“As Alex Atkins [an ultimate player from Philadelphia] says, frisbees are just objectively cooler than balls,” Sixth Former Nolan McCloskey said.
The ultimate frisbee team, colloquially known as Fords Frizz, draws a passionate and communal team of student-athletes. With historic struggles against local competitors, this year, the team strives for improvement.
The team attracts a wide range of students from the upper school.
Having such a large variety of students can often represent a challenge in unity on the field; however, this year aims to be different.
“It’s a good vibe, the kids are having fun, and they are bonding really well with each other this year,” Coach Jeremy Fus said.
The team is divided into an A Team and a B Team. The B Team typically plays intramurally and the A Team competes against other schools, which allows students to find a mix between competitiveness and fun.
“It’s a more casual sport, so it’s a great way for me to use both my competitive side and chill at the same time,” Sixth Former Render Ford said.
The cohesiveness of this year’s team has been key to the team’s recent success. In their opening match against Garnet Valley High School, the A Team took the win in a 10-9 victory.
“After losing every game last year, a big goal was to win a game,” McCloskey said. “The team is significantly stronger than it has been in years [past], and I’m very happy to see many people choosing to join Frisbee this year.”
The desire to win remains a driving force for the team.
“Winning is definitely something that this team wants after last year’s zero-win season,” Ford said.
Student leadership has helped fuel the team’s competitive fire.
“The driving force behind the team is our [Sixth Form] leaders, such as Nolan [McCloskey], Brady [Stalkamp], Adon [Gross], and Alec [DeLuca],” Ford said. “They make sure everyone is motivated at practice.”
Daily practices last an hour and a half after school. The team warms up by throwing the frisbee to each other. Then they strategize via drills, ending the day by implementing what they work on into a scrimmage. Coach Fus, a veteran high school and collegiate frisbee player, draws upon his experiences to help the team perform at their best.
“Having played in a variety of contexts and systems helps inform what I think is important to practice,” Coach Fus said. “Given that high school is most kids’ first time playing ultimate, we can’t always necessarily be able to do what I did in college, but the experiences have shown me what works and what doesn’t.”
Coach Fus also relies on veteran players to support the team. McCloskey, who competed in the U20 Finals at the Wells Fargo Center and was invited to try out for the U20 National Team, is a key component in the team’s practices.
“Most high school teams do not have a player of that caliber,” Coach Fus said. “Having such an experienced player teaching other students is extremely valuable, as students often learn better from other students than they do from adults.”
McCloskey uses his skills to help his team improve.
“I’m typically one of the better players on the field, so I usually have a large role in guiding the game, but this year I’m honored to have a role helping guide the other members of Fords Frizz,” McCloskey said. “Even during stoppages in-game, I try to give feedback to my teammates and help them understand defensive positioning strategy and offensive flow.”
McCloskey’s ultimate frisbee career is founded on the sport’s unique style of play.
“There are an infinite number of ways to throw a frisbee by varying the release point, release angle, grip, speed, and spin. The diversity of throwing options allows the cutters, who are receivers, an equal amount of creativity in how and where to attack on the field,” McCloskey said.
To McCloskey, the sport’s community is equally important.
“Even at high levels of play, the social aspect of the sport remains integral,” McCloskey said. “The spirit of the game encourages cooperation by giving the players some level of responsibility to keep the game safe and fair. It is also common to see players from different teams hanging out before and after games while players from other teams cheer on from the sideline.”
These aspects of ultimate frisbee keep many students on the team.
“The goal of ultimate [frisbee] at Haverford is ultimately to give a place for students to have fun.”
Mr. Jeremy Fus
“The goal of ultimate [frisbee] at Haverford is ultimately to give a place for students to have fun,” Mr. Fus said. “Kids come out to run around with their friends, and it’s good to have a place where kids can compete but not have it be all-consuming.”
Ford agrees.
“I joined frizz because it just seems like a fun place to be,” Ford said.
