By Adekale Ande, Campus Carrier Asst. Sports Editor
Imagine this: 14 players running up and down a 70-yard field for miles at a time in over 90 countries around the world and their only goal is to get a piece of plastic from point A to point B. Yes, I am talking about Ultimate Frisbee. Ultimate is often dismissed as a pastime or a hobby and not seen as the budding sport that it is today. Players are usually stereotyped as a bunch of pot-smoking hippies who play a glorified game of toss. This simply isn’t the truth. Ultimate combines the footwork of basketball and the endurance of soccer with all the intangibles of football.
Ultimate needs to be considered an Olympic sport simply because of its popularity. It is the fastest rising sport in the past 10 years, and more than 7 million people play it worldwide, according to USA Ultimate. Ultimate is a game anyone can play. All you need is a disc and an open field. You can see people of all ages, sexes or colors participating in Ultimate all across the country and the globe. More flying discs are sold yearly than footballs, basketballs and baseballs combined, according to USA Ultimate, but the International Olympic Committee (IOC) doesn’t see the promise in Ultimate. The IOC has decided to add skateboarding, karate, sports climbing, surfing, baseball and softball as new events to the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. Many people are upset that Ultimate Frisbee did not make the final cut.
Ultimate has become popular despite its absence on the Olympic stage. There are professional leagues in the U.S. and youth leagues spread across the globe. People like Brodie Smith, a professional Ultimate player, have helped to put the game on the map. Smith is known for his trick shot videos on Vine and Instagram. In the age of the viral video, people are trying to master trick shots. There have been viral videos and Vines of people doing trick shots with Frisbees that have only increased the sport’s popularity. With the massive increase of interest in Ultimate, it should be added to the Olympics.
Another reason Ultimate should be an Olympic sport is because of the way it’s played. Ultimate was designed to be “gentleman’s sport,” meaning that there are no referees in the game and it is self-officiated. Players are expected to honor the “spirit of the game” by calling their own fouls and penalties. This increases the competitiveness of everyone on the field. By increasing the competitiveness of the sport, the level of excitement and the amount of big plays increase because every moment counts.
Ultimate is more than just a backyard game you play at tailgates and cookouts. It will be around for a long time and should eventually be recognized by the IOC.