Ultimate Frisbee at Berkeley High
Archived Q&A and Reviews
Feb 2015
RE: PE Credits for Ultimate or mountain biking?
My son is a sophomore at BHS and is on the ultimate team. He gets his PE credit through a waiver because ultimate is technically a ''club,'' not an official school sport. But the team coaches make that really easy to navigate -- they just give their name and student ID to the coach, who gives the info to the school. Easy-peasy. Practices are both Fall and Spring, but the Fall is mostly used for conditioning, as well as learning the game. Spring is when the games and tournaments are. Practices are Sunday mornings, and Tuesday/Thursday after school (at least this year -- it may be different next year). Since they're a club sport, there's always some issues gaining field access but it usually works out. I don't know about band, but I do know that there are a couple kids on the team who are also doing badminton, and they make it work (I think they skip one of the weekly ultimate practices). Hope this helps! Berkeley High Coup parent
Both of my sons have been involved in the Ultimate Frisbee team. It is not an official school sport but a club. It is co-ed sport and very welcoming to new and experienced players. (Most players are boys but the girls numbers are growing!) Everyone who tries out is accepted. Just a desire to learn and play is needed. For many, it is the first sport they've every played, while others have played in middle school. Students can get PE credit. Academics is stressed as a priority. The team practices the entire school year- conditioning workouts during the fall onT/Th, 4-6pm and practice Sun 10am-1pm on the football field. In the spring, they actually practice during all three days. The terrific coaches are all volunteers. Last year, the team won the state championship and came in 2nd place in the western region. Our family loves this sport because of the close knit team, dedicated coaches, and spirit of the game. It is self officiated and players must negotiate any disputes. Liane
We've had a bit of the same with our younger kid and here are 2 sports I strongly encourage you to check out: Ultimate Frisbee and Lacrosse. Ultimate in particular is very welcoming to all ages and any experience level, and you can find lacrosse rec clubs that are as well. What we love about Ultimate is that it teaches "the spirit of the game" more than any other sport our kids have been involved in, including cheering for the opposing team and encouraging genuine appreciation of all participants.
Berkeley High's Ultimate team actually just won the national championship - they are amazing (and huge - I think 50 players). Our 16 year old son still plays both sports and our 12-year old daughter now plays Ultimate and soccer. Both kids have enjoyed both sports very much, and as parents we are very appreciative of the approach of both. BTW, our daughter, after not being involved in team sports in elementary school, now plays on her middle school soccer team (and Ultimate team). So it's not too late! Good luck!
Our kid did Ultimate Frisbee recently, which required three 2-3 hour practices per week, and because they're all over the map literally [it's a club, not a school sport, so they have to use whatever school or city space is available], the times are dependent on when the coaches can get space reserved. My son practiced 7-9 Monday nights, 3:30-5:30 Thursday nights, and 10-1 Sundays, but there were several different options for them to choose from. Starting about February they're in game mode, so the weekend practices turn over to game days. They began in late September and ended in late May. It's a perfect way for busy BHS kids to get the PE credit.