I hadn’t heard of Ultimate Frisbee before I started playing at school seven years ago. I thought it was something you did on the beach or out walking your dog, but once I tried it, I was hooked. I’ve now been playing with the same group of four friends since we were 17. It’s a great way to stay in touch, and to make new friends.

Ultimate combines aspects of many different sports: there’s a bit of American football in there, along with hockey, netball and basketball. It’s a fast-moving sport; you can throw the Frisbee the full length of the pitch for 40m, so it’s exciting to watch as well as play. It’s seven-a-side, and if you catch the frisbee, you can’t run with it. You mark man-to-man, and complete passes without the other team intercepting it.

It’s incredibly varied, with a lot of running, jumping, sprinting and diving. There’s also the skill of throwing the disc itself, which is so satisfying. You use a forehand and a backhand like tennis, and put different curves on a throw in the way you release it.

Ultimate Frisbee is a relatively young sport (the first championships were in the 1980s) and it has only recently been recognised by the International Olympic Committee. It’s got a slight chance of making it to the Olympics in 2024, depending on how much it grows in the next few years.

I’m 24, and I’ve reached quite a high level, playing for Team GB. It’s great to be at the top of a sport that’s expanding really quickly. As well as the elite side, there are many teams and people who love to play just for fun and recreation. If I didn’t play ultimate competitively, I’d love it anyway, and I never get bored. Training can be gruelling, but I still find going to the park in the sun and having a throw-around a great way to relax.

My weekend workout

Favourite outdoor space to play? Anywhere with good weather, or my local park in Leeds.
How often do you train? Six times a week.
Favourite snack before and after a game? Crumpets with peanut butter before, chocolate milk after.

Five ways to get started: Ultimate Frisbee

1 A good forehand is crucial. Grip the disc with two fingers on one side and your thumb on the other. Face your target and snap the wrist back, to get the disc to spin. Try to keep it flat and parallel to the ground.

2 To master backhand, stand sideways on and draw back the disc. It’s more the motion of pulling a chord to start a boat engine, in a straight line, than rotating.

3 Perfect your grip. Wrap your fingers under the rim of the disc, with your thumb on top. The key is not to grip too firmly: it’s all about ensuring you get rotation on the disc, which is what makes it fly.

4 Catching is as important as throwing. The “clap catch” is best: hold one hand above and one hand below the disc, then clap together to catch it. Make sure it’s a firm clap or the disc may slip through your hands and bounce off your chest, a common beginners’ mistake.

5 Invest in a good disc. Ultimate Frisbee discs are US-made. You can’t get them in sports shops here, so look online – try eu.vcultimate.com/collections/lookfly.

• Sion Scone, Ultimate Frisbee coach. For details of how to join a local team, go to ukultimate.com/teams
  

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