The words “Ultimate Frisbee” bring to mind a picture similar to those featured on college brochures – a picture of smiling young people tossing a plastic disc back and forth against a backdrop of sloping green grass and an ivy-covered brick building.  But, starting this spring, St Paul Academy and Summit School will also be home to more than the casual front-lawn game– SPA is introducing its brand-new ultimate frisbee team.

Ultimate Frisbee “crosses the athleticism of soccer, football, and basketball,” US History teacher Ryan Oto said.

Oto is one of the three advisors and coaches of the SPA team.  He is working with US Science teacher Ned  Heckman and US Math teacher Carl Corcoran, all of whom played ultimate frisbee in college. They hope to help the players work towards a “student group for and by students,”  said Oto.

“The goal is to catch the frisbee in the opposite endzone,” senior Jordan Moradian, cofounder of the team, said.  Players must toss the frisbee to each other, being sure to not move with the frisbee or make any contact with each other.  “It’s very easy to learn,” Moradian added.

The SPA team is made up of more than 30 people, but “17 or 18 come for practices,” Moradian said.  All of the players are male, although Moradian said, “girls are definitely welcome. [The players are] a couple of freshmen, a few seniors, and a few sophomores and juniors.” The team is registered as a co-ed team.

“The most unique aspect of ultimate…is that it is player officiated,” said Oto.  “Players never place the goal of winning ahead of the importance of respect and honor of the people you play with and against.”  This level of regard makes the sport less competitive, but perhaps more challenging, since respect and listening skills are very much involved as well as athletic talent and hard work.

The team practices every night at 6 p.m. at the SPA fields, and although they won’t be on the official roster for games this season, they will participate in weekend tournaments in various locations.

The team will be scrimmaging against St. Paul Central at Merriam Park, May 1 at 5 p.m.