USC’s Ultimate Frisbee team on brink of making college championships
It might be their best shot at attending the Ultimate Frisbee College Championships, and the University of South Carolina men’s team is fully aware of it.
They’ve been to the regional championships four straight years, and they’re hoping that the fifth year will be the charm.
“There are years where we’ve came close and this is one of those years where we’re set up for success,” coach Chris Church said. “Our program has gotten very competitive, and as we prepare for the weekend, we aren’t favorites – but we aren’t long shots either. We’re a team that has gotten to the point where they can’t overlook us.”
Church, 35, is the staff advisor for USC’s women’s and men’s club ultimate Frisbee teams and also works in the Children’s Law Center at the University. He says the sport mixes athleticism and community.
“Everywhere I’ve been, there has been a great community of players,” Church said. “It’s a self-officiated sport, and everyone is really out their competing in the spirit of the game. Even when nationals are on the line, they are still governing themselves out there.”
The men’s team has a mix of students from the university, ranging from undergraduates to graduate students, as well as medical students. The team defines “student-athlete,” Church said. They pay dues, expenses and an entry fee to play the fast-paced sport.
For Hunter Frady, a senior captain on the team, the commitment is worth it.
“A lot of us are from Columbia and dream about a chance to play for and represent the school,” he said. “We’re definitely proud to be able to carry the name of the University of South Carolina.”
USC’s next test, the Atlantic Coast Regional, will take place in Axton, Va., on Saturday and Sunday. Sixteen teams will be vying for three bids to the college championship.
The regional starts with four pools of four teams. The Gamecocks, seeded ninth in the regional, are in a pool with Maryland (3), Appalachian State (6) and Towson (16).
One of the team’s biggest supporters, and the father of Hunter, Ray Frady has been to nearly every match this spring and knows what they’re capable of.
“They’re really competitive, and they’re probably underrated where they’re at. There are a lot of parents who will make the trip to see them play.”
South Carolina will start the tournament against Maryland at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday.
ULTIMATE FRISBEE
How it’s played: It is a limited-contact team sport played with a flying disc (Frisbee).
Scoring: Points are scored by passing the disc to a teammate in the opposing end zone.
Basic rules: Players must not take steps while holding the disc, and interceptions and incomplete passes are turnovers.
Prominent feature: The lay out – a horizontal dive to catch or block the disc.
This story was originally published April 24, 2015 at 11:06 PM with the headline "USC’s Ultimate Frisbee team on brink of making college championships."