Arcadia New Zealand

The following is the writing component of a Co-curricular Learning Certificate (CLC) from the fall of 2023. Aidan Norris studied at the University of Otago in Dunedin, NZ, and here he shares his experience with the Ultimate Frisbee Club at the University. If you'd like to learn more about CLCs, visit https://studyabroad.arcadia.edu/about-us/academic-approach/co-curricular-learning-certificate-clc/

One of the most rewarding parts of my semester was my involvement with the Otago University Ultimate Club and Dunedin Mixed Team. During the peak ultimate season, I was spending between 5-8 hours a week practicing with the team and attending various tournaments. I played for Hoiho, the university's second team, at Uni Nats (The national University mixed ultimate tournament, hosted in Wellington) and represented Dunedin’s second team, the Dunedin Mixed Tadpoles, in the Otautahi Classic (a qualifying tournament for open age mixed teams, hosted in Christchurch). I also participated in Chumps (a social tournament in Hanmer Springs) and Indoornedin (an indoor hat tournament in Dunedin). My time with the team was instrumental to my New Zealand experience in many ways. This experience not only helped me become a better ultimate player and teammate, but also allowed me to immerse myself in Kiwi culture in ways that otherwise I would not have been able to. My teammates invited me to 21sts, showed me new parts of the country, and took me to beaches and climbing spots that otherwise I would have never journeyed to. More importantly, I became friends with a diverse range of locals and found a community I could call my own, even so far from home. 

The most obvious way that I have grown from playing frisbee with the OUUC is my growth as a frisbee player and teammate. New Zealand frisbee is very different from American Frisbee. It is a less physical game with a much higher emphasis on “spirit”, or the concept of sportsmanship and fairness that is central to ultimate everywhere. I’ve always been a good-natured player and sportsmanship is integral to my relationship with competitive sports, but it's been an amazing experience to play in an environment where it is equally important to everyone else. I certainly learned a lot from the “spirit circles” after each game where both teams would come together to discuss the match and laude their opponent’s efforts and successes. Even more inspiring was how each team would devise a “spirit game” for the opponent’s MVPs and MSPs (most valuable and most spirited players, as voted on by the team they played against). It was incredible to see opposing teams laugh and bond together as they watched their teammates struggle to eat an oreo off their forehead without touching it or engaged in all too serious mooing contests. In New Zealand, Ultimate Frisbee is so much more than a game, and I hope to take this commitment to sportsmanship and community back to the US with me. 

Another major difference between the frisbee I played this semester and the frisbee I play back home is that this team was co-ed. I have never played for a co-ed team before and it was cool to learn how it worked. In some ways, it made the game more individualistic or match-up based. Male players would match with male players and female players with female players, and you had to focus on doing your part and trust that your teammates were doing theirs. It was also an adjustment to realize that I was bigger than half of the players on the field and would have to be more careful when going for the disc so that I didn’t injure anyone. Beyond that, it was remarkable how little gameplay differed from gender segregated frisbee. There is often a perception of Men’s frisbee being at a different level from Women’s ultimate, but the Dunedin teams proved this is not the case. Our wãhine players routinely beat their matchups allowing us to use a game-plan where we moved our offense predominantly through our female players. This strategy helped us win games against teams that were tãne heavy and didn’t use their wãhine players enough. Beyond just the gameplay, being on a mixed team had an incredible energy and camaraderie that felt more complete than teams in the US. As I remarked to one of the captains here in our last practice, “back in the US we have a men’s team and a women’s team. Here we just have a team”. I hope to look for more opportunities to play mixed ultimate when I get back home. 

The ultimate frisbee played at OUUC was also overall a higher level than the ultimate I play at Wake Forest. Almost half of the team has represented New Zealand on the world stage at one point or another and they keep up with ultimate far more than anyone I know. Being around them has improved my frisbee skills in a myriad of ways. Playing against faster players has made me run harder than I otherwise would and dig into a bag of tricks I didn’t know I had to beat my opponent. More complicated defensive and handler schemes have pushed my frisbee IQ and made me more adept at reading the field. I have also learned a variety of new throwing techniques and ideas, which has come with a steep learning curve. In a team full of handlers, I have transitioned into being a cutter and making my mark in a role that I have never played before. This has made me a more complete player and will help me succeed as a captain when I return to my team at Wake Forest. 

The most important impact of frisbee, however, was how it helped me adapt to Kiwi culture and make friends with local students and professionals alike. The frisbee community was super welcoming and keen to share their world with me. Within weeks of being here I was taken climbing at Long Beach, even though I was fairly new to the sport. Different teammates would later take me to places like tomahawk beach and chingford park, showing me parts of Dunedin I wouldn’t have discovered otherwise. I also experienced one of my first “21sts” when I went to my teammate’s birthday celebration. It was really cool to see how parents celebrate their kids in New Zealand and how touching this birthday can be. There is truly no parallel in the US, and I am glad I got to witness it here. The team also took me outside of Dunedin, with tournaments in Wellington, Christchurch, and Hanmer Springs. While in Wellington I actually stayed in a teammate’s house and got to know their parents. These trips not only showed me what life in New Zealand is really like but also cemented my friendships with my teammates. I have found camaraderie and connection within the team that is truly special and I hope to continue the relationships I built here into the future with me. 

All in all, frisbee with the OUUC has been one of the best parts of my time in New Zealand. It is impossible to account for all of those little moments it brought to my life. All the times I pushed myself extra hard in practice, all the laughs I shared with teammates, on and off the field, and all the things I learned about myself and New Zealand in the process. None of it would have happened without the OUUC team, and I am so grateful for my experiences with them this semester. 

The following are some photo highlights from the semester:

Hugo and I swap jerseys: Hugo is a very talented player and to my delight a fellow Steelers fan. We bonded over our shared passion for American football and traded jerseys: my “Locomotion” jersey for his Marvel inspired Rocket and Groot jersey. 

Team Photo at Chumps: The team relaxes at the social tournament of Chumps. We spray painted and (more or less) artfully cut our own jerseys using thrifted white shirts. Mine even has a capybara on it!

All smiles before Uni Nats: We hosted one last scrimmage/field day before Nationals we went to nationals. It was an encouraging practice and set us up for success at the tournament. Toroa (the first team) won first place and Hoiho (the second team) broke seed and came 7th!