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Hey Girls! I’m Mel Lozano, and I’m an Ultimate Frisbee player from Manila. Ultimate isn’t very mainstream… in fact you probably think we all throw Frisbees for dogs to fetch (normal reaction) so I figure I’ll start this off by telling you a bit about the sport.

At this point, there are roughly 400-500 active Ultimate players in different clubs all over the country. In Manila alone, Ultimate Frisbee is played about 6 times a week in 2-3 different locations. The Philippines are represented by an official Philippine Team (Team Pilipinas) made up of both male and female players. And since the game mandates at least a 4:3 male: female ratio, women have really taken an interest in the sport.

But when I first started playing, there definitely weren’t as many girls playing as there are now. I think since times are changing and girls are becoming more empowered they aren’t afraid to get out there and have a go. Now, I’m proud to say that Manila has the only competitive Women’s League in South East Asia. Filipinas are monsters on the field!

The cool thing about Ultimate is that it’s a pretty friendly game, which makes it more inviting to join up. It’s all about sportsmanship. There are no refs and the players make the calls – so you really have to trust your players and your opponents. And I really like that spirit of camaraderie. Plus, you make tons of friends playing because there are usually a bunch of like-minded – super chill, super cool – people playing.

Ultimate is a great workout – it’s a hybrid of football (soccer) and basketball. You’re basically running around the field and trying to get the Frisbee in your end zone. It’s like a training session in itself. You have to be quick, and you have to be agile. So on the days I don’t play, it’s really important to train so I can keep my cardio skills up to par. The last thing you want to do is huff and puff out there on the field.

Well, I think that’s about it for now. Hopefully you’ll check out some local leagues – it’s an awesome game! Check back later for more blog posts!

Cheers!

Mel