There’s almost always an explanation involved when Rocco Linehan is asked how he spends his free time.

“I have to tell them that it isn’t disc golf, that there are no dogs involved and it’s a highly competitive sport,” the former Hanover High athlete-turned-professional ultimate disc player said with a chuckle.

Luke Johnson, one of three owners of the Boston Glory professional team for which Linehan competed this summer, said he spends much of own his time informing potential sponsors and fans that the American Ultimate Disc League isn’t “a bunch of 18-year-old potheads throwing a Frisbee at the beach.”

Founded in 2012, the AUDL has 24 teams across the country with a wide range of finances. Powerful clubs may feature salaried players, while many others receive as little as $25 a game.

Johnson said the Glory pays its players anywhere from $50 to $100 per contest and covers their travel, lodging and meals for away games.

“We’re working towards competitive balance,” he said. “It’s very hard when some teams have significantly more resources than others.”

Given that struggle, the Glory was delighted when Linehan decided to move from Minneapolis to South Portland, Maine, after last season. The leading scorer on Hanover’s 2013 soccer state title team and a University of New Hampshire graduate, he previously played two AUDL seasons for the Minnesota Wind Chill.

“His experience helped a ton,” said Johnson, whose club reached the playoffs for the first time this summer. “On the field, he’s a glue guy who can fill in anywhere. In the locker room, he brings a winning mentality. There’s a reason he’s been in the playoffs three years in a row.”

The Glory plays home games in suburban Medford, Mass., charging $18 for tickets bought at the gate during a season that stretches from April to July. Glory players’ ages this season ranged from 19 to 37, and they usually competed in front of about 500 home fans, Johnson said.

Amateur club play extends through October, and Linehan suits up for the Lexington (Mass.) Sprocket. The sport’s rules dictate that players may not run with the disc and must pass it to teammates to move down the field. After a career spent in the “cutter” position similar to a football receiver, Linehan said he spent more time this summer in the “handler” role, akin to a gridiron quarterback.

The 27-year-old grew up in Norwich and is the son of Hanover High teacher and former field hockey coach Jean Essex. He originally planned to play soccer at UNH, but when that didn’t work out, he switched to ultimate Frisbee, helping the school’s club team reach the national championships.

The 6-foot, 175-pound athlete also played for a Boston club team each summer and represented the U.S. on its U24 mixed-gender team at the international level after moving to Minnesota following college graduation.

Living in St. Paul and then Rochester, Minn., Linehan’s connection to the Wind Chill was that one of its players had been a UNH teammate who helped him land a tryout. Linehan’s older brother, Dom, also lives in the state. Wielding a degree in nutrition and wellness, Rocco Linehan has worked a string of jobs in restaurant management to pay his bills.

The AUDL, he said, provides what’s essentially an expense-free way to experience the sport at its highest level while maintaining a friend group that’s been building since he left the Upper Valley. The sport not only keeps its players fit but often pushes them to their physical limits, especially as they reach their late 20s and the sport’s sprinting and sharp cuts wear on knees, hips and ankles.

“I deal with a lot of muscle imbalance because when you throw a disc with your right hand, your left side is stationary but your right side is doing a lot of pushing and turning,” said Linehan, who’s known for his speed and vision. “I’m going to play until my body won’t let me.”

Tris Wykes can be reached at twykes@vnews.com.