Among the many Panther-related names for clubs and sports at West High, the Krakens stand alone. They are West’s Ultimate Frisbee team. Ultimate Frisbee (or just Ultimate) is a lesser known sport that involves running, throwing, and catching a frisbee. The goal of the game is to advance the disc down the field by throwing it to people on your team of seven until it is caught in the endzone. The main catch is that you are not allowed to move with the disc, and that it is a non-contact game. Ultimate is a mix of soccer, basketball, and football. It may sound basic, but it can be very intense.

This season the Krakens have six teams: four in high school and two in middle school. Some teams are doing well, dominating their respective divisions, while others are struggling. The Krakens A team is in the process of rebuilding after losing their star players Oscar Graff, Elijah Watchalatone, and Rory Beals last spring. So far this season, they have won 6 games and lost 5. Fortunately, they will have a chance to improve next season. The Krakens have 3 teams in Division 2: Krakens X,Y, and Z. Krakens Z, a team made entirely of freshmen, has a 5-2 record. Krakens Y has a disappointing 2-5 record, but showed great improvement over the course of the season. Krakens X are at the top of their division, earning a record of 9-0 and scoring the maximum number of points every game. Anna Young, a senior at West and the co-captain of the Krakens X team, told us one of her favorite things about the game: “Frisbee is a really good outlet. It’s a form of stress relief for me.”

One reason to join the Krakens is its community. We had the opportunity to interview the Krakens X team captains, Richard Ji and Anna Young. Richard joined the team after one of his friends started playing Ultimate. Anna joined because of the team’s “people and the community, [who are] super nice and supportive.”

We were also able to talk to the Krakens’ head coach, Sean Graff. Graff is a veteran of the game who played Ultimate throughout college. He, like many others, knew what a frisbee was but, until he saw people playing Ultimate, had no idea there was a sport attached. His curiosity drew him in, the community accepted him, and he stayed. Graff says that one of his favorite aspects of Ultimate is “laughing with friends, hyping each other up, [and] learning from them.” He described the sport as “spectacular and fast paced,” but also mentioned that it is “very affordable, requiring only a disc, eight cones, and cleats.” He also brought up just how fun games and tournaments can be: “I love the mixture of competition and fun in Ultimate. Like many sports, there is a great casual/pickup version but I find that even higher level tournaments have great camaraderie.”

The Krakens are always looking for more people to join. If you’re interested, go to https://sites.google.com/view/krakensultimateclub/home as soon as possible to join the spring season. In the words of the Krakens’ coach, “West Ultimate does not cut players, so if you want to play, we will find a team for you.” There are currently a total of 80 players, and the more the merrier. The Krakens hope to see you out there in the spring!