“Hustle!” “Defend the forehand!” “Don’t let him get around you!” “Cut Cut Cut!”

Phrases like these are yelled as the White Station Ultimate Frisbee team runs practice on a sunny Tuesday afternoon at the Cancer Survivor’s Park. This time last year, the ultimate frisbee club did not even exist. The departure of the Class of 2012 led to the end of active participation in the club. However, the club has steadily been rebuilding since 2016, led by Justin Du (12),who is now a senior.

“I started the team/club back up last year as a junior, and I hope to continue to be able to expand it and have it continue to grow, even after I leave,”  Du said.

In addition to Du’s leadership, seniors like Theo Patt, Andrew Wu and Levi Evans have contributed to reviving the club.

“Their original intent (unbeknownst to me at first) was to gain a P.E. credit by playing frisbee, but for me and eventually for them as well, the reason for creating the club was to have a time to hang out and sweat a little bit but also to play a sport with a tad less forceful contact and a tad more strategy and thought,” Evans said.

Hanging out and sweating together has led to a familial bond among the team members. Under the direction of Coach Tim Hartline, the team has bonded over practices once to twice per week. As a club sport, the team is entirely student-led, so the camaraderie is even stronger.

“My favorite part is seeing everyone grow, both athletically and emotionally. It’s great when you complete a throw, but it means that much more when you know you implemented this play and connected with your friend,” Du said.