Members of the Ultimate Frisbee Club chatting in between plays.
Photo by Irena Mesa
Ultimate frisbee is best described as football but played with a frisbee. Teams of seven face off to get their disc to the end zone through passes, making sure not to drop one. When the frisbee is dropped, the possession changes and the opposing team has a turn at scoring.
At the University of South Florida St. Petersburg, it is much more than that to the members of the Ultimate Frisbee Club.
“It’s not what I ever expected it to be,” said club president Ian Chee. “It’s very much a community now.”
When the club first started, Chee would see students attend one meeting and never return. Now, he says the club notices more members coming on a regular basis.
Nathanjah Carty created the club in fall 2022 and served as its first president. Today, the club has around 80 members who play in 7 vs. 7 games on Mondays and Wednesdays from 9 to 11 p.m. and on Thursdays from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Recreation Field behind Osprey Suites.
Chee first joined the club as a freshman in 2023 because he was looking for things to do on campus. He has been a part of it ever since.
“My roommate saw that I had a frisbee in my room, and then he was like, ‘Did you know there’s a club for that?’ and I was down to try it,” Chee said. “I came out and had a lot of fun.”
The decision to lead the club was easy for him as well, as he wanted to keep building the community around a shared love of frisbee.
Andrew Pagnotta, a graduate student at USF St. Petersburg, also appreciates how the club helps students make connections.
“Even if you don’t have any sports experience, or you think you’re antisocial, you can come out here and make a group of friends on your first day,” Pagnotta said. “You then feel like your entire college experience has been turned on a 180 just because of one night.”
The opportunity to have fun and relaxed competition is one of the things that Gabe McKenzie, the club’s vice president, enjoys the most.
“I enjoy being able to go outside and play a game that’s really fun, but also a bit more on the competitive side,” McKenzie said. “I also like meeting new people and making new friends through playing the game.”
Even if the competitive nature seems daunting to prospective members, Chee, McKenzie and Pagnotta emphasized it’s not as serious as it looks.
“There’s not a lot of pressure,” Chee said.
He also pointed out that many members like to get a feel for the environment before jumping into the games held by the club. “It seems like a lot of pressure at first, but once people start getting on the field, they enjoy it, and they don’t feel as scared.”
Photo by Irena Mesa
The highlight of all three members’ time in the club was an intramural tournament organized by Campus Recreation. Ultimate frisbee was one of the events in the tournament, and the club saw a large turnout.
“It gave me a chance to see just how many people are into frisbee, and how much it brings the campus together,” Pagnotta said. “It was cool to become better friends with people just over one common thing.”
“If you’re someone who wants to meet a lot of new people, this is a great way to do it. If you’re looking to get more physical exercise, but in a friendly environment, I say this club is the perfect place,” McKenzie said.
Photo by Irena Mesa
