"The qualities of a great man are vision, integrity, courage, understanding, the power of articulation, and profundity of character."
- Dwight Eisenhower
One of the things I enjoy most about playing ultimate is the characters I meet. There are OCUA members whose personalities make a lasting impression on you (for better or worse). Since I'm currently waiting for indoor to start up, or for someone to foul RPAlex or forum frequenter Steve in an imaginative and controversial way, I thought I'd map some of the local characters that I've come across in Ottawa's ultimate community to the 8 character types in my favorite ulty book Ultimate: The Greatest Sport Ever Invented by Man.
Engineer
There's quite a number of possibilities here, but an obvious example of the engineer character in Ottawa is Ahmad. His job title scares me, his education impresses me, and the way he explained flicking into a head wind to me wreaked of nerdiness ;-) I get the feeling he's one of those guys who could break down the mechanics of his (beautiful) throws to a level that would impress any PhD.
Athlete
Again, there's a multitude of individuals who one could imagine playing any other sport they chose. Instead of picking an obvious male (TK, Geofford, anyone on Phoenix), I'll select Paula of Stella fame. With her build, it's natural to picture her dribbling a basketball, chasing a soccer ball, or spiking a volleyball.
Permanent Grad Student
I can think of five examples of this player type coming from a Monday night rec league team I used to play on. It's almost too easy, as people who are reluctant to enter the "real world", are apt to fit in the "surreal world" of ultimate. I'll just put down the first name that popped into my head when I read about this category: Christine. Which will only mean something to two or possibly three of my faithful readers.
Rec Leaguer
When I think of the typical rec leaguer, I think of someone who almost has competitive skills, but is content slugging (or is it "slagging"?) away in league play three or four nights a week instead. Also important in this category, is that the person has to sincerely care about league play. For this reason, I'm going with my favorite OCUA forum poster, and dedicated volunteer – DMO.
Oddball
It's important to note that the description of this player is quite positive. Yes, they're quirky, but they tend to kick ass everytime they step on the field. Their ability to pick up with high-level teams is also paramount. Even though he bares a striking resemblance to the "Local Oldster" picture in the book, out of respect, I'm giving this title to Mr. Webb.
Local Oldster
MHJ. If anyone needs an explanation, just read the OCUA forums or talk to the man, the myth, and the legend for yourself. You'll be glad you did.
Greenie
And the OCUA player most likely to be living "off-the-grid" is: Craig. Having had the pleasure to play with and be tutored by the Greenie, I can assure you that he was my runner-up pick as the "Oddball" as well. One of the few pleas I'll ever make in this blog: buy a few discs from this guy. If I see him waving at me one more time when I pull into UPI, I just might lose it.
Partner
Someone who is dragged to the ultimate field by their significant other, but secretly enjoys the sport. The idiot from my Wednesday fall team jumps to mind, but instead of giving him the positive publicity (?!?!), I'll go with Darcy from my Monday team who accompanies her husband Chris to the field, but can always hold her own. The fact she's a former comp player is evidence that their two kids are bound to be ulty superstars!
If you agree, disagree, or are baffled by any of my picks, feel free to direct your complaints to your local Member of Parliament. I guarantee they're as likely to care about your opinion as I am ;-) Furthermore, I beg you, if you happen to bump into RPAlex or forum frequenter Steve, make sure to give them some far fetched scenario that will trigger an imminent post in the rules forum. It'll give me material for my next entry. Until next time, happy hucking!
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Last Week of Falltimate
"Time, you've had more than your share of mine
I'm a criminal with no crime
Sing like a bird that is now released
Like an angel with clip-on wings
Yeah nothing that's etched in stone
See I'm already who's already gone."
Collective Soul - General Attitude
Instead of using a complimentary quote from Mehmet about a bid made during today's game, I decided to pull out the best opening line of any Collective Soul song (my favorite group). The first two lines reflect how I feel about the whole IID/IAD thing right now. It's over, it wasn't worth the time and energy I put into overanalyzing it, and I'm moving on. With the last week of fall ultimate behind me, and the FCS dome still in storage, this could be my last weekly recap entry for a month or more. Against my better judgement and an aching groin, I decide to pack as much ulty as possible into the last week of falltimate.
