The spring of 2023 marked the beginning of the Dragons Ultimate Frisbee team. (Fun fact: The Echo and the Dragons Ultimate Frisbee team are the same age). Founded by Isaiah Tsai (’24), Lily Yan (’23), and Eli Lipman (’23), the team has gone from losing all their first season games to winning the B league championship in year 3, an undefeated run that pushed them to move up to the A league this season. Since the team was created, its membership has grown substantially, increasing from fourteen members in its first season to as many as thirty members today. The Echo interviewed some of the captains of the Frisbee team about its history. 

By the fall of 2023, there was already enough interest in frisbee within HSMSE, and many students already had experience throwing a disc. Several players who were part of the original team had already played in middle school. “There hadn’t been a frisbee team and…a lot of people at the school enjoyed playing it,” Elise Diehl-Yue (’26) said. The team was formed out of a joy for playing frisbee that surpassed the need for an official team.

For many members the frisbee team was a way to join a sports team without the same levels of stress. Playing frisbee was a way to relax and enjoy time with friends. This shared passion kept the team united and motivated to continue practicing. 

Morning practices were part of the reason the team was able to have such dedicated members. Isaiah Tsai (’24) explained that the morning practices were more difficult to come to, which meant the people who did go were there because they really wanted to play frisbee.

The following year the team started to gain interest as more members joined. However, it wasn’t until their third season that the team began to prosper. “[In] our first season, we didn’t practice very often, and we lost most of our games…Then, last year, we really doubled down on the seriousness of it, instituting fall practices resulting in our B-Division championship,” according to Ben Cohen (’26).

Yet still, the frisbee team isn’t considered an official school team. Being a part of a school team is a feeling that helps many people be motivated to try hard. Elise shares his opinion about why the team started to lack motivation, which is “mainly because we are not a part of the school. Being a part of a school team can inspire people to work harder because it means that they are playing as a sport rather than a passion.”

Part of the reason the team hasn’t been recognized by the school is communication. “I think the school has not been very great in communicating how they want us to be connected,” Elise said. A lack of communication means that players can feel ignored by the school that they are a part of.

In 2025, the captains of the team presented a proposal to the school asking to become an official school sports team. This proposal, which has been acquired by The Echo, addresses information on the team, liability concerns such as waivers, and the validity of their coach. One main argument used against the team was that the school did not want to be responsible for student injuries outside of the school. However, DiscNY, an association that handles the ultimate frisbee team, mandates that players sign waivers meaning that the school could not be liable for any injuries. Moreover, because of poor communication, many people who are a part of the team don’t fully end up knowing why they aren’t a part of the school. 

Going into next year, the team will be losing a lot of players and may need as much advertisement as possible in order to generate interest. Being able to advertise the Dragons Ultimate Frisbee team as a school team could help attract more people who love the game but didn’t end up playing this season. 

With more new and experienced players on the team, practices had to change to be more intense. Many new players had to learn the basics in a much shorter time frame than usual. “We’re kind of expecting them to be more engaged and hit the ground running faster. And I think that is better,”according to Benjamin Oakland Stubbs (’26). Having more intense practices helped the team improve and win the B league.

With the growth of the team came newfound support from the school. “This year, we advocated for and received PTA funding, which was a huge step towards becoming affiliated with the school—something we’ve been pushing for but unable to do,” Ben Cohen said. The funding helped pay for student jerseys that had previously been paid by the students themselves. “I doubted the new jerseys, but they make a lot of difference,” Ben Oakland Stubbs stated. Having jerseys is a way for the players to feel connected to the team.

Support from the PTA can also help fund some more tournaments and opportunities for the frisbee team. Because ultimate frisbee is not a PSAL sport, it doesn’t get the same kind of support, so students have to pay for memberships and to attend big tournaments like states. Moments like attending states help foster team spirit.

The Dragons Ultimate Frisbee team shows how even while being consistently denied and rejected from becoming an official school team, a team can form. And a strong team will have people who are dedicated to the team no matter what.