Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Good Problem to Have


ULTIMATE: the Booming Sport You Might Not Know About [Pitt Post Gaz . 6.19.11]

It's like touch football with a disc, or playing soccer with your hands. It's poetry in motion, free, democratic and dynamic. And it's happening all over town. An Ultimate primer...

What's the next athletic obsession for this sports-crazed town? If current trends continue, it might well be Ultimate Frisbee.

What? That's right: Pittsburgh is well on its way to becoming a sporting town with a Frisbee problem.

Most of us know Ultimate as a casual game played in informal settings. Perhaps your hippie cousin whipped up a game for the family picnic, or you wandered past an impromptu game on the quad. Most of us don't see the sport's remarkable growth, or the extraordinary athleticism on display at its most competitive levels.

The image is bound to change, though, for organized Ultimate has truly arrived. According to a study by the Sporting Goods Manufacturers' Association, Ultimate is among the fastest-growing sports in the nation. Worldwide, an estimated 5 million people played the game last year. It's booming locally, too. Here are a few snapshots of Pittsburgh's growing "Ultimate Frisbee problem."

Read more...

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