- On Monday, Employee of the Month shut up (well, not so much, there was even more sideline taunting than usual) and ran (more so the ladies than the fellas) in beating Shut Up and Run 15 – 9. After the frustrating game against Cruisin', this contest was much more fun due to EoTM having almost two full lines of players, and looking to enjoy our second last game of the fall.
- Personal high-light was the first half. You won't hear me say this often, but I was very satisfied with my level of play, especially given how sore I was feeling. If memory serves, I caught 4 goals as EotM jumped out to an 8-6 half-time lead.
- Personal low-light was the entire second half. I contracted a bad case of the dropsies, and proceeded to bungle 3 relatively easy goal catches. If that wasn't bad enough, after being strongly encouraged by the sideline (read: heckled), I tried for a "wetback" over an unsuspecting defender. As Tron acutely pointed out to me after my ill-fated attempt, you need a receiver in order to get a wetback. Note to self: Ensure Aggie knows what you're going for on the endzone line. Luckily, the other team found the attempt humorous.
- Tuesday got off to a great start when I received a reply from Carl with feedback about my IAD tryout the week prior. He gave me five points to work on, but one really resonated with me. Apparently when I defend, I'm leaning instead of hunching, my base is too narrow (which takes me longer to change directions), and my head is focused on the person I'm guarding, as opposed to being on a swivel. This is something I'll focus on improving in winter league play.
- On the plus side, Carl commended me on my decision making which didn't make him cringe. Since last winter was all about making better decisions, that comment made me happy.
- Tuesday's KJ approved workout was productive. I increased the weight in the push-ups-to-rows by 3 lbs up to 15 lbs, and then squeezed out 2 more push-ups-to-rows on my third set (yay 12!). Sadly, it's now too cold to enjoy a post-workout gelato *sigh*.
- Wednesday was a pretty crappy day. Although I was happy to find out a couple of friends made IAD, as my October 22nd entry indicates, I was upset after discovering my own fate. I'm reminded of the words of a scholar, intellect, and poet "That which does not kill me, only makes me stronger" (K. West).
- While I was still angry on Wednesday, I joined DVC for their second last game of the season against Slappy Butts…a team they apparently had some Spirit issues with in their previous encounter. On a freezing cold night, I turned the anger into energy, and lit up Slappy Buts for 2 goals, and 3 assists. Oh, and I played shutdown D. Not bad considering DVC lost 15-9.
- High-light of the game came courtesy of the Almighty Mahatma, who was having a rough night. After dropping the disc near the end zone, the Great Kamastura carefully kneeled down, and proceeded to spank the disc! Once my laughter subsided, I couldn't help but wonder if the nickname "Disc Spanker" is taken?
- Low-light was back-talking a team-mate who felt the need to repeatedly tell me to "run" while he was on the sideline, doing what he does best, standing stationary. From anyone else on DVC, I'd happily oblige and run to/from the disc as directed. This idiot is only on the team due to his partner, and is by far the laziest player I've ever met. Plus, he caught me on a bad night.
- As my October 24th entry indicates, things got better on Thursday. My new favorite ultimate parody song broke me out of my rut. Then I "officially" got accepted into IID Wednesday via email from the disc spanker himself.
- We did 45 second reps at Thursday's KJ…no wait…Michelle class. Without my two BF team-mates, I was left to dominate the wall-sit (3 minutes), push-up ladder, and contra-planks. I've already signed up for the next five week session of classes that will consist of circuit training.
