Warrimoo students catch on to ultimate frisbee

And students at Warrimoo Public School are soaking it up like sponges every Monday this month under the expert guidance of experienced Australian representative player, Sarah Wentworth.

Ms Wentworth, whose sons Ari (year 3) and Marco (year 1) go to the school, represented Australia at the sport's world championships in 2000 and 2004 and at the World Games in 2005 and 2013 (in which Australia won silver).

After some time out from the sport, she is training hard again in a bid to gain selection in September for Australia's women's squad that will compete at the 2016 world championships in London.

Her other focus is to develop the sport in the Blue Mountains, so she decided to run a six-week coaching program at Warrimoo Public School.

Ms Wentworth told the Gazette the level of interest and skill among the students has already improved in a very short space of time.

"Children can learn new things so quickly and that's happening here at every session," Ms Wentworth said.

"At the moment my aim is to keep increasing their skills and knowledge and the longer term goal is to set up some mini-games, maybe run more training sessions at schools and form some sort of a competition."

Currently there is a social ultimate frisbee club based in the Upper Mountains, Katoomba High School has entered teams in school competitions and Maya Suzuki (a Mt Riverview native now living in Canberra) represented Australia at the U23 world championships last June.

"So the sport is growing and last month it was recognised as an official sport by the International Olympic Committee, which is a real boost," Ms Wentworth said.

"I enjoy the speed, fitness, skill and decision-making involved in the sport and I've made a lot of friends here and overseas through playing it.

"But what attracted me to ultimate frisbee from the beginning is the spirit in which it is played."