On Saturday, April 3rd, students from across Colorado gathered for a bracket-style ultimate frisbee tournament. The weather was nice, with minimal wind and no overbearing heat.
The tournament was largely put on by Mary Rosenberg, a former Littleton art teacher and current substitute teacher. Rosenberg’s decades of ultimate frisbee experience have given her the expertise to coach the sport, all the while empowering young athletes to demonstrate athletic leadership in a sport that has traditionally struggled to be inclusive or equitable.
“I was motivated to provide a playing opportunity for girls in a safe and supportive environment. We also focused on honoring the involvement of non-binary players and being welcoming to trans girls,” said Rosenberg in an email. “Inequity is clear in pro sports evidenced by unequal pay and media coverage. High schools have a harder time finding girls to play ultimate than boys.”
The tournament served as an event for teams and individuals to showcase their ultimate skills while fostering an environment with a clear message: everyone is welcome here.
Sydney Selby, a senior at Monarch High School, competed in the tournament with her teammates from Monarch’s Girls Ultimate Frisbee team.
“It’s been a really great time,” said Selby. “We’ve been having a lot of fun.”
Although the girls had been playing for hours at that point, many touted smiles and shouts of encouragement for one another; there was no lack of excitement nor energy, with each person honoring the effort put into the sport in order to succeed.
“We’ve had really good music,” said Selby. “Just a fun time on the sideline and on the field.”
Although most participants were not from Littleton, freshmen Maren Moore and Sam Denman demonstrated admirable sportsmanship and dedication on the field, often playing alongside girls they didn’t know.
“At Littleton, girls sometimes get involved in too many activities or no activities at all and neglect their physical self. The benefits of exercise, teamwork, finding a sense of belonging and more nurture physical and mental health. Finding balance between our important work and self-care is a challenge. Playing sports in school gives girls practice in finding this balance,” said Rosenberg.
Overall, the day was fantastically successful, bringing players from all across the state together for a tournament promoting camaraderie, perseverance, and growth on both the individual and team levels.
Selby emphasized the importance of inclusivity in high school sports. “I’d love to see more female players out on the field and growing the program, at Monarch and just in girl’s frisbee in general.”
Rosenberg concurred, stating that she hopes to form a Littleton Girls Ultimate Frisbee team at some point in the future, and aspires to continue putting on events such as this one.