Ultimate Frisbee

The LGA Ultimate Frisbee team and conditioning elective is open to students in grades three and up. Throughout the fall, students practice once a week and have an opportunity to learn about the game and build skills. During the spring season, the team meets twice weekly, practicing and competing against a variety of upper elementary and middle school teams throughout the Pioneer Valley.

Under the leadership of LGA’s fifth grade teacher Coach Hillary Gollis, the LGA Ultimate team competes in the Amherst Regional Middle School Ultimate Invitational, the biggest middle school tournament in the country, which brings teams from all over New England and from as far away as New Jersey; and the Eaglebrook Ultimate Tournament, with mostly private schools from New England competing and in the Northampton Recreational League.

What began as just an afterschool activity blossomed as the team outgrew the fields at LGA and practice was moved to Sheldon Field. Ultimate Frisbee is based on “the spirit of the game” and LGA has spirit! In 2012, our team was recognized as the SPOTG winner by all of the other teams from both tournaments.

The Ultimate field is one of Coach Hilary’s favorite classrooms, “coaching is extremely important because it allows me to get to know my students in a deeper more complete way.” Often, kids who struggle in the classroom excel in the field. The LGA Ultimate team has impacted many former LGA students; many have gone on to play on their high school teams – even starting an all-girls team at Northampton High School; competing in national tournaments; and participating in Ultimate Peace (Jews, Arabs and Palestinians throwing a disc together).