UDU is for you

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UDU is an acronym for University of Dallas Ultimate and, as you can probably guess by the name, is a UD club centered around the lovable sport of ultimate frisbee.

The club has two two-hour practices per week, and is complete with president Natalie Lett, vice president Anthony Jones, and team captains John Key, Jack Staib, James Dougherty and Sarah Evans. Additionally, Abby Thorpe, an alumnus, and Bristol Lovoy, a former player, serve as the team’s two coaches.

The club was able to go to sectionals three years ago, and both the mens’ team and the womens’ team competed well. “We’re excited for next semester because last semester, with Covid, we couldn’t really compete against other schools because a lot of other schools were really on lockdown,” Evans said. “So, it’s really exciting. We have a lot of upperclassmen who know what they’re doing.”

The season for the UDU club starts in the spring and the club hopes to do well. When asked about the season, Evans said: “We’ll go to a few tournaments, go to sectionals, hopefully regionals if we’re really on top of our stuff. Nationals is out there. That’s also being super ambitious.”

The team welcomes anyone and everyone who’s looking for something to do, whether they are a die-hard veteran of the sport or someone who’s never even touched a frisbee. Their welcoming attitude has contributed towards many incoming freshmen joining the club.  Evans said: “If you know what a frisbee looks like, that’s helpful. When I first started playing, I couldn’t throw a frisbee at all and now here I am, senior year.”

Speaking on the larger purpose of UDU, Evans said: “Our goal is to foster a sense of community and family that everyone feels like they can come to — just destress and hang out with friends and also play a sport that we all love, and glorify God through that.”

The club also is a great way to make friends and enjoy camaraderie. Speaking of her own experience in the club, Evans said: “It’s been fantastic. I’ve made so many friends here at UD and then also with the greater Dallas Ultimate community. UDU is just a great group of people that just ultimately want to have fun, meet new people, and do it in a way so that they can really solve their stress; and also, a little bit of competition can’t hurt.”

So if you love frisbee, or if you’re looking to make new friends, or if you just want to have fun, then UDU is for you. It really is an all-in-one package: sports, friends, and community, all of which is centered on God. What else do you need?

Interview

How long has this club been in existence?

Yeah, so I think the club dates back to ‘08 [This is not confirmed]. It’s actually kind of cool, one of the guys who started UDU is actually a coordinator at Texas Psychologists Ultimate.

How is the club organized? How does it work?

So, we have 2 practices a week. Each is 2 hours. And it’s pretty much just a sports team. We have a president and vice president who do all the organizational stuff. We have captains who run practice. We also have 2 coaches, one coach played for UTD womens, and the other is an alumni.

Do you guys play other clubs or other schools?

We do play other schools. We went to sectionals my freshman year, both the guys team did and the girls team did and we did pretty well. We’re excited for next semester cause last semester with COVID we couldn’t really compete against other schools cause a lot of other schools were really on lockdown. It’s really exciting; we have a lot of upperclassmen who know what they’re doing.

Do you guys have a season?

We have a season. Spring semester is our actual season. We’ll go to a few tournaments, go to sectionals, hopefully regionals if we’re really on top of our stuff. Nationals is out there. That’s also being super ambitious.

So is this come-one-come-all or are there tryouts?

We welcome anyone who comes. If you know what a frisbee looks like, that’s helpful. When I first started playing, I couldn’t throw a frisbee at all and here I am, senior year. A lot of people who come out, they might have a little bit of a sports background, but some people haven’t even played sports in highschool, and end up being really good.

What’s the level of student involvement? Are freshmen getting drawn in every year? Is it a pretty big part of UD life?

We like to think we are, at least. This year we’ve had a lot of freshmen join, which has been really cool, and then there’s also a pickup group of ultimate that’s not really part of the club, but a lot of our club people go out and play on Sundays behind the tower with alumni, and so that’s pretty cool. Getting integrated into the community.

Do you guys do other activities? Do you have meetings? Or is it mainly focusing on frisbee most of the time?

It’s mostly frisbee. But our goal is to foster a sense of community and family that everyone feels like they can come to – just destress and hang out with friends and also play a sport that we all love, and glorify God through that.

When did you join?

I joined my freshman year, midway through the fall semester.

And what’s that experience been like for you, being in the club for four years?

It’s been fantastic. I’ve made so many friends here at UD and then also with the greater Dallas Ultimate community. UDU is just a great group of people that ultimately want to have fun, meet new people, and do it in a way so that they can really solve their stress; and also, a little bit of competition can’t hurt.

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