Wharton spins the disc in PADA Land
Bruno Occhipinti, WG'08
Issue date: 4/2/07 Section: Insider
Wharton students learned to both love and fear gravity this winter at a giant UFO-shaped dome in the outskirts of Philly. The new co-ed Wharton Ultimate Frisbee Team wrapped up its first season in the Philadelphia Area Disc Association (PADA) winter league on Sunday, March 25. During their final 3-game tournament, Wharton Ultimate players "chucked" the disc down the field, leapt and kicked to block opponents' throws, and heaved their own bodies into the end zone to catch the disc and score points.
But the students were not the only flying objects on the field. A 175g-plastic disc-that floats or falls depending on a player's skill-has been the centerpiece of the past 8 Sunday competitions. Spinning this disc across the field without dropping it has allowed the Wharton players to join the half a million people in 42 countries participating in a fast-growing sport that, according to the Canadian National Post, "combines the running of soccer with the stamina of hockey and the cutting, jumping, and passing of basketball."
With five men and two women on each side of a soccer-field-sized pitch, the game's goal is to be the first team to catch the disc 15 times in the opposing team's end zone. Ultimate is governed by a sportsmanship code called "Spirit of the Game," which enables teams to foster mutual respect and allows games to be self-refereed.
The Wharton Ultimate Frisbee Team is continuing its weekly practices on Sundays at 3 PM (Hill Square field on 34th and Walnut), and encourages both novices and experienced players to participate. For more information, join the mailing list (email majordomo@wharton.upenn.edu with subscribe ultimatefrisbee in the body) or contact Ashley Smith and Bruno Occhipinti.
Sky high!
But the students were not the only flying objects on the field. A 175g-plastic disc-that floats or falls depending on a player's skill-has been the centerpiece of the past 8 Sunday competitions. Spinning this disc across the field without dropping it has allowed the Wharton players to join the half a million people in 42 countries participating in a fast-growing sport that, according to the Canadian National Post, "combines the running of soccer with the stamina of hockey and the cutting, jumping, and passing of basketball."
With five men and two women on each side of a soccer-field-sized pitch, the game's goal is to be the first team to catch the disc 15 times in the opposing team's end zone. Ultimate is governed by a sportsmanship code called "Spirit of the Game," which enables teams to foster mutual respect and allows games to be self-refereed.
The Wharton Ultimate Frisbee Team is continuing its weekly practices on Sundays at 3 PM (Hill Square field on 34th and Walnut), and encourages both novices and experienced players to participate. For more information, join the mailing list (email majordomo@wharton.upenn.edu with subscribe ultimatefrisbee in the body) or contact Ashley Smith and Bruno Occhipinti.
Sky high!
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