In her fourth year at Choate, Varsity Ultimate co-captain Hannah Huddleston ’19 has played an integral role in her team’s dominant 9-3 record. Having never played Ultimate before high school, Huddleston rose through the ranks and has established herself as one of Choate’s top players. Recently, she sat down with reporter Derek Son ’20 to talk about her start in Ultimate, the challenges of the sport, and what she likes about it.
Derek Son: How did you start out playing Ultimate?
Hannah Huddleston: I started playing my freshman year on JV because it looked really fun, and I had never played before, so I tried it out.
DS: What do you like the most about Ultimate?
HH: I like how it’s self-officiating, which means there aren’t any refs. But, if you think there is a foul, you can call it, and then you have to kind of work it out with the other team. So, there are different rules. They can either agree with you that it is a foul, or they can disagree and then they replay the point, or whatever the circumstance.
DS: What challenges in Ultimate have you dealt with this season?
HH: Since we have only a co-ed team, I have to play against a lot of boys. And, some of the schools we play against only have a boys team, which kind of sucks because some of them are just faster and taller and can jump higher, and it’s frustrating. Also some guys will bump into you and say ‘Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry. Are you okay?’ And I’m like, ‘I’m fine. You don’t have to worry about me.’
DS: Do you participate in any other sports besides Ultimate, and if so, what do you like about those sports?
HH: I play [on Girls’ Varsity] Soccer and Girls’ JV hockey. I like sports that are team sports. They’re really fun because you work together and really push yourself. I feel like some sports, like track, are either, you’re good, or you’re not. But with frisbee and soccer and things like that, you don’t have to be super athletic to be skillful. There are lots of ways and different areas you can improve to get better, which means you don’t always have to be the fastest or the strongest to be good.
DS: What lessons have you learned from Ultimate?
HH: One thing that’s interesting about self-officiating is that kids get really angry at each other — especially when we are playing teams that just don’t have good sportsmanship. I think I’ve learned a lot [about] how to chill out, and when players are literally about to punch each other, I just try to remind them, ‘Guys, it’s just a game, it’s okay. It’s frisbee!’
DS: What do you do during moments when it seems like the other team is taking advantage of the self-officiating rule?
HH: We do it back to them. For example, we had a game the other day [during which] the other team called a pick — which is when you block someone from running — even though it clearly wasn’t. So the next play, our team called a travel on them, which is when you walk with the frisbee. They were like, ‘That is not a travel!’ Well, you started it!
DS: Do you have any personal or team goals heading into the end of the season?
HH: We have states this weekend and NEPSUL next weekend, which is the New England Prep School Ultimate League, so we’re trying to get into the finals for those tournaments. We really just want to work together, do well, and try to win some more games.
