By William Guo
Feel like throwing some disc? The Sharon Boys’ Ultimate team is gearing up for another season after a successful 2024 year.
Ultimate, also known as Ultimate Frisbee, is a non-contact, self-officiated sport played between two teams of 7 players with a plastic disc. Teams pass the disc up a field until a player scores by catching it in their end zone. Players cannot run while holding the disc.
Invented in 1968, the sport has surged in popularity over recent years, reaching millions of players worldwide. It is popular at Sharon High School as well, where there are varsity and junior varsity teams for both Girls’ and Boys’ Ultimate.
SHS’s boys’ team was founded in 2009 and competes against Ultimate teams from high schools around Massachusetts.
This year, Sharon Boys’ Ultimate has big shoes to fill. The team won the Middletown Ultimate Tournament last season, competed at the Massachusetts Division 1 State Championship Tournament, and finished with a 13-6 record overall.
Varsity coach Michael Dussault attributed their achievements to an exceptional team of seniors. “The team from last year graduated 15 seniors,” Dussault explained. “The commitment they had to each other and the desire to improve were contributing factors to their success.”
Dussault, an Ultimate player for 35 years, will be starting his 9th year of coaching this spring. He appreciates the inclusive nature of Ultimate in Sharon. “We have never had cuts,” Dussault said. “We have always been able to offer a spot on a team for everyone that wants to play.”
The players on the team are also what has brought captain Nathaniel Kamenetsky back to Ultimate every year. “They all make the games and practices super fun, enjoyable, and competitive,” Kamenetsky said.
For senior Omar Kannachankudy, the season is an opportunity to create a framework for a winning team. “This year, I see a completely different varsity team from what we experienced last year, especially since we have some very technically skilled players,” Kannachankudy said. “I am most excited to get to working on making a cohesive team and building the small skills together as a group so that we can hopefully crush our longtime rivals in this year’s games!”
Meanwhile, one of Dussault’s main goals this year is to establish a culture that will help teammates compete together for many years to come. “I want to build a team that supports and encourages each other and works hard to improve,” he explained.
Dussault also has a piece of advice for new Ultimate players. “Throw, throw, throw!” he emphasized. “You can’t get better at Ultimate without good throwing technique. Play catch whenever you can. Carry a disc with you everywhere.”
The Sharon Boys’ Ultimate Team is hosting tryouts March 18-20 at Sharon Middle School. For more information, check out their Instagram account at @sharonboysultimate or contact Nathaniel Kamenetsky at [email protected].
