This weekend Vortex, one of St. Olaf’s women’s ultimate frisbee teams, traveled to Columbia, Miss. to participate in the Midwest Throwdown tournament. The team played seven games over the course of two days, facing teams from Neb., Miss., and Iowa.
Vortex is a club team, which means that it does not fall under the umbrella of St. Olaf Athletics, but is more competitive than an intramural team. Being a club team comes with its benefits and challenges. The captains of the team, Elsa Anderson ’22, Anna Mulhern ’22, and Carolina Schuster ’23, have to handle many of the logistics themselves, such as booking hotels, securing transportation, and hiring coaches. One major challenge affecting the team right now is the lack of access to athletic training resources. “All of the resources that varsity athletes have are completely closed off for club sports. [Vortex] athletes are not allowed to use any of those resources,” said Mulhern. Due to affordability and transportation challenges, many club athletes cannot access athletic training resources on their own, leaving them with nowhere to go. Anderson pointed out that this issue is particularly pressing right now, as during the winter months the team has to practice in Tostrud, where the floors are really tough on athletes’ bodies.
However, being a club team also has its advantages. “We are allowed to have a little bit of freedom with how we run and play our sport,” said Shuster. The team gets to establish its own schedule and has full control of its social media presence, which was especially important in the wake of the 7 Feet for 7 Shots march in Sept. 2020, as the team was able to post in support of student organizers while being critical of St. Olaf administration.
By operating as a club team, the captains also feel that they have more opportunity to create their own team culture and identity. Mulhern and Shuster shared the sentiment that their experiences in high school sports were characterized by toxic environments and male coaches who viewed them as solely athletes, rather than as whole people. With Vortex, the captains want to ensure that they are creating an environment that recognizes athletes as people first, values mental health, and fosters supportive relationships with teammates.
However, this focus on a positive environment does not mean that the team lacks intensity or competitiveness. Anderson spoke about the concept of ‘posi-tensity’, a combination of positivity and intensity which guides the team’s mentality, “Positivity is not necessarily smiling all the time, but knowing that if someone makes a mistake, they’re still our teammate, and that’s not a moment to put them down… and then [we have the] intensity of like, we are a competitive team and we see ourselves that way.” The effects of this mentality are both visible and audible on the field when watching the team play. Players are extremely vocal in their support of one another and the grit and determination the players bring to the game is palpable.
The positive, supportive culture created by Vortex is mirrored by the culture of the collegiate ultimate scene as a whole. “It’s nice for aspects of the sport that you’re playing to align with the culture you’re trying to create on your team. That makes the job a lot easier,” said Mulhern. This culture of the sport was visible when at the conclusion of their game on Feb. 27 against Carleton’s Division 3 women’s team, Eclipse, the Oles and Carls are gathered to share what they appreciated about each other’s game and ended with a group cheer: “Cows, Colleges, and Contentment!”
The fact that the game is self-officiated also contributes to the culture of mutual respect and love for the game that characterizes frisbee tournaments. When fouls occur or points are contested, players from each team talk it through to determine what calls should be made. “The spirit of the game and respect for one another all has to be set by the players,” said Anderson. While the teams are certainly competitive and want to win, the necessity of cooperation between teams during the game creates a level of sportsmanship that is not always present in other sports.
After finishing up their weekend in Missouri, Vortex is preparing for their tournament in Virginia over spring break. They will then play at Conference/Regionals, which Carleton will host on April 16 and 17. This will likely be the last opportunity this year to see Vortex play so close to home, so be sure to head over to Carleton to show your support.
If the team does well at Regionals, they will advance to the national championship tournament. After winning nationals in 2018, making an impressive championship run in 2019, and being strong contenders for the 2020 title prior to it being canceled due to COVID-19, Vortex is looking forward to establishing their presence on the national level with a team of young, enthusiastic players and veteran players who are more than ready for their own shot at a national title.
