By Chris Sheldon
Staff Writer
@ChrisSheldon911 

Through the years I have lived in Coppell, I was raised like any typical boy. I started with soccer; picked up football, ran through cross country and somehow at the end day wound up playing ultimate frisbee.

Four years ago I couldn’t even tell you what Ultimate Frisbee is. I had the preconception that it was some vague sport that a bunch of hippies played in their spare time.

Times have changed, just like my perspective on the sport. What once was a hobby for those peace loving, hippies is now a multi-million dollar sport that spans across the country.

With two pro leagues, a well developed system of high level ultimate and college ultimate roaring in popularity, the sport is the one of the fastest growing in the country.

I asked myself why in the world did such a lowkey sport like ultimate become so popular so fast? It really comes down to three things that make ultimate a sport for everyone to enjoy.

The first is that ultimate is played with a frisbee, which may seem obvious and not impressive,  but it really is something that makes the sport that much more amazing.

There are so many things that make throwing a frisbee challenging yet insanely addictive: manipulating the way it travels, something about letting a long throw sail through the air into the outstretched arms of a teammate or the sheer possibilities that exist make each and every game diverse and new.

http://youtu.be/_nH51vrlDA0, This is a quick highlight from a recent game this season, moments like this are what make the sport so amazing to play and to watch

Frisbees go every where and are only 10 bucks a pop, they fit in your trunk, they fit in a bag, they go just about anywhere you go. They make pick up games and get togethers easy, which is what truly makes ultimate a sport for everyone to enjoy.

Moving on from the obvious perks of playing the sport, the hordes of ladies and fans wanting your autograph, jokes aside, ultimate frisbee has one of the greatest sets of rules and referee system I’ve ever seen. We call it Spirit of the Game or what I’ll fondly refer to as SotG for the rest of the column.

SotG is a fundamental system of respect among competitors and true knowledge of the rules that define the game. SotG means that every player on the field is responsible for understanding the rules of the game as well as officiating these calls when rules are violated. It means each player has to deal with conflict, hot headed players such as myself, and certainly worst of all, those incredibly angry coaches.

Conflict resolution becomes a key part of the sport and teaches not only respecting those you play against but respecting your team mates as well. I’ve grown a lot as a person from these debates, and it’s made me a better person. I cannot  say that I’ve been the best player when it comes to SotG for the past few years, but I can say that working towards becoming a better player in that regard.

In addition, ultimate transcends across boundaries.  At the World Championship Beach Ultimate in Dubai, four teams played and met and talked that no one would’ve expected. The United States mixed team met with players from the United Arab Emirates team, who most people would agree don’t exactly get along.

Through a translator the teams could be seen laughing enjoying themselves. Theres something to be said about a sport that can bring people together, across borders, across language barriers and across what the two nations both teams represented might regard as hostile sentiment between their respective people.

The second was United States’ mixed team and Canada, while these two teams have been on very good terms for many, many years, something would happen to drive a stake between their long lasting friendship. A controversial call that many have ridiculed as biased and a poor call (click here http://tinyurl.com/mjlvubg to see the play and find out more).

With the game on ultimate point (the final point of the game) the defensive play by the U.S. may have changed the course of the day. However, once a call is made, the damage cannot be undone. Canada would go on to score and win the game.

Both teams went on to gather up for a spirit circle after the game. While there was truly some hurt within the discussions both teams were able to work through their conflict and still call each other friends. In no other sport could an experience like that ever be created.

Imagine if the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles played a game in similar circumstances, when referees make bad calls, the repercussions can last what feels like an eternity.

Ultimate is CO-ED, yes that means easily accessible cute girls and handsome guys. In a world where gender equality is the new trend, ultimate is making leaps and bounds in terms of progress.

With co-ed ultimate growing beyond measure it means that movements like the Girls Ultimate Movement have been having a lot of success in bringing girls into a typically male dominated sport.

Honestly the part that comes with every sport you’ll play is the camaraderie you’ll find within your teammates. The bonds I have formed have strengthened previous friendships and brought me an innumerable amount of people I can trust and count on and off the field. I have found this kind of camaraderie in every sport.

However, what I never expected was the friendships I would make with opposing teams, Playing with the players on club teams and pick up games has given me a newfound respect for the players I once regarded as enemies. It made me realize that competing against these players wasn’t about beating them, but rather playing my absolute best in order to prove who was better.

To quote a great man “If you play in a manner where you win the game, but do not win the respect of your opponent and the people who play the game, what have you really won?”

So when you play the greatest sport on the earth remember that winning isn’t all about the trophy, but about the respect and friendship you earn along the way.