Tell us a little about your hobby.  

I play Ultimate Frisbee professionally for the Minnesota Wind Chill in the Ultimate Frisbee Association, have competed for multiple club teams at the USA Ultimate National Championships and this summer I was selected to represent Team USA at the 2024 World Flying Disc Federation’s World Ultimate Championships in Gold Coast, Australia.  

When did this hobby start for you?

I began playing Ultimate Frisbee as a sophomore at Valley High School and continued playing at the collegiate, club and professional levels for the past 12 years. My childhood best friend, Jaden Van Dike, got me to start playing after school every Wednesday and after a year of playing casually, he invited me to join the competitive team that played in Central Iowa Ultimate’s high school league.

What’s something this hobby provides you that applies to your job?

A unique element of Ultimate Frisbee is “Spirit of the Game,” which requires each player to know the rules and make their own calls. I’ve found that “Spirit of the Game” has helped me develop trust, communication and conflict resolution skills on and off the field that have allowed me to be a better leader in my role as co-founder of Can Play.

Tell us a tip or fun fact about your hobby.

Every player in Ultimate Frisbee needs to be able to play both offense and defense, although my primary position is on the defensive line. I am currently at 14th place in the Ultimate Frisbee Association’s all-time blocks records with league recognitions on the 2021–2023 All Defense Teams.

DeClerck plays Ultimate Frisbee. He will compete with Team USA in the mixed division of the World Ultimate Championships, which are Aug. 31 through Sept. 7.

One of his sponsors, Community Choice Credit Union, is throwing DeClerck a send-off party on July 10 from 4 to 7 p.m. at its downtown location, 1408 Locust St. The public is welcome to attend.