It may have been cooler and a bit rainy on Saturday, Oct. 11, but that did not stop Hamburg’s First Ultimate Frisbee Tournament from taking place at the Hamburg Park. In fact, many commented that it was the perfect weather as they were dressed in long sleeve shirts and sweatshirts with shorts and for some cleats and others sneakers. Teams and bystanders were at the park early to register, stretch, warm-up and plan for the competition and in some cases narrow down the choices for their team’s name.
The event was organized by The Bridge Church’s worship and young adults pastor Josh Shaffer with help from TBC members and volunteers. For the first event, there were approximately 40 people which was very encouraging to Shaffer.
“We have about 40 people this year so we definitely want to do it again,” said Shaffer, who is hoping to double that number next year.
Members of the church wanted to do something to help the community in some way which led to the idea for the tournament.
“We were brainstorming for ways to fundraise for the community and came up with Ultimate Frisbee. It’s something that’s big for our age group,” he said.
Proceeds from the event went to the Keystone Warriors Foundation which helps not only the service men and women, but also their families. That was part of what drew Shaffer and the group to the foundation as there are many organizations that help those in the military, but not as many that help their families as well.
With music playing, the players took their chance to test the slick conditions as they warmed up in front of the stage before heading over to the two playing fields. Shaffer went over the rules before it was time for the first game. Games consisted of two 15 minute quarters making each game about 30 minutes. If a game was tied at the end of time, there would be three minutes of sudden death.
“Thanks guys,” said Shaffer at the end of the explanation. “Be safe, have fun.”
The second game started a bit after the first giving two of the teams a chance to watch the other teams and work a bit more on their strategy. Games were fast paced with players running quickly around the field, jumping to block passes and score points and of course quite a few sliding on the wet grass. Fans and players all had smiles on their faces.
For more on the Keystone Warriors Foundation visit www.keystonewarriorsfoundation.org and for more on TBC visit www.hamburgbridge.com.
