| Flying across the field: Frisbee Club expanding (12/07) | | Print | |
| Written by Jenny Ng | |
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Empty pie tin covers and hungry college students have a lot in common. They were the beginnings of a new sport. In the early 1960s, New England college students discovered empty pie tins from the Frisbie Baking Company could be thrown and caught, providing endless hours of fun. The game spread to college campuses and parks across the country.
The sport quickly evolved to include better flying discs, more rules
and multiple ways to play the game. Today, a popular form is known as
“Ultimate,” and the sport is sweeping the hallways, soccer fields and
physics classrooms of Lowell. Frisbee Club is an after school activity at Lowell where students play ultimate. All students are welcome. “We run drills and play two to three games a day,” senior Mark Mastromonaco said. “Everyone enjoys it. It’s a bunch of friends coming together to play. We build camaraderie and cultivate good sportsmanship.” Sophomore Tim “Chief” Crowley has been playing since he was eight and loves everything about frisbee. “I like how you make your own calls in frisbee and you don’t have to deal with referees and their calls,” he said. Students are not the only ones who enjoy the sport. Physics teacher Cy Prothro also joins in on the fun. Prothro played ultimate as a hobby and as a club sport for 18 years. “Frisbee is a great sport,” he said. “It’s fun, relaxing and promotes non-violence.” Prothro often takes time during practice to explain in-game strategy using physics concepts. “Prothro answers our physics questions when we have them when we play,” Mastromanaco said. “For example, (Prothro) explains wind speed and how the air over and under the frisbee disc affects the travel distance (of the disc).” Lift explains why a disc travels far, while rotational mechanics explain the behavior of a frisbee in flight and the significance of a backhand versus a forehand throw. The direction of spin on the frisbee determines the direction of the path and curve on the disc, Prothro explains. Prothro has bigger plans for the future of the club. In the spring, he hopes to arrange ultimate games against other schools for the Frisbee Club and continue promoting the sport to students. The Frisbee Club plans to have games against schools like the Jewish Community High School and possibly University High School, according to Mastromanaco. Prothro himself will be competing in the San Francisco Ultimate Club’s annual Winter League as part of the Ultimate team, Pulp Friction. For anyone interested in playing the sport of ultimate, join the Frisbee Club, which meets every Friday at 3:45 p.m. on the soccer field. |
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