Sterling Hammer-Cadora, ‘26, is the athlete to watch this year. In her third year playing ultimate frisbee for Boulder High, Hammer-Cadora has been nominated by her teammates to captain both the co-ed and girls teams. This choice was certainly a great one – not only is Hammer-Cadora one of the most promising athletes on the team, but she has shown real heart and commitment to the sport in her three seasons playing frisbee.
In her freshman year, Hammer-Cadora tested out three of the biggest BHS sports: volleyball, basketball, and track. Her goal with athletics became “making myself stronger, just to prove to myself I could do it.” But despite the hours spent at practices and the gym, she never quite fell in love with any team sports until a close friend recommended she give ultimate frisbee a try.
When asked what makes ultimate so different from the multitude of other sports she has played, Hammer-Cadora responded, “I have found that a lot of other sports are very internally competitive, whereas frisbee is more focused on building together.”
Hammer-Cadora describes herself as “[extremely] competitive, but not when it comes to competing with my own teammates.” In frisbee, she has found a community of elite athletes who push themselves to constantly improve, without measuring their success at the expense of their teammates.
That kind of support, Hammer-Cadora says, “helps me, and others, compete at our highest level, and also allows us to make mistakes.” Don’t get it wrong – “We all love to win,” laughs Hammer-Cadora, but the culture of total support means the team is always there to help each other through “not only through tough games, but through tough times in life.”
The values of the sport match the person Hammer-Cadora hopes to become. “Life, to me, isn’t about winning. It’s about becoming better each and every day, and the frisbee culture really embodies this.”
Hammer-Cadora’s favorite thing about the sport is her team – she considers them another family, and has grown very close to many teammates.
This year, Hammer-Cadora is stepping into the role of captain for Boulder High’s co-ed team, The Wave, and has been voted Spirit Captain (a position unique to ultimate frisbee) of the girls’ team, Flower Power. Hammer-Cadora expresses gratitude for her team and coaches, calling it “a true privilege” to be nominated for such leadership.
“As a captain,” says Hammer-Cadora, “my job is to help out the coaches, but also to be a person that players can come to. It’s still the start of the season, and it’s hard to know what this year will bring, but I’m excited to step into my role as a leader and use not only my knowledge of frisbee but also my knowledge of relationships to help improve the team.”
As she looks ahead to college and beyond, Hammer-Cadora expresses her determination to continue playing and competing. An adult summer league she competed in this year, Grass Roots Ultimate, “proved to me that frisbee can be a lifelong sport for me.”
Through her frisbee journey, Hammer-Cadora has grown not only as an athlete but as an individual. “Feeling strong and being strong, especially as a woman, has been indescribably empowering,” says Hammer-Cadora. “Athletics have changed my life for the better, and they will always be a large part of my life and what makes me who I am.”
In her two final seasons of high school frisbee, Hammer-Cadora is beyond excited to continue working with her co-captains, teammates, and coaches, those lifelong friends she has made through the sport. It is sure to be a great year for the ultimate program, and I, personally, am ecstatic to see what the future holds for Hammer-Cadora and the team.
