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Overview

One of the unique aspects of Ultimate is the cheer at the end of each game of certain levels of competition. This is not a quick hip-hip-hooray--that just doesn’t cut it. This is a creative expression that commemorates the fun you had with your opponents. It may involve taking a well known song and re-writing the lyrics, perhaps throwing in some choreography, and most importantly, having a whole lot of fun. Many tournaments give awards for the most spirited team, after a vote by all the teams taking part in the tournament. This honour, sometimes called the Spirit Award, is highly regarded.

Remember: Enthusiasm is more important than acting or singing talent. No matter how good or bad your team did during the game, it is really difficult to take yourself seriously when a group of hi-energy players are massacring a perfectly decent song.

Methodology

There are various approaches that you can use when developing a cheer. One recommendation is to have your entire team form together in a circle immediately after the game. It always helps to have a leader when developing your cheer, often the one on your team with the creative spark. Focus the team on track and maintain attentiveness by involving everyone. Lead a quick team brainstorming and ask questions such as:

1. Does your opponent’s team name fit with a popular song, nursery rhyme or TV commercial? You can change the words so that they relate to your game.
2. Did something happen during the game that was funny, embarrassing, or worthy of praise? Add a reference to it in a line in your song or poem.
3. If neither of the above apply, you are going to have to turn up the creative juices! Perhaps a short skit, opera spoof, or dramatic performance is in order.

Once the direction of the cheer is determined, you need to make a decision: Do you write your cheer down or commit it to memory? Many teams suggest memorizing the cheer, as this engages the whole team before and during the cheer. When cheers are read, very little eye contact with the other team happens.

If preparing a song or poem, start by “talking out” the cheer, line by line, until you run out of words. Each time that you add a new line or verse, start again from the beginning. This encourages everyone to create more lyrics! For a song, practice singing after your team-mates get familiar with the new lyrics. Rehearse your cheer a few times so that you are putting just as much effort into praising the other team as you put into playing a great game. Remember, enthusiasm is everything! You are not being judged on singing or acting ability. People will appreciate your effort.

Purpose

The cheer helps to make Ultimate so unique. It enables your team to express how much fun you had and shows the opposing team that you appreciated the great time. One of the best ways to calm strong feelings after an intense game is to perform a cheer that the other team will never forget!

One of the traditions in Ultimate is to invent a cheer on the spot for the opposing team after the game. The best cheers are original, come from the heart, are often made impromptu. It is good practice not to just replace the words to a song with Ultimate-type phrases. It is not uncommon for the chants to contain lewd references which seem to reach a new low, often leaving the opposing team speechless. Here are some examples:

Pulling for Pleasure

Sung to the tune of "Cecilia" by Simon & Garfunkle
Note: Pleasure = Pleassha

Oh Pleassha, you're breaking my force
You're shaking my defenses daily.
Whoa Pleassha, we're down on our knees
We’re amazed by your sweet layout D’s.
Oh Pleassha, you're breaking my force
You're shaking my defenses daily.
Whoa Pleassha, we're down on our knees
We’re amazed by your sweet layout D’s.
Those sweet D’s.

Making love in the afternoon with Pleassha
Up in my bedroom . . .
I got up to wash my face
When I come back to bed
Someone's taken my place.

Jubilation, they love me again,
I fall on the floor, and I'm laughing,
Jubilation, they love me again,
I fall on the floor and I'm laughing.

These Discs Were Made For Huckin'

Sung to the tune of "These Boots Are Made For Walkin'" by Nancy Sinatra

Are you ready _______? Start cheering...
These discs were made for huckin'
And that's just what you did
Threw those discs all over the field
And we didn't have a bid
Your Pirate D was fearsome
And your O was really hot too
It may have been hot today
But we had fun playing you

Haiku

A Haiku is a Japanese verse form notable for its compression and suggestiveness. It consists of three unrhymed lines of five, seven, and five syllables. Traditionally and ideally, a Haiku presents a pair of contrasting images, one suggesting time and place, the other a vivid but fleeting observation. Together, they evoke mood and emotion.

Limerick

Limericks, on the other hand, are a humorous verse form, the subject of which is often nonsensical but also having a strictly prescribed structure.

A Limerick

There once was a team named _________
All through the game they would D us
They worked the break side
For the disc we both vied
You're faster than a dude with a (pause) HAIRY CHEST
Reference: http://web.mit.edu/womens-ult/www/culture_cheers.shtml

Another Limeric

There was a team called _______
Who had a porn doll called Cheryl
We played on grass
We were outclassed
Next time play at your peril
Reference: http://web.mit.edu/womens-ult/www/culture_cheers.shtml

This is a collection of links to more cheers and songs.

members.iinet.net.au/~summers/chants.htm	Sample chants.
web.mit.edu/womens-ult/www/culture_cheers.shtml	Cheers from an MIT team.
www.lyrics007.com	Check out this site if you want to try to make your own songs.
www.thelastfourbooks.com/ultimate_frisbee.html	The Ultimate Frisbee Song: "Ultimate Game of Pals" by Moshe Daniel Block (with MP3).