Northern Flights 2008

"I came, I saw, I conquered
From record sales, to sold out concerts
So muh'fucker if you want this encore
I need you to scream, 'til your lungs get sore"
Encore - Jay-Z

After getting home a little less than an hour ago, going for a quick 20 minute run, and popping a pizza in the oven, I wanted to get down some of my thoughts about Northern Flights 2008 - aka my first tournament as a member of a competitive team. It won't be as detailed as my usual posts, since sadly, the memories are already starting to fade. A lack of sleep can do that to you...

For BigFish, I think this was a rather disappointing tournament. We went 0-4 the first day (two games were very winnable, including the last one of the day that we lost on universe point) and 2-1 in the loser pool on day two. Again, the one game we lost today was on universe point, and it felt equally horrible. On the other hand, after getting that loss out of the way, we played much better in our two wins, and had a lot of fun in a spirt game after the last win. Since the next tournament for the team is the regionals (Ontario championships where you try to qualify for nationals), I really hope they can carry forward the momentum of the last two games. There are so many unbeleivably talented people on BigFish, who can step up their game and play like pros when called upon...I really wish them the best in Waterloo.

Personally, I did alright. During my first competitive game against the Muskies (the first ranked team in our pool), I got my first goal and first assist out of the way rather early on. My first assist came on a longish flick I had to Deirdre...which was kind of fitting after all the points we hooked up on during the Friday night indoor league last winter. I can't remember who threw me my first point, but I literally didn't have to move, and my defender was nowhere near me. My best game overall was on day two during the loss, where I caught another two points. Being my own worst critic, I made tonnes of rookie mistakes, including, but not limited to, forcing three longer forehand blades that didn't make it to their receivers, playing shitty D on universe point in our last game of day one against a guy I should have owned, calling for the disc while out of bounds near the endzone, losing the sideline when I was supposed to play deep flood on zone offense and ending up near midfield, and lots of other brain dead plays (an easy drop or two come to mind).

After admiting I was a bit wary about "fitting in" with the team during a previous post, turned out that wasn't much of an issue. I'm not the only...quiet...person on the team, and it's funny how us introverts tend to stick together. Plus, the more outgoing members of the team, and other ulty players from Ottawa do things to make you feel involved.

I think the biggest lesson I learned this weekend was how much ultimate means to some of my team-mates. There was something that happenned after our fourth loss on day one, that made me question my own passion and dedication to the sport. I'd rather not write about it, but it's something I won't ever forget....in a good way. You know those cheesey NBA commercials with celebrities saying they "Love this game!"....this moment was more real, impactful, and meaningful than a bunch of fake Hollywood smucks could ever produce in a million years. I was bordering on tears...

It's safe to say that if my summer stopped right now, I'd be completely happy with my ultimate exploits. My experiences with BigFish continue to make me a better player, and surpass my wildest expectations. I look at where I was two years ago, hanging out in the endzone waiting for long bombs for Urban Sprawl, and where I am right now in terms of ultimate....and it's night and day. Until next time, happy hucking!