Tufts Blogs

Perhaps the most New-England-liberal-arts-college activity that exists is tossing around a frisbee. Throwing a frisbee on Res Quad in the first week of your first year feels like a universal Tufts experience. For most, their relationship with the circular plastic discs ends there. But for many, the Tufts ultimate frisbee scene draws them in.

For those increasingly rare people who are unfamiliar with ultimate frisbee, the rules are simple: seven people per team, one frisbee, two end zones. Teams must complete passes up and down the field and cannot move when they have possession of the frisbee. A core tenet of the sport is the “spirit of the game,” which means players self-officiate and resolve disagreements through civil discussions. The game itself is simple and highly accessible to play. Yet, despite its basic simplicity, the sport has an incredibly high ceiling for development; there is so much room for skill and strategy. Played at the highest level, ultimate is fast-paced and exciting. For beginners, there are plenty of challenges as well.

The actual sport of ultimate is only a small part of why the Tufts frisbee scene is so great. At Tufts, the frisbee program boasts a membership of nearly 300 people split among five different teams. There are A-teams, B-teams, and even a C-team. Within that, there is so much range and flexibility in commitment. Do you want to practice 3–5 times a week and travel nationally to play tournaments with big-name Division 1 schools like the University of North Carolina, Penn State, or Cal? Join the E-Men or E-Wo, short for Elephant Men or Women. Both the E-Men and E-Wo have historic and competitive programs. Tufts was the host of the first-ever collegiate nationals for ultimate way back in 1984. Both A-teams have a long history of producing famed ultimate players.

If you’re like me, though, the B and C teams are great places to be. Give as much time as you have—maybe it’s one practice a week, maybe more. Regardless of how much you show up, you can still be part of an amazing community of kind people. You will always have people to say hi to around campus, as well as the ability to take part in some famed Tufts frisbee traditions such as playing board games in Dewick, playing frisbee golf around campus, or participating in inclusive, mixed-gender frisbee once a week.

The competitive season for every team is in the spring. Regardless of which team you decide to join, there are so many fun tournament opportunities. You’ll have a chance to really bond with your team by driving across state lines, staying in hotels or at a teammate’s house together, working hard, and cheering for each other in victory or defeat.

I had never played formally before coming to Tufts, but when I got here, I knew I wanted to be part of some sort of team. After the obligatory throwing of a frisbee during orientation week, I decided to stick with it. I have met some of my best friends through the frisbee scene at Tufts. There truly is a place for everyone, regardless of skill, athleticism, or desire to play at the highest level, because people at all levels of the sport are warm and welcoming.