- The strangest part of Thursday was an email I got from Reza containing Spence's feedback on my tryout (Spence evaluated me). The first two points made sense (I have good hands and my defense was hot/cold), but the third point was ridiculous. It was almost laughable, and goes against the whole "team" concept of ultimate. Since it doesn't warrant repeating, my "personal vendetta" goal for next summer is to play Spence and thread him like a needle with a series of crisp throws to team-mates (ones who will actually lay out and strike deep) to work it up the field for a point.
- I lifted for about 30 minutes on Friday, before going out and seeing Wes's band play at Philthy McNasty's. Wes plays the base as well as he plays the cup...which is saying something given his defensive prowess.
- EoTM's last game of the season against the Outlaws was...wet. The captains decided on a 10 point game, which EoTM took 10 - 8 to finish the season strong.
- High-light was that it was fun. Yes, both teams tried their best to win, and Michael made this ridiculous bid on a pick call to come up with a disc, but it was just nice to get in the last game of the year with a lot of Fish and friends.
- Low-light, hmm, I probably threw it away more times than I'd care to admit.
- Sunday DVC won our last game of the year 15-12 over the Rump Shakers (or something like that). As rainy as it was on Saturday, it was windy on Sunday.
- Since it was so windy, time to blow my own horn: as indicated in the introductory paragraph, I made I sweet bid to come up with a pass (mis)thrown by the Almighty Kamasutra to keep possession on an upwind point that we ended up converting. I should really start paying Stu royalties everytime I come up with a disc on a layout.
- On the flip side, I told the same annoying team-mate to "shut-up" when he was trying to direct me from his semi-permanent pulpit on the sideline. As much as I enjoy playing with his partner, his cheap calls, poach D, and lazy hucks really piss me off.
With that, fall season is officially over. Both of my teams ended up top 5 on their respective nights, with EotM probably placing 4th or 5th, and DVC up around 3rd. Taking a step back, my OCUA team last fall ended up third last on Monday nights (they were dead last without me this year), and my PROUF team last year won one game (they were in the bottom ten on Monday in OCUA this year). Things have really changed in terms of the caliber of ultimate that I'm playing. Every mistake I make (mental or execution) is magnified on teams on which I have to challenge myself to keep up with my peers. It's on higher caliber teams like this where I'll inevitably learn the most from my team-mates and competition.
All in all, it was a fantastic fall season. As much as I'm looking forward to the friendly confines of indoor at FCS, I really need a few weeks to stretch and strengthen my sports hernia to get it ready for 20 weeks of indoor games. Enjoy the fall colors! Until next time, happy hucking!
I'm a criminal with no crime
Sing like a bird that is now released
Like an angel with clip-on wings
Yeah nothing that's etched in stone
See I'm already who's already gone."
Collective Soul - General Attitude
Instead of using a complimentary quote from Mehmet about a bid made during today's game, I decided to pull out the best opening line of any Collective Soul song (my favorite group). The first two lines reflect how I feel about the whole IID/IAD thing right now. It's over, it wasn't worth the time and energy I put into overanalyzing it, and I'm moving on. With the last week of fall ultimate behind me, and the FCS dome still in storage, this could be my last weekly recap entry for a month or more. Against my better judgement and an aching groin, I decide to pack as much ulty as possible into the last week of falltimate.
- On Monday, Employee of the Month shut up (well, not so much, there was even more sideline taunting than usual) and ran (more so the ladies than the fellas) in beating Shut Up and Run 15 – 9. After the frustrating game against Cruisin', this contest was much more fun due to EoTM having almost two full lines of players, and looking to enjoy our second last game of the fall.
- Personal high-light was the first half. You won't hear me say this often, but I was very satisfied with my level of play, especially given how sore I was feeling. If memory serves, I caught 4 goals as EotM jumped out to an 8-6 half-time lead.
- Personal low-light was the entire second half. I contracted a bad case of the dropsies, and proceeded to bungle 3 relatively easy goal catches. If that wasn't bad enough, after being strongly encouraged by the sideline (read: heckled), I tried for a "wetback" over an unsuspecting defender. As Tron acutely pointed out to me after my ill-fated attempt, you need a receiver in order to get a wetback. Note to self: Ensure Aggie knows what you're going for on the endzone line. Luckily, the other team found the attempt humorous.
