For the Love of the Game
Throughout the spring semester, Paideia’s varsity girls ultimate team, Groove, shared their love of the sport with K-5 students in the Bright Futures after school program
Groove takes the field for their Tuesday practice on a balmy April afternoon. They spring into action; pairing up for a throwing drill, tossing the frisbee back and forth with a teammate. They move into a line drill, practicing catching while running and accurately passing to a moving target. There are strong throws and catches, fumbles and short throws, laughter that communicates “shake it off” and screeches of joy that might as well be exclamations of “Oh! I did it!” - it’s all a part of learning the game.
This practice isn’t only an opportunity for Groove to hone their skills, but also to coach the next generation and share their love of the game as they work with K-5 students in the Bright Futures after school program. From 2016 to 2020, Groove worked with the after school program Inspire Shalom in Clarkston until the pandemic halted their relationship. As the ultimate team reemerged after the worst of the pandemic, Miranda hoped to continue their work with a similar program. “As a well-funded and highly resourced ultimate team, our role is to coach and pass on the game, to share the joy of ultimate with others,” she says.
In the fall, Miranda connected with Education and Youth Support Specialist Abigail Klima who works with New American Pathways, a non-profit organization with the mission of helping refugees in Georgia thrive. Abigail coordinates after school activities and lessons through the Bright Futures program and worked with Groove to develop the after school ultimate program as a way to introduce students to a new sport.
Since January Groove has spent nearly every Tuesday working with the Bright Futures students. In preparation for their first Bright Futures ultimate season, two team members, Amelia Darling ’24 and Amiya Bhattacharyya ’26, took leadership of planning practices for the students. They first met with Miranda to discuss what they hoped to accomplish throughout the season before taking complete responsibility for practice and developing their voice, confidence and leadership skills.
Another preparation that Groove took for the season was supplying students with smaller discs that would be comfortable and safe for players. Regulation ultimate discs are 175 grams and are composed of hard plastic, which would be more difficult for smaller hands to propel with proper form. As the youngest group playing ultimate in Atlanta, these K-5 students needed a youth disc that was softer and lighter, so Miranda applied for and received a grant from Atlanta Women’s Ultimate through the Atlanta Flying Disc Club. This grant provided each Bright Futures student with a J star youth disc to practice with, take home and keep. The discs designed by Atlanta Soul General Manager Lily Ponitz combine the New American Pathways logo with the Paideia Python wrapped around it - a beautiful symbol of the two groups coming together.
In the fall, Miranda connected with Education and Youth Support Specialist Abigail Klima who works with New American Pathways, a non-profit organization with the mission of helping refugees in Georgia thrive. Abigail coordinates after school activities and lessons through the Bright Futures program and worked with Groove to develop the after school ultimate program as a way to introduce students to a new sport.
Back at practice amid the drills, there are hugs and hi-fives. Bright Futures students shine as they talk and play with their Groove coaches. After drills they hit the field ready to play and show off their skills. As a self-officiated, non-contact sport, ultimate teaches players to take responsibility for conflict resolution and creates a culture of care and respect between players. “It’s easy to get overly competitive or angry when playing sports, especially as a kid,” says Groove student coach Amiya. “As we kept coaching, we could see them start to embrace the spirit of ultimate. By the end of the program, I heard kids calling fouls without our help. It was great seeing them learn to solve their disputes.”
During their second undefeated season in a row, Groove set a goal to challenge the team beyond winning games and tournaments regionally and nationally to focus on community and service as a central team value. “In sports we get this sort of tunnel vision of winning, success and greatness,” says Miranda. “Something my coach Michael Baccarini always reminds players is ‘You can’t play without the other team.’ We should have respect for everyone on the field, no matter the color of their jersey.”
As Groove and Bright Futures finish their first season together, something bigger begins. “I hope that some of these kids we’re coaching now will come play for me someday or that we will play against them someday,” says Miranda. “I hope we’re training the next generation, no matter where they play.” As Groove holds hands with Bright Futures students learning ultimate, both figuratively and literally, they also become better players. This experience teaches them to think critically about the movement and technique they are teaching the younger players.
“By the end of the school day, it's easy to feel tired and ready to go home, but the Bright Futures kids always have so much excitement and energy,” Amiya reflects. “Every Tuesday as soon as we stepped onto the field one little girl would always run over to hug all of us and the kids made me excited to play again.” Through this collaboration, Bright Futures students have found a community they can rely on week after week for hugs, fun, patience and guidance. Their strong bond is visible as they share a post-practice halal snack provided by a Paideia family. In this special place, players can leave their worries and focus on the present moment – being together, learning about each other and sharing in the joy and camaraderie of the sport.
At their celebratory end-of-year picnic, Groove and Bright Futures players shared their gratitude for the season and looked enthusiastically ahead to next year. Both programs hope to continue their relationship for the foreseeable future, strengthening the connection that has become so beneficial to both of our communities.
