For the first time, Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School’s ultimate team has coaches.
“We had an opening,” said senior captain Will Yetvin. “I guess we’ve always had an opening.”
So goes for the team, a club sport growing in popularity that doesn’t get funding from MCPS. For Yetvin’s first three years, the club, which practices twice a week at Norwood Local Park, was run and managed by the players.
Participants pitch in $80 fees up front, hold bake sales, sell discs and rely on parents for transportation to games and tournaments. Ultimate, known to many ultimate frisbee, is growing with televised college championships, international tournaments and even a professional league.
In Yetvin’s four years, the club has grown to include about 30 people at practice, with a core group of 15 to 20 players who consistently come out to weekend games and tournaments. Many who play official sports in the fall or spring switch in and out.
The team now has two volunteer coaches, recently out of college. Management of the club has been passed on among students for about 10 years.
Earlier this month, the team played Whitman. Last weekend the team traveled to Philadelphia for a tournament.
Yetvin, 17, plans to play in college, where ultimate has become as organized and as serious as some traditional sports. He’s looking at Bowdoin and Carleton College, two schools known for their ultimate teams. (Carleton was ranked No. 7 nationally last spring.)
Check out the club’s Facebook page for more information.
