Choate Ultimate Frisbee Dominates the Field

By Eliana Li ’26

As students walk to their afternoon practices, they often get a glimpse of the Choate Ultimate Frisbee Teams playing on Maher Field and Gunpowder Creek Field. Led by Varsity Head Coach Hannah Huddleston ’19 and Junior Varsity (JV) Head Coach Dr. Christopher Hogue, Choate Ultimate Frisbee has become an integral part of many students’ spring term experience.

Choate’s co-ed Ultimate Frisbee Program began as a club sport in 1980, offering students a laid-back afternoon pastime until it became an official interscholastic sport in 2011. Now, they compete each spring against various public and independent schools in the region as a part of the Connecticut Ultimate League.

In recent years, there has been a significant increase in the sport’s popularity, and this year marks the first time the Choate Ultimate Program has officially had a full varsity and JV team, as well as two intramural teams. “We’ve had probably the most successful season in a couple of years,” Varsity Ultimate player Lila Gizzie ’25 said.

The sport’s rise in popularity can be attributed to many factors, including the simple explanation that Ultimate Frisbee is a pleasant opportunity for students to explore a novel activity and enjoy the afternoon with friends. Coach Hogue said, “It’s a spring sport, and I think it attracts a lot of seniors who want to do something outside with their friends in the spring.”

Furthermore, the program’s welcoming community and different teams help attract players of various skill levels. “Ultimate Frisbee is accessible because it has such a low barrier to entry,” Coach Huddleston said. “It’s just one of those sports where everyone’s welcoming to new players, and I think the team does a really good job of making sure that all the players are welcome as well,” Gizzie added.

While consisting of players from diverse backgrounds, many participants find that the team dynamic is their favorite aspect of the sport. Gizzie said, “Every practice is very relaxed, and although we have the intensity and we really want to win, we still maintain that rich and uplifting environment.” The unique self-refereeing aspect of Ultimate Frisbee also significantly contributes to the dynamic of the sport. Playing without the oversight of a ref “places the responsibility of fair play solely on the athletes themselves by requiring each player to know the rules and make their own calls,” the USA Ultimate website states. “You have to develop a real positive spirit of the game and recognize that we’re here to have fun and compete, but we can’t let the competition turn us into hyper-competitive and unfair athletes,” Coach Hogue said.

Reflecting on the team camaraderie, Varsity Ultimate Captain Elizabeth Zhao ’24 said, “The people in Ultimate Frisbee are just genuinely the nicest people I’ve ever met. You get the balance of still being very competitive and having an intense game balanced with good spirits.”

With the regular ultimate season coming to a close, the memorable moments on the field and significant growth as a program have left a lasting mark on the Choate community. As the team looks towards competing in the Connecticut State Championships this week, Dr. Hogue concluded, “Our participation has been very strong, and I think we’ve got a chance to do really, really well in [the tournament].”