Did you know Ultimate Frisbee is one of the few sports without a referee?

Run on an honesty system, Ultimate Frisbee supports players to self-referee and negotiate outcomes with their opposition during games.

“Ultimate Frisbee is about playing fair and being able to speak respectfully with your opponent and teammates to manage the game” said Dan Rule, High Performance and Business Development Manager at Ultimate Australia.

“Our new Fly program, aimed at secondary schools, helps to teach students these important skills, while learning and having fun with their peers” he said.

Fly is a Sporting Schools program from Ultimate Australia that uses a game-based approach to introduce Year 7 and 8 students to the fun and emerging team sport of Ultimate Frisbee.

The program not only provides physical benefits, but also promotes communication and conflict resolution skill development amongst students.

“The Fly program aligns with the physical literacy framework by enhancing the physical, psychological, social and cognitive learning of participants,” Dan added.

“Most children haven’t had much experience throwing a frisbee, so students that aren’t as involved in sport have a chance of excelling. The Fly program flips the typical hierarchy of a PE class.”

“When you use a soccer ball or a footy you usually have standout sporting stars because some children have already developed those skills. But with a frisbee, it levels the playing field,” Dan said.

The Fly program was piloted in secondary schools across three states before being added to the Term 4 Sporting Schools program, and has received overwhelmingly positive feedback from participating schools.

“Participants love the game-based approach, the novelty of using a frisbee and having ownership of how the game runs,” Dan said.

“Teachers particularly liked the social and cognitive aspect of the Fly program and that there are many opportunities for students’ personal growth.”

The Fly program is now available for Secondary Schools, to book a program or for more information visit Sporting Schools or the Find a Club website.