By Lisa McMahan
Most classes at UP are held in Franz, Buckley or Shiley Halls, where students learn from a sitting position. This fall, however, the School of Education is offering credit for a new course requiring students to get up and throw themselves into one of the nation's fastest-growing sports: Ultimate Frisbee.
Taught by Jeff McGowan, Health and Physical Education 118 is an introduction to the sport of Ultimate. The self-officiated sport is played with two teams of seven players, and points are scored when a pass is caught in the opposing team's end zone.
McGowan, an Air Force ROTC instructor, was interested in starting a class because of his previous involvement with both intramural and club Ultimate teams at UP. He realized there was a strong interest in an actual class for beginning and advanced players alike, and sought out the help of Brian Dezzani, director of Recreational Services.
Dezzani directed McGowan to the School of Education, where he proposed the idea to the School of Education Dean Emerita Sr. Maria Ciriello.
HPE courses could theoretically be offered in any subject, according to Maribeth McGowan, academic program counselor.
"Someone has to come to us with a valid reason for offering the course. Jeff did all the work and had to prove to the School of Education that it was a viable class," she said.
"The most important thing is that he is serious and a very well qualified individual," said Monique Nguyen, education unit program specialist.
The process of launching the new class at UP started at the end of spring semester, but the actual arrangements and planning "all happened over the summer," said McGowan.
In fact, the course appeared on UP's Self Serve portal less than a week before classes began. Once advertised on the UP Portal, it filled up within days.
"It all happened kind of quickly, but luckily there was enough interest to fill the class," said McGowan.
The course is now not only full but is overcapacity - with some students showing up to the first class before even enrolling. Capacity is listed at 30 students, but 37 are enrolled.
Introduction to Ultimate Frisbee differs from other courses in the health and physical education sector because it focuses more on teamwork than individual progress.
"I thought it would be good to bring in something a little team-based," said McGowan. "Ultimate is built around the 'Spirit of the Game' - it's a mutual respect for everyone involved."
Junior Nathan Dasler, who helps captain the men's club Ultimate team, enrolled in the introductory level course because he sees it as the only health and physical education class that focuses on teamwork.
"I feel like we don't have very many classes like this," he said.
Others signed up for the course to improve their skills and get outside of the classroom setting.
"Learning hands-on instead of on paper is very different," said sophomore Jenny Doyle. "A lot of other classes become tedious." In addition, she believes the credit motivates students to show up and toss the disk.
Many students hope to gain more from the class than the one elective credit offered for participation.
"Club team members are excited to use the class as an avenue for recruitment," said McGowan.
Junior Jordan Fryer showed up for class as "an excuse to play with other people who play," and said the networking opportunity leads to more pick-up games.
Though the thought of learning a new sport might seem daunting to a college student, McGowan believes there is no excuse not to learn how to play.
"It is hard to find people willing to switch over from the sport they were founded in," he said.
As in other courses, students will be graded on a variety of factors, including improvement over the semester. While the only homework is to practice throwing, according to McGowan, there will be some written work related to the game regulations designated by the Ultimate Player's Association. The association serves as the official governing organization of the sport in the United States.
Students and teacher alike are excited for the new opportunity presented this semester. Although McGowan said finding field space is "going to be tough once intramurals start," he hopes to continue teaching and playing Ultimate. He has his sights set on a progression of the introductory-level class into intermediate and advanced sections in the future.
The class is offered purely for elective credit, but the students are learning lessons that might not take place in a less interactive environment.
"It's important to find a balance between lecture and fun things," said Nguyen. "It's not only fun, it's a really intellectual experience."
