Every Ultimate player, or player of sports in general, has their own reason for playing their game. For some, the drive to compete and be the best in their field is all-consuming. For others, it’s a way to keep healthy. For me, health plays a role, but my primary reason is enjoyment – I play Ultimate to have a good time with my friends on weekends, both on and off of the field. With this as my primary motivation, spirit of the game is incredibly important to my experience of the sport, and I have recently been lucky enough to play on two teams where spirit and enjoyment is valued above all else.
The first was my Fall 2018 ROK-U team, the Seoul Hammers.
The team was a great balance between experienced, spirited players and newer players keen to learn and become bigger parts of the Ultimate community. The season was not without its tense moments, particularly at finals weekend. We stood a good chance of making a deep run, and it was our captain’s last season in Korea after almost a decade in the country, so we wanted to try and give him one last championship. It didn’t end up working out, sadly.
Despite this drive to do well, the team dynamic was wonderful. Everyone was ready to be spirited both on and off of the field. Experienced players helped the new players without being overbearing. Newer players weren’t afraid to ask questions about the game to grow their skills. And no team represented better than Hammers at social events and parties. After my previous ROK-U team being far more results-driven, playing on the Hammers was a good time.
In between and after ROK-U lay a couple of club tournaments to add a higher-level spice to my Ultimate season, and I am honoured to say that I was able to play on Rebellion for this time.
Captained by the same long-serving veteran as the Hammers, a similar ethos lies at the heart of Rebellion – we’re there to compete, but not at the cost of players’ enjoyment and spirit. No club team I have yet played on has been more fun to play than Rebellion was, particularly at the recent K-Cup, the last tournament of the club calendar year.
Every single player on the team wanted nothing more than to have a good time whilst playing some good Ultimate. The team was a collection of some of the most spirited players in the Korean scene, and we all got along like a family. No-one got angry at anyone else for mistakes on the field. All communication was respectful and encouraging. Our sideline banter and cheers brought constant positive energy onto the field, even in tough games against teams not known for their spirit. Even when we were losing, we were still having the best time.
This sense of fun extended to the social side as well. Our team dinners were riotous celebrations of the team dynamic our captain had worked so hard to build. Sunday games were often slightly clouded by the fog of escapades and trials from the night before, but no-one cared because they enjoyed themselves so much. Several players, myself included, declared their love for the team and its people on multiple occasions. I can’t wait to play on Rebellion again next season. Some key faces will be missing, as is the norm in Korea, but hopefully those of us who remain can retain the beating heart of love and fun that kept the team going up until now.
I have been blessed with my ROK-U and club teams this past season. I haven’t enjoyed a season this much in a long while. The prioritization of spirit and player happiness over all else is a testament to the captain that made both of these teams what they are. Korea will miss you, musical man. You went out with two amazing teams and a love shot with a manager of a Baskin-Robbins. Nothing could be more appropriate.
