When did you first start playing Ultimate?
I first started playing like two weeks before tryouts in [Junior] year. On my revisit day when I was in eighth grade, I saw Cluster Ultimate playing on the Gelb lawn, and I thought that that’s something I [would] want to do. Two weeks before tryouts, I started preparing, and I talked to some of my friends who played Ultimate, and I made the team [Junior] year.
What have you learned from playing Ultimate at Andover?
I think what I’ve learned the most is how to lead from the captains I’ve had in the past. [Junior] year, Lower year, and Upper year, I really looked up to the Seniors on the team, especially the captains. They were role models; they taught us how to listen, how to put in the work and pick something and be good at it, which is something I’ve learned from my three years on the team. I was hoping to be that for the [Juniors] and Lowers on the team this year, but unfortunately, that’s not going to happen. [a]
What is your favorite team tradition?
I love our cheers, and before games, our cheers are very intense. We gather around a disc and we hold the disc with our left hand and rotate it side to side. The captains are the ones who do the cheers, and everyone else repeats the cheer after them, and it helps us get into the zone and get ready to bring the intensity. That’s something we always do before a game.
How are you trying to connect with your team despite being off-campus?
We’ve had a couple Zoom sessions just to gather the team around and talk about next season and what they can do to prepare for next season. The Zoom sessions have been really helpful to keep in touch. We’ve also been talking in a group chat, and we’re all pretty close friends [whether someone is] a Lower or a Senior.
