Northampton native Alysha Parshall-Matylas grew up playing soccer, finding a love for the sport before her father suggested she try something new when she reached seventh grade: ultimate frisbee.
The thought of branching out and experimenting with a new sport gave Parshall-Matylas some hesitation, knowing that she had a good thing going on the soccer field. Despite some second-guessing, she decided to give it a shot.
With no real expectations, Parshall-Matylas learned about the game, engulfing herself in the area’s ultimate community. She played for a few years leading up to her freshman year of high school, with a decision to make whether she’d continue playing or focus her attention fully back to soccer.
As much as she’d enjoyed learning the new sport, the relationships she’d made with players and coaches involved in frisbee made all the difference in the decision to stick with it.
“The community of frisbee is very important to me, and basically the reason why I’m still playing,” Parshall-Matylas said. “They just made me love the sport even more.”
Over time, Parshall-Matylas’ continued time spent with the sport helped her consistently improve as a player. She made the varsity team at Northampton High School as a freshman, using the speed that also gives her success on the soccer field to her advantage.
She became more and more comfortable on the disc, evolving from a one-dimensional athlete in deep space, to a versatile threat in all facets of the game.
A big part of her development as a player came from an urge to always be improving, with the thought of balancing multiple sports along with school never being too much to handle.
With her improved skillset, Parshall-Matylas sought out a higher level of competition. With the Under-20 World Juniors Ultimate Championships coming up in Logroño, Spain, this summer, the now junior in high school decided to try out for the USA National team.
“I think my chances are low,” Parshall-Matylas said to herself. “But anything can happen.”
Parshall-Matylas attended the team’s East Coast tryout this past Fall, along with 200 other invitees. Using the skills she’d been working on for years, as well as her natural athletic ability, the junior left a lasting impression.
The coaching staff from the women’s team reached out over email shortly after, letting Parshall-Matylas know that she had been selected for the team.
“I was very excited,” Parshall-Matylas said. “I was a little shocked, because I wasn’t confident that I was gonna make the team… I didn’t know what they were looking for at all. One might be my speed. They emailed us, individually, and they said field awareness, too.”
Now knowing she’ll be in Spain this summer, Parshall-Matylas is set on making sure she’s as prepared as she can be. The team has given her some workouts to stick with over the course of the winter and spring, while giving her some other skills to work on.
Parshall-Matylas earned the spot on the team based on expected success in a deep cutter role, along with some defense. The role is one she feels comfortable with, still understanding that she has room to sharpen her skill set.
Knowing there will be a new level of competition in Spain this summer, Parshall-Matylas wants to make sure she can not only keep up with her opponents, but succeed on the big stage.
“I think the thing that I’m [going to] have to work on is a lot of the time I rely on my speed,” Parshall-Matylas said. “I don’t make strong enough cuts or fakes, which works in high school, because I’m faster than a lot of people. But I’m gonna have to get better at faking.”
Those around Parshall-Matylas aren’t worried about her ability to get ready to compete at the new level of competition.
“[She] is such a hard worker,” Parshall-Matylas’ father, Tim Parshall, said. “I’m so impressed with this, and I’m so happy that she’s getting recognition for all the hard work she’s done.”
Before the tournament officially gets underway, the team will meet for a training weekend near Denver, and will then have a training week on the East Coast right before flying out to Spain.
Parshall-Matylas plans to continue playing ultimate frisbee through and even after college if she’s able, knowing that this upcoming tournament is a great opportunity to continue growing on her journey.
Outside of winning the tournament, Parshall-Matylas is hoping to learn a ton from the once-in-a-lifetime experience. Representing her community and country on a worldwide stage, she’s looking to leave her mark on what should be a competitive weekend.
“[My goals are] making really strong connections with the teammates, just learning from it, and getting better from it,” Parshall-Matylas said. ” Pushing myself, and playing the hardest I can throughout the whole weekend so I can be proud of what I did afterwards and have no regrets when I leave.”
The U20 Championships are held every two years, with the Team USA women last taking silver during the 2024 U20 Championships in Birmingham, United Kingdom.
This year’s competition is scheduled to take place in July.
