They say, "love at first sight" does not exist, but I truly fell in love with Ultimate the first time I touched the disk. I was first introduced to Ultimate by my fourth-grade teacher. Our school wanted to start an exciting new program known as the Elementary Ultimate Leagues. They gave us a brief demonstration, and the second I let go of the disk to throw a backhand, I was hooked to the sport forever. I was lost in the grace of the disk; the way it flawlessly spun and cut the air as if defying gravity; it hypnotized me. That day, I ran home as fast as I could to tell my parents about my amazing new discovery. I gave them the sign-up forms, but as they read the forms, I saw their smiles turn into frowns. I knew why they were upset, on the last page of the forms there was a small paragraph warning us about the risks of play Ultimate. The risks were too high for my parents: broken teeth, collar bones, and figures were only minor injuries, but that is why I loved it. The risks were what made the game so exciting and gave me the rush of energy. After examining the forms carefully, my parents gave them back to me and said that I could not play Ultimate, at least not now. All my dreams came crashing down, I asked them why with tears in my eyes, and they told me it was too dangerous for me; they said I wasn't mature enough to take care of myself. I was devastated but, I was not going to let them hold me back. Although I was not on the team, I played Ultimate every lunch, recess, and every day after school, until I went to high school.
In grade eight, it was hard enough to keep up with the school work alone, so I decided not to play Ultimate that year. I lost touch with the sport and if not for the encouragement of my friends I might have never played Ultimate again. In grade nine, my friends told me to try out for my school's Junior Ultimate team. I got in as one of only two grade nine girls on the team. It was my first time playing real Ultimate, and it turned out to be much harder than I expected. Almost everyone on the team was older, bigger, and stronger than me, but that only made me want to try harder to become better. I had many downfalls and I embarrassed myself a lot, but there were also times that I rose to the occasion. After months of cruel training, our team went to compete in the district finals where we won for the tenth year in a row. This was the highlight of my year.
Playing for the school team opened up my eyes to the professional world of Ultimate. When school was over, I joined the North Vancouver summer Ultimate team, called Wildfire. I was taught new techniques, throws, and in-game strategies. I also got the opportunity to meet amazing people who were incredibly skilled and welcoming. Today, I spend almost all my free time playing Ultimate with my friends, who always push me to improve myself. Ultimate taught me about teamwork and the importance of hard work. I now know to never lose sight of what I love, and to never stop trying.
They say, "love at first sight" does not exist, but I truly fell in love with Ultimate the first time I touched the disk. I was first introduced to Ultimate by my fourth-grade teacher. Our school wanted to start an exciting new program known as the Elementary Ultimate Leagues. They gave us a brief demonstration, and the second I let go of the disk to throw a backhand, I was hooked to the sport forever. I was lost in the grace of the disk; the way it flawlessly spun and cut the air as if defying gravity; it hypnotized me. That day, I ran home as fast as I could to tell my parents about my amazing new discovery. I gave them the sign-up forms, but as they read the forms, I saw their smiles turn into frowns. I knew why they were upset, on the last page of the forms there was a small paragraph warning us about the risks of play Ultimate. The risks were too high for my parents: broken teeth, collar bones, and figures were only minor injuries, but that is why I loved it. The risks were what made the game so exciting and gave me the rush of energy. After examining the forms carefully, my parents gave them back to me and said that I could not play Ultimate, at least not now. All my dreams came crashing down, I asked them why with tears in my eyes, and they told me it was too dangerous for me; they said I wasn't mature enough to take care of myself. I was devastated but, I was not going to let them hold me back. Although I was not on the team, I played Ultimate every lunch, recess, and every day after school, until I went to high school.
In grade eight, it was hard enough to keep up with the school work alone, so I decided not to play Ultimate that year. I lost touch with the sport and if not for the encouragement of my friends I might have never played Ultimate again. In grade nine, my friends told me to try out for my school's Junior Ultimate team. I got in as one of only two grade nine girls on the team. It was my first time playing real Ultimate, and it turned out to be much harder than I expected. Almost everyone on the team was older, bigger, and stronger than me, but that only made me want to try harder to become better. I had many downfalls and I embarrassed myself a lot, but there were also times that I rose to the occasion. After months of cruel training, our team went to compete in the district finals where we won for the tenth year in a row. This was the highlight of my year.
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