Ultimate Frisbee has more than 5.1 million active participants nationwide. That’s more than lacrosse, field hockey, and track and field—all of which hold full varsity status. It’s no fringe sport.

Nonetheless, high school Ultimate is a struggle. Every day, teams are relegated to shredded fields, schools don't dispense a dime for the health of the team, coaches go unpaid, travel expenses are borne by parents, underprivileged members struggle to keep up with expenses, and teams remain in the eyes of the school “clubs,” or worse, “student led groups.”

Our team has done quite well in our circumstances, recruiting a thriving group of 30 members—but there is so much untapped potential. Despite our 10-hour a week practice schedule, our insurance policy, and our background checked coaches, our school still sees us as a student led group. We peddle Frisbees for a meager profit to make ends meet. A collection of dedicated but busy parents must drive the team to games because the expense of a bus is out of the question. And even players who can barely afford it must pay for hotels and jerseys because the team doesn’t have any money to do it for them.

It's hard to blame individual athletic departments, though. Asking them to prioritize an entity that the school recognizes as a "club" at the level of a varsity sport is a tall order indeed.

No, the power to change all this lies in the hands NYSPHSAA, the New York State Public High School Athletics Association. It’s up to NYSPHSAA to determine what varsity sports public schools in New York play, and if they recognize Ultimate, teams will finally get the treatment they deserve, and the sport will get the boost it needs to benefit thousands of high school students. How?

First, if we’re recognized as a NYSPHSAA Varsity sport instead of a club, skeptical athletes will be reassured of our legitimacy.

Second, with funding from schools, which is possible and required for NYSPHSAA recognized sports, children from less fortunate backgrounds will be able to participate.

Third, teams will receive more reliable transportation from buses, instead of parents who are often unavailable and unable to drive more than 4 people at at time.

Fourth, teams will more easily find willing coaches and mentors—and those coaches will be paid.

Fifth, teams will be given equal opportunity for Athletic fields reserved for NYSPHSAA sports.

And sixth, the recruiting channels of other conventional sports (athletics meetings, feeder programs, etc) will be open to Ultimate Frisbee, further increasing participation in varsity sports, especially among those who wouldn't otherwise participate.

But why do we deserve all this?

Ultimate Frisbee is egalitarian, safe, cost-effective, and rich in unique lessons to be learned. As much as any other sport, it deserves NYSPHSAA recognition.

Equality is central to the spirit of ultimate. Everyone has equal opportunity to get good. Virtually no one has played the sport before High School—which means that everyone, no matter what their previous athletic endeavors are, can put in hard work and practice and rise to the top. Because of its cost effectiveness, everyone, no matter how rich or poor, can participate. And because even at the highest level of play, teams are coed, women have the same opportunity as men to succeed. Even someone who has never played sports before, who is too intimidated to try a sport others have been playing for years, has an equal shot in Ultimate. It provides the golden opportunity for absolutely anyone, regardless of gender, socioeconomic status, or athletic history, to start anew, to be brave and try something different. Even people who wouldn’t otherwise play a sport.

Logistically, too, Ultimate shines. All you need is a field and a disc and you have a game going. Since it’s self officiated, even referees aren’t needed. And the sport is non-contact, so injuries are far less common. No lawsuits, no healthcare, no refs, no equipment—in other words, more cost effective than any other high school sport.

But perhaps most important are the lessons Ultimate teaches. It teaches skills in conflict resolution, because the game is self officiated. It teaches honesty for the same reasons. Due to our complex offensive tactics, communication on the field is paramount. So, too, is planning. And due to the need for open space on the field, people often learn that they are not always the center of attention on the field. Instead, they are one of seven players, and they can’t always be the one to catch the Frisbee. This lesson is probably one of the most valuable lessons an ego-centric human (i.e. pretty much everyone, ever) can learn.

We think, then, that you’ll agree that spreading Ultimate Frisbee is an extremely important and beneficial goal for our youth. And it is up to NYSPHSAA to help us with that.

Even the International Olympic Committee has recognized Ultimate Frisbee as a sport. It’s time for NYSPHSAA to get on board.