At a time when seemingly the whole wintry world has gone into hibernation, an unlikely group of CHS Frisbee diehards is beginning to rekindle their disc-throwing spirits, invigorating a sport that has recently fallen by the wayside at Clayton.

Yes, that’s right. The CHS Ultimate Frisbee team is back in action with its heart set on reestablishing all of its former glory, and its discs aimed to the skies.

In recent years, the CHS Ultimate Frisbee team has consistently suffered from lack of attendance, halfheartedness, and has lost many strong, talented players to the inevitable grasp of graduation. While a relatively dry Clayton Frisbee farming system, or rather a nonexistent pool of young, incoming disc-chuckers to choose from has plagued the team in past years, there is finally great hope in perhaps the Frisbee team’s most critical year.

After staging multiple meetings and individually recruiting students to play this dying sport at Clayton High, the team is finally becoming strong by the dozens. In what was predominantly an upperclassman team last year, the chances of survival for the malnourished CHS team seemed bleak but are already dramatically improving with every additional player who commits for the season.

Senior co-captain Caleb Grady expresses his excitement for the team’s positive future.

“I’m looking forward to a good senior year on the frisbee team,” Grady said. “We’ve got lots of new players and some good returning talent that I think will result in another great season. Hopefully this one will end on a better note though.”

Grady remarks he hopes the season ends better, referring to the attendance, or lack thereof, toward the end of last year’s season, which petered out until nobody showed up on the day of State.

Sophomore Jack Wei expressed a similar, positive outlook on the coming year’s Frisbee season.

“I hope that we’ll have a lot more underclassmen this year, along with more practices and a winning season,” Wei said. “I’m also looking forward to state and a consistent attendance to games, as last year we didn’t have enough people show up for State.”

The disappointment over previously poor attendance is still fresh in the minds of returning Clayton disc-throwers, but the coming season can erase all those memories if all goes well.

Part of the success of the CHS Ultimate Frisbee team will rely on the consistent communication between the captains, coach, and the players, as Grady emphasized again by stressing the necessity of attendance, which stems from communication.

“The most important part of this year is going to be keeping attendance at games — and especially practices — up,” Grady said. “Other than that, I’m just looking forward to having another fun season.”

In the end, beyond the glory of the team or the future of the club sport at Clayton, the intent is purely just to have fun. The CHS Ultimate team has always prided itself on being strong enough to compete with other schools’ teams who practice regularly, but without the pressures and stress of high-level athletics.

For those considering, or even those not yet considering CHS Ultimate Frisbee and the laid-back environment that entails, Grady welcomes all.

“To one who is considering playing, I would probably say, ‘Why not? Bro, grab a disk and have fun chilling. It’s fun, exciting, and surprisingly competitive,’” Grady said. “I would tell them to make sure their swag is switched on before they start.”

Wei also invites new players to the team.

“It can never hurt to try out the sport,” Wei said. “You’ll meet lots of great people and have lots of fun in the process. The rules are not hard to learn, and you shouldn’t hesitate to join.”

Finally, Grady caps off with an explanation that alone warrants the name “Ultimate” Frisbee.

“I’m just looking forward to doin’ some massive sky’s, huckin’ some disc on big pulls, and setting some nasty stacks,” Grady said.