Ultimate Frisbee squad flies under radar

Sports have always had a reputation for fueling ECU's student body.

Every fall, Pirate fans, students and alumni set up their grills and corn hole sets in preparation for Saturday football battles.

In the winter, as bowl season wraps up, the Pirate Nation enjoys the emergence of its basketball programs by donning purple body paint when the Minges Maniacs resurface.

When winter nears its end, ECU fans take their spots at Clark LeClair Stadium, heckling outfielders from the Jungle and enjoying the tradition of a top-rated baseball team. With such an emphasis on varsity athletics, club sports often go unnoticed.

ECU's ultimate Frisbee club team is one of these unheralded squads. Known as "ultimate" to its followers, ultimate Frisbee is in a league of its own.

Although the sport is often perceived as a leisure activity, the ECU "Irates," as they are known, can attest to the physically intense mind game that accompanies the sport.

"It's a really unique and competitive sport," said Eric Martin, captain of the Irates. "People think it's like hippies running around, but it's a real sport."

The main objective of the sport is for one team to complete passes in the opponents' end zone, until one team reaches the predetermined amount of points.

At its core, ultimate Frisbee resembles many of the same principles as today's big market sports. The playing field is set between two end zones, like football, yet with more free range of motion, like soccer. It also requires the individual in possession to pass the disc before moving, much like a basketball player who has stopped dribbling.

Players acknowledge the similarities, but pride themselves on its more unique characteristics, such as each game being self-officiated, with both teams having a say on each call. If contested, the team in possession is forced to start over.

"There are no referees, so we make our own calls," Martin said.

Unknown to most students at ECU, the Irates have a rich history that dates back 25 years. In 1984, the first ECU ultimate team was formed. Wishing to name themselves the Pirates, ECU officials notified the team could not use this name because the organization wasn't school-sponsored.

The team dropped the 'P' and the Irates were formed. The Irates, now a club team, have kept their name for the sake of tradition and have found relative success in their quarter century of existence, including being named back-to-back national champions in 1994 and 1995.

The ultimate season lasts the duration of the academic year, while the team practices multiple times a week through any type of weather.

This season, the Irates finished 25-13, placing fifth in sectionals. Even though the Irates did not receive a national bid, they had a successful season with a final ranking of 59 out of 531 teams, according to the Ultimate Players Association.

One highlight of this season was The High Tide Session 2 Tournament over spring break. The Irates made it all the way to the finals before losing 12-9 to Yale, despite missing four to five of their key players.

"We actually got to hang out as a team over spring break," Martin said. "And we were still able to make finals even without some of our top guys."

The Irates are looking forward to next season as their full crop of current freshmen have now become experienced ultimate players and Martin says he will return to play his fifth and final season.

"The future looks bright," he said.

For more information about Irate Ultimate, contact Eric Martin at esm0702@ecu.edu.

This writer can be contacted at sports@theeastcarolinian.com.