The Benefits of Ultimate and Disc Sports for Physical and Social Development in Portuguese Schools

Training in Ultimate and disc sports started in Portugal in 2005. The aim of the study is to find out to what extent Physical Education teachers already know and recognise the value and potential of disc sports and ultimate, and what contribution this can make to achieving the predetermined learning outcomes in pupils. This analytical study used a cross-sectional survey design to investigate the perceived importance of disc sports among 450 physical education teachers. Approximately 54.0% of Physical Education teachers use Ultimate because they think it is a different sport, 48.7% because pupils like it and 40.3% because it is self-refereed. The results show that 92.3% of Physical Education teachers believe that disc sports improve pupils’ motor skills. This study highlights the potential of disc sports to enhance Physical Education. The findings suggest the potential for widespread implementation of disc sports in different educational settings and countries.