History,Main,Psychology,Spirit of the Game 23 June 2011

In his first post on Ultimate Rob, Stephen Winters shares with us a free flowing poem of sorts, roughly titled “What I Like Most About Ultimate”. He definitely captures the spirit of ultimate in his post. Look for more from Stephen as he will hopefully become a regular contributor!

 Spirit of the Game 23 June 2011

Stressing mutual respect for the other team. Coaches should encourage players to respect the opposing team and encourage a respectful approach to conflict resolution. Showing respect to other players is often accomplished through small actions. Some examples include speaking about disagreements in a respectful manner, complimenting an opponent on a great play, and shaking hands after a game.

With Ultimate being a self-officiated sport it is imperative that players are taught the rules, apply the rules and know what to do if they do not know the rules. Additionally, coaches should encourage players to practice the management of disagreements in practices. When a disagreement occurs between players this is a good opportunity for a coach to discuss the situation and possible outcomes/ways to approach the disagreement.

 Psychology,Spirit of the Game 25 October 2010

The SOTG is at the heart of our sport. Apart from the fact that it is played with a disc, the SOTG is the single most defining aspect of our game. It is fundamental and distinguishes ultimate from all of those ‘con-the’ref sportts’ that fill our TV screens and have ten-year-old kids ‘diving’ during a soccer game in the park. If the moral imperative for ‘fair play’ is removed, the sport becomes unplayable, unenjoyable and unwatchable. At least in ‘referreed’ sports, cheating requires some sort of skill to fool the referee; at the very least, luck! In Ultimate none of these are required, there is no one to fool and all that is required is a certain moral laxity and a willingness to cheat.

 Psychology,Videos 21 January 2010

I discuss what I think the elements of Spirit of the Game are. Knowledge of the rules, willingness to discuss a call, respect for the other team/your own team and more.

Let me know what you think Spirit of the Game is all about!

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