I moved into my house in Silver Spring, Maryland without knowing what was waiting for me one block away.
Every Sunday morning for thirty years, rain, snow, mini tornadoes, whatever, a group of people had been gathering at Nolte Local Park to play Ultimate Frisbee. I had no idea. I just bought a house that happened to be steps from one of the oldest continuous pickup games in the entire country.
The game found me before I found the game.
It started with my friend. We shared a nanny for our baby boys, and he was a former college football wide receiver. Athletic, fast, competitive. One day he asked if I wanted to come play Frisbee with him down the street. I said sure.
That first game taught me everything I needed to know about what makes Ultimate special. Someone threw the disc to my buddy, and I went up for it like I was grabbing a basketball rebound. Full contact. Crashed right into him. The game stopped immediately.
"Hey," someone said firmly but kindly. "This is Ultimate Frisbee. There's no contact."
But they did not kick me out. They did not mock me. They explained the rule, welcomed me back into the game, and let me keep playing. That moment captured everything beautiful about this sport. I never made full contact again.
Twenty years later, I still play at Nolte almost every Sunday. And now I am the one explaining the rules to newcomers who crash into people.
The Magic of Pickup
Pickup is the heartbeat of Ultimate Frisbee. It is where beginners become intermediate players, where intermediate players sharpen their game against better competition, and where veterans stay connected to the community they love.
Here is what makes pickup different from organized leagues or tournaments: there is no commitment. You just show up. Teams form on the spot. You play with whoever is there. When you are tired, you sub out. When you want back in, you sub back in. It is beautiful chaos.
When I first started playing, I had a newborn baby at home. Pickup became my two hours of freedom every week. I could leave everything behind and just be outside in the fresh air, running and throwing and catching. It gave me athletic goals again. It unleashed something competitive inside me that had been dormant since my college days.
And the community embraced me. Ultimate has this incredible culture where everyone tries to involve new players. People actively look for opportunities to get the disc to newcomers just to test their abilities. I was pleasantly surprised to discover I actually had skills. All those years throwing Frisbee with my dad. All that racquetball that gave me wrist strength. The sport rewarded abilities I did not even know I had.
How to Find Pickup Games
- Facebook Groups: Search "[Your City] Ultimate Frisbee" and you will find local groups that post pickup schedules, locations, and updates.
- USA Ultimate Pickup Finder: The official governing body maintains a database of pickup games across the country.
- Ask at Local Fields: If you see people playing, walk up and ask when they meet. Ultimate players are almost universally welcoming.
- Word of Mouth: Go to one game, and you will hear about five more. The community is connected.
- Local Ultimate Organizations: Every major city has some kind of organizing body. In DC, we have WAFC, the Washington Area Frisbee Club. Google "[City] Ultimate Frisbee organization" and you will find yours.
Pickup Etiquette: The Unwritten Rules
Substitutions: Most pickup games use a system called "last back." When the other team scores, someone calls "last two back" or whatever number, and that many people on the scoring team's side rotate off. New players from the sideline jump in. Watch this closely when you arrive at a new game.
Take breaks: When I first started, I thought I had to stay in as long as possible to prove myself. Bad idea. Now I take breaks strategically. When you step off the field, you get to talk with people and build relationships, throw with others who are resting, watch the game from a different perspective, and reset mentally if you have made a few mistakes.
Communication matters: Most pickup games have very little verbal communication. People just play. But as I have gotten more confident, I have become more vocal. I tell cutters where I want them to go. I call for the disc. I give encouragement after good plays and support after mistakes. Even if others stay quiet, your communication helps everyone play better.
Support the learners: I make a point to throw to newer players, even knowing they might drop it. When they mess up, I tell them: "You were so close. You will get it next time." When they do catch it or make a good throw, those little milestones might be the moment that transforms their game. You helped create that.
Mistakes happen, let them go: Pickup is not that serious. Yes, nobody wants to lose. Yes, you should try hard. But getting upset about turnovers poisons the vibe. You are running and throwing a disc in the air with a group of people who share the same passion. There is nothing else like it.
