Binghamton University’s Frisbee Club has increased recruitment efforts to draw more female players to join the co-ed team.
The club is affiliated with the Ultimate Players Association in the collegiate division where every large university is represented. BU’s team is mixed gender, but the limited number of girls lead to tournaments with only male players.
Players attend both mixed tournaments and open-division tournaments. In the mixed tournaments, both males and females may participate, and all receive equal playing time.
In the open-division tournaments, where mainly male players compete. These tournaments require a minimum of 12 female players, before any may participate. In past semesters there were not enough girls for them to play in the open-division tournaments.
According to Kellianne Kinane, the co-captain of the frisbee team and a junior majoring in environmental studies with a concentration in environmental chemistry, the team aims to send an all-girl team to the open-division tournaments. Kinane said the team does not intend to separate the sexes for the team’s campus competitions. Instead, the girls hope to compete in select tournaments with an all-female squad.
Kinane quickly became interested in creating a more well-rounded co-ed team after transferring to Binghamton University last semester.
Marlena Vera-Schockner, the team’s co-vice president and a junior majoring in environmental studies with a concentration in ecosystems, is also committed to bringing more women to the team.
According to Vera-Schockner, previous years have shown a decline in the number of women who have joined the team. The team leaders have strived to increase participation by advertising for General Interest Meetings and leading a new table at University Fest.
“There used to be a girls’ team but it phased out over the years. We are trying to renew interest in the sport. We aren’t looking to separate the male and female sides, just incorporate more girls into the team,” Vera-Schockner said. “We have our first going-away tournament as a team Oct. 22-23 in Rochester, it’s very exciting.”
There were only a few girls on the team when Vera-Schockner joined as a freshman, but according to her, this year’s team is more promising.
“We have about eight veterans on the team with 60 people on the mailing list. Ten are coming to practice now and for a tournament we should have about 12 girls for a solid roster,” Vera-Schockner said.
Vera-Schockner and Kinane encourage all of those interested to inquire, by emailing kkinane1@binghamton.edu or mverasc1@binghamton.edu for further information.