Ultimate Frisbee makes it to regionals

By Gabe Taylor

Sometimes the social aspect of a sport is complementary to a competitive mindset. For the ultimate Frisbee club team, this approach is finally starting to pay off.

A trip to regionals marked a new era for Santa Clara Altered Beast (SCAB); one that is forcing Santa Clara students, and even members of the team, to reconsider the club sport's ‘nonchalant' image.

"It's not a varsity team by far. It's much more of a frat that plays Frisbee than a team," said senior Captain Aubrey Davis.

Although SCAB was defeated in all three of its matches this past weekend, Davis described the outcome as surprisingly sweet, given the circumstances.

"We went into this tournament with no expectations," said Davis, who rounded up his team on short notice after receiving an unexpected bid to regionals.

The call came less than a week before the opening matches. Santa Clara's seventh place finish at sectionals was not enough to claim a spot, but with regionals taking place only miles away from campus, one alternative mode of entry to the tournament remained: if a qualifying team coming from farther away withdrew from its bid.

After receiving the call, Santa Clara — three weeks out of practice — attempted to rally the troops despite the fact that many playters on the team had made prior plans for Mother's Day.

With a mere 15 players, in comparison to the normal 24, SCAB took to the field at regionals.  

Santa Clara fell to an established Santa Barbara team, 8-15, and didn't fare much better against No. 2 seed San Diego State, losing 7-15.

"Everyone in the first two games played like they had nothing to lose... we were just playing and having fun with it," said Davis, who saw the credibility of the program increase throughout the tournament.  

Unfortuneatly, in their final match against Chico, Santa Clara took a step backwards.

"We had a case of the dropsies and couldn't catch a disk," said Davis.

However, despite the lack of success in regionals, SCAB realized that the team had the potential to compete against even the strongest opponents in regionals.

Over the course of the regular season, SCAB competed in 10 tournaments, placing in the top five in three of them. Davis and sophomore Seanling Sullivan considered their fourth place finish at the Santa Barbara qualifier to be their best performance of the season.

Competition fails to fully define the sport. Much of the desire to join the club derives from the social aspect of the team. Davis pointed out that his best friends are also his fellow teammates.

"It's a fun group of guys who have a Frisbee problem," said Davis.

This year, SCAB players rented out houses parallel to each other, and team chemistry was evident.

"It lends itself to the team," said Davis, commenting on the team's strengthened bond both on and off the field.

However, highlighting the benefits of a social atmosphere affects how students at Santa Clara perceive the sport.

According to Sullivan, the tenacity of the team is questioned on occasion due to the fun-loving nature team. To skeptics, Sullivan simply states: "you have no idea how much work it actually is."

During the fall, SCAB practices three times per week, scoping out new talent while relying on conditioning to develop the team's physical abilities.

When winter strikes, Santa Clara increases practices to four times a week. Approximately 35 students fill out the roster, but this number is deceptive at times.

Who is on the team "depends on who shows up to practice," said Davis.

Santa Clara is on the verge of dealing with a shake up. Saying goodbye to all three captains in addition to the team's president and vice president will be a roadblock to overcome.

But SCAB is already seeing players volunteer to fill the captain positions.

Next year will mark the ninth season of the SCAB. After a season that unveiled Santa Clara's potential, the competitive nature of the sport is pouring out.

"It's way more serious now," said Sullivan.

Sometimes seriousness mixed with a drop of fun is the best concoction for a winning result.

Contact Gabe Taylor at gtaylor@scu.edu or (408) 551-1918.