Ultimate Frisbee is a relatively unknown sport at CRLS. With a girls’ team that started in 2022 and a boys’ team starting just this year, the program is still new to the school community. However, Ultimate Frisbee is a thrilling and exciting game with an emphasis on teamwork and individual abilities. Ultimate is a sport that is played by over five million players worldwide.
Despite the relative popularity of Ultimate globally, it took time for the team to become familiar with how the game is played. Coach Matthew Kolk, a 9th grade history teacher, told the Register Forum, “I had few expectations going in, and I knew that the majority of the players had never played frisbee, or even a sport, before”. Coach Ethan Moore, a student at Berklee University, added, “Despite this being [the team’s] first year, I have been impressed with the attitude and enthusiasm of the players in such a short space of time.” Since day one, despite the many challenges of a new program, the team has become a family over a few short months. Contrary to popular belief, Frisbee is quite a complicated sport, with different defensive strategies, positions, and moments to highlight athletic ability.
Ultimate Frisbee players may be the “new kids” on the CRLS sports block, but the team has a foundation of talented players that have been at the core of its relative success this spring, having already pocketed an encouraging number of wins. Captains Isaiah Sippel ’26 and Chandler Aldridge ’26 practiced alongside the girls last season and were the catalysts for the creation of the boys’ team this season. Aldridge told the Register Forum, “I really enjoy frisbee, and last year, there was no boys’team. I did my best to recruit people to play and hopefully get a team started!” Their impeccable, and at times irreplaceable, skill with the disc has been the crux of the Falcons’ offense in its inaugural campaign. Naveen Tuyo’s ’26 exceptional athleticism both offensively and defensively has been key to gaining yards in attack and keeping goals out at the other end. But Tuyo, Sippel, and Aldridge are far from the only stars on the team; Zephyr Newman’s ’24 incredible speed has been a secret weapon all season, Bilal Shaikh ’26 has prevented goals with incredible defensive blocks, and Aidan Bosmajian’s ’26 playmaking ability has made the team a force to be reckoned with.
In addition to on field success, the community on the team has been second to none, giving many students who previously hadn’t played a sport at CRLS the chance to be a part of a team. By this article’s print date, the Boys’ Ultimate Frisbee will be done with the regular season but will continue to fight in the Massachusetts State Championship. Catch us next year and watch a game! You won’t be disappointed.
This article also appears in our May 2024 edition.
