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07/21/2016 12:00 AMIt all started with a chance viewing of the sport at the University of Miami and, since then, Chris Mazur has experienced international notoriety and gold medal glory from playing ultimate frisbee.
Chris, a Guilford native, attended Choate Rosemary Hall in Wallingford, where he played baseball, basketball, and tennis before heading to Miami. After seeing some fellow students playing ultimate frisbee, Chris was pulled into a pickup game and he was off from there. The experience eventually led Chris to go pro in the sport and he also earned a spot on the mixed gender squad of the U.S. Ultimate National Frisbee Team. At the 2016 World Ultimate and Guts Championships that took place in London last month, Chris helped his team capture the gold medal in the Mixed Division.
“When I played that first game of frisbee in Miami, it seemed super fun and I saw it as a way to stay in shape. Some of the guys playing that day were a part of the Miami Refugees team, which won nationals and represented the U.S. in the World Championships in 2004. They gave me more of a background in the sport and it started from there,” says Chris, who recently moved to Dallas. “Winning the gold was super surreal. The International Olympic Committee has looked at ultimate frisbee more seriously the last few years, so the process of forming a national team has gone to a more Olympic-style route of forming teams with tryouts to form a dream team. Just to be a part of that tryout and make the team was the turning point for the sport in terms of its growing popularity.”
Chris was one of 70 athletes among 200 who tried out for the three U.S. teams to make the cut. Two of the things he likes most about ultimate frisbee are the fast-paced nature of the game and also how players from all parts of the world respect one another.
“The coaches want each national team to be as good as possible and have certain positions covered. For example, they want to have a good thrower and deep threat on each squad,” Chris says. “The game is 7-on-7 with a 70-yard field and 20-yard end zones. A team reaches the end zone, they score a point. For the games in London, it was the first to 15 points wins and you can play zone defenses. It’s really different than other sports. Players police themselves and it’s a complicated and intense rulebook. The founding rule talks about the spirit of the game, which is sportsmanship and respect. It creates an experience beyond a sporting match. It creates a bond among teammates and opponents. I can go to any state or country and I’m sure I can find someone that plays frisbee and can show me around town. The community begins with that spirit of the game.”
Jake Henderson was the head coach of Chris’s gold medal group. Henderson says that while Chris was a tremendous asset on both ends of the field, Chris also knew how to make the team click away from the turf.
“He had a great impact off the field as a super-awesome guy. He was nominated, but not elected as a team captain, but he led by example, and people listened when he spoke up in the huddles. He had so much energy and helped to create a community among players that hadn’t played together before,” says Henderson. “On the field, he was a tremendous thrower that could get the disc to anyone and anywhere. He was a great defender, plus his offensive skillset was great. We would see some zone defense, but he would help shred them. The presence he had also brought the team together.”
Chris also competes in the American Ultimate Disc League. In fact, Chris was a part of league history this year as he became the first player to be traded midseason, when he was dealt to the Dallas Roughnecks. Although Chris has reached the mountaintop on the international level, he still has some big-time goals that he wants to achieve stateside.
“Winning the gold medal is on the top of list in accomplishments. I’m 30 now, so I have about three years left in the heart of my career. I would like to win a national title and a pro league title,” says Chris. “Being a part of the trade was pretty cool. Dallas went undefeated for the regular season and the league itself has grown and it’s one with referees and a game clock.”
When his time playing ultimate frisbee does come to a close, Chris would like to take to the sidelines one day, while helping a future generation of athletes dish out the disc.
“I really look forward to the opportunity of coaching in the sport one day. It’s a sport that has meant so much to me with that community factor,” Chris says. “The sport has helped me build a bigger family and I would also like to teach the sport one day to my kids.”