Many UCSB students enjoy tossing around a Frisbee at the beach, and some have turned that hobby into a competitive sport for an hour each week. Jon Cass, a third-year graduate student in UCSB’s Mathematics PhD program, is also in his third year of playing Intramural Sports. This quarter, Cass leads an Ultimate team, “Little Jon and His Merry Men & Women,” that is currently undefeated in the Coed Advanced league.
“I started playing Intramurals Sports when I first got to UCSB [in 2008],” Cass said. “One of my friends had come to UCSB the previous year and invited me to play on a team. I played with that team for a little while, but then some of the players left town and the team dissolved.”
After that, Cass didn’t have much continuity with one team for a while.
“I spent the next year or so bouncing around between teams and just playing whenever I got the chance,” Cass explained. “Then in the spring of last year, [former graduate student] Ariana Arcenas organized a team out of people who play pickup together when there are no Intramural Sport games going on.”
Arcenas’ team made a run for the championship last year.
“We did well last spring, and only lost in the finals,” Cass said. “[Arcenas] graduated at the end of last year, so I decided to keep the team going into this year.”
Cass talked about how he fits Ultimate into a schedule that includes research in algebra and number theory, with an emphasis on elliptic curves and Stark's conjectures.
“As a graduate student, my schedule is very loose,” Cass said. “I teach for a few hours a week, and have class for a couple hours a week, but most of my time is spent reading, thinking about, and researching mathematics on my own schedule.
Cass explained that despite certain challenges, participating in Intramural Sports is definitely worth his time.
“It is not difficult to fit intramurals into my schedule, however it is sometimes disruptive if I am in the middle of a marathon grading schedule, or am finally making some headway in my reading,” Cass said. “That [being] said, I find that it is very important to make the time - the intramural games are an opportunity to work hard in a different way and interact with people that I would not see otherwise. My head is always much clearer after a good game of Ultimate.”
Cass talked about the dynamic players on his team and how they have come to play well together.
“Our team has a vast range of experience levels,” Cass said. “Some people have been playing for over ten years and have competed at high levels, while others have just started this year. We only meet as a team for the games, but I know that many of the players look for opportunities between games to meet up and practice throwing.”
Overall, Little Jon and His Merry Men & Women has proven to be a fun and rewarding team for Cass lead.
“One of the aspects of my team that I am happiest about is our ability to welcome new players, while still maintaining a high level of play,” Cass said. “I know that when I show up for games, I will get the chance to learn from players who are far better than I am, and also teach some players who are just getting started.”
The team is currently 6-0, with one game left before playoffs.
“I believe that we will remain undefeated through the rest of the games, but that remains to be seen,” Cass said.
The past game on February 25 against “The Plastics,” also undefeated at the time, proved to be a good test for both teams, with Little Jon and His Merry Men & Women prevailing.
“[That] game was very memorable,” Cass explained. “We played in the pouring rain, with no subs [as not everyone showed up because of] the rain. We had a great game, and I hope we get the opportunity to play against them again in the playoffs.”
