Menu
Wesley Cheng Home
  • Home
    • Environment
    • Literature
    • Movie Review
    • Philosophy
    • Politics
    • Racism
    • Sports
    • Technology
    • Television
    • Theater
  • About Me
  • Resume
  • Contact
Wesley Cheng Home

Players face ultimate physical challenge

Posted on April 12, 2004 by Wesley

Steven Lee gets excited when someone asks him about Ultimate Frisbee – maybe even a little too eager.

“I get so excited that I have bladder spasms and muscle cramps,” said Lee, president of the Hong Kong Ultimate Players’ Association (HKUPA). “When someone asks me that question, it means I’ve got a chance to share the special game of Ultimate with someone who has never been exposed to it.”

So what exactly is Ultimate?

“It’s a demanding, fast-paced game that provides a great workout,” said HKUPA member Tom Nunan. “I do a lot of sports, but Ultimate was the one that really hooked me because I got the workout of my life.”

Ultimate is played on a 70-by-40-yard field. The objective is to advance the disc to the other team’s end-zone, using a series of passes upfield to teammates.

Players use four basic throws to achieve this. The two most common ones are called “forehand” and “backhand”, thrown face-up. The two most used face-down throws are the “scoober” (to gain short yardage) and “hammer” (which resembles more of a typical football throw).

Once the receiver catches the Frisbee, he has to stop and has 10 seconds to look for any of six teammates on the field. One defender is allowed to “mark”, or guard, the player in possession of the Frisbee.

“One of the easiest ways to play good defence is to start with a good marker,” Nunan said. “It’s the responsibility of the marker to block off a section of the fielder so the defenders have a better chance of closing down the offensive players who they’re marking. When a mark is broken, it often results in a quick downfield game for the opposition.”

If there is a drop, offence becomes defence and the game continues until there is a score. Generally, games are played to 11, 13 or 15 points. After a score, players line up on opposite sides of the field, like rugby, and the other team “pull” (kick off).

While Ultimate is a non-contact sport, the game requires players to be in great physical condition because they are constantly on the move.

“A good Ultimate player is a balance of endurance and speed,” Nunan said. “You have to be agile. The top players tend to be in pretty phenomenal shape.”

Players, when explaining the game, draw parallels between rugby, football and netball, but Ultimate has many of its own characteristics.

“Ultimate is quite unique,” Nunan said. “It does combine elements in other sports, but it is a unique game.”

And quirky traditions have added to its mystique. One tradition that has lasted through the years is the nicknames given to players. Although Nunan didn’t want to reveal his nickname, he stressed the importance of having one.

“Nicknames are good for calling offensive plays,” he said. “You can identify people without the opposition knowing.”

Nicknames are usually given to players based on their personalities, but other factors also play a role. Ultimate players share a common code called the “Spirit of the Game”, which means self-officiating. There are no referees.

“Basically it’s good sportsmanship,” Lee said. “It means playing as hard as you can to win, but never at the expense of cheating or trying to bend the rules. You call things as you see them, irrespective of whether a call would give you an advantage or a disadvantage.”

Hong Kong team Junk compete in tournaments across Asia. They were in Bali, Indonesia, over the weekend for such an event.

The HKUPA also organises games twice a week in Hong Kong and is thinking about adding a third day to work on skills and techniques.

The association is always on the lookout for new members.

“Just today we were thinking about business cards and brochures,” Nunan said. “We’re quite open to people who are enthusiastic and who want to come out and have a good time.”

This article was originally published in the April 12, 2004 edition of the South China Morning Post.

  • Hong Kong
  • Ultimate Frisbee
  • Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    • December 2022
    • October 2022
    • September 2022
    • August 2022
    • February 2022
    • November 2021
    • July 2021
    • May 2021
    • November 2020
    • September 2020
    • December 2019
    • September 2019
    • August 2019
    • April 2019
    • November 2015
    • July 2015
    • September 2014
    • March 2014
    • February 2014
    • January 2014
    • December 2013
    • October 2013
    • May 2013
    • July 2012
    • June 2012
    • May 2012
    • April 2012
    • February 2012
    • December 2011
    • November 2011
    • October 2011
    • September 2011
    • February 2011
    • August 2010
    • May 2010
    • March 2010
    • January 2010
    • December 2009
    • November 2009
    • October 2009
    • March 2009
    • January 2009
    • November 2008
    • October 2008
    • August 2008
    • July 2008
    • June 2008
    • April 2008
    • February 2008
    • December 2007
    • November 2007
    • October 2007
    • August 2007
    • July 2007
    • June 2007
    • May 2007
    • April 2007
    • March 2007
    • December 2006
    • November 2006
    • September 2006
    • July 2006
    • June 2006
    • May 2005
    • April 2005
    • March 2005
    • February 2005
    • January 2005
    • December 2004
    • September 2004
    • August 2004
    • May 2004
    • April 2004
    • December 2003
    • November 2003
    • October 2003
    • September 2003
    • August 2003
    • April 2003
    • March 2003
    • February 2003
    • January 2003
    • December 2002
    • November 2002
    • October 2002
    • September 2002
    • July 2002
    • May 2002
    • April 2002
    ©2023 Wesley Cheng Home | Powered by WordPress & Superb Themes