When one thinks about playing frisbee, they might imagine throwing a disc on the beach or hurling one to their dog. To senior Megan Kirby, however, playing frisbee is more than just a casual toss of a plastic circle. Ultimate Frisbee means everything to her and her family.

She started playing in elementary school because her father, Tom Kirby, played in college at SUNY Oswego and SUNY Albany. Now, at SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, Kirby has used her lifelong experience with the game to become a captain for Fox Force Seven, an all-girls club team at Syracuse.

“She’s been playing ultimate forever. She has the community aspect embedded in her life,” said Caroline Noone, Kirby’s co-captain. “She really has the knowledge and experience of the game and really understands the fundamentals of what frisbee means.”

By the time Kirby entered middle school, she was already involved in women’s leagues around the Albany area. When Kirby entered high school, she played in a small league that local high schools participated in. What made this league so special, though, was that Kirby’s father was the coach of the team — they had always bonded through the sport. During her junior year, she got more serious about ultimate, joining a club team.

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Kirby knew she didn’t want her ultimate frisbee career to end when she walked across the stage at her high school graduation. SUNY-ESF was on her radar because of its environmental science major, but she wasn’t sure if she’d be able to continue playing ultimate at a smaller school — there’s no ultimate club at ESF.

One time, when Kirby travelled to a club tournament, she met an active ESF student who played on Syracuse’s team. Kirby realized her dream of playing college ultimate frisbee in college was realistic. Now, Kirby is the only ESF student on the team. However, she blends right in on the team, her teammates said.

“A lot of times we actually forget that she goes to ESF… the two communities are so close and we all do such similar things that I don’t even remember that she’s in ESF,” said sophomore teammate Daria Latvis.

Although Kirby has found her niche at Syracuse, her biological family is not too far away. Her father tries to come to as many of her games as he can. When he does come, he sometimes helps coach the team and give pointers. Kirby’s brother now plays ultimate frisbee as well.

“If we have any tournaments around her house when we travel, we always stay at her house and her dad is so nice and her family is so welcoming,” Latvis said.

Courtesy of Megan Kirby

Kirby, now a captain of the Fox Force Seven, is focused on improving on last year’s 8-9 record in the spring season. Kirby’s goal is to play well enough in local and state tournaments during the regular season to make the regional postseason tournament.

To achieve this, Kirby helps lead her teammates through drills at practice three times per week. Her teammates also turn to her when they need a boost, whether they’re losing on the scoreboard or dealing with issues off the field, Kirby’s teammates said. Even Noone, Kirby’s co-captain, counts on Kirby’s leadership to make sure the team succeeds.

“With everything she does, she’s very encouraging. She never puts you down and she also just pulls you aside a lot and privately tells you how to improve your skills or your throws,” Latvis said.

For Kirby, frisbee’s more than just a beach game. Through helping her Fox Force Seven teammates improve and connecting with her dad, Kirby has kept ultimate frisbee as an important aspect of her life.

Published on October 3, 2019 at 12:46 am

Contact Sophie: srlevine@syr.edu