The Garfield boys varsity ultimate frisbee team has concluded an impressive season, finishing undefeated for the first time since 2016. With the support of a dedicated new coach, a strong senior class, and some talented rookies, the team has excelled this year and is hoping to continue riding this success all the way to the High School National Invite in June.
Senior captain Aage Bonnell attributed much of this season’s turnaround to their new coach, Tony Goss. Goss, a player for the Seattle Cascades, “is always positive and is always uplifting everyone, he does a good job of fixing our mental game” Bonnell remarked. “It’s really useful to have a coach who’s an active player at a high level,” he continued. Senior captain Jude Small agreed, claiming that their new coach has brought “a very different culture that I would say completely changed the program for the better.”
Small credited this season’s constant success to the strong chemistry amongst players- especially within the large senior class- many of whom have been playing together since elementary or middle school. “We know each other’s play styles, which helps build trust on the field,” he stated. Trust is a critical pillar of this sport, “frisbee is self refereed, so there’s always a sense of trust that you have to put in each other,” explained Bonnell. “This [community] has especially shined this year because we’ve had so many freshmen join… when we walk around the school and they come up to us and say hi it feels good that the program has created a sense of community, like we are a family,” Small stated, emphasizing the importance of team dynamics in achieving success.
Focus and discipline have also played a key role in their undefeated season. Bonnell emphasized the importance of maintaining concentration during games. “We played at a high level, and it was crucial to keep ourselves centered,” he said.
Senior Denny Beaumon, player and part of the team’s leadership committee, shared his motivation for the season, “we all knew we had to work extra hard, we wanted to make it our best year yet,” he noted. “Two years ago, me and Denny planned out that if we were going to have a year to be dominant and win the state championship, it was gonna be this year,” added Small. The motivation for a state championship is strong, “we’ve lost in quarterfinals to [Nathan] Hale every year, but I think we have a solid chance this year,” Bonnell claimed.
As the season concludes, Beaumon expressed the necessity of building a strong foundation for the future of the program, “in order for the program to be successful for years down the line, it’s really important that we instill the trust into the underclassmen so that they have the confidence and know what it looks like to lead a program.”
