Ultimate frisbee is a delicate combination of athleticism and precision, grit and grace. It is a highly competitive sport in the Mid-Atlantic region, with teams like UNC Wilmington and UNC Chapel Hill regularly making appearances in national collegiate club championships.
Liberty has its own club men’s team, and it is here that sophomore handler Jacob Norman has found an outlet for his passion. Norman has played ultimate for the past seven years and said he has learned many lessons during his time in this unique sport.
“Ultimate is the ultimate team sport,” Norman said. “You can’t score with one person. … You have to be so selfless to be a good ultimate team, and for everyone to buy into that. It’s so fun to watch when it happens.”
Before attending Liberty, Norman played on the Pittsburg Impulse, an elite U-20 club team, in a Youth Club Championships league. It is the most elite league for youth ultimate in the country, and each year Norman traveled to Blaine, Minnesota to compete against other clubs across the country.
The experience Norman gained while playing YCC has been invaluable to Liberty. And while Norman does not officially hold the title of captain, his attitude and demeanor have a great impact on the team.
“I do play a bigger role in terms of emotional leader,” Norman said. “My role is to just compete as much as I can and drive everyone to be the best they possibly can at the same time. I just want to make everyone better by what I’m doing.”
Sophomore captain Sam Petersen acknowledged the large influence Norman has on the team. Petersen said that he has known Norman since his first week at Liberty, and they have become close friends. When asked what Norman brings to the team, Petersen had nothing but high praise for Norman.
“He is a fiery and passionate player that sets high standards for himself and for the team,” Petersen said. “A lot of guys look up to him as a leader because of obvious passion for our team to succeed. His optimistic spirit helps the team morale whenever we face adversity.”
The Flames have had their fair share of adversity to face this year. In addition to having multiple changes in the coaching position, the Flames have seen their roster numbers drop from last year’s 31 to 18. Additionally, five of those 18 players are freshmen or are playing their first year of organized ultimate.
Despite the lack of experience that comes with that much roster turnover, Norman has expressed optimism about the incoming class of first-time
players.
“I’m very pleased with the freshmen this year,” Norman said. “Every single one on the team this year is driven and committed, which will eventually make us finish better than we did last year even though we have a drop off in numbers and depth.”
My role is just to compete as much as I can and drive everyone to be the best they possibly can at the same time.
Jacob Norman
Both Norman and Petersen expressed optimism about where the team will finish at the end of the season. The Flames lost on the last point to George Mason in last year’s sectional tournament, missing out on the chance to become the first Flames men’s team to make it to the regional tournament.
However, Norman thinks that with the right mindset, this year’s team will finally break that barrier.
“We have the pieces,” Norman said. “We need to just go into games expecting to win, not just to play a game of ultimate. We need to have a winning, championship mentality.”