There is comfort in joining a familiar club sport, such as soccer, lacrosse or tennis. However, it takes a unique and ambitious individual to sign up for a sport as niche as ultimate frisbee. Founded prior to COVID-19, the UTSA women’s ultimate team sparks a community of athleticism, competition and friendship. Juniors Gianni Mossett and Trinity Riley met during their freshman year on the team, and they have been close friends ever since. New to the team, senior Maddie Morales started her ultimate career in Pennsylvania during an internship.
“It’s a big source of community for me and a big part of my social life because I’ve met people like Gianni. I’ve known her since freshman year, and we’ve been friends ever since,” Riley said. “It’s really nice to have support and all these women, who are also athletic, and be a part of something big, like a team that means a lot.”
“I used to go every summer up north, and we just started playing,” Morales said. “[The internship members] used to play almost every day, so I started to play with the boys. I came back here, and I went on Instagram and was like, ‘Maybe, let me see if we have a team.’ Then I ended up joining.”
A game of ultimate frisbee can be described as similar to a non-contact version of football. To score a point, a team consisting of seven players must catch a frisbee in the opposing team’s endzone. The player in possession of the frisbee remains stationary and attempts to pass it to a teammate.
What makes UTSA’s team different is that it has a special dynamic — a small, close-knit community of women who can all rely on one another even off the field. Although the team consists of under a dozen girls, they still show up for one another, competing against other Texas colleges, such as Texas State University and Rice University.
“Last year we went to regionals for the first time in the history of this team,” Mossett said. “It was in Oklahoma, and I think it was really nice team bonding, and we played really well.”
Another distinctive element separating ultimate frisbee from other sports is the “spirit of the game.” All the games are self-officiated. The players call their own fouls, which may cause tension on the field, but players can contest calls, creating an even playing field for both teams.
“I feel that’s a big part of any sport, but especially this sport, it’s easy to get low, but as long as we have good spirits, win or lose, we just play better overall,” Mossett said. “I feel the spirit of the game applies in my life, kind of the same. As long as you can find something positive or have a good spirit about it, I think it makes it a little bit easier, even if it’s not going [your] way.”
“Usually, we’ll try to make sure everybody’s being heard. Everyone gets their voice, and we have a unanimous vote on what we’re disagreeing with,” Riley said. “In the game, what’s really key is communication. Making sure everyone’s on the same page.”
“Every game I try to play authentically and respectably,” Morales added. “If it was any other situation, I wouldn’t be any different. I would still play the game, be happy and know that whatever happens, happens. We’re all here to play, have fun and throw a frisbee.”
Ultimate frisbee brings people together for a common purpose: to let loose and have fun, with winning as the cherry on top. While the team enjoys that the sport keeps them active, these women also see the bonds they have made with one another as invaluable. Going forward, they hope to continue building their team and work toward their passion together.
