It doesn't take long to sense the passion.

You can feel it when Charlie Yood describes his excitement upon watching a 65-yard pass fly through the air. You can hear it in Meredith Lair's voice as she explains how she teaches novice women the nuances of her sport. You can see it in Jordan Irvin's eyes as he details each of the injuries he has sustained in the name of the game.

The sport is ultimate Frisbee, and it has made itself a home on the fields of State College, bringing the passion along with it.

The passion has certainly hit central Pennsylvania. Penn State has two collegiate club teams; there is a men's club squad in town, and in the summer, the State College Ultimate League and the long-standing Happy Valley pickup games allow Frisbee competition to continue year round. Despite these widespread opportunities, organized ultimate Frisbee play still maintains some degree of obscurity.

"I think [the sport] is growing," Lair said. "But I think it is still a really well-kept secret."

Lair is working to change that, as she runs a Scrambled Legs clinic in conjunction with Penn State professor Liz Marshall every spring that helps bring inexperienced women into the frisbee community by teaching all aspects of the sport. The clinic also helps to encourage women to compete in a sport that is dominated by men.

"We recognize that there are a lot of women who have played a sport, but not ultimate [Frisbee], or have never played a sport at all but are intimidated by the coed environment," Lair said. "[The clinic] is not intense, but we try to develop a concept each time and build on that."

Women trained in the Scrambled Legs clinic often look to join the State College Ultimate League, where they can continue to hone their skills through competition. SCUL is a coed league of about 200 players that was put together by Yood six years ago with the goal of bringing together the numerous Frisbee-playing groups in town into one cohesive organization for summer play.

Through the course of the summer, round-robin play among the teams is held each Thursday night, and the season culminates in the final double-elimination tournament after 10 weeks of play.

The progress of SCUL serves as a landmark for the ever-growing popularity of ultimate Frisbee. When the league was first founded, only seven teams with 10 members each could be filled; last season, 10 teams of 20 people apiece were formed, with some men even being placed on a waiting list to help maintain a gender balance on the teams.

SCUL shows remarkable diversity in its players, both in age and in skill level.

"We've got people from high school, from college, all the way up to a 45-year old," Irvin said. "We've got everyone."

Teams are formulated by matching players of higher skill levels with beginners. Emphasis is therefore placed on improving the abilities and interest levels of the novice players as the summer progresses.

"The whole idea behind the summer league is to teach more people the game [and] get more people interested in the game by mixing together the experienced and inexperienced players," SCUL commissioner Curt Speaker said.

For the veteran players, teaching the newcomers is second nature.

"We love to have these people come out, we love to teach them," Irvin said. "If I'm going to put in that much effort, I want to share my passion."

Members of the local club teams enjoy the opportunity for more relaxed play that SCUL affords them.

"It's really focused on teaching new people the game and the competition aspect is secondary," said Amy Morrison, a player on the Penn State women's club team and member of the SCUL competition committee. "It is a good outlet to have organized play ... with people you don't normally get to compete with."

Part of what makes ultimate Frisbee so special is the underlying principle of "spirit of the game." This most sacred of rules will trump all others. More than its role as the most powerful rule, however, is the respect on the field and the laid-back mentality that "spirit of the game" helps to foster. Any ultimate player will tell you that this is what makes the sport unique.

"There is a laid-back attitude that isn't in other sports," Lair said. "The guiding principle is 'spirit of the game,' so people are governed by the principle that they should be spirited, laid-back and friendly."

"Spirit of the game" is also what allows ultimate Frisbee to be an un-officiated sport, even at the highest level of play. The responsibility for making the calls falls upon the players, who are trusted to be fair. Those who referee dishonestly are said to be forced to face up to the ultimate Frisbee karma.

"If a player calls herself in and she really wasn't, the universe will punish her with a terrible throw or a bobbled catch the next time she touches the disc," Lair said. "I swear on my Frisbee, I've seen it happen a hundred times."

Ultimate Frisbee truly is a sport that caters to any style of player. There is a role for everyone, from the tall, lanky woman who can reach up and make a grab on defense to the short and stocky man who can whip the disc downfield. As Yood said, "it really allows different kinds of players to find a niche."

As different as these niches may be for each player, the sport always comes back to the one permanent constant for ultimate players: their passion for the game.

"There's something about watching a piece of plastic go up and down," Yood said. "A baseball you hurl, a football you hurl, but a Frisbee just flies.

"It's got a flow to it, a certain aesthetic quality. And [the sport] really lends itself to phenomenal athletic plays."

Ultimate Frisbee has found its own niche here in State College. And the passion has flown in with it.