For at least one day, Spirit of the Game was at the forefront of the global ultimate community. Spirit is a defining feature of the game; it helps to create the kind of environment that players, coaches, and fans find so unique about ultimate. From the World Flying Disc Federation (wfdf.org)
“All players are responsible for administering and adhering to the rules. Ultimate relies upon a Spirit of the Game that places the responsibility for fair play on every player. It is trusted that no player will intentionally break the rules; thus there are no harsh penalties for breaches, but rather a method for resuming play in a manner which simulates what would most likely have occurred had there been no breach.
Highly competitive play is encouraged, but should never sacrifice the mutual respect between players, adherence to the agreed-upon rules of the game, or the basic joy of play.”
We talked to players and coaches from the Breeze to get their take on what Spirit of the Game means to them.
“Spirit of the game is a defining feature of ultimate and, while always present in the pro leagues, I hope to see more opportunities in the next few years for pro players to demonstrate that spirit to the ultimate community”– Alex “Dutchy” Ghesquiere
“Spirit is playing in a way that you take pride in and full responsibility for all aspects of your game.” – David “Duke” Boylan-Kolchin
“Spirit of the game requires you play honest with yourself and your opponents.” – Brad Scott
“Spirit of the Game is the essence of ultimate. It all starts there.” – Chuck Cantone
“Playing the game with respect for your opponents and your teammates.” – Jeff Wodatch
“Possessing a mutual respect for the commitment and sacrifice your teammates and opponents have demonstrated toward this sport. Having a innate understanding of the rules and regulations and applying those rules in a fair and courteous manner. Leaving an overall positive impression to your opponent, yourself, and your teammates.” – David Cranston
“Spirit sets ultimate apart. Other sports have players, teams, and coaches that inherently compete with spirit. Yet no other sport places the principles of spirit at the core of its being. I like that we do that. Also, the softer aspects of spirit, fair play, compassion, respect, etc… are all awesome. Maintaining physical control comes before all else though, and I think it’s the element of spirit I want to see the most when I take the field.” -Markham Shofner
“Spirit of the game is what makes the ultimate community so loving, inclusive, and awesome. Respect on the field is easily transferred to the sidelines and beyond at every level of the game.” – Tyler Monroe
“One form of spirit of the game can be lively, humorous, jolly banter between players from both teams on the sidelines of games.” – Nicky Spiva
“Spirit of the game means to me… having a reputation as a team in which other teams enjoy playing. And the same but on an individual level. And no dangerous bids…” – Matthew “Rowan” McDonnell