An interview with Florian Schmidt from Z-LASER
Usually, work and hobby are two separate worlds. But sometimes the two spheres merge and create a new story. This is exactly what happened with Z-LASER and DISConnection: Z-LASER has been the main sponsor of the first team of the Freiburg Ultimate Frisbee club since 2023. We spoke to Florian Schmidt about his crucial role in this partnership.
Like most stories, the one about lasers and flying disks begins quite unspectacularly. Florian remembers how it all started:
” In 2016, I joined Z-LASER when I was looking for a new job in Freiburg. I’ve enjoyed working here ever since. I’ve been with DISConnection since 2014. Throwing frisbees was fun for me even before that, which is why I tried Ultimate Frisbee.” As very few of his work colleagues know what Ultimate Frisbee is all about, here is a quick explanation from Florian: “Ultimate Frisbee is a team sport in which two teams of 7 players compete against each other. The aim is to throw the frisbee into the opponent’s end zone to score points. There is no referee – fair play and respectful interaction are therefore particularly important.”
German champion meets hidden champion
The partnership between Z-LASER and DISConnection did not come about by chance. Florian tells us: “DISConnection has become more and more successful over the years. In 2022, we played in the World Championships and became German champions. We wanted to use this momentum to attract sponsors. I then simply asked our company if there was any interest.” And as you can see on the jerseys of the first DISConnection mixed teams, this request was successful.
But what do the two organizations actually have in common? More than you might think at first sight, as Florian explains: “We are both similar in size, with between 100 and 150 members and employees. The hierarchies are flat, and we value open and uncomplicated interaction. Working together is important to us and we want to improve continuously. And, of course, we are both rooted in Freiburg.” But that’s not all: in Ultimate Frisbee, when a very fast, direct pass is played, it is also called “lasering the disk”. Given these parallels, cooperation was almost inevitable.
Top performance off the beaten track
Florian hopes that the partnership will be successful in the long term: “Of course, it would be best if both sides benefit equally from the partnership and see it as a success. If this is the case, I could very well imagine a long-term collaboration.” One possible side effect of sponsorship would certainly be greater visibility and popularity for Ultimate Frisbee. Even if there is still a long way to go, as Florian admits: “Ultimate Frisbee is of course a minor sport. But as a Z-LASER employee, I think it’s great that ‘my’ company promotes it anyway and I’m happy to be involved in both worlds.”
Einfach mal machen
Finally, Florian gives tips for those who would like to try Ultimate Frisbee for themselves: “You can come to our training sessions for a taster. You can find all the information at www.disconnection.de. Or you can simply buy a Frisbee and throw it in the park.” And who knows, maybe it might actually be possible to ‘laser’ the disk.
