Whether a player is joining the team with years of experience or coming in having never touched a Frisbee disc before, the Michigan State Women’s Ultimate Frisbee team, or “Moose,” strives to create a strong team culture for all.
Many players felt welcomed at the Ultimate table at Sparticipation, the large student organization fair that kicks off the new academic year, despite their lack of experience. They gave the team a shot by attending practice, and quickly fell in love with the sport.
“I found their table at Sparticipation last fall and it sounded like fun,” Emma Sutton, a sophomore and second year player, said. “The people at the table were really nice and welcoming to new people who haven’t played before.”
Sophomore and new player Anishi Desai described a similar experience at Sparticipation, being welcomed by smiles and encouraging words.
“They were really reassuring about the fact that I had no experience and that they would help me,” Desai said. “And I continue to see that. They make anybody feel like they’re a part of the team and they try to give advice and support you.”
Senior captain and four year player Hana Duncan hopes to give new players the same experience she has had with Ultimate.
“I looked up to those older than me and prided them as being good role models,” Duncan said. “They showed me how to balance school while also having a fun social life and playing a sport that keeps me mentally and physically healthy. Now that I am the role model, I just hope I am doing half as good as those who were previous captains.”
Ultimate consists of two teams of seven players on a field about the same length as a football field. Each team defends one end of the field, and they score a goal if one of their players catches the disc in the opposite end.
The roster consists of 23 players from different backgrounds, athletically and personally, and the team spends a lot of time together on and off the field. They build their team culture as well as their playing skills. The team practices year-round and competes against other teams across the country.
Their spring schedule is not yet established, but the team had a busy fall, attending Wolverine Warmup, hosted by the University of Michigan; Boiler Breakaway, hosted by Purdue; and hosting their own scrimmage at MSU, with UM, Grand Valley State, Davenport and a community team which had a mixture of alumni and female players in the area.
“Purdue, I think, is where we have a little bit of a rivalry,” Desai said. “Especially at the last Indiana tournament, I think we made it a team goal to not only better ourselves, but also go back and go against them and beat them next time.”
During the winter months, the team practices indoors at the IM West Turf Fields and MSU Duffy Daugherty Football Center. Finding time in their busy schedules as students as well as working around other MSU athletic teams, the Moose are always willing to find a way to get in some practice time.
Each practice is two hours, Mondays from 7 to 9 p.m. and Wednesdays from 10 p.m. to midnight.
“It’s a lot more running than you would expect,” MSU and Moose alumna Sydney Miller said. “Once you get into the higher level, we’re running the equivalent of a marathon every weekend in the summer, and it’s a lot on your body, but it’s fun.”
Miller came to the team in 2018 from Minnesota, having played in high school since 2015. She now plays at the higher level ultimate leagues, including Autonomous Frisbee and Detroit Winter Frisbee League.
“I seek out Frisbee teams that are close-knit and try to make deep relationships with my teammates, because it’s more fun to play when you’re around people you like,” Miller said. “And I found that at MSU.”
When they’re not at practice or in class, the women get together for bondings at the Moose House, so-named because it is where a group of players live, and spend hours traveling to tournaments with one another.
Many players’ described a highlight of their time on the team being a tournament in Pittsburgh, in which they rented an airbnb together and were able to grow their friendships.
“We had so many laughs and bonding moments that I will never forget,” junior and third year player Ella Krause said.
What keeps these players around through the late practice times and miles of running is this dynamic and culture of the team.
“The dynamic of the whole team is really welcoming and playful,” Desai said. “But when we need to be serious, we can be serious and work well together. There’s a good balance.”
One of the determining factors of this team dynamic is the team name.
MSU has had a Women’s Ultimate team since 1981. It began going by the name “Fishheads” in 1982, and the name has continued to change over the years. As the team would show up to tournaments, opposing teams had no idea what the name on the bracket would be for the Women’s Ultimate team.
The team became infamous for changing their name, or, “infa-moose.”
“Each year, the team has a very distinct culture that really draws in new people,” Miller said. “The name of the team reflects the current culture, and I really like that about MSU’s women’s ultimate frisbee team.”
In the early 2000s, the team adopted this name of “Infa-moose,” and in the past couple of years, the players have dropped off the first part of the name, and just become “Moose.”
“Being a moose to me means being there for one another no matter what,” Krause said.
No matter what being a “Moose” means to each individual player, they have all developed this culture of being a moose, sticking together, and welcoming each other in.
“I love Moose so much,” Duncan said. “Without a doubt, Moose has made my time here complete…Moose has given me some of my best friends along with a network of alumni around the country that I know will always lend an ear if I need it.”
In order to continue to grow this “Moose” mentality, the team awards a player the MVP award of the “Golden Moose” after each tournament.
Miller fondly remembers the time she won the Golden Moose award, a plastic container in the shape of a moose painted gold by one of the players, which each teammate signs and dates after winning the MVP award.
“The very last tournament of my senior year, the very last point of the very last game, me and two other captains were graduating that spring and that fall, so it was our last tournament in college,” Miller said. “We got to pass the disc around between all of us on the way down to scoring. It was really magical and I would never replace that moment in a million years.”
Through the rain and mud, the team won the game against Northwestern and Miller was awarded the Golden Moose.
The team is looking forward to their spring season, hoping to place at nationals and continue to develop the “Moose” culture.