Ultimate Frisbee? What's that?

The Competition. The Intensity. The Inclusiveness and Diversity. Those are just some of the basic aspects we look for in a sport that we want to play. But at the heart of it all, we just want to have fun. Why not have all of that, and save a few bucks while you're at it? Hear's a look into the intense sport that will cost you and your friends less than 10 bucks to play, but leave insane memories for a lifetime.

When you think about mainstream sports, you tend to take a look at Basketball, Baseball, Soccer, etc. Then you may see sports like Rugby, or Cricket, and maybe even chess. But you come to the bottom of the list, and then you might see the X-games or even E-sports. Then below that, sits Ultimate. It is so under-reported, that ESPN doesn't even have a tab for the sport on their website, and you can't find matches unless you type in, "Ultimate Frisbee". That's when the fun begins.

The game all began in 1968 when a student named Joel Silver introduced the game to his student council. Since then, the sport has grown well beyond its original scope. Now, there are currently around 18,000 student-athletes participating for 800+ College teams and another 15,000 student-athletes participating for 400+ High School teams throughout the nation, as reported by USA Ultimate.

Let's not forget to talk about why the sport is so appealing, to begin with. It's the sport with the passing of football, yet minus the crazy collisions that cause brutal concussions. It's the endurance and versatility of soccer, minus the exorbitantly long time periods. It's the skill and movement of basketball, minus the limited amount of players. All of this helps bring together a new form of athlete- one that not only wants to compete hard but has more fun than just working hard.

Oh, and did I mention? No referees, officials, umpires, or whatever you call it. Just the spirit of the game. This kind of bond helps to create a more reliable system for players. Rather than blaming the referee for a bad call, players must hold each other accountable for violating the rules. If you object to the call, then the frisbee simply goes back to the thrower. No weird 15-yard penalties or free throws. Just common sense officiating.

So if you are bored this summer, and looking for something fun to play, here are some of the basics to help get your ultimate on. First, go buy a disc (and yes, us ultimate players don't call it a frisbee because "disc" sounds better). Then go over to your local park or school field and set up some end zones. Simple as that.

Now that you know more about the sport, don't hesitate to go online and search up some videos on ultimate frisbee. Personally, I love watching the crazy plays videos. I would even argue that they are better than most of the cool catches you see in football. But hey, that's for you to decide.