As university ultimate-frisbee leagues continue to grow worldwide, anyone looking to try the sport can sign up for the Mixed Hat Tournament hosted by Texas A&M Women’s Ultimate frisbee team Saturday, Feb. 11, at Penberthy Rec Sports Complex.
The annual fundraiser Hat tournament kicks off at 10 a.m. on A&M’s West Campus. Registration to compete is $15 for students and $20 for non-students. There is no charge for spectators. Organizers said the goal is to introduce the sport to newcomers and to grow the community it fosters. Funds help pay for the team’s season tournament and travel expenses..
The D1 team, currently ranked No. 4 by USA Ultimate, kicked off the spring season Feb. 4 at Rice University in Houston, competing against Trinity University, Sam Houston State University and the University of Texas at San Antonio.
Preparations for the Hat tournament began in October and the event was initially scheduled for January, but was weather delayed. The team is ready to put on a high-energy experience where people can make friends and experience ultimate, said senior Carmen Fann, second-year team captain.
“This is our biggest fundraising event,” Fann said. “We have people all the way from [age] 18 to 50 sign up for it, and it’s a fun way to get the whole ultimate frisbee community involved in our program and keep the ultimate frisbee spirit alive.”
The Hat tournament is also a way to recruit new team members, team treasurer Micah Maguire said.
“It is a great way to get ultimate frisbee out there to share with people who do not know what ultimate frisbee is,” said Maguire.
Team members work to foster a close-knit community on and off the field, junior Olivia Garza said. Garza, who is a first-year player in the cutter position, said she hopes to continue with the team while at A&M.
“It’s a bigger time commitment than other organizations, but it is totally worth it,” said Garza. “It has been a huge blessing to see how fast we have all become friends and to get a community. I did not realize how much I was missing until I got it.”
The team practices are weekly on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday with five weekend competitions on the spring schedule.
Follow the Women’s Ultimate @stackedultimate on Instagram for additional tournament information and competition results.
Logan Russell is a junior recreation, park and tourism sciences major and contributed this article from JOUR 359 Reporting Sports class.