Mia Rivers | Loyolan
It’s another sunny Sunday at LMU’s beloved Sunken Garden, where circles of friends debrief the night prior, early risers catch a morning tan and students sprawl across blankets with books and unfinished assignments. Now, joining the scene midday and making their mark with bright orange cones and speedy running drills is LMU’s new Ultimate Frisbee Club, created especially for women and nonbinary players.
Mira Chasen, entrepreneurship major and founder of LMU’s Ultimate Frisbee Club, is no stranger to trying out new sports. From playing a plethora of different sports in high school to trying out ultimate frisbee during her senior year, she knew what to expect stepping onto the field for the first time — or so she thought. What she found was a niche, exciting community unlike anything she’d ever experienced.
“There’s more of a community aspect than a lot of other sports … People are very passionate about this sport,” said Chasen. “All of the coaches are all volunteers. The coach that I got for the team just loves frisbee so much and is doing it for free.”
Mia Rivers | Loyolan
The support surrounding ultimate frisbee was a stark change for Chasen, especially following some negative experiences she had had in athletics.
“I’ve had some bad experiences where I felt like the team was kind of toxic and in the way that if you did bad, they would genuinely be upset and that’s just not the case here,” said Chasen. “It’s very uplifting and I feel like I’ve looked at team sports differently since starting.”
Mia Rivers | Loyolan
With ultimate frisbee having such a foundation of support, it’s no surprise that members such as Gabriella Robbins, political science major, found that the club has positively impacted their campus experience.
“I’m someone who’s always had a negative association with exercise because that’s a thing that was forced on me by my parents. I had to play soccer,” said Robbins. “So, having something that I’m choosing to do that’s not just the sterile quality of the gym … I’ve met new people through the club and I like that it’s women-centered … It’s a great experience.”
Mia Rivers | Loyolan
With eager coaches, a committed leader in Chasen and motivated founding members like Robbins, the club is the perfect middle ground between sports intensity and low-pressure activity.
“I think my favorite thing about this team in particular is that our coach and leadership is very strong. That makes it feel like more of a commitment, and then that helps me come back,” said Robbins. “Our coach is really good with doing a lot of drills and setting up cones, so it feels more official even though it’s smaller.”
Mia Rivers | Loyolan
While the club may be on the smaller side for now, Robbins and Chasen, both underclassmen, have grand visions for the team before graduating.
“I think it would be really fun for us to have a field trip or a team day off campus where we go watch another team that’s maybe very skilled, more of a professional level of play,” said Robbins. “I’d love to see the team grow to a size that was able to compete … to at least have that experience would be really amazing.”
Chasen, echoing a similar thought, said, “The goal is to eventually play in tournaments with other schools.”
Mia Rivers | Loyolan
Practice is every Sunday at noon on Sunken Garden, and as a newly founded group, they are actively seeking new players to join them on the field. Students interested can follow them on Instagram for more updates.
Mia Rivers | Loyolan
“Sunken Garden, how beautiful the weather is here. It’s been a great way to take advantage of that and have more joy in my life. I don’t know if that’s exactly why I started, but that’s why I continued to play,” said Robbins.
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