The worst thing about Frisbee...

Its funny how life works. It’s funny how the people that are in your life for the shortest period of time, often have the biggest influence on your life. It’s funny how a friendship can begin through a simple word or action and can end in a single second.

I’m lying here, wide awake on my bed. I haven’t gotten much sleep as of late, as I’ve been thinking about the same thing, Over and over again. This thing that has plagued my mind since starting the sport of Ultimate this thing I call the worst thing about Ultimate.

You must understand that Ultimate is a great sport, but with this, comes a downfall. Ultimate is much like a double edged sword in a way. Like many sports Ultimate paves the way for friendships, and uniquely to Ultimate, it forms friendships from all around the world. But with this, comes temporary satisfaction, friendships with an expiry date if you will. What am I talking about you ask?

Well, as many Ultimate players know, this is only my second season playing Ultimate, and as Hugh has pointed out many times before, I am only new to this game. In the first season of playing, I got the chance to play with some of the greatest people I have met in my life. The likes of Kevin, Esser, Katie and Sears. However, little did I know that at the time, they were here temporarily. As I only started I was not as close to these fine folks, yet they left so abrumptly, I had no idea what was going on. Until I realised that their visa’s only lasted 6 months. It was standard really. I know for a fact I wouldn’t be playing as well as I am now if it weren’t for these international students, but it wasn’t what they taught me on field, but of field that mattered. Yet saying goodbye to these people was so hard... Why? To this day I don’t know.

6 months, 180 days. All the same really, the standard study visa. Every Ultimate season, we are caught looking around only to see the absence of familiar faces, the absence of certain laughter’s or screams or simply the absence of a person’s presence. It is through these absences we realise how lonely and quiet it is without them. Though through the ending of one season, we realise that a whole new batch of international students have arrived.

Nicco was a guy that I had first seen on a Sunday Frisbee session, at first I did not want to talk to him, as I thought he was weird (In which you can’t blame me). But one night, after toga party, it was me, him and three other people, we were all drunk and sitting on the floor of Shay’s kitchen talking. The only thing that we could communicate through the language barrier was laughter. No matter what language, heritage, country or age, everyone recognises laughter. It was through laughter, and laughter alone that changed my whole outlook on my views on Nicco. That night, we all joked around, ate garlic bread and Nicco and I have been friends ever since.

It is the outside parties and events that form these tight friendships us locals have with the international students but with this also comes burdens. Since the start of the season, I have met some of the greatest people I have ever met in my entire life. Some of these people I will never forget for as long as I live. These amazing people that have come into my life and changed the person I am. But with this, comes the heaviest burden of all, the fact that they are here temporarily. It is so easy to forget that these people are only in your life for a short period of time and it breaks your heart every time you remember that they will be gone, it hurts to think about Frisbee without them.

It is so hard to say goodbye to any friend, but to know that from the start of the friendship there is an expiry date makes it even harder. It got me thinking about seasoned veterans, the likes of Hugh, Mike and Simon. Could this be the reason why they have been distancing themselves from Internationals students?

The constant disappointments of having to say goodbye to good friends, the disappointments of making promises that you’ll see them again, but knowing that you probably won’t. If this is true, I don’t blame them. Forming friendships, knowing that you’re putting yourself up for heartbreak down the line. It sucks having to think about things like this, but it’s the reason why I can’t sleep.

Who’s going to throw popcorn on the ground?

Who will hold parties to celebrate nothing?

Who will boast about America aimlessly?

It is these memories that we will cherish forever, because it is all we have once they leave. However, it is these memories that I will hold closest, because I know, that when I look back, I will have no regrets. I know that I will one day tell my children about the best time of my life and how I met the most amazing people, with the most amazing stories from around the world. This people, I now realise is the greatest part of Frisbee.

Goodnight Guys.