Event Spotlight: Ultimate Frisbee All-Star Game Comes to Medford

The top athletes in the country - and the world - in the nation's fastest growing sport will compete in Medford this weekend.

That sport isn't soccer. And no, it's not lacrosse. It's Ultimate, a relatively new sport commonly referred to as Ultimate Frisbee, and it's coming to Tufts' Bello Stadium on June 23 at 8 p.m. to showcase the sport as part of the Ultimate Showcase Series. 

The game features wide-receiver-like endzone-to-endzone deep shots, baseball-like layouts on offense and defense, and high-flying catches. Check out some footage from last year's game here.

A coed club team from Boston, called Slow White, will be taking on the Great Britian national team.

Great Britian took 13th at the 2010 World Club Ultimate Championships. Slow White finished 8th in the United States at least year's USA Ultimate Club Championships, and finished 3rd in 2006 World Club Championships.

So what's Ultimate?
Ultimate is part football, because you score in endzones, part soccer, because the game flows freely, and part basketball, because there's no traveling, or running with possession of the Frisbee (referred to as a disc, since "Frisbee" is a copyrighted term.) Teammates must pass to advance the disc to the endzone.

There are three divisions - men's, women's and coed.

As far as competitive sports go, Ultimate is unique because it is a “self-officiating sport,” meaning that there are no referees. Instead, players make their own foul and travel calls, and opponents get a chance to either agree or disagree. The outcome is worked out between the two players themselves. Sound impossible? You'll have to see it to believe it.

A Growing Sport—With Good Values
It's for this reason that Ultimate is heralded by many organizations as a way to teach children—and adults—about the value of true sportsmanship. Instead of a basketball-like culture where players foul and hope the referee doesn't see it, or a soccer-like culture where players throw themselves on the ground to get a pity call, players on both sides are empowered to uphold the "spirit of the game."

There are even organizations that use Ultimate to promote decency between opposing cultures, such as Arab and Jewish youth in Israel (called Ultimate Peace).

Growth in Massachusetts
Currently in Massachusetts there are 109 boys high school teams and 17 girls high school teams that compete statewide. That's up from just a dozen teams in 2003.

"Young players are attracted to this sport because everyone on the field is a potential quarterback and receiver," said Erik Sebesta, director of the Ultimate Showcase Series. "They love the constant action, diving catches and long, high arcing throws."

If you or your children want to get involved in Ultimate Frisbee, check out the Boston Ultimate Disc Alliance, which has opportunities for youths and adults to play the sport.