[FIRST MATCH FRIDAY V. BELMONT] Lipscomb Ultimate: Story behind mystery team

For most Lipscomb students, playing Ultimate Frisbee is only a hobby. But for a small group of students it is a full-blown sport.

Jordan Bates, a Senior marketing major from Nashville, got the idea to start the Ultimate team in 2009 after watching some other people play.

“I just saw a lot of people playing Ultimate in intramurals, and I thought that a lot of people had the potential to be really good,” Bates said. “We’ve grown and gotten a lot better since that point.”

After the idea of the team came together, the next step was actually to turn that idea into action. The suggestion of an Ultimate Frisbee team was presented to SGA in order to get the appropriate funds for jerseys and tournament entry fees.

“I think it was good exposure for the school, and it gets more people involved with extra curricular activities on campus,” Bates said. “They have been kind enough thus far to give us really good funding to enter tournaments.”

The Ultimate circuit is not defined in conferences like the rest of the sports at Lipscomb. Instead, the region divisions are called “sections.” Lipscomb is in the Alabama section along with teams like Auburn, Alabama, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Vanderbilt and several other large schools.

“It’s a pretty big deal in college,” Bates said. “Most schools have a team, if not two.”

Don’t think that just because Lipscomb is competing against larger schools that they cannot contend. Last season the Bisons came in seventh out of 20 teams in their sectional tournament.

“It feels great knowing that we are lining up with big SEC schools and competing without the resources they have,” said Andy Hubright, a senior graphic design major from Atlanta.  “I think it’s a testament to our talent that we don’t have a coach or as much funding and can still compete.”

While the main season for Ultimate starts in the spring, the team is also active in the fall.

“In the fall we usually get our team together, start practicing and play a couple of tune-up tournaments,” Bates said. “Then in the spring [we] play four or five tournaments and do sectionals and regionals and try to advance.”

This fall Lipscomb plans on playing two area schools to ready themselves for the spring season.

“We have a tournament at Vanderbilt on Oct. 16 and 17,” Bates said. “We’re probably going to a tournament in Knoxville as well.”

The biggest match of the fall comes September 24, though. Save the date, because that is when the Bisons will host Belmont.

If you’re looking to get involved with Ultimate at Lipscomb, fliers will be up soon. The team will have an informational meeting in the next couple of weeks for those interested in joining the team.

“Being an athlete is a big part of it, but you have to know what is going on out in the field,” Bates said.

For more info on the Ultimate team, contact Jordan Bates at batesja@mail.lipscomb.edu.