- Tuesday got off to a great start when I received a reply from Carl with feedback about my IAD tryout the week prior. He gave me five points to work on, but one really resonated with me. Apparently when I defend, I'm leaning instead of hunching, my base is too narrow (which takes me longer to change directions), and my head is focused on the person I'm guarding, as opposed to being on a swivel. This is something I'll focus on improving in winter league play.
- On the plus side, Carl commended me on my decision making which didn't make him cringe. Since last winter was all about making better decisions, that comment made me happy.
- Tuesday's KJ approved workout was productive. I increased the weight in the push-ups-to-rows by 3 lbs up to 15 lbs, and then squeezed out 2 more push-ups-to-rows on my third set (yay 12!). Sadly, it's now too cold to enjoy a post-workout gelato *sigh*.
- Wednesday was a pretty crappy day. Although I was happy to find out a couple of friends made IAD, as my October 22nd entry indicates, I was upset after discovering my own fate. I'm reminded of the words of a scholar, intellect, and poet "That which does not kill me, only makes me stronger" (K. West).
- While I was still angry on Wednesday, I joined DVC for their second last game of the season against Slappy Butts…a team they apparently had some Spirit issues with in their previous encounter. On a freezing cold night, I turned the anger into energy, and lit up Slappy Buts for 2 goals, and 3 assists. Oh, and I played shutdown D. Not bad considering DVC lost 15-9.
- High-light of the game came courtesy of the Almighty Mahatma, who was having a rough night. After dropping the disc near the end zone, the Great Kamastura carefully kneeled down, and proceeded to spank the disc! Once my laughter subsided, I couldn't help but wonder if the nickname "Disc Spanker" is taken?
- Low-light was back-talking a team-mate who felt the need to repeatedly tell me to "run" while he was on the sideline, doing what he does best, standing stationary. From anyone else on DVC, I'd happily oblige and run to/from the disc as directed. This idiot is only on the team due to his partner, and is by far the laziest player I've ever met. Plus, he caught me on a bad night.
- As my October 24th entry indicates, things got better on Thursday. My new favorite ultimate parody song broke me out of my rut. Then I "officially" got accepted into IID Wednesday via email from the disc spanker himself.
- We did 45 second reps at Thursday's KJ…no wait…Michelle class. Without my two BF team-mates, I was left to dominate the wall-sit (3 minutes), push-up ladder, and contra-planks. I've already signed up for the next five week session of classes that will consist of circuit training.
- The strangest part of Thursday was an email I got from Reza containing Spence's feedback on my tryout (Spence evaluated me). The first two points made sense (I have good hands and my defense was hot/cold), but the third point was ridiculous. It was almost laughable, and goes against the whole "team" concept of ultimate. Since it doesn't warrant repeating, my "personal vendetta" goal for next summer is to play Spence and thread him like a needle with a series of crisp throws to team-mates (ones who will actually lay out and strike deep) to work it up the field for a point.
- I lifted for about 30 minutes on Friday, before going out and seeing Wes's band play at Philthy McNasty's. Wes plays the base as well as he plays the cup...which is saying something given his defensive prowess.
- EoTM's last game of the season against the Outlaws was...wet. The captains decided on a 10 point game, which EoTM took 10 - 8 to finish the season strong.
- High-light was that it was fun. Yes, both teams tried their best to win, and Michael made this ridiculous bid on a pick call to come up with a disc, but it was just nice to get in the last game of the year with a lot of Fish and friends.
- Low-light, hmm, I probably threw it away more times than I'd care to admit.
- Sunday DVC won our last game of the year 15-12 over the Rump Shakers (or something like that). As rainy as it was on Saturday, it was windy on Sunday.
- Since it was so windy, time to blow my own horn: as indicated in the introductory paragraph, I made I sweet bid to come up with a pass (mis)thrown by the Almighty Kamasutra to keep possession on an upwind point that we ended up converting. I should really start paying Stu royalties everytime I come up with a disc on a layout.
