Ultimate was once just a neat activity between only a few handfuls of people.
What is Ultimate? Google “Greatest Ultimate Frisbee Catch Ever.” (link for the lazy)
Pretty insane, right? With plays like that, no wonder Ultimate has become a global sport and was recently recognized by the International Olympic Committee. Both women and men compete in mixed (coed) and non-mixed clubs all over the world. New Orleans took its women’s club team “Queen Cake” to North Carolina in 2015 for the Regional Championships. Catholic High School of Baton Rouge won third place at Nationals a few years back. Even here in Shreveport there are sprinklings of groups who participate in the great, I’m sorry, ultimate sport of Ultimate.
Shreveport has had an Ultimate community since the early 90’s. Some of you may have heard of Steve “Swill” Williams who was among the pioneers playing out at Clyde Fant Parkway before the area was deemed a toxic site. This inspired the players to don the name “Bayou Degradables” when they hosted or participated in tournaments. Their Logo? A biohazardous waste symbol. The Bayou Degradables continued playing Ultimate at AC Steere Park where a pick-up group for recreational play still continues. The group plays on Mondays/Wednesdays from 6:30pm until 9pm. Check out their Facebook Group “Ultimate Frisbee – hreveport Pickup.”
Frequently the pick-up group attends HAT tournaments. HATs are where people submit their name into a hat. Experience is taken into account prior to submission to maintain balance of teams. Once everyone has submitted their name to the hat, one by one names are pulled creating the teams to compete in the tournament. HATs are hosted all around the area. Fayetteville, Little Rock, Memphis, Dallas, Shreveport, Ruston, Lafayette, Baton Rouge, and New Orleans are among the cities hosting throughout the year. At tournaments people usually dress up in theme. Some have dressed up in SWAT gear, onesies, and Mortal Kombat outfits. One year, however, business suits took the cake. Not only were they dressed to the nines, but they also took first place at the tournament.
For now there are only pick-up groups in Shreveport, but much room is left for Ultimate to become a thriving community here like it has in many other cities. Baton Rouge started with just a handful of high school players who paved the way for a college team now sponsored by Abita. New Orleans recently hosted a tournament for Grand Masters (ages 40 and up) with teams traveling from New York, St. Louis, North Carolina, and other distances far enough to demonstrate their love of the game. Community, friendship, personal growth, competition, cooperation, travel, and networking are among the many aspects found in the world of Ultimate.
Whether you are a newbie or pro, old or young, girl or boy, you are encouraged to give Ultimate a shot. Please feel free to email s_giacalone (at) hotmail (dot) com with any questions, concerns, or info in regard to growing or participating in the Ultimate community here in Shreveport.