A group of women at Chico State who play a sport that combines the cardiovascular exertion of soccer, the technique of football and the communication skills of basketball. The sport? Ultimate Frisbee.

The players on the Chico State women’s ultimate Frisbee team take this sport very seriously. Their energy and enthusiasm show during practice.

The fundamentals of ultimate Frisbee are similar to many sports people play, said Samantha Fantuzo, a senior kinesiology major.

“It has concepts of soccer and basketball, maybe football, too, with the cuts,” Fantuzo said. “It is a team sport that is played with a flying disc. To score you must get it into the end zone, like football.”

Ultimate Frisbee stands out from other sports because the athletes are highly focused on self-officiating. This concept is called “spirit of the game,” and it is the foundation for all levels.

There are no referees during the games, fouls are called and discussed among the teams during play. It is a sport where honesty is expected and humility is seen in all the players.

Ultimate Frisbee is played all over the world, said Yuri Nakamura, a foreign exchange student from Japan. Nakamura’s university in Japan, Sophia University, was the collegiate champion in ultimate Frisbee last year.

“A lot of universities have an ultimate Frisbee team in Japan,” Nakamura said. “It is not professionally played, but we still like to play it.”

Like the “spirit of the game,” these women have high spirits and dedication for the game they love.

Sergio Sanchez can be reached at [email protected] or @theorion_sports on Twitter.