- On the flip side, I told the same annoying team-mate to "shut-up" when he was trying to direct me from his semi-permanent pulpit on the sideline. As much as I enjoy playing with his partner, his cheap calls, poach D, and lazy hucks really piss me off.
With that, fall season is officially over. Both of my teams ended up top 5 on their respective nights, with EotM probably placing 4th or 5th, and DVC up around 3rd. Taking a step back, my OCUA team last fall ended up third last on Monday nights (they were dead last without me this year), and my PROUF team last year won one game (they were in the bottom ten on Monday in OCUA this year). Things have really changed in terms of the caliber of ultimate that I'm playing. Every mistake I make (mental or execution) is magnified on teams on which I have to challenge myself to keep up with my peers. It's on higher caliber teams like this where I'll inevitably learn the most from my team-mates and competition.
All in all, it was a fantastic fall season. As much as I'm looking forward to the friendly confines of indoor at FCS, I really need a few weeks to stretch and strengthen my sports hernia to get it ready for 20 weeks of indoor games. Enjoy the fall colors! Until next time, happy hucking!
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Better Now
Feeling a lot better about the IAD letdown. It's partly some tryout feedback I got from Reza that was totally against what I stand for, it's partly a short conversation I had with the Almighty Mahatma, it's partly knowing I'm not the only Fish that didn't make the league, but the majority of me feeling better has to do with the ditty below. It easily replaces Marko's "Happy Feet" as my favorite ultimate parody song EVER!
SO WHAT
Na na na na na na na, na na na na na na
Na na na na na na na, na na na na na na
Got rejected from IAD
I don't know what to do
Burning my cleats seems pointless
Playing soccer would too
I got a brand new Reza doll
And will voodoo it todnight
I wanna stick him with pins
He'll never again throw right
Na na na na na na na
He'll never again throw right
Na na na na na na na
Regret playing ulti all right!
So so what?
I'm still a huck star
I got my hot throws
I don't need Reza
And guess what I'll have much more fun
And when the game's done
I'm gonna show you tonight
All my stats, my layouts
Coz i'm rockin'
So so what?
I am a huck star
I got my sweet cuts
Light up IID tonight
Uh, check my flow, uh
I give and go off the pull but
My teammate turns it over, shit!
I guess i'll go get a hot D
Back on O, sure to score
After the win will head home
On the sly as Nurple
Maybe get in trouble
if i Slag Rigid in recaps
Na na na na na na na
Rigid will start a fight
Na na na na na na na
But i'll break him all night!
So so what?
I'm still a huck star
I bail on stall four
I don't need Reza
And guess what
I'll have much more fun
And when the game's done
I'm gonna show you tonight
All my stats, my layouts
Clad in purple
So so what?
I am a huck star
I can throw breakforce
Light up IID tonight
I've got the throws
I've got the cuts
Will make them see
Who they passed up
Week after week
I'll give my all
Great layout bids
Sweet endzone scores
So so what?
I'm still a huck star
I'm turf burnt ev'ry week
I don't need Reza
And guess what
I'll have much more fun
And when the game's done
I'm gonna show you tonight
All my stats, my layouts
Coz i'm Nurple
So so what?
I am a huck star
Sky you ev'ry time
Light up IID tonight
No no no no
Don't need IAD
Oh, you will seeI
'm gonna show you tonight
Run around, stall you down
Coz' i'm rockin'
So so what
I am a huck star
Left all on the field
Lit up IID tonight
Ba da da da da daaaaaaa!
Although I can't disclose who wrote this for me, I've promised to repay them with the recap to end all recaps this winter. I think that I'll leave the below entry up as evidence of temper tantrum :P It might come down later this winter, but who knows. For what it's worth, I used some of that anger to light my opponents up something feirce. You'll have to wait til the recap to find out about it ;-) Until next time, happy hucking!
