Ultimate Frisbee: Throwing With Purpose

They run hard past defenders, cheer with pom-poms, flood the field after a score, catch objects hurtling 20 miles an hour. No, the sport isn’t football or lacrosse. It’s ultimate frisbee! Maybe you’ve heard the music playing in the Blatnick Gym or seen discs flying past the doors. 

Like many other sports at the high school, the Nisky Ultimate Frisbee Club finds winter is no reason to stop practicing and playing! The team meets up for 2-hour practices twice a week, fitting warm-ups, throwing, fun team drills, and dynamic scrimmages into every practice. With team spirit and motivation always running high, the club team provides a great environment to learn the sport. Whether you’re an active athlete, a new member, or someone who’s never touched a disc before, ultimate is a great sport for anyone! 

While all our high school players, whether they've been playing for years or just joined, love the sport itself, they agree one of the greatest aspects of this sport is the “spirit of the game”. Spirit of the Game is a set of principles that lay the foundation for playing competitive ultimate frisbee. It encourages fair play, self-officiation, mutual respect, and the joy of the game. Head Coach Deborah Lee, an engineering and technology teacher at Van Antwerp Middle School, says that her favorite aspect of this unique sport is, “Definitely the spirit of the game. It’s not brutal. It’s not a winner take all everytime. Everyone's having fun together in this competitive, fast-paced environment we call ultimate frisbee.”

Nisky Ultimate is the embodiment of the spirit of the game. Since becoming a NHS club in 2020, the team has always welcomed new players and takes pride in its supportive community. There is no lack of encouragement coming from coaches and players at practices, team motivation during scrimmages, and high spirits all around.  

With spring arriving soon, the club team is looking to have several practices a week throughout the next few months out on the Nisky fields. They’re anticipating exciting scrimmages with local high school teams, like Bethlehem and Mechanicville, and the annual NYS Ultimate Frisbee High School tournament, where they will face teams from all over New York, from Rochester to New York City! Niskayuna is planning on sending both an open (mixed) team and girls team to the states tournament, for a weekend of dynamic, collaborative, and exciting ultimate playing! 

Nisky Ultimate Website