Published April 13, 2008
The Charlotte Observer
By Jay Edwards
Special Correspondent
Ed Fox played his first game of Ultimate Frisbee 28 years ago at a college fraternity party.
He was a freshman at Sewanee College in Tennessee, and spent most of his free time playing baseball. In fact, Fox really wasn't sure how much he liked Ultimate Frisbee.
Now, nearly three decades later, Fox is one of the best Ultimate Frisbee players and coaches to come from Charlotte. He is a two-time member of the U.S. World Championship Ultimate Frisbee team (1992 and 1994).
Fox also is the reason Charlotte Latin has one of the best Ultimate Frisbee programs in the state and nation. This year, Latin has been ranked as high as No. 7 in the nation (by Ultimate Players Association, upa.org).
"Coach Fox has built the (Ultimate) program from the ground up," Charlotte Latin Headmaster Arch McIntosh said. "Ed Fox has really created an atmosphere around the team."
After playing Ultimate Frisbee, frequently referred to only as "Ultimate," for fun in college, Fox started to play a lot more games in adult leagues in graduate school and beyond. Fox used Ultimate for one of his major sources of exercise and fun while he earned a master's degree in education from Southern Mississippi and a second master's in geoscience from Mississippi State.
Then, Fox, a 1980 graduate of Charlotte Latin, returned to his alma mater to teach and coach. It was then that he started the Ultimate program.
"In the early days, it was really just a pick-up thing, not really an (official) sport," said Fox, whose father, Edward Fox Jr., was headmaster at Charlotte Latin from 1976 to 2001. "Now, it's recognized as a varsity sport. ... There aren't many schools that have done that even now."
Two other Charlotte-area schools have consistent Ultimate programs, Charlotte Catholic and the Fletcher School, both run by coaches who also play Ultimate on a regular basis. Most of the high school competition in North Carolina comes from the Raleigh area. The rest can be found at the college level or from the rapidly growing adult leagues around Charlotte.
"Ultimate is as big as it has ever been in Charlotte," said Fox, who plays every Tuesday night in an adult league in Charlotte. "About six years ago, it exploded. Now there are two leagues, Interlink and CAUA (Charlotte Area Ultimate Association), plus high school and college."
Ultimate isn't an easy sport. The Charlotte Latin team plays year-round, usually practicing four times a week. The sport is played seven on seven, on a 120-yard field. The goal is to catch the Frisbee in the designated end-zones. There is no contact, but the game requires skill and a lot of running. It also can be played five-on-five or three-on-three.
"To be really good at Ultimate, you have to be in great shape," said Fox, who is 46. "I think Ultimate is most like soccer, but it combines a lot of skills from a lot of sports."
The other sports have been Fox's biggest obstacle in developing the Charlotte Latin Ultimate program. There are 20 players on his team from grades six to 12.
"We have a hard time competing for athletes with the major sports even at our own school," Fox said. "But after all these years, I'm really most proud that program is still here, and that we have some continuity."
Despite the competition, Fox does have talent on his team. Senior Seth Tabor-Woodall, a former Latin basketball player, is the team's top player, standing 6 feet 6 inches tall. Tabor-Woodall plans to walk on next fall at one of the nation's top college programs, the University of Colorado. Fox says senior Danny Roberts is also a player with college ability.
"I treat Ultimate like it's a regular sport and I think people at Charlotte Latin do the same thing," Fox said. "I think Ultimate is a sport; people just need to give it chance."
With the growth he has seen in Charlotte, Fox hopes that means a bigger and better future for Ultimate.
"I've had some of the best times of my life playing," Fox said. "For me, it's a way to stay in shape and a competitive outlet."
Fox plays and practices on his Charlotte Latin team as a regular member of the squad in most games.
"I play every day with these guys, and I'd like to think I'm still one of the best players (on the team)," Fox said. "I've been playing a lot longer than anyone on the team."
To view the article online, go to www.charlotte.com.