The competition was on at Austin Intermediate School as the Crooked Pirates took on the Unstoppables in a fast-paced game of Ultimate Frisbee.

The players — 26 in all — are taking Ultimate Frisbee as one of their courses at Kids Café, Austin's after-school and summer enrichment program.

"This is the first time it has been offered, and it was ridiculous the amount of sign-ups we got. It is super popular with the kids," said Matt Oliveira, morning supervisor.

Over on the field, students in fourth through eighth grade wore uniforms they made themselves — either pink shirts with skull and crossbones for the Crooked Pirates or blue tie dye for the Unstoppables.

Teacher Kate Ross, a student at Curry College who is planning to pursue a master's degree in physical education, is responsible for introducing the sport to the school.

"When I graduated (from Apponequet Regional High School) in 2005, my friends and I started playing at the high school every Sunday as a way to get together. It is a great way to stay active and socialize," Ross said.

Popular on college campuses around the country, Ultimate Frisbee started in 1968 at Columbia High School in Maplewood, N.J. The object of the game is to score by catching a pass in the opponent's end zone.

Although the field set-up is similar to football, Ultimate Frisbee is a non-contact sport, and players can not run while in possession of the disc.

Ultimate Players Association rules call for seven players on the field per team, but the Kids Café version has all the players on the field at the same time.

"I play soccer and this helps me stay in shape because I run a lot," said Nick Johnston, 13.

Crooked Pirate teammate Cody Lavigne, 12, has gone from not knowing that Ultimate Frisbee was a game to having disc preferences.

According to Cody, the best discs weigh at least 175 grams so they are less likely to get misdirected by the wind.

Serious players of Ultimate Frisbee sometimes refer to the Frisbee as a "disc" and the game as simply "Ultimate."

Frisbee, as explained on the UPA web site, is a trademark and discs used most often by clubs and college teams are made by a company called Wham-O.

"For our purposes, it doesn't matter who makes the disc as long as it is a good weight," Ross said.

Ultimate is played in 42 countries and teams take great pride in their unforgettable names.

Massachusetts club teams listed by the UPA include "Death or Glory," "Lady Godiva," "Toothless Flyers" and "Brute Squad."

Adults and teens interested in pickup games in on SouthCoast can go to www.upa.org/pickup.

Not to be outdone by the clubs, college players wear shirts that shout out names like "Blood and Concrete," "Zoo Disc," "Ozone Pilots" and "Purple Haze."

Asked if Austin students would be interested in a school or intramural Ultimate program, all 26 raised their hands.

"They are adding lacrosse this year. Who knows? Maybe Ultimate is next," said Unstoppables player Melanie Keane.