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Though some progress has been made as Ultimate continues to grow in popularity there is still limited coverage of the sport. The college circuit is featured on CSTV, but aside from that level only major tournaments are covered. This coverage is also limited and not broadcast coverage, but designed to be distributed for sales. Despite the cost of the DVDs the coverage is still welcomed and an opportunity to view tournaments that may not be available any other way.

A main problem with the marketing of Ultimate revolves around the issue of referees. The Ultimate Players Association has made a firm stance in keeping Ultimate self officiated. This stance has caused potential sponsors to shy away from Ultimate. As the lack of referees in some ways removes a source of confrontation.

There is also a divide in the Ultimate community regarding this issue with those in favor and those against. There has already been a need to implement a second tier official called an observer to resolve issues at some levels on the sport, particularly college.

The main factors surrounding the issue of referees are that some believe not having them forces a higher degree of sportsmanship between players, but others believe it is also holding the sport back.

The question becomes that as Ultimate continues to grow and more athletes get involved, potentially more aggressive ones from other sports, will the need for independent officiating eventually override the desire to keep them out.

Just this past weekend I sprained my right thumb, better then when I broke my left arm, at a Ultimate Tournament in Davis, not on purpose, but simply because it is the nature of the game. So as I sit here typing with nine good fingers and a thumb bandaged in place I cant help but be reminded how important proper care is.

Nursing injuries back to health can be a slow and a sometimes painful process, but is important. Not only simply so that it stops hurting, but to get back out and playing as soon as possible. For myself this is the third time my thumb has been knocked out of commission, unfortunately I don’t take my own advice and give it proper time to heal before heading back out.

Primarily after the injury it is important to ice it to keep swelling down. Depending upon the severity of it a doctor might be a safe way to go. But if you are dumb and competitive like myself another good trick is understanding how to bandage the area back up so that it can be used in some capacity while limiting pain.

Overall though the best option is to ice it shortly after and stop playing. Then take the necessary weeks or months off to let the injury fully recover. This decreases the likelihood of a repeat injury and enables a return at top form.

Once again though I will not be taking my own advice because the next round of tryouts are only two weeks away, so here is to hoping for a swift recovery.

Ultimate leagues, pick-up, camps and general areas that it can often be found in the Bay Area.

Tryouts are an equally important part of Ultimate as they are in many other sports. It is not uncommon for some of the best teams in the country the previous year to hold completely open tryouts as situations with players change and spots become available or just to revitalize a team with an influx of fresh blood.

These tryout periods can be equally stressful to players and the teams. Players want to be at their prime at tryouts in hopes to impress and earn a spot on the roster. This requires players to go in with a particular mindset. They must play at their best, but not overburden themselves with pressure.

Every season brings in a new wave of younger players and this can place just as much stress on returning players as they are also another year older. In some situations it can become an issue of keeping up with a much younger more energetic group.

Quite possibly the most import part of tryouts is choosing a team which best identifies with a player. Finding a team where individuals mesh on multiple levels can be key in creating a dominate team. Ultimate is a dominantly offensive sport and having confidence in every player on the field is important to having a strong team.

Another critical factor for each player is going in knowing and understanding your strengths and weaknesses. There is a limit to how far a person can stretch themselves and showcasing the best parts is much better then taking a gamble in a weaker area.

Surmani played basketball for over ten years, but found the endurance required for Ultimate to far surpass that of what he needed for basketball.

Bruins played soccer for years before picking up Ultimate, but still found the sport to demand an even higher level of running.

Santoyo returned to Ultimate partially to get back in shape through the extreme amount of running that is required.

The necessity results in Ultimate players placing a high degree of emphasis on physical fitness and conditioning in order to be the best as possible at their sport.

Being in good or great shape for Ultimate results in a more competitive game as players run faster, harder and for longer durations of time. The increased level of fitness also has other added bonuses.

Ultimate players and the community emphasize going out and running at 100 percent every point and also chasing down the disc with 100 percent effort each point which sometimes requiring a dive.

Dives are commonplace at tournaments and matches as players need those precious few extra feet to catch or block the disc, but this can come at a price. Hitting the ground in a full out horizontal dive can have a heavy impact on the body. Multiply that force over the course of a two day tournament where a team can play upwards of four games in a day and it can have a significant impact upon the body.

This is where being in great shape comes in. The stronger the body the more resist it is to the pressures being exerted on it and the more rapid the recovery.

This is why many Ultimate players not only work out on the field, but off the field also to strengthen their muscles so when the time comes they are not only able to sprint after the disc and dive, but bounce right back up and do it all over again.

The backhand is the most common of the throws and is the one most new players understand the most. The disc is grabbed within the palm of the hand, forming a fist around the disc with the four fingers pressing against the inside of the rim and the thumb over the top of the disc extending toward the center. Pressure is usually applied to the disc through the thumb to add stability when throwing. The throw in principal is very easy to understand, but to execute a 60 plus yard throw requires practice and understanding of the motions involved. Despite the considerable distance the majority of the power actually comes from the body and snapping of the wrist compared to pure strength from the arm. It is a very particular rhythm needed to perform the throw correctly.

The second most commonly used throw in Ultimate is the forehand, it actually might be more common at Ultimate tournaments as most teams will have a tendency to force the opposing team to throw it as opposed to the backhand. The grip actually places half of the hand on the inside of the disc and the other half on the outside. The index and middle finger fall inside the disc pressing against the rims edge. The ring and pinky fingers are on the outside edge pushing in while the thumb comes over the top of the disc once again pushing down to create stability.  The two fingers on the inside of the disc push it toward the thumb joint to help hold the disc in place. Now the throw is very unnatural for people and when first learning the throw it can be very difficult and frustrating. The motion is a snap coming from the elbow whipping the disc off the inside two fingers. The throw requires a much higher degree of rhythm then the backhand because even less power is coming from the arm and more of it is coming from performing the correct motion. Despite the added degree of difficulty it is not uncommon for some players to be able to perform a forehand throw the length of the field or greater.

Finally the last throw commonly seen on an Ultimate field is the hammer. Though it is seen considerably less then the other two. The hammer is an inverted variation on the forehand grip. The disc is held overhead and thrown from a 90-degree position or inverted. This significantly alters its flight path allowing for the thrower to hit areas that may not be possible with the other two throws given defensive positions.