthy and happy. Email us at movingu@cbsmiami.com. You can watch all of our Moving U stories on this webpage.
