With a Flick

of the Wrist

Ultimate Frisbee a big score for students

Visit the quad by the Student Center dining pavilion and you’re likely to see two of the campus’ most popular activities taking place.

The worn grass and volleyball net makes one fairly obvious. ASMSA students love volleyball. The net is almost a year-round staple.

The other likely activity is at least two people tossing a Frisbee. Watch for a few minutes and there’s no telling how many different throws you’ll see in addition to the tried-and-true backhand.

While ASMSA students may love volleyball, there is a certain group who are — some may say — obsessed with tossing the Frisbee. That’s just the beginning, however. ASMSA’s official sport may very well be Ultimate Frisbee.

For those unfamiliar with the sport, imagine a game that mashes up parts of soccer, basketball and football. Players pass the disc to each other in an attempt to move the Frisbee down the field for a scoring chance in an end zone. The disc can be tossed forward, sideways and backwards similar as passing goes in soccer and basketball, except the person catching the disc must stop in place and is unable to advance the disc while running. Turnovers take place when the disc is dropped by the offense or it is caught or knocked down by the defense. Scores happen when an offensive player catches the disc while it is in the air in the end zone.

The regulation field for a game of Ultimate Frisbee is roughly the size of a football field. It’s not quite as wide. The end zones are 20 to 25 yards depending on the level of competition. Naturally that size of field doesn’t fit in the back courtyard so students walk down to Linden Park, which is located down Whittington Avenue from the campus.

ASMSA’s team uses Linden Park at least two days a week to practice. Each fall, the returning seniors go to recruit new players. In the fall of 2017, the team was short of players. Only three players including the two cocaptains were returning from the previous year. It was looking as if there may not be enough for a team.

On a Wednesday afternoon early in that fall semester, the players the team did have went to Linden Park to practice. Reed James (’20) was on his way to flag football practice, which was also being held at the park. Upon his arrival to the park, he jumped up and caught a Frisbee that was coming towards him with one hand. Whomever he tossed it to yelled that he should join Ultimate.

“I was like ‘Man, whatever’ because I was going to focus on football because I had decided I would focus on one

sport until I knew what my class levels would be like. A week later and Ultimate Frisbee had taken priority,” James said.

James soon convinced his roommate, Ryan Reynolds (’20), to come out and play. Reynolds started tossing a Frisbee with James. They’d go out to the courtyard and toss a disc during lunch and after class daily.

“I don’t know how many Frisbees we broke or stuck on the roof,” Reynolds, who became one of two co-captains on this year’s squad. “They’d get stuck, and we’d have to wait for a heavy rain or wind to blow them off.”

It was raining the first time Reynolds went out to an official practice. Rain, however, doesn’t cancel practice.

The field was soaking wet. It was cold in October, and everyone was running around having a good time and goofing around. Colin Rogers (’19) (who was one of the co-captains that season) was out there helping people. He helped me a lot just getting into it,” Reynolds said.

Esther Filipek (’20) served as the other co-captain for the most recent season. She was introduced to the game by her brother Joe (’17), who played on the team while he was at ASMSA. She was invited to play with him and his friends during summer pickup games as well as during her freshman physical education class.

“I would toss a Frisbee around during PE. It let me combine tossing with running, which is fun for me,” she said.

Filipek said one of the best things about Ultimate Frisbee at ASMSA is that everyone is encouraged to come try out the game. No experience is required for anyone to come play. The main goal is for people to have fun and then learn as they go. Experienced players can teach new players how to throw the disc, what routes to run and the basic rules of the game. The idea is that once you get someone out on the field they will likely have fun and find a way to fit on the team, she said.

Hadley Medlock (’20) was one of those players. She didn’t start playing until late in her junior year, after the team had already played at the 2019 SLAMT, the weekend competition that includes several of ASMSA’s peer residential schools. Some of her close friends who were seniors on the team convinced her to start coming to the courtyard to throw. That led to her going to a practice and soon playing in a tournament with the team in the spring of 2019.

“I was really nervous at first,” Medlock said. “I was not very good. I went out there without really knowing how to throw a Frisbee, but it was just fun. I was able to catch on, and I just kept going.”

Over the past couple of years, the team has continued to grow, adding a good group of juniors to the team, said Bret Vallun, a student success coordinator at ASMSA who serves as the team’s coach. The key to developing a team, keeping players involved and eventually winning games starts with the students themselves, he said.

“You have to find those students who find a passion for it and want to learn more,” he said. “When they are on campus they will go to other players and ask them, ‘Hey will you go throw with me on the quad,’ and start working on mechanics. Or they will come to my office asking how do you throw this?

“It starts with this is a lot of fun. I want to get better. What do I need to do to get better?”

He said the seniors on this year’s team set a great example for the younger players. They all helped recruit more students,

especially females. During the 2020 SLAMT, the team was able to take advantage of a rule that gave a team two points instead of one if a female either threw the disc or caught it for a score. ASMSA was able to field an allfemale rotation of players with seven girls on the team.

“Esther, Ryan and Reed were so committed to this team. When they had free time and I had free time, they’d come to my office and we watched videos, we talked about strategies. They always had a disc in their hand to coach when and if I couldn’t be there,” Vallun said.

They also were supportive of each other and the other members of the team throughout the school year, he said.

“They always threw out in the quad. It’s always the case — rain, sleet, snow — we’re going to play. They were very hands-on not just critiquing but coaching new players. Teaching them how to throw. Telling them what to do on defense. Teaching them how to high point [grab the disc at the highest point] by throwing discs to them. It was a well-organized team, and I owe it all to those seniors,” Vallun said.

