Ultimate Frisbee, a non-contact sport that originated in New Jersey, allows athletes all over the world the opportunity to put their athleticism to the test.
With the men’s team already established at Rowan, Marlaina Schiman took matters into her own hands to give women and those interested in playing with female-matching players the chance to join the fun.
This past fall, the women’s ultimate frisbee team was re-added to the list of club sports Rowan has to offer, under the name “The RUF Rosies.”
Schiman, who acts as president and captain of the women’s team, is also close with the men’s ultimate frisbee team and shared how much of a role they played in the re-creation.
“At some point last year, the captain told me I should start the women’s team, and I finally said ‘yes’ after saying ‘no’ for a while,” Schiman said. “I started planning it out, created a name for ourselves, and then started talking to friends, and friends of friends about anyone who would be interested in playing.”
She also credits Taleen Hamad for being her “right-hand man” in the process.
As far as getting the women’s ultimate team acknowledged as a club sport at Rowan, Schiman revealed that it was not too difficult, since there had already been one in the past, along with having the space to do so.
Unlike other sports, ultimate frisbee is more player-based, meaning there is more room for both freedom and fun on the field.
“The game is self-regulated, so there are no referees or coaches. The players themselves negotiate when there has been a foul, so it takes a level of maturity and responsibility,” Schiman said. “I just found that the people who are attracted to that are my kind of people, so that is why I wanted to start the team.”
Despite the absence of officials, however, ultimate frisbee is still just as competitive as the sports we enjoy on television.
Similar to the men’s team, the RUF Rosies hope to make their competitive debut in the coming semester.
“I’m looking to move us to a competitive level next fall. We’ll be doing some scrimmages in an unofficial way this semester,” Schiman said. “We’re not quite big enough yet to compete in the official competitions, so we have to build our roster a bit more.”
For those who are interested in getting involved with the RUF Rosies, the team will be holding a two-and-a-half-hour event on March 24. The no-commitment meet will allow participants to see what the game of ultimate frisbee is about, learn more about the team, and also allow them to try it out for themselves.
One of the main things the team strives for is inclusion and self-confidence.
“Men tend to be encouraged to play sports more than women, so I think it is important to stand for the women around me, and for them to be confident, capable people,” Schiman said.
Next fall, Schiman will also be entering her final year at Rowan, but before doing so, she wants to make sure the future of the RUF Rosies is in good hands.
“The biggest one [goal] is to build the team to about 14 to 20 players, so we can practice scrimmages when we are not playing games,” Schiman said. “Number two would be continuing to build their skills, and just genuinely understanding the game.”
Most of the players on the team right now were new to ultimate frisbee when they first started, meaning Schiman got the opportunity to teach them the art of the game she loves.
“I really want to leave behind a competitive team, one that is running well, understands the game, and is set up to continue going to competitions,” Schiman said. “I also want to leave behind a community of people who really enjoy each other and want to keep the sport alive.”
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