Disc Sports
Frisbee Shmisbee
As I'm sure you already know, the term 'Frisbee®' has become a universal term for the activity of 'playing throw and catch games with a flying disc'. And 'Frisbee®' is also commonly used to refer to the object; a 'Frisbee®' or 'flying disc'. This is fine, but as you get more involved with 'Frisbee®', or Disc Sports as it is more formally known, you will find yourself saying things like "let's play some disc" and you will soon start referring to the 'Frisbee®' as a 'disc' or more specifically an 'Ultra-Star' or a 'Buzzz' or a 'driver', etc. It's worth pointing out the fact that 'Frisbee®' is a registered trade mark of Wham-o Corporation. These days most discs used by regular Disc Sports players are manufactured by other industry leading organisations such as Discraft and Innova. I suppose it's a bit like doing the 'Hoovering' with a 'Hoover®'... really you're doing the 'vacuum cleaning' with a 'vacuum cleaner'!
The Official Disc Sports
The World Flying Disc Federation (WFDF) recognises 7 ‘official’ Disc Sports. This 'Disc Sports' section of the web-site introduces all of these activities and provides useful links to the WFDF rules, info sheets, plus links to other good web-sites.
Disc Sports represents a refreshing alternative to traditional sports and comprises of a wide range of dynamic activities, ranging from invasion games, to athletic events, to target-based games. Plus there are lots of other 'unofficial' games that can be played and here at Catch the Spirit we definitely like to encourage as much creativity as possible!
The two most popular Disc Sports are Ultimate and Disc Golf. Ultimate is rapidly growing in popularity among the university community, while Disc Golf is also becoming more accessible here in the UK. It's probably fair to say that most disc golfers progress into their sport following experience of Ultimate or other disc sports earlier in life. Many also get introduced to the sport by friends without necessarily having had much 'Frisbee®' experience. That's all fine and dandy. But it seems that these days the majority of Ultimate players love their Ultimate and the social life surrounding the sport a great deal, but are either unaware or simply uninterested in any of the other Disc Sports. We would definitely urge such Ultimate folk to give Disc Golf, Guts or Double Disc Court a try, and sure enough enjoy the challenge of learning how other discs perform. Please don't just stick to the same old, same old with the 175 gram Ultimate discs!
So, if you enjoy throwing and catching flying discs then Disc Sports could be right up your street! That means you should experience them all… at least once in your life. So whether you're an Ultimate player, a Disc Golfer, a 'summer-time footloose and fancy free Frisbee® enthusiast' or a curious beginner to the world of flying discs, by having an experience of all the disc sports, you will enhance your hand-eye coordination, improve your Frisbee® skills, broaden your horizons, and you never know, it could totally change your life for the better!
Catch the Spirit is here to assist you to find your preferred styles of play, whatever that may be... Enjoy the journey!
Chris O'Brien, Director & Head Coach of Catch the Spirit
Steel Rig, Hadrians Wall, Northumberland
Living North Publication, November 2005
