EASTHAM — An odd group of locals and visitors convenes on the infield of Nauset Regional High School’s track every Monday evening. Outermost Ultimate is their name, and ultimate frisbee is their game.
The group is open to everyone regardless of age, skill, or knowledge of the sport. The size of the crowd varies, but a faithful few ensure that, every week, ultimate goes on.
“We have a core, and then we get those who filter in and out,” says coordinator Steve Burke. “A lot of transient folks drop in for a game or two. Others stay for the summer.”
Those who observe “ultimate time” start gathering on the sidelines around 5:30. For “those who prefer to be punctual,” 6 p.m. is when the games begin. That, at least, is how Burke advertises the weekly pickup games on social media.
Burke arrives early to set up cones on the field. “Cool Kids” by Echosmith or “Chelsea Dagger” by the Fratellis might be on the loudspeaker. The players assemble, setting down drawstring bags and lacing up their cleats. The regulars greet one another, and newcomers are welcomed with friendly introductions.
As the sun sinks below the trees, frisbees start to fly. In pairs, players spread out across the field for practice throws before the official game starts.
Ultimate frisbee rules are fairly simple. Two teams of seven players each face one another. The frisbee may be passed in any direction, but no travelling is permitted. An incomplete pass is an instant turnover. Points are scored by catching the frisbee in the opposing team’s end zone.
Most important is enjoying the game. “There are moments of intensity,” says Freya Rich of Truro. “But overall, we’re just here to have fun.”
The official rules are set out on USA Ultimate’s website, which says “highly competitive play is encouraged, but never at the expense of mutual respect among competitors, adherence to the agreed upon rules, or the basic joy of play.”
The group began as Wellfleet Ultimate and played at Baker’s Field. When baseball and soccer teams, wind from the harbor, and no-see-ums drove the team from that location, Outermost Ultimate found a new home in Eastham.
“If we can muster enough people, we’ll do it year-round,” says Burke. During the fall, winter, and spring, the group meets at Wixon Elementary School in Dennis, a more central location for most of the year-round players, he says. Wixon also hosts Friday night pickup throughout the summer.
Outermost Ultimate is one of several ultimate frisbee groups on the Cape: Woods Hole Ultimate Frisbee, Sandwich Ultimate Masters Rec, Mid Cape Ultimate in Dennis, and Cotuit Ultimate. Together, they compose Cape Cod Ultimate Frisbee.
Bennett Hartley of Brewster has played with Outermost Ultimate since he was 11. Hartley graduated from Nauset Regional High School in 2021 and just finished his first year of competitive college play on the ultimate frisbee team at Northeastern University.
Ultimate frisbee runs in the family. Bennett’s mother, Marie Hartley, helped the USA Maine-iacs win the ultimate frisbee world championship in 1994. His aunt and uncle met playing frisbee, and now their three children compete in the sport. Every year around the Fourth of July, the Hartleys gather on the Cape for a frisbee-themed family reunion.
“I can’t remember when there weren’t frisbees in the house,” says Hartley. “It really is a dream come true to play ultimate competitively.”
For Freya Rich and Ruby Warner, both members of ultimate frisbee teams at Middlebury College, frisbee is all about community.
“The fact that we have new people at pickup every time is really awesome,” says Rich. “It’s really welcoming to people that have never played before, too. Everyone chips in to help teach.”
Rich has been playing pickup with Outercape Ultimate for as long as she can remember. Her father, Todd Schwebel of Truro, played ultimate frisbee in college and encouraged Freya and brother Zeno Schwebel to try it out.
“Pick-up at Baker’s Field was a weekly family activity,” says Rich. “We would prioritize it.”
Warner, who graduated from Nauset High in 2020, helped lead the Middlebury Pranksters to their second collegiate national title this spring. She joined Outermost Ultimate several summers ago at Freya’s request.
“One of the things that everyone loves about frisbee is the people that come to play,” says Hartley. Whether you are a 47-year-old home energy auditor, like Burke, or an ultimate frisbee national champion, there is a place for you in Eastham on Monday nights.
