CU Denver Women's Ultimate team

**A Women’s Ultimate member, practices her throw.**
Photo: Madison Daley · *The Sentry*

A spotlight on the club sport

Ultimate is a non-contact team sport where, in order to score points, a disk must be passed to a teammate on the other side of the opposing team’s goal line. CU Denver has its own Ultimate team that is inviting to all.

The women’s team has around 20 members, and they play competitively. They compete in local games against other schools, like the University of Denver and the School of Mines, but they also participate in tournaments against schools, including CSU and CU Boulder.

While the team does not host pick-up games, “there are people who will occasionally be throwing on the field and anyone is welcome to join that,” sophomore Lexi Morrissey, the team captain and a public health major, said. “Even if you’re not incredibly athletic, you can find a really good community in the whole Ultimate Frisbee community—not necessarily just here at CU Denver.”

Colorado has a big Ultimate presence that isn’t exclusive to colleges; many leagues can be found throughout the state. One example of this is Mile High Ultimate, which is located in the Denver metro area. They host not only pick-up games, but tournaments as well.

The CU Denver team isn’t one of the top competitive teams in the state, but that isn’t their main purpose. “Although it isn’t our focus, it is always nice to win,” said Morrissey. It seems that CU’s women’s Ultimate team values fun over competition.

The low commitment of the sport is another reason to give it a try. According to Morrissey, the best way to join the team for anyone who is interested is to come to practice and try it out. Practices are held on Thursdays at Clement park in Denver at 8 p.m. and on Saturdays at the CU Denver field from 9 a.m. to noon.

According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, physical activity releases endorphins that help with better sleep and reduce stress. For three or so hours a week, members of the team can hang out with friends and do just that.

For Morrissey, Ultimate is “a way to relieve stress. Not only is it good for health, but it’s also a lot of fun being around good people,” Morrissey said.

The team welcomes anyone who would like to join. Even if the student cannot attend competitions or any of the games or have never thrown a disk before, they can still go to the practices to play and have fun. It’s a great way to get to know people, make new friends, and relieve some stress.

CU Women’s Ultimate
Captain
Alexis Morrissey
alexis.morrissey@ucdenver.edu