Ultimate Frisbee Takes Over Myopia This Weekend

It's too early for polo, but the grounds at the  will be bustling this weekend with hundreds of ultimate frisbee players from colleges around New England, who will be gathering for the New England Open.

Ultimate frisbee is a club sport at most colleges, including Northeastern University, where Rockport native Tim Spittle is in his fourth year.

Spittle's nonprofit Cape Ann Ultimate is hosting the first ever ultimate frisbee tournament at the Myopia Club.

Spittle, a recent graduate of in Danvers, said he wanted to organize a local ultimate frisbee tournament rather than traveling far away to play.

He said he is expecting about 750 players and spectators this weekend, although the sport has a small but dedicated fan base.

"I usually say it's like a cult," Spittle, 21, said in an interview. 

There will be 31 teams playing the tournament, after one team dropped out, Spittle said. Each team pays an entry fee to cover the cost of the field, food and facilities.

Spittle said his father, Tom Spittle, is a local electrical contractor who frequently works at the Myopia Hunt Club.

"He asked them and they said yes," Spittle said. "They've been really helpful."

Facts to Know if You Go:

• In ultimate frisbee, the field is laid out similar to a football field, with two endzones. Two teams attempt to score by passing the frisbee through the air to a player in the endzone without the frisbee hitting the ground.
• The tournament will run Saturday and Sunday, March 26-27, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., at the Myopia Hunt Club on Bay Road in Hamilton.
• Parking for the event is located in the lot across the street from the polo grounds.