Most Wildcats have probably heard about Davidson’s ultimate frisbee team or at least seen them tossing discs on the old tennis court lawn. According to captain Josh Matushak ’26, DUFF are a tight knit, “great group of guys.” However, after an interview with DUFF’s four captains, it became clear the club is far more than that.
The four captains, Matushak, John Ready ’26, Wesley Smail ’26 and Truman Sandy ’27, have all been a part of DUFF since their freshman year. Matushak said ultimate frisbee was something he first discovered at Davidson.
“Freshman year at the club fair, I saw it and I’d heard about it a little bit,” Matushak said. “Playing a new sport was fun to me.”
For Sandy, ultimate frisbee was already a big part of his lifestyle.
“I played for three years in high school and then I was involved in a club team in my area so I knew coming into it that I was interested,” Sandy said. “The team was super welcoming so I definitely stuck with it.”
No matter how they got involved, the captains all noted being particularly attracted to the team’s welcoming spirit. For many, frisbee was a plus side of what was an otherwise social endeavor.
Even so, DUFF is first and foremost about ultimate frisbee. The biweekly practices are fun but rigorous; members of DUFF spend Monday and Wednesday nights conditioning, perfecting their throws and scrimmaging. DUFF competes at four or five tournaments per semester. Because the spring semester is DUFF’s competitive season, the club spends most of the fall and winter developing skills.
DUFF players take their history and traditions seriously, whether it be sending nonsensical emails or participating in a heritage of lighthearted games. Keepsakes like shirts, signs, jerseys and even fencing helmets are passed down from seniors to underclassmen. The club also prides itself on the DUFF history book: a running collection of photos, funny emails, strategies, and playbooks compiled over the last twenty years.
DUFF has some silly traditions as well. “We did this thing called ‘ice bath, hot seat,’ where after a day of playing we’d have an ice bath and someone would have to answer questions for two minutes,” Matushak said.
Random emails are another important aspect of DUFF. Sometimes as simple as an empty email with the subject “orcas,” DUFF emails are a signature part of the club’s fun and quirky identity.
DUFF involvement even goes beyond members’ four years at Davidson. Some of the coaches are Davidson DUFF alums who live in the Charlotte area and help out the team.
“If you’ve already played you have a shared connection, certain traditions. It’s cool to think they’ve gone back,” Ready said.
Over the summer, Matushak, Ready and Sandy played on a regional club team. While at a tournament in Asheville, they encountered a 2006 Davidson DUFF alumnus.
“We went up to talk to him,” Matushak said. “He had done some of the same traditions we had done twenty years ago. It was like an instant connection.”
DUFF’s ultimate goal during their competitive play is a victory at nationals. Two years ago, they were one point away from being able to attend. Last year, they fell one game away, but the captains still possess a hunger to return. “There’s always more to give,” Ready said.
DUFF’s strong chemistry and work ethic places its identity far beyond a club sport.
“DUFF is a place [where] people can express themselves however they want,” Smail said. “There’s a good mix of silliness but also commitment to working hard for each other and getting better as a team. It’s something I haven’t really found anywhere else.”