Up to the Ultimate Challenge

Senior Kareem Jaber turns his ultimate frisbee playing experience into amateur coaching for a league-less team of Jefferson students

At the 2021 Virginia High School State Competition, senior Kareem Jaber rifles the frisbee past a Marshall High School player. “The main thing about [ultimate frisbee] is just having fun. There’s not as much competition [as] there [is] sometimes in football or other sports,” Jaber said.

PHOTO // K. LeClaire

The first blow came on Aug. 23. Longtime coach and former professional ultimate frisbee player Jared Seyler notified an ultimate frisbee team comprised of Jefferson students that he would have to give up his role for the season.

Then, on Sept. 2, even worse news: the team couldn’t compete against other schools because they didn’t have enough girls to participate in Fairfax Ultimate’s fall mixed-team league. With just 10 days before the intended fall season start date, the team found themselves without a coach, a league, or any idea of how to fix their issues.

Fast-forward to the present, though, and the team hasn’t crumbled under the unfortunate turn of events — far from it. Twice a week, the disc still flies from one end of the field to another.

A STUDENT STEPS IN

At the core of the team’s resilience is senior Kareem Jaber: player, captain, and, all of a sudden, coach. The twoand-half year ultimate frisbee veteran was thrust into the role when the team failed to find a suitable adult replacement for Seyler.“I’m kind of just throwing myself into open water with a bunch of sharks, trying to figure out what I’m doing,” Jaber said.

Jaber teaches the team skills, organizes drills, and shares his personal game experience. Months of playing in summer youth leagues and adult leagues helped Jaber develop the skills needed to coach Jefferson’s amateur team.

“I have enough knowledge to create a generic plan to run practices. The main focus is to get fundamentals down, and then we’ll focus on a few drills that the team struggles to perform,” Jaber said.

Without a competitive scholastic league for Jefferson to compete in, Jaber and other members of the team play instead in a five-on five league, which has matches on Sunday afternoons. Though Jaber sometimes plays against his Jefferson teammates, he still provides feedback to the team when coaching practice.

“After a point is scored, I’ll stop for a second and ask [the team] what went well and what didn’t. Sometimes I’ll have them go back to where they were, and we’ll walk through where we could improve,” Jaber said.

The team gathers around the frisbee in a huddle after a practice. “Even without a school sponsor, we can still run this club. In [a] way, that tightens the community of people who do it. They’re really dedicated or they’re really interested in trying it out, and I think that strengthens the team,” senior Kareem Jaber said.

PHOTO // K. Jaber

COLLABORATIVE COACHING

Jaber’s actions have not gone unnoticed. His teammates see him as a natural leader and appreciate his efforts to develop the team.

“Kareem does everything from planning the practices to bringing all the gear, coordinating outreach events, and communicating with the Fairfax frisbee league. He is also a very calm leader and doesn’t yell out instructions,” sophomore Virginia Heretick said.

As a student, Jaber is more welcome to suggestions on technique and types of drills than most coaches would be.

of it. It’s just the cracks and little things that he misses that we help fill,” senior Charles Morse said.

Senior Roope Kettunen passes to his teammate during a four lines formation drill using the runs and passes that he’s learned after playing for the ultimate frisbee team with senior Kareem Jaber.

PHOTO // K. Jaber

Despite the new responsibilities, Jaber still has a passion for ultimate frisbee. The supportive community and friendly environment is a big part of the sport’s appeal.

“Everyone’s really honest; there’s no faking injuries like in pro soccer. We’re just having a great time, and in the end, it’s not about whether I walk out as a winner or a loser, but the experience of playing frisbee,” Jaber said.

“I think everyone trusts me to understand things [on] a deeper level, but that doesn’t mean that I know more than everyone. There’s a lot of things that I’ll screw up, then someone else will give me advice, and I’ll fix it,” Jaber said.

Jaber occasionally forgets to teach certain drills or techniques during practices, but his team reminds him when this happens.

“There’s been times when he’s forgotten something that we should do and we’ve reminded him