He continued saying all of the players on the team were some of the best students on campus. He

didn’t have to worry about them academically or behavior-wise. “I’m so proud of these students. It’s really fulfilling to get to work with them.

The players also spoke highly of Vallun. They said he led by example, getting out on the practice field to play with them as needed to help them learn various offensive and defensive strategies. Team members would often drop by his office to talk about developing their skills, preparing the team for practice, and other Ultimate Frisbee matters. He would always be there ready to welcome them, the players said.

“[He] is a big help to our team,” Fillipek said. “He tries to come out to every practice as his work allows. He helps coach everyone and to recruit players. He also invited us to come out to Hot Springs Lakeside to play pickup games with Hot Springs Ultimate (the club team he plays on). He has helped us be more organized.”

Elijah Holland (’21) said Vallun’s participation with the team meant a lot to team members, especially as they were learning the game.

“[He} didn’t just support us on the field, he went out on there on the field,” Holland said. “Even while he was injured, he taught us by his actions more than his words. He’d get out on the field with us. He’d say watch me and see how it’s done.”

Hyunseo Seok (’21), who will serve as a co-captain next year, called Vallun “an amazing person,” as a student success coordinator as well a coach. He said Vallun is a good motivator and patient when it comes to teaching the players new things.

“He motivated us as a team. He knows so much about the game. At least 50 percent of our success comes from [him] being a great person and player,” Seok said.

Reynolds played various sports at his sending school before coming to ASMSA. He said Vallun rates highly among all of his coaches.

“Honestly, he was one of the best coaches I’ve had in all my high school teams I’ve had in overall sports,” Reynolds said. “He pushes you but he’s also super supportive and helps out a lot learning basic stuff and teaching you to further yourself.

“I spent a lot of random times of day going to [his] office to talk about different ways to work on drills. We’d talk about new types of defense we should be running or specific offenses. He was really good.”

This was Vallun’s third year to coach the team. He initially started out just going to team practices after work

to play after being invited by some of have the jerseys. Some said that just winning every game, but trying the students. He soon found himself the uniforms gave them a sense of to play good enough defense to shut serving as the team’s coach and club confidence on the field. out each of their opponents. They sponsor, sharing his knowledge and “I think it makes you play better,” were able to do so in all but one game, experience with the team. said Alex Guo (’21), who will be a cowhich they won 11-1.

Since becoming coach, not only captain on next year’s team. “It gives The team also accomplished have the players improved overall you the sense that you’re playing for something else they had wanted to with an increase in numbers on the your school.” for a couple of years at SLAMT. The team, but he has also been able to “It made us feel like an actual rules used at the competition allow secure more institutional support for sport,” James said. “No other teams two points for each score that either a the team. had that.” female threw or caught in the end zone.

Vallun began taking the team to But looking good isn’t important It was a rule the team felt diminished various tournaments that featured if you don’t play good as well. Vallun the value of female players instead of college and adult club teams as well said the teams from the last two its intended purpose of getting more as scrimmages with other club teams. years stepped up big against their females to play. Tournaments often included a fee, competition. In the Hammertime Filipek was one of if not the best which meant in the past the students tournament held in Fort Smith in handler, or passer, on the team. The would have had to chip in to pay for spring 2019, the team played against team had recruited enough females the costs. Vallun approached the teams with players four years or older that they could have an entire squad school administration of seven females on about helping with the field at one time. the fee and travel costs. School ‘I always say, ‘Look good, play good.’ After discussing it further, Vallun and a d m i n i s t r a t o r s agreed to help fund the team as part of the We play with that kind of mentality. There’s a lot of teams that don’t have the team decided to exploit the rule to their own advantage. an Extracurricular Excellence Fund that matching jerseys. We wore matching ASMSA led 10-0. Vallun inserted the further invests in student activities that shorts and shirts, and we looked whole female squad into the game to build school pride and instill a sense of clean out there.’ make it 12-0 on a Filipek to Medlock healthy competition toss, something that for ASMSA students. Bret Vallun, to Vallun’s knowledge “It would have been impossible if Student Success Coordinator and Ultimate had not been accomplished before we didn’t have the Frisbee team coach, speaking about the at SLAMT. administration back us up,” Reynolds squad’s uniforms “It was awesome they got the twelfth said. “I’m really glad point. It was because otherwise something we’d been we would have had trying to do for two to try to get everybody to pitch in or more than them. That included years,” Vallun said. money. Having the institution help us teams from the University of Central As with many activities this year, was really great.” Arkansas, University of Arkansas however, their season was cut short

The team also received uniforms at Fort Smith, Arkansas State, in March when the school moved to for the 2019 SLAMT through Student University of Arkansas at Fayetteville remote instruction because of the Life. They weren’t just a T-shirt with a and others. COVID-19 pandemic. The 2020 screen-printed number; instead, they “We beat the first team we played Hammertime tournament they were were nice jerseys done in the school in pool play and then lost to every supposed to go to in March was colors. Add in matching shorts and other team by one point,” Vallun said. canceled. socks, and the team stood out as they “In the single elimination round, we But Vallun is ready for the next year arrived at competitions. lost by one point to UCA. We played to start. He said the group of juniors

“I always say, ‘Look good, play great and were in great spirits. We who are rising seniors are ready to be good,’ “ Vallun said. “We play with that showed great sportsmanship. We had the leaders. “They’ll show the same kind of mentality. There’s a lot of teams something going.” commitment as this group of seniors that don’t have matching jerseys. We They went to this year’s SLAMT did. The game’s all about experience. wore matching shorts and shirts, and at the Louisiana School for As long as they keep throwing and we just looked clean out there.” Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts playing with a disc, they will be fine,”

The students were elated to in February 2020 with the goal of not Vallun said.