Integrating neurodiversity in Ultimate Frisbee
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Luca in Logroño with the U24 Itialian national team
During the course of the last U24 World Championship in Logroño, coach Davide Morri surprised many people by selecting Luca Bruni as one of the 25 chosen players. Luca has become the first player with Down’s syndrome in a high-level competition, setting a precedent that enriches this sport and highlights the integration potential of Ultimate. When asked about Luca’s training process, Davide pointed out that his inclusion in the team was always subject to him following the same training and selection process as the rest of his teammates: four weekly training sessions, two of which were dedicated to physical workouts and two Ultimate-specific training sessions.
Luca doing physical training for U24 world championship in Logroño
His tenacity and dedication justified his addition, as his presence on the team contributed to the development of everyone involved in the selection process. “From March to June, Luca stopped being ‘a problem’ and became an ‘addition’, since he made them play calmer. Having someone more exposed, forced the team to stop acting nervous and screaming all the time.” His Open teammates, as well as the representives of the other categories, grew quickly attached to him, and he became a bonding link for the Azzurra. We all know that Ultimate exists outside of mainstream media, but it is also important to reflect on what it means to be an ‘outsider sport’. In this regard, two questions arise: How can we change to become a truly inclusive team? What methods are already working for other teams?
Davide Morri, Italy U24’s Head Coach
To answer this question, we must start by reviewing the experience of All Inclusive, a project started in 2010 and promoted by Davide Morri, while participating in Ultimate lessons with young students. The presence of young neurodiverse players interested in the game led them to the creation of a specific group to work with. This was a slow process, requiring learning and adaptation from everyone involved: the players, the coaches and the families. After working through the basics with the players, they gradually started to invite other students and young players to participate in voluntary training sessions. Eventually, this also included players from La Fotta and BFD (Bologna Flying Disc) Shout, as well as some U20 and U24 players.
Irene Scazzieri, Fury and BFD Shout, helping Luca with individual training
Irene Scazzeri, former BFD Shout player and current Fury player in San Francisco played a key role in Luca’s development by getting involved in his individual training (a picture of them both is shown below). Little by little, the project grew until the team could participate in regional and friendly tournaments in Italy, and even produce their first official U24 player. Morri speaks very naturally about the whole project, emphasizing the importance of treating neurodiverse players “normally”. He highlights the importance of having clear goals and choosing the right time for integration, as these are projects that require a great deal of work and can be incompatible with those periods of high-intensity training during the season.
Luca playing Beach Ultimate with BFD la Fotta
When it comes to projects of this nature, including and helping neurodiverse players to grow is both the goal and its own reward. It is a collective responsibility to offer such opportunities to people who have often not been welcomed in other spaces, it must not lie on the coaches alone. If we truly hope to succeed, we need to adapt the way we work and rethink the way we approach people with disabilities. This refers to condescending attitudes and the common assumption that having a divergent form of understanding or learning is only an impediment. Luca’s case shows that diversity makes us grow not only sportwise, but also enrichens and elevates the whole group. When members of the staff and players approached Morri to question Luca’s addition to the team, he would simply say: “well, if you’re worried about having a ‘weak’ member, you should be stronger to support him”. With this simple philosophy of internal support and Luca’s dedication, the debate was over.
Luca Bruni in Parma
We must therefore show willingness to reevaluate ourselves when it comes to organising any form of inclusive project. Working with any form of diversity requires respect and constant education, as each case is different (a principle that applies to any athlete). This is why the first measure we must consider in any process is adaptation. Rather than making things easier for neurodiverse people when they participate, we must adapt our communication to make it universally accessible. For example, using visual aids to illustrate our plays or reducing the length of any verbal explanations. Secondly, it is essential to normalise the way we address anybody, which of course does not mean doing so in any way that negates their reality. Finally and most importantly, we need to trust their process and their decision-making ability, asking is always the most direct way for communication. These are simple adaptations that can be applied to most cases and work as a first step for inclusion. From this moment on, it’s just a matter of working with each individual (and their families, in the case of children).
Luca Bruni, All Inclusive and Italy U24 player
If we truly want to learn from Luca and All Inclusive, we have to adopt a gradual, but consistent, approach to work. Step by step, allowing time for adaptation. We can’t expect it to work overnight; it is a formative process that requires patience and empathy. However, we can look forward to creating a healthy and plural community that welcomes any kind of diversity, including neurodiversities. In Ultimate Sevilla, we wholeheartedly believe, as a club, in inclusion and the coexistence of personal and collective compromise. That is why we will continue to work with the hope of promoting this sport that we all love and reaching anybody who needs it, even if they are not yet aware that they need it!
“This sport is not developed enough to just take care of the ‘top’. If you don’t develop both the ‘top’ and the ‘flop’, you are losing players [...] Since the communities are small, we can’t afford to be selfish. For if we only focus on the top, you ignore the beginners.”
Article written by Dulce Álvarez, Ultimate Sevilla player, based on an interview with Davide Morri on July 18th, 2025, thanks to the collaboration of Edwin Grappin, US coach.
🧡 💛 💚 💙 💜 🖤
From our Ultimate Sevilla community:
Thank you, Luca, for your inspiring achievements and for the learning that goes beyond us; congratulations on paving the way with your example and encouraging us to keep (un)learning.
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