If you’re looking for a sport to play, or an extra class to take for that little bit of credit you need, Las Positas College offers Ultimate Frisbee for physical education. Taught by longtime teacher and alumni Kerry Karter, who has been teaching it for more than 20 years, the class takes place Mondays at 6 p.m. at the LPC soccer fields.7
The class goes through the basics of playing the game, some advanced gameplay and lots of being thrown into the game to see how you play with no instruction.
“Some of the things that we do in the class is learn how to throw a Frisbee, run routes, learn the rules to playing, drills for throwing and play games during the class,” LPC student Brian Finnie said.
He is one of few students taking the class for a second time because he enjoyed it.
Some of the drills combine skills needed to play the game, from throwing the disk to each other, running routes and throwing different ways to the routes and even throwing deep for scoring points. Going through the class, Coach Karter really emphasizes the importance of knowing how to throw the disk, and cutting in and out of routes to get the disk downfield.
“For new students, I just get them to be able to throw a Frisbee effectively, because that takes a while, and it’s like teaching little five-year-old kids how to kick a soccer ball,” Karter said, regarding what he wants to get across to the class. “For the veterans and guys on the team, it’s more about strategy of the game, how to set up plays and movement of the disc.”
Ultimate Frisbee is a fast-paced game, where one is constantly moving and never trying to stay in one place, waiting for the game to advance. You can’t just get into the game and know what you’re doing the first day. Being conditioned will especially help also.
“It’s conditioning. If you really want to play ultimate, you want to be in great shape,” Karter said. “There is no sport where you’re in better cardiovascular shape.”
Even for running in the sport, it doesn’t turn out to be a lot of running. There are breaks when one can have water, and the students like it.
“I think Coach Karter is a great teacher because he’s great with helping the students, and making the game of ultimate fun for everyone,” Finnie said.
It’s not often that you get a chance to learn something from an expert.