Ultimate Frisbee

Coach: Tom Croskey (16th season)

2023 Spring Highlights: 12th place in PA State Tournament, 9th place in Philadelphia City Tournament

Key Players Lost to Graduation: Chad Beaver, Joey Connor, Evan Lutz, Nick Lutz, and A.J. Olczak

2023 Spring Season Recap: The 2023 Firebirds played strong throughout the season finishing with a record of 16 Wins and 16 Losses culminating with a 12th overall finish at the PA State Tournament. During the regular season, the team finished in 6th place at the Haverford Tournament and 2nd place at the Pennsbury Tournament before finishing in 9th place out of 18 teams in the City Tournament. The team went 3-3 during the City Championship by defeating Methacton, Perkiomen Valley, and SLA. In Pittsburgh at the State Championship, the team went 2-5 with wins over Pine Richland and SLA.

2023 Fall Outlook: The 2023 Fall Ultimate team will look to find its identity early in the season with so many players graduating in the spring. Senior Daniel Nipper and junior Braden Wetzler will lead the team as the top two returning handlers, while the rest of the team will compete for the other 5 starting line spots.

2023 Fall Key Returnees: Daniel Nipper (12), Parth Patel (12), Allan Adrayan (11), Carter Beaver (11), Mark Bonetti (11), Braden Wetzler (11)

2023 Fall Sophomores to Watch: Shane Irons

All students who are interested in playing ultimate this fall need to have all HGP Athletic Forms completed by the first day of practice. Please email tcroskey@holyghostprep.org for specific ultimate related questions, or to be added to the team's Schoology group to stay up-to-date on pertinent team information. Follow the team on Twitter for score updates and general public information. Follow the team's Instagram account for pictures and videos. Review the 2023 Fall Ultimate Checklist to make sure you're ready for our first practice on Monday August 28, 2023.

2023 Fall Ultimate Checklist

Sports Forms https://www.holyghostprep.org/athletics/sport-forms
- CIPPE Sections 1-6, is completed online.
- CIPPE Section 7 (Physical - Completed by a doctor). A printed copy must be handed in to the Athletic Trainer.
- Athletic Player Contract is completed online. Find here.
- Driving Permission Form is completed online. Find here.

First Practice - Monday August 28, 2023 on the Ultimate Practice Field (behind Cornwells Building) 2:45-4:30pm.
- Cleats - Athletic plastic cleats (soccer or low cut football) for running, jumping, and cutting
- Athletic Attire - comfortable shirt, shorts, sweats
- Water bottle - stay hydrated throughout the day

First Tournament - Middle of September (Date TBD)
- HGP Jersey
- Navy Blue shorts
- Cleats
- Warmup sweats
- Water Bottle
- Food

Ultimate - Explained

Ultimate is a competitive, self-officiated sport that pits 7 on 7 on a field 110 yards long by 40 yards wide. Players in possession of the disc throw it across the field until a teammate catches it in the end zone (20 yards long by 40 yards wide). Players without the disc seek to intercept or knock the disc to the ground. Once a disc touches the ground, a turnover occurs and possession switches. Like soccer, the transition is fast and instantaneous resulting in some quick, exciting plays. Each goal counts as 1. Games are played until a team reaches 15 and wins by 2. This usually lasts about 90-120 minutes per contest.

Tryouts

There are no tryouts as all players are part of the team. The team competes at the varsity/division 1 level, unless numbers allow for a junior varsity/division 2 team. All players should expect to start at the junior varsity level before competing at the varsity level. Coaches monitor practices, drills, and tournaments to observe each player's level of play. After which, coaches converse with players individually about playing at the varsity level or the junior varsity level.

Expectations

Ultimate is a different sport from the other sports offered at Holy Ghost Prep. There are no referees or officials. Players make their own calls on the field. Players are expected to abide by the Spirit of the Game rules: be honest, be fair, and have fun. Competition can get heated, but no one should intentionally cheat for an advantage. Support your teammates, respect your opponents, and know the rules.