Statesman

Issue date: 10/1/08 Section: Outdoors

Media Credit: Northern Lights Frisbee Team Pat Cashman passes a disk during an Ultimate Frisbee Regional game against University of Wisconsin Whitewater.

Driving around most college campuses, especially in the fall and spring, it's often easy to spot a group of friends playing hacky sac, throwing around a football or playing a friendly game of Ultimate Frisbee. But a sport that started out as a casual game on the beach has evolved into so much more, especially for senior Jake McKean and The Northern Lights Ultimate Frisbee team.

"I actually joke around calling it a hippie, pot-smoking sport because that's the misconception," said McKean, who's been playing Ultimate competitively for four years. "But truthfully, it's not that. I mean, I'm fine with people calling it that because that's more or less the way the sport got started, and if it hadn't been for the hippies throwing Frisbees on the beach, the sport wouldn't be where it is.

"But if people came out to watch us," adds McKean, "they'd realize that we really don't fit that stereotype."

Ultimate Frisbee has become a hugely competitive team sport that features hundreds of teams across the country, a governing body in Colorado and sectional, regional and national competitions. That's a pretty big leap from where the sport started and the Ultimate Frisbee that many people played in high school.

"I had played Ultimate in gym class and with buddies," said McKean. "The same thing that most people do before they come to college. Our team now has offensive- and defensive-game plans, and we all wear cleats. We play very fast.

"It's a collegiate sport as far as I'm concerned."

Given the sport's up-and-coming nature and inexpensiveness (all that's needed to play are some cones and a frisbee), McKean believes Ultimate Frisbee could become an NCAA sport and possibly an Olympic event.

"I think the sport has a lot of spectator appeal," said McKean. "I mean, it's fast paced, we're out there jumping and diving."

If interested in playing for the Northern Lights team, which is open to beginners, intermediate and advanced players, contact Jake McKean at mcke0255@d.umn.edu or stop by one of their practices on UMD field eight Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.

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