Imagine a few people tossing around a plastic disc at the park for fun and relaxation. If that’s your idea of frisbee then you haven’t experienced the world of ultimate frisbee.
Founded in 1993, Force Elektro became the first organized club for ultimate frisbee in Delft. They offer the opportunity to play the sport on different levels, from recreational to competitive national teams.
Now often referred to simply as ultimate, it is a fast paced, non-contact team sport that requires plenty of running, strategy, speed and skills. The object of the sport is to catch the frisbee in the end zone of the opposing team. Players are not allowed to walk or run while holding the disc and can’t keep it for more than ten seconds at a time.
One thing that makes Ultimate Frisbee different from other sports is it is self-refereed. That means the participants are responsible for administering and adhering to the rules and they each have the duty of ensuring fair play. “The best thing about ultimate is the spirit and the atmosphere,” said club secretary Wesley de Haan. “There’s no referee so everyone has to stay spirited. This makes it a lot more social, and that is why everyone gets along, even when it becomes really competitive.” It’s such an integral part of the sport that the World Flying Disc Federation (WFDF) has given it a name. In fact, the organization says the aptly named Spirit of the Game is the most important rule of flying disc sports.
Force Elektro currently has more than 65 members, of which De Haan estimated that they are about half Dutch and half internationals. There are male and female only teams, but there are also some mixed gender teams. The club welcomes anyone interested in trying out the sport, whether experienced or first timers.
“The best thing about the club is the mix of members,” said De Haan. “Even though most of our members are students the age range is still between about 18 to 40.” And like many student organizations, the club offers a chance to socialize outside of the sport. They often plan drinks, barbecues, game nights and other activities.
To join you need a sports card from Sports & Culture and then you pay an annual club membership fee of 17.50 euros. There may be additional costs for tournaments and competitions.
For more information visit http://www.force-elektro.nl/.
This is part of our ongoing series Meet The Society which highlights different student groups and societies at TU Delft. If you’d like to suggest an organisation for us to cover, please email us at deltainternational@tudelft.nl.
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