[FIRST MATCH FRIDAY V. BELMONT] Lipscomb Ultimate: Story behind mystery team

[FIRST MATCH FRIDAY V. BELMONT] Lipscomb Ultimate: Story behind mystery team

For most Lipscomb students, playing Ultimate Frisbee is only a hobby. But for a small group of students it is a full-blown sport. Jordan Bates, a Senior marketing major from Nashville, got the idea to start the Ultimate team in 2009 after watching some other people play. “I just saw a lot of people playing Ultimate in intramurals, and I thought that a lot of people had the potential to be really good,” Bates said. “We’ve grown and gotten a lot better since that point.” After the idea of the team came together, the next step was actually to turn that idea into action. The suggestion of an Ultimate Frisbee team was presented to SGA in order to get the appropriate funds for jerseys and tournament entry fees. “I think it was good exposure for the school, and it gets more people involved with extra curricular activities on campus,” Bates said. “They have been kind enough thus far to give us really good funding to enter tournaments.” The Ultimate circuit is not defined in conferences like the rest of the sports at Lipscomb. Instead, the region divisions are called “sections.” Lipscomb is in the Alabama section along with teams like Auburn, Alabama, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Vanderbilt and several other large schools. “It’s a pretty big deal in college,” Bates said. “Most schools have a team, if not two.” Don’t think that just because Lipscomb is competing against larger schools that they cannot contend. Last season the Bisons came in seventh out of 20 teams in their sectional tournament. “It feels great knowing that we are lining up with big SEC...