Ultimate Frisbee is one of the fastest growing sports in North America. Participants of all ages and levels of expertise can compete and enjoy the sport. Ultimate Frisbee also happens to be a great sport for kids. But what makes it so perfect for younger players?
Ultimate Frisbee forces teams to work together. In Ultimate Frisbee the most effective teams communicate and frequently pass to one another to move the frisbee forward towards the far end of the field to score. They must communicate and frequently pass the frisbee to one another. The fact that kids must work together to succeed is an incredibly valuable life lesson – working together achieves the desired result.
Open communication is key to ultimate frisbee. A silent team is a losing team. This is great for kids as some younger kids may tend to be shy and less vocal. Being on an ultimate team forces kids to come out of their shell. Working together creates instant comradery. As the saying goes “teamwork makes the dream work”.
Ultimate Frisbee is one of the rare sports that is self-refereed. This means that players govern themselves, instead of there being a referee on the field making the calls. This is unique to team sports (compare this to football, basketball, or baseball). Self-refereeing is hugely beneficial for younger players, as it helps children develop their sense of responsibility. Ultimate players must be honest and take ownership of mistakes. This ability to take ownership of mistakes makes for a stronger and grittier personality.
Ultimate Frisbee is also an incredibly active sport. Ultimate Frisbee is played outdoors on a large field. There are significant amounts of running and cutting in all directions. A full game of ultimate is an incredible workout, guaranteeing to tire out even the most athletic individuals. All kids would physically benefit from playing ultimate. Plus, it’s a great excuse to be outdoors. Fresh air and an intense workout equal an incredible sport for kids of all ages.
Another amazing benefit to ultimate frisbee is that children of all ages can play together. Most sports are limited regarding kids of various ages being able to compete at the same time. With ultimate, the more the merrier. Unlike basketball or hockey, the skills needed to excel in ultimate aren’t correlated to age. A team of kids made up of different ages can still be competitive when playing ultimate frisbee. The sport is inclusive, regardless of age or size.