“Getting promoted feels amazing and is a dream come true”

The St John’s Ultimate Frisbee team has secured promotion after several years playing in division two of the College League.

The mixed team lost every league game in the 2020-2021 academic year but last season saw them win four games out of six, flinging them into the top division.

The team at St John’s has been running since 2008 and last won the league in 2016 before a decline saw them slide into the bottom division, where they stayed until now.

Team captain Arefin Haque, who is in the second year of his Medical Science Tripos, said: “I am genuinely shocked, we lost every game we played last year when I was a fresher, which is obviously very frustrating. So in the span of a year to now getting promoted feels amazing and is a dream come true.”

Ultimate Frisbee is a seven-a-side team passing game that originated in the USA in the 1960s. It is non-contact and players must not drop the flying disc or take steps when holding it. Points are scored when one team catches the disc in the opposing team’s end zone. The game is self-refereed, which fosters a sense of mutual respect and sportsmanship between opposing teams. 

Arefin said: “The reason I love Ultimate Frisbee so much is because it’s a sport where you truly have to play as a team to win; one amazing player cannot win you a game. It's a sport all about teamwork and communication, and that makes you become really close with your teammates and feels as if we’re one big family.”

The concept of being ‘spirited’ – that is being committed to fairness, sportmanship and fundamentally, joy – lays at the game’s core, with opponents’ ‘spirit’ also rated at the end of each match. Due to this unique way of scoring, the team with the highest overall spirit in the league are also big winners.

“People think there's only one way to throw a frisbee, however, elite frisbee players have almost 80 different throws in their arsenal such as flick, hammer, scoober, air-bouncers etc, that can all be used effectively during in-game situations,” said Arefin.

“2016 was the last time we won the league. This was when the whole league feared the John’s Ultimate Frisbee team. My goal is to bring the team back to that top spot where we belong!”

The St John’s Ultimate Frisbee team is always seeking new players to play competitively in the league or just casually. Training sessions are every Saturday, 10am-noon on the St John’s Playing Fields but this is flexible. If you are interested in joining, email Arefin or Ray.

Published 19/01/2022

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