Ultimate Frisbee and life.

This could be it. That was the only thought in my head as I chased a plastic Frisbee in the end zone. The game was tied at 10-10 — whoever scored the next point would win the game and continue on to nationals. My team had been playing with only one substitute all day; our current opponent had over seven subs. My team had worked so hard to get this far, but we were tired and injured. I saw the disc flying over my head but also saw a girl on the other team rapidly approaching behind me, hoping to thwart my efforts — my team’s efforts. This could be it. No, this is it. I jumped and grabbed the disc out of the air (with two hands, of course) and looked down at my feet. I was nearly four feet inbounds and immediately started crying tears of joy. I looked up and saw my team rushing toward me, jumping, cheering and crying. That was it.

That was one of the moments I realized that club Ultimate Frisbee gave me as much of an education as my math or biology classes. Looking back, I realize that I learned a lot more from my Ultimate Frisbee team than how to throw a flick or play zone defense. I entered college as a shy, awkward girl who hadn’t needed to make new friends since the sixth grade. I left college as a confident, assertive adult who understood the implications of accountability and responsibility, and not just their dictionary meaning. It turns out that there are life lessons to be found from that white plastic Frisbee, the Ultimate shorts that are too long and the cheesy cheers at the end of the game. Here are five of my favorites:

“My actions affect others.” – When you drop the Frisbee during a game, the possession turns over and you and your teammates must run the length of the field, this time on defense. When someone opts not to go to a tournament at the last minute, you feel the loss of that one extra sub, especially on a small team. I learned that my actions affect other people. While my teammates may not say anything, the guilt gnawing inside of me at