Chloë Rowse, it seems, was destined to become a professional ultimate frisbee player. “When my sisters and I were younger, my dad would throw the frisbee and we’d chase it down almost like dogs,” she laughs. Her father, Rob, was an ultimate frisbee athlete before the sport gained popularity in Maine; in 1976, he played in the world championships at the Rose Bowl, and Rowse recalls attending her father’s games while growing up in the early 2000s.
Fast forward to 2008, when the Maine Coast Waldorf High School reached out to Rob to see if he was interested in coaching (the answer was a resounding “yes”). Although Rowse was only in 8th grade at the Waldorf school, she had experience playing ultimate and was invited to join the high school team. When she entered high school herself, Rowse changed schools and played for Falmouth High School. “They were also looking for a coach, and my dad switched to coaching there so that we could continue being a part of the same team together.” For the first few years, Rowse was the only girl on a team full of high school boys. Eventually, a few other women joined the team, but, according to Rowse, “it was generally a boy’s league with a couple of girls here and there who would match up against each other on the field.”
When it came time to decide on a college, Rowse decided ultimate frisbee was an integral part of her life and looked for a school with a great ultimate program. She settled on Colorado College, where she played on a women’s team for the first time before playing for the US Women’s Team in London, England in 2014. After graduating with a dual degree in studio art and education, Rowse moved to Amsterdam where she helped start (and played on) a women’s ultimate frisbee team. In 2018, she moved back to Portland and saw how much the sport had grown since she left town. “There are so many high school teams now—girls, mixed, and boys—and there are A, B, and C teams. There’s also the Maine Ultimate Summer League in Portland, which is huge, and there are a handful of club teams,” she says. The only thing missing was an elite team on which Rowse could play against other athletes at her level.
“The Maine ultimate community is incredible, but I started traveling to Boston to play higher level teams. I was always like, ‘I want that team to be here. I want to play in Maine. If all of us who traveled would just stay, we could create something amazing here,’” she remembers. In 2019, the ultimate (pardon the pun) opportunity presented itself: the Premier Ultimate League, a new professional league for non-male athletes
- inclusive of all identities and orientations - announced they were expanding and accepting applications. “It all happened super fast,” Rowse laughs. “We submitted an application in October, we were accepted in November, and we launched the team in December. I remember sitting down and thinking, ‘We have to come up with a name. We need a logo. We need to hire coaches and become a real thing in a very short amount of time.’” There were, of course, several hurdles at the beginning: “We're a sport that’s new to the mainstream, and we’re not a men’s sports team,” she explains. "But providing this level of play in Portland is really big, and for us to provide gender equity in the sport is amazing." Portland Rising tryouts in January 2020 brought over 100 players from all over New England, but then the pandemic hit and the team’s first season was put on hold.
The 2024 season, which runs April to June, will be the team’s fourth season. “Our tryouts this year were really competitive,” Rowse says. “This might be the strongest roster we’ve had in the history of the team. Plus, it feels like we’ve really honed in on what’s important to us and where we want to direct our energy. It took a few years, but we’re really starting to hit our groove both on and off the field,” she adds. Every Portland Rising player is involved in an off-the-field committee focused on a topic ranging from carbon control and equity to community connections and social events. “We recognized that this team is about more than just how we play on the field. We’re out there in front of the world, and we want to be intentional about our values as a team,” Rowse explains.
The fact that the team even exists is one of Rowse’s greatest accomplishments. “I remember watching a men’s showcase game in high school, with all of these amazing players who traveled around playing club teams,” she says. "It never crossed my mind that I could play in the same way," she says, because growing up, she had only seen it as a reality for men. "Rowse understands the importance of showing younger athletes what’s possible. Creating a space for equity, accessibility, and visibility in the sport is important to the entire team. "I want younger athletes to know that if you really want something, you can make it a reality," she says.. “There are always limiting factors, like financially being able to play a sport, but make sure that it’s those outside factors that are stopping you and not how you feel inside.”
What's in a name?
“When brainstorming our team’s name, we thought about Portland and how the city is rising in popularity, about Maine being the first state to see the sunrise, and the idea of tides—when the tide rises, all the boats rise with it. There are club and youth teams in Maine called Red Tide, Rising Tide, and Rip Tide, so the area has been playing on the ocean theme for a while. Then there’s the city’s motto, which is ‘Resurgam,’ meaning ‘I shall rise again.’ We put that on our jerseys—with launching the team during COVID, it’s really the perfect motto for us.”
2024 Schedule
“Having a team in Portland is great because we can be a big fish in a smaller pond. We’re continuing to grow, but our success is dependent on the community’s support. Building a fanbase and raising awareness of the sport is huge for the team’s long-term sustainability. It starts with inviting your friends to a game, getting season tickets, and just showing everyone what we’re about.”
Secure your tickets at portlandrising.me.
Portland Rising vs. NY Gridlock
April 20th at Fitzpatrick Stadium (home)
Portland Rising @ Minnesota Strike
April 27th (away)
Portland Rising vs. DC Shadow
May 18th at Fitzpatrick Stadium (home)
Portland Rising @ Milwaukee Monarchs
June 1st (away)
Portland Rising @ Indianapolis Red
June 2nd (away)
Portland Rising vs. Philadelphia Surge
June 8th at Fitzpatrick Stadium (home)
