Gallery • 10 Photos

Cayla Gaffney '29

Tess Kelly (12) eyes a teammate as she fires the frisbee past a defender from Garnet Valley on April 28 at Haven.

The extended cheers of “HAAAVEN!” floated through the warm air as the Haven Girls Ultimate Frisbee team played against Garnet Valley on April 28. This is one of the many chants that makes the Girls Ultimate Frisbee team (SHUGx) fun and unique — all while contributing to their success. 

SHUGx won the match, as they were the first team to score 15 points. They dominated offensively in the first half, leading eight to four at half time. Even when Garnet Valley started to make a comeback in the second half, the team was able to close out the game 15-10. 

Because of Haven’s position in the league standings right now, middle school girls who practice with SHUGx were able to play in the game. 

“We have one of the stronger teams in the league right now, so we want to make sure that…our younger players have a chance to play. Today was an opportunity for everybody to get to play, and was a wonderful day for our team and for their team,” co-head coach Billy Hodges said.

Five sixth graders are on the team, along with one seventh grader. At this game, sixth graders Adeline Berley, Katerina Christodouleas, and Ruby Kim, along with seventh grader Sky Shank were able to play. Some of the middle school players played on an ultimate team in the winter, where they connected with high school SHUGx players and learned about the opportunity.

“I love how we’re all so kind, and how they’re all welcoming to us, even though we’re younger…I think my favorite thing about this team is how kind they are,” Christodouleas said.

With a game against Radnor coming up on May 4, players think that they can improve on their cuts when playing defense, in addition to spreading out more across the field. Hodges is also looking to increase the team’s size, because ultimate frisbee is officiated by the players.

“Because there are no referees on the field at even the highest levels, it requires everybody to treat the other team with respect, and that’s a huge thing for us. It’s a big motivator for us to get more kids involved playing, because it’s just a wonderful sport from that,” Hodges said.

Next year, SHUGx will be celebrating their tenth anniversary. Hodges is excited that many of the underclassmen and middle school players will be able to celebrate that milestone. In the meantime, the team will be focusing on day to day improvements while enjoying the positive team atmosphere and community the program has built over time.

“Everyone has great spirit. If you come, everyone’s the nicest person you’ve ever met, and everyone just enjoys putting work to this sport, even though it’s less of a popular one,” sophomore Alice Rieger said.

This story was updated on May 5 to correct the cheer described in the lede.