I started playing Ultimate when I was pursuing my degree in the National Institute of Education, Physical Education and Sports Science in 2000. A lecturer, who was an avid player himself, introduced the game to my classmates through an elective module.
After the course, my classmates started tossing the disc during their break and I joined them without realizing that I will be addicted to this fun and intense sport. As interest level grew, one of my classmates started the inter-school league in NTU. I represented NIE and we are the defending champions for 5 years in a row.
2) Is the game easy to pick up, regardless of age or experience? Why?
This is the best newbie-friendly game you can find. Children as young as 10 years old can start playing Ultimate. They will be using slightly smaller disc and it weighs 165g. For the younger children, they can also use the foam Frisbee which prevents injury when they are hit by the disc. The tournament disc weighs 175g.
Pick-ups happen a few times a week and they are accessible to all players, ranging from beginners to veterans. Beginners can pick up a few tips on throwing from the veterans and in no time, they will be running around and chasing after the plastic disc.
Setting up the game is also very easy. All you need is 8 cones and it is game on. The game is played 7 a-sides. However, we can modify the size of the field to suit the number of players available. There are also many fun games which are related to Ultimate and these games can be played anywhere and anytime.
3) What do you like about Ultimate Frisbee?
It is intense, fun and a spectator sport. The layouts, finesse and agility of the players are the highlights of competitive game. It is very simple and accessible to pick up, but it takes years to understand the finer detail of the game. This sport involves a combination of skills related to soccer, netball and basketball. It is therefore, very easy for these players to pick up Ultimate as they can use their prior knowledge. This is a non-contact sport so new players will not be intimidated by veterans. Ultimate is also a non-contact sport. It is one of the unique sport which the men and women gets to play together at the same time.
This is the only game that is self-refereed. Even at the competitive level, there are only observers. The players involved in the dispute will try to resolve their issues between themselves. The observer will only come in if there is a controversial call. This is a great tool to teach character development in our pupils and teens. In the process of playing Ultimate, they find out how to relate to others, increase their self-awareness and make decisions in the game themselves.
This brings me to the most important element of the game, Spirit of the Game (SOTG). It is crucial for the players to adhere to this rule as any attempts to cheat reflect very badly on the player’s reputation.
I must emphasise the fact that despite the lack of supervision, in terms of the rules, players do not take advantage of this to cause harm to the opponents. Players know they are in control regardless of the situation, whether it is casual pick-ups or at finals in the regional tournament.
4) Any memorable encounters on the field? Describe.
I have made many friends after I played Ultimate. This is a social sport and a lot of incident happens out of the field. I guess if I did not pick up the sport, my social circle will continue to be small.
I remember there was this incident whereby the goal was not scored by someone throwing to the team mate. I actually ‘threw’ the goal using my leg. As I was running towards my endzone, my team mate mis-thrown the disc and it headed straight towards the ground. I was at the right place at the right time to kick the disc up into the end-zone. My team mate was very alert and caught the disc before anyone else!
The most memorable thing I have done in Ultimate is to publish a book titled ‘Disc In.
This book is supported by the Singapore Physical Education Association (SPEA) to increase the status of PE in Singapore and to create awareness in this sport. There are tips on how to improve one’s game and how PE teachers can teach this sport better. It also clears the misconception that Frisbee is not for dogs!
My next achievement was to have founded the Shiok, one of the club’s in the Singapore Ultimate scene. This club is 3 years old and our best achievement is to reach the Singapore Opens semi finals in 2006. We have also travel to Perth to represent Singapore in the World Ultimate Club Championships 2006. Currently we have about 35 players in the club and the number is rising steadily.
5) In your opinion, do you think that the Singapore Ultimate community is going strong?
Yes.
- More structure in the national team so that the level of Ultimate will improve
- Need to develop a system to tap on the youth talent and groom them to represent Singapore
Develop a system to better manage the local clubs
Increase number of players in the schools, JCs, Secondary and Primary schools
Need to have a proper coaching structure so that more qualified coaches can teach in schools to create awareness of the game
Increase the participation base of the sport
Get sponsors to support youth players going overseas for tournament
6) What’s your best wish for Ultimate Frisbee?
7) How old is the youngest member in your team and also the oldest member?
Youngest used to start playing at 14. Now the youngest is 21.
Oldest is 39 yrs old.
No comments:
Post a Comment