It all started with one invitation. Now, I'm hooked.
Ultimate or Frisbee, as most of us know it, is a sport played by throwing and catching a flying disc from one point to another. For the people who are not so familiar with the sport, they often say... "Ha? Mapapagod ka ba sa Frisbee?" (Is playing Frisbee even tiring?). The best answer is silence... for they will never understand unless they try to play the sport themselves.
Smart Ultimate, the team which I play for, was formed last April to compete in the MVP Olympics, a sports event which was joined by the different companies of Manuel V. Pangilinan. Invitations to try out for the team were sent last February. When I first saw the invitation, I was interested to join right away but I was also apprehensive since I had zero-knowledge of the sport. But a friend and an office mate told me that almost everybody in the team was a newbie. So I went... made it to the lineup... and the team won the bronze medal... But the team looked and felt like it won the GOLD! :)
"It will all end after the MVPO," I thought. But to my surprise, it has been 2 months after the MVPO and the team has joined two more competitions so far -- the Greenfields Invitational and the Kalo Kalayaan Hat Tournament. The bond between the team members has grown a lot stronger since then.
In terms of fitness... I lost about 5 pounds in the 2 months of training. I can eat whatever I want and not worry about the flabs forming. :) Some lost 10 pounds... some 3... almost all of the team members shed a bit of weight due to the intensive training. Nakakapagod ba ang frisbee? Silence... :)
More than the physical aspect of this sport, what amazes me most is the "spirit of the game" that is being practiced by most if not all of the players. Fairness and respect is important since this is a self-officiated game (no referees). Whatever harm inflicted upon you by another player should not be considered as an intentional act. If you win, you should remain humble. If you lose, you should cheer the winners whole-heartedly. That is respect. That is Ultimate.
Ultimate or Frisbee, as most of us know it, is a sport played by throwing and catching a flying disc from one point to another. For the people who are not so familiar with the sport, they often say... "Ha? Mapapagod ka ba sa Frisbee?" (Is playing Frisbee even tiring?). The best answer is silence... for they will never understand unless they try to play the sport themselves.
Smart Ultimate, the team which I play for, was formed last April to compete in the MVP Olympics, a sports event which was joined by the different companies of Manuel V. Pangilinan. Invitations to try out for the team were sent last February. When I first saw the invitation, I was interested to join right away but I was also apprehensive since I had zero-knowledge of the sport. But a friend and an office mate told me that almost everybody in the team was a newbie. So I went... made it to the lineup... and the team won the bronze medal... But the team looked and felt like it won the GOLD! :)
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| Smart's zone defense. Photo credit: Paolo Panganiban Photography |
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| One of the rare occasions that the disc is in my hands. :) Photo credit: Paolo Panganiban Photography |
"It will all end after the MVPO," I thought. But to my surprise, it has been 2 months after the MVPO and the team has joined two more competitions so far -- the Greenfields Invitational and the Kalo Kalayaan Hat Tournament. The bond between the team members has grown a lot stronger since then.
 |
| Smart Ultimate winning the Championship of the Greenfields Invitational - Pool D |
In terms of fitness... I lost about 5 pounds in the 2 months of training. I can eat whatever I want and not worry about the flabs forming. :) Some lost 10 pounds... some 3... almost all of the team members shed a bit of weight due to the intensive training. Nakakapagod ba ang frisbee? Silence... :)
More than the physical aspect of this sport, what amazes me most is the "spirit of the game" that is being practiced by most if not all of the players. Fairness and respect is important since this is a self-officiated game (no referees). Whatever harm inflicted upon you by another player should not be considered as an intentional act. If you win, you should remain humble. If you lose, you should cheer the winners whole-heartedly. That is respect. That is Ultimate.
