At first, the words are jumbled. Chants are heard from a distance. But what do they mean?
Inching closer and closer, the aroma of fresh grass whisks its way into the nose. Light posts enclose the field. Bright orange cones stretch out so far, they look like dots in the distance. The field is as long as a football field. The sun blinds the eyes, but the ears can now hear the words. Lo and behold, it’s a pickup game for ultimate, a game similar to frisbee.

“Up!” they yell. “Left. Left. Left.” During a drill, they warn each other where the disc is. Then, senior Valentino Maes makes his way to the game. He fits in with the guys. His height is a factor, but his skill is what hides the distinction.

“If he were to go to University of the Pacific, he’d be on the team,” Joshua Bates, assistant coach of the ultimate team, said.

His veins popping out, his hair at max height, his arm extended full length, his legs in stride and then in the air, the thrower makes a huck, similar to a Hail Mary. Maes reaches for the disc. “Someone guard Tino,” a voice is heard off in the distance. A swift move, and then Maes with the point. “I started playing in P.E.,” Maes said. “Then I just started practicing with the team.” Unlike in the gym, two steps are not allowed to be taken. Where the disc is caught is where the disc is thrown. It’s more competitive playing with the team at UOP, he said. “It’s more organized and fast-paced. It’s advanced.”

Maes is able to keep up with the other players, despite being a beginner. “He has good hands,” Bates said. “He’d be a great cutter.”

Maes’ quick feet are beneficial to playing well as one of the two positions in the game, the other being thrower. These pickup games have been going on for about 15 years, according to Bates. However, this is the first year that the private college has had an official team. The reason it took so long to get a team going, according to Bates, is because of not being able to get players to try out. According to Bates, a half to three-fourths of the pickup games have actual college players participating and the rest are stragglers.

“We have open practices for anyone who is serious about the sport,” he said. “Tino can come if he’d like.” However, the pick up games are more for fun “and to learn if they want. Nothing is forced.”

“They are friendly, very kind people,” Maes said. His favorite thing about the atmosphere is that he can just go out there and have fun. Ultimate, a “competitive yet spirited” sport, according to Bates, has intrigued Maes so much that he plans on playing it in college “if they have a team,” he said.

“I (find) it amusing that it’s like football, and that’s my favorite sport.” Maes found the ad online inviting all those who want to attend the games played on Sunday at 3. “I found a love for it.”
It’s not everyday that a high school student gets to practice with a college team in any sport.

When Maes is out on the field, he is excited because he knows he wants to make big plays. “I want to surprise them.” “When you find something you’re really good at,” Maes said, “you want to keep doing it.”

“Any college would be lucky to have him,” Bates said.