North Hollywood High School’s Frisbee team has its sights set on the state championship. After three years of playing recreationally, the team is ready to take their lunchtime hobby to another level and represent NHHS with pride.
Ultimate Frisbee, developed in 1968 by a group of high school students, is a non-contact team sport played with a flying disc and two end zones, similar to American football. The game is notably self-officiated, with the responsibility of calling fouls and line violations entrusted to the players. This characteristic applies to the team at NHHS as well.
“Historically, we’ve played a fairly disorganized pickup game,” said Mr Maine, a science teacher in the Highly Gifted Magnet, who regularly plays with the students. “Now there’s been some discussion of trying to form an organized team and play against other schools.”
Getting to that level requires a good deal of work, but HGM junior and Frisbee player Sahel Munshi is optimistic: “I think with a bit of practice and some dedicated drills, we will have a great chance at the Great Cup,” he said.
Unfortunately, this dream comes with a few reality checks. Barriers put in place by the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF), an organization governing high school sports in California, have made it challenging for these players to find their footing.
“Right now, we don’t have a team, and that’s because the CIF doesn’t officially recognize Frisbee as a sport,” said Guthrie Luke, an HGM junior and a prominent voice within the Frisbee community. “And that’s very unfortunate because it is very low-cost and very valuable for the participants.”
This barrier means that the players have to wait at least two years before forming an official team at NHHS. As of now, they are considered a club team, but this setback hasn’t dampened their spirits or their love of the game.
“I just think there’s just such a competitive spirit around it, and being a competitive human myself, I just love winning,” said Munshi, reflecting on what draws him to Frisbee. In some cases, this draw affects not only players but spectators as well.
“Frisbee is a God-given gift,” said Sebastian Moreno, an HGM junior and an avid fan of the frisbee team.
While enthusiasm for the game continues to grow, the team’s leadership says one challenge remains expanding participation beyond its current core group.
“Right now, the majority of the players are in the HGM, but we’d really like to change that,” said Luke. Frisbee has been, according to Mr. Maine, “historically open to anyone who has wanted to join”, but still draws mostly HGM students. Luke believes this issue is largely due to the lack of awareness surrounding the team.
“There are people who would probably play if they knew there was an actual team,” he said. “We want to make Frisbee something people recognize at North Hollywood High School.”
As the group works to raise awareness and expand its roster, the state championships steadily approach, leaving it up to the players to see how far they can take it.
