Lava Bear
Ultimate
Welcoming all Interested players (no experience necessary) for the 2023 Spring Season, including students at Mountain View, Caldera, Bend Tech, and Charter Schools.
Welcome to the official website for the Boys Ultimate Frisbee Team at Bend Senior High School!
Ultimate Frisbee is one of the fastest growing sports in the world . . . and for good reason. It’s fun to play and exciting to watch, requires a high degree of athletic performance, and encourages camaraderie and sportsmanship.
Ultimate is a club sport (like LaCrosse or Water Polo) that you can earn a varsity letter in. We’re a spring sport, practicing regularly between March and June, and competing in a number of regional tournaments, including the State Championships. We also offer limited practices in the fall for kids who want to check it out!
Participation is open to anyone who wants to commit themselves to learning the sport with a group of other dedicated athletes.
Please explore the site below to learn more about Ultimate and the Bend Senior HS team.
What Is Ultimate?
Check out these Ultimate highlights!
Ultimate is now played all around the world, at levels from elementary school to college to newly formed professional leagues and world championships. Highlights from elite leagues are regularly featured on ESPN’s Top 10, and in 2015, it made a short list of sports being considered for addition to the Olympics.
In short, it’s an awesome game!
The Team
The Bend Senior High School Boys Ultimate program began in the spring of 2017. Now in our seventh season, we have two teams, Varsity and Junior Varsity. No experience is necessary to join our program. We’re open to all interested players!
We are one of two high schools in Bend with Ultimate teams (Summit being the other). Therefore, we accept players from all other high schools who don’t have their own team (Mountain View, Caldera, Bend Tech, etc).
Our team goals are to:
- Have a lot of fun!
- Teach sportsmanship, competitive integrity, and the spirit of the game
- Support continuous development of Ultimate skills, strategies, and tactics
- Prepare players to play in college and beyond
- Build a supportive, team-first culture of mutual respect, excellence, and camaraderie
Below you’ll find some more details and practical information about what playing for the team entails:
Why Join?
Ultimate blends together elements of soccer, football, and basketball, with the grace of a flying disc to create a sport that is a lot of fun to play. It’s fast-paced, collaborative, and since the disc floats through the air, there are a lot opportunities for “highlight plays” and “lay-outs” that makes this game extremely addictive (in the best way). Even beginners who are just learning to throw can enjoy the game as much of the rules and strategies are intuitive and easy to pick-up.
Learn A New Sport:
Ultimate is one of the newest and fastest growing sports in the world. It’s also a “lifetime sport” and you can play for decades at recreational and competitive levels. By joining the team, you’ll have a chance to learn the intricacies of the game and develop your skillset.
Be Part of A Team:
One of the most rewarding aspects of Ultimate is that it’s a team game. No single player, no matter how good they may be, can be successful without the support of their teammates. By joining the Ultimate team, you’ll have a chance to train, compete, and develop together with a group of great guys and make lifelong friendships.
Get (or Stay) in Shape:
Ultimate is one of the most physically demanding sports there is, requiring a high degree of speed and endurance. By playing and training with the team, you’ll get into peak condition which can support you in other sports or just make you feel like a champ :).
Prepare for the Future:
By developing your game in High School, you’ll give yourself the opportunity to play high-level Ultimate in college and beyond. There are many opportunities to travel around the country and the world playing club and even professional Ultimate. Starting now will give you a chance to go as far as you want!
Expectations
All players are expected to treat each other with mutual respect both on and off the field. We promote a team-first attitude, and believe that positive reinforcement is the most effective way to encourage development. Sportsmanship is an important part of Ultimate. There are no referees, and players must enforce the rules themselves and learn to workout any disagreements on the field. Players are expected to approach this with humility, openness, and a willingness to practice self-control even in the most heated competitive moments.
Schedule
Spring Season:
The main spring season runs from late February to the end of May. Practices are on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday from 4:15-6:15pm at Mountain View Park.
Tournaments:
-
Corvallis: Sunday, March 19th
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Eugene: Saturday, April 15th
- Bend: Saturday, April 29 (and possibly 30th also)
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Stockton, CA: Saturday & Sunday, May 6-7. (Driving to and from on Friday and Monday)
- State Championships in PDX: Saturday & Sunday, May 20-21 (Driving over on Friday)
Costs
Equipment & Uniforms:
Ultimate is a very low-cost sport in that it only requires a frisbee and a pair of standard soccer cleats. Practice discs will be provided by the team. We will have team uniforms that include shorts and both light and dark jerseys.
Participation Fees:
We have fees for all players to cover all our costs for the year, including our field rentals, uniforms, equipment, insurance, and our tournament costs (fees, travel, lodging). The fee for the 2023 spring season will be $450 per player, which includes 5 nights in hotels for our out-of-town tourneys. See payment info below.
Financial Aid:
We don’t want finances to be an obstacle for any player interested in joining the team. We have full and partial financial aid available for qualifying players. If you’re interested in learning more, please contact Joel Pitney (coach).
How to Sign Up for the Team
1. Fill Out Team Info Form
In order to sign you up for the team, we need a little basic information from both the player and their parent/guardian.
2. Print & Fill Out Medical Form
If you are 17 years or younger, you need to have your parents fill out a Medical Authorization Form. Please print, fill it out, and bring it to practice.
3. Pay One-Time Team Fee
To participate on the team, we require a one-time fee of $450. This covers uniforms, equipment, insurance, practice field rentals, tournament fees, and hotel lodging for overnight trips (this year it will be 5 nights).
We believe that cost should not be an obstacle to playing for the team and have partial or full scholarships available. Please inquire with the coach for more info.
You can pay your fee in three different ways:
- Check: Make it payable to Bend Senior High Ultimate and either bring it to practice or mail it to Joel Pitney, 1342 NW Albany Ave, Bend OR 97703.
- PayPal: You can pay via PayPal by sending the fee of $450 to info@bendhighschoolultimate.com (make sure to select friend and family to avoid fees) or using the button below (3% fee will be applied):
Venmo: You can also venmo your fee to @bendhighultimate.
Photo Galleries
2021
2018
2017
In the News
The Coaches
Joel Pitney has been the head coach of the Bend High School Boys team since founding the program in 2017. Joel has played Ultimate for over 25 years, starting in high school and playing through college, club leagues, and Masters teams. He has coached elite club teams in NYC, and in 2016 coached The New York Empire in the AUDL professional league. He is also president of Oregon Youth Ultimate, an affiliate of USA Ultimate that organizes youth ultimate activities in the state. His focus is on building a team culture that is both supportive of individual and collective development, while also encouraging sportsmanship, character-building, and a “team-first” attitude.
Nishant Biswas joined the Lava Bear coaching staff in 2018 and has played a crucial role in helping build the tactical and philosophical foundations of our program. He has focused his efforts on coaching the JV team, as well as defining the overall strategic direction of the team. He started playing Ultimate during high school in his hometown of Nashville, Tennessee, and continued to play the sport in college at the University of California at Berkeley. In addition to coaching, Nishant is an active participant in Bend’s city leagues, as well as a member of our local competitive club team, Igneous.
Interested? Contact Us
For more information about the team, fill out the form below or reach out to:
Coaches:
Joel Pitney
joelpitney@gmail.com
510.684.2645
Nishant Biswas
nishantbb@gmail.com
Faculty Advisor:
Robert Tadjiki
teamtadjiki@gmail.co
541.610.6967