Weather Warriors
At Nolte, the Sunday game happens no matter what. For thirty years. Every single Sunday.
Ten degrees? We play. Snow on the ground? We play. Mini tornadoes and forty mile per hour gusts? We play. I have been out there in conditions that made throwing nearly impossible. The disc would blade sideways. Catches turned into wrestling matches with the wind.
But it sucked for everybody equally. And there is a certain camaraderie that forms when you play through brutal conditions together. You do not see people playing basketball or soccer in those conditions. But Ultimate players show up. That says something about the sport and how much it means to us.
Pickup While Traveling: Instant Family
When you play Ultimate, you become part of a family that extends across the country.
I traveled to Minneapolis and found a Facebook group listing their pickup schedule. I showed up at the field, introduced myself, subbed in, and played. Nobody asked for credentials. Nobody questioned whether I belonged. They just welcomed me and threw me the disc.
In Las Vegas, I found a pickup game with a completely different vibe. One guy always carries a Bluetooth speaker in his left hand while he plays, blasting music the entire time. He plays one handed because his other hand is holding the speaker. The whole atmosphere was more party than competition.
After the game, I needed a ride back to my hotel. I mentioned it casually, and someone said "Sure, I will take you." No hesitation. That is the Ultimate community.
The Legends of Local Pickup
Nolte: Thirty years and counting. The Nolte pickup game has been running every Sunday for thirty years. Jerry Mindes, who helped start Ultimate Frisbee back at Columbia High School in the early 1970s, has been playing there for years. One of the founders of the entire sport plays at the same pickup game I stumbled upon by moving one block away. It feels historic. It feels like destiny.
Hyattsville: The gold standard of organization. I have never seen a pickup group as organized as Hyattsville, run by Jarrod Bailey. Jarrod brings music with a Frisbee specific playlist. When it is cold, he brings heat lamps. When it is hot, he brings misting fans. He provides Gatorade for everyone. He created a logo for the group, put it on discs and clothing, and made flyers for recruitment. Hyattsville has lights, so they play year round, Tuesday and Thursday nights at 5 PM even through winter. They even host an annual hat tournament called the Turkey Toss. This is what pickup can become when someone with vision puts energy into building community.
SMSgo: Organize Your Own Game
For years, our Wednesday and Friday games struggled with the same problem: nobody knew who was showing up. Not everyone uses Facebook. Not everyone checks email. But everyone has text messaging.
So I built SMSgo.
When we are thinking about having a game, I send a message to all 100 people in my network: "We are thinking about playing Wednesday at 5 PM. We need 8 players. Reply YES if you can make it."
People reply YES or YES+1, meaning they are bringing someone. The system tallies responses automatically. Once we hit the threshold, eight players for 4 versus 4, it sends another message: "Game is ON. Here is who said YES. See you there."
Players can text STATUS anytime to see the current headcount. If we are close to the threshold but not quite there, the system automatically sends a nudge: "We have got 6 players confirmed, just need 2 more! Reply YES if you can make it." That gentle reminder often pulls in the final players needed.
This system revolutionized our games. We did not have Friday pickup for three years. After I built this, we had Friday games almost every week. Same with Wednesdays. For about a dollar per event, the cost of sending text messages, I can coordinate outreach to my entire network without a single chaotic group text thread.
If you want to start or strengthen a pickup community in your area, something like this can make all the difference. Visit SMSgo.org to learn more about how the system works, or reach out to me if you want help setting up something similar for your community.
Moving Beyond Pickup: The Pathway
Middle school Ultimate: The sport is growing fast at this level. Jim Pistrang has been coaching middle school Ultimate in Amherst, Massachusetts for over thirty years. He runs a dual track program: intramural leagues open to all 5th through 8th graders, that is sixty to seventy kids, and a travel team for those who want more competition. In the DC area, WAFC runs middle school leagues. If your school does not have a team, ask about starting one.
