Ultimate Frisbee, also known as “ultimate,” is an emerging sport for all ages that is building a loyal following in Lincoln County.
The two most popular opportunities to play locally are in Damariscotta at the Great Salt Bay Community School on Sundays at 3 p.m. and in Boothbay at Clifford Park on Mondays and Thursdays at 6 p.m.
The Damariscotta group switches their start time to 2 p.m. when the days get shorter during late fall and the winter. While the current Boothbay ultimate group is of more recent vintage, being formed in 2021, the Damariscotta club has been throwing discs for almost two decades.
“We call the game “52 Pickup” since we plan to play pickup 52 weeks a year,” said Jenny Mayher, who has helped organize the weekly event in Damariscotta with her husband Garrett Martin since 2006. “Snow disc is the best and we play outside through the winter, but we sometimes skip Sundays during spring mud season so we don’t trash the field.”
Ralph Royale tosses a pass during a recent ultimate Frisbee game at Clifford Park in Boothbay. (Mic LeBel photo)
Ultimate is a team-oriented field sport played with a disc tossed by hand. The non-contact sport is played on an open field the size of which may vary according to the number of players competing.
Points are scored by throwing the disc to a teammate that catches it in the opposing end zone. Players can’t take steps while holding the disc, and interceptions, passes out of bounds, and incomplete tosses are turnovers and the disc is provided to the opposing team.
“Ultimate is easy to learn, and fun for a wide range of skill levels to play together,” said Mayher. “The culture of the game also attracts people who want to play hard without taking themselves too seriously, which leads to terrific camaraderie among the people who show up. I have made some of my closest friends playing ultimate.”
Both groups are family friendly, free to play, and welcome all visitors and participants. The ideal roster for ultimate Frisbee is to have seven players on each side and some substitutes so that players can take a break to rest and socialize.
“Everywhere that ultimate is played, the people are very welcoming, so it’s a great way to meet people,” said Ben Snead, who has been the lead organizer for the Boothbay group since 2021. “There is a social aspect to the game beyond just playing. Everyone cheers when someone makes a great play, whether it’s on offense or defense.”
Mayher noted that in the two decades since the Damariscotta group started playing, the sport has grown a huge amount nationwide. She said college and adult club teams are getting super competitive, and there is even a professional league now.
“Lots of kids who have grown up playing with us on Sundays have gone on to play ultimate in college, including both of my kids,” said Mayher.
At this year’s collegiate national championships, 52 Pickup alums played in three out of four national finals including Aiden Jacobs, of the Lincoln Academy class of 2023, for Lewis and Clark College in the Division III men’s final; Maddy Kallin, of the LA class of 2024, for Carleton College in the Division I women’s final; and Kallin’s brother Nathan Kallin, a Brunswick High School graduate, played for Carleton in the men’s Division I final.
“Our group is a mix of year-round residents, summer residents, summer workers such as camp counselors, and even vacationers,” said Snead. “We get people who vacation in Maine for two weeks every year and they take time to play with us.”
The Boothbay group communicates on and posts updates to their Facebook page, Boothbay Ultimate Frisbee Pickup.
“We ask that people who are interested in playing in Boothbay check our Facebook page, join the Facebook group, and RSVP so that we have an idea of how many players we have coming each night,” said Snead. “There is also an ultimate Frisbee website, called pickupultimate.com. Our game is listed there as well as games from around the world.”
The Boothbay Facebook group has more than 100 members, and includes players of all experience levels from throughout the central Midcoast region.
“I started playing about 25 to 30 years ago, and it’s exciting to see the sport continue to grow,” said Snead. “I like getting exercise without thinking about it. I really hate running, but I’m willing to run after a Frisbee.”
