Varsity sports, including football, basketball and volleyball, are commonly known and well-established at most college campuses, such as Eastern. Other athletic communities of intramural sports are growing silently and meaningfully. At Eastern University and amongst its students, the sport of frisbee golf, also known as disc golf, is emerging as a sport that blends competition, accessibility and community in a way that resonates with students.
Frisbee golf is a sport that follows the structure of traditional golf, but uses flying discs, instead of clubs and balls, which players throw into a metal basket, instead of holes in the grass. Each hole challenges players to navigate distance, terrain and obstacles while completing the course in as few throws as possible. What appears simple at first quickly reveals itself as a sport that demands precision, patience and strategic thinking.
For many of our Eastern students, getting introduced to this sport was from a friendly invite from a friend who either plays or knows about it. Sophomore Riley Graham recalls learning about the sport from a friend who plays, “I honestly thought it was just throwing a Frisbee around,” Graham said. “But after a few rounds, I realized how much thought goes into every throw. It’s way more competitive than people think.”
Alongside the competition, students emphasize the mental and physical benefits of the sport and how it acts as a powerful stress reliever by immersing players in nature, improving focus through strategic problem-solving and skill mastery. Riley added. “You’re thinking, breathing and resetting before every throw. It’s almost therapeutic. It’s one of the few sports where you can really slow down.”
Even though it’s not an official sport on Eastern, students have said that the ultimate frisbee club on campus, the Eastern Exiles, has given them a form of community. “If we had something that is an official recognition of the sport, I think many people would join, because more people are playing it than students realize,” freshman Karime Salgado said. The sport might still be informal to Eastern but the interest continues to grow.