High school Ultimate: Urban and suburban schools are more likely to have established programs, but the sport is spreading into rural areas too. If your high school does not have a team, you can often play for a nearby school that does. Blair High School in Maryland, for example, has players from five different schools on its roster.
College Ultimate: Most colleges now have Ultimate clubs or teams. This is often where recreational players get their first taste of organized competition with practices, drills, tournaments, and the path toward Sectionals and Regionals. If you are heading to college, search for your school's Ultimate club before you arrive.
Club teams: Club teams exist at every level, from casual regional squads to elite national competitors.
- Elite clubs like Truck Stop in DC, Pony, and Fury compete at the highest levels and feed into USA Ultimate's championship series: Sectionals, Regionals, and Nationals.
- Regional clubs like Obelisk and Beef Depot in DC offer competitive play without the elite level commitment. More structured than pickup, but still accessible.
- Age division teams compete against others in the same age bracket. As a Great Grandmaster, I have connected with teams like Magma here in DC.
How to find club teams: the honest answer is networking. Go to pickup games and ask around. Search Facebook for "[City] Ultimate club teams." Check USA Ultimate's club directory. Ask veterans at your local games who plays where. Finding tryout information is frustrating because there is no central database. Teams announce tryouts through their own channels. The solution is persistence: keep asking, keep showing up, and eventually you will find your way in.
Organized leagues: Every major city has league structures. In DC, WAFC runs leagues year round with different formats: night leagues, weekend leagues, various skill tiers. Leagues are more serious than pickup. You commit to a schedule. You have teammates counting on you. Google "[City] Ultimate Frisbee league" to find options in your area.
Starting Your Own Pickup Game
Maybe there is no pickup near you. Maybe you want to build something new. Here is what you need:
- A field: Public parks work great. Look for flat, open grass with enough space for a standard Ultimate field.
- Cones: Bring your own to mark the end zones.
- People: This is the hard part. You need at least 8 to 10 for a decent game, and ideally 30 to 40 in your network so you consistently get enough players.
- A communication system: Facebook groups work. Group texts work. SMSgo works better than both because everyone actually sees text messages and the threshold automation solves the "who is actually coming" problem. Visit SMSgo.org to get started.
- Consistency: Pick a day and time and stick with it. The Nolte game is every Sunday at 10 AM. Has been for thirty years. That consistency is why it still exists.
Start small. Invite friends. Post in local Ultimate groups. Show up even when only four people come and just throw around. The game will grow if you keep showing up.
Wrap Up
◆ Pickup is the heartbeat of Ultimate. It is where beginners become intermediate players and where veterans stay connected to the community.
◆ When you show up to a new game, play smart and earn trust before trying to be a hero.
◆ Support newer players by throwing to them, encouraging them, and letting mistakes go.
◆ Weather warriors play in anything. The camaraderie of brutal conditions bonds a community like nothing else.
◆ Ultimate gives you instant family when you travel. Show up to any pickup game in the country and you belong.
◆ SMSgo solves the "who is actually coming" problem with threshold automation and private replies. Visit SMSgo.org to organize your own games.
◆ The pathway from pickup goes through middle school, high school, college, club teams, leagues, and age division competition. There is a place for everyone at every level.
◆ If there is no pickup near you, start one. A field, cones, people, consistency, and a communication system. That is all you need.
Mentor's Closing
I bought a house one block from Nolte Local Park without knowing that the oldest continuous pickup game in the area was happening right there every Sunday morning.
Twenty years later, that game has given me more than any other activity in my life. It has given me friends. It has given me fitness. It has given me stories. It has given me a community that shows up rain, snow, or shine. It has given me the chance to teach my sons Luke and Eric the sport I love. And it has given me the material for this book.
The game found me. And I promise you, if you go looking, it will find you too.
Search for your local pickup. Show up. Introduce yourself. Do not crash into anyone. And when you catch that first throw and look up and see a field full of smiling, sweating, disc chasing people who are genuinely happy you showed up, you will understand why this sport hooks people for life.
The field is waiting. Go find your Nolte. :)