SO WHAT
Na na na na na na na, na na na na na na
Na na na na na na na, na na na na na na
Got rejected from IAD
I don't know what to do
Burning my cleats seems pointless
Playing soccer would too
I got a brand new Reza doll
And will voodoo it todnight
I wanna stick him with pins
He'll never again throw right
Na na na na na na na
He'll never again throw right
Na na na na na na na
Regret playing ulti all right!
So so what?
I'm still a huck star
I got my hot throws
I don't need Reza
And guess what I'll have much more fun
And when the game's done
I'm gonna show you tonight
All my stats, my layouts
Coz i'm rockin'
So so what?
I am a huck star
I got my sweet cuts
Light up IID tonight
Uh, check my flow, uh
I give and go off the pull but
My teammate turns it over, shit!
I guess i'll go get a hot D
Back on O, sure to score
After the win will head home
On the sly as Nurple
Maybe get in trouble
if i Slag Rigid in recaps
Na na na na na na na
Rigid will start a fight
Na na na na na na na
But i'll break him all night!
So so what?
I'm still a huck star
I bail on stall four
I don't need Reza
And guess what
I'll have much more fun
And when the game's done
I'm gonna show you tonight
All my stats, my layouts
Clad in purple
So so what?
I am a huck star
I can throw breakforce
Light up IID tonight
I've got the throws
I've got the cuts
Will make them see
Who they passed up
Week after week
I'll give my all
Great layout bids
Sweet endzone scores
So so what?
I'm still a huck star
I'm turf burnt ev'ry week
I don't need Reza
And guess what
I'll have much more fun
And when the game's done
I'm gonna show you tonight
All my stats, my layouts
Coz i'm Nurple
So so what?
I am a huck star
Sky you ev'ry time
Light up IID tonight
No no no no
Don't need IAD
Oh, you will seeI
'm gonna show you tonight
Run around, stall you down
Coz' i'm rockin'
So so what
I am a huck star
Left all on the field
Lit up IID tonight
Ba da da da da daaaaaaa!
Although I can't disclose who wrote this for me, I've promised to repay them with the recap to end all recaps this winter. I think that I'll leave the below entry up as evidence of temper tantrum :P It might come down later this winter, but who knows. For what it's worth, I used some of that anger to light my opponents up something feirce. You'll have to wait til the recap to find out about it ;-) Until next time, happy hucking!
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Still a Rock Star
Warning: I doubt the below post will stay up for long. I'm just pissed right now...it'll pass. Without going into details, October has been a shitty month for me....November can't come fast enough. So ya, the below is just me being angry and immature.
"I'm sorry to inform you that your application to IAD was not successful."
- Reza
"So, so what?
I'm still a rock star
I got my rock moves
And I don't need you
And guess what
I'm having more fun
And now that we're done
I'm gonna show you tonight
I'm alright, I'm just fine
And you're a tool."
Pink – So What
The above lyrics go out to Reza, and accurately reflect my thoughts after getting his "You didn't make the cut" email. If this entry comes back to bite me in the ass at a future date, so be it. One of the nice things about having a blog, especially one that is now reasonably well hidden (thanks again Jon) is that you get to vent when things don't go your way.
"So, so what?
I'm still a rock star
I got my rock moves"
Seriously, so what? I'm still a competitive ultimate player (aka a "rock star"…hell, BigFish beat Rock Star *haha*), which is more than I can say for half the players in IAD. This brings me to my primary criticism of IAD – since one of the goals of OCUA is to support their competitive program, why wouldn't you want competitive players playing at the highest level during their off-season? Instead, IAD has plenty of Reza's buddies who I've bested in various games throughout the summer and fall. How did I best them? My rock moves of course ;-) Let's see any of them complete a field length flick, play hard for seven games in two days, or sky a taller defender for a point at Regionals.
"And I don't need you"
Sharpe gave me some great advice on stuff to work on this winter, one of the BF captains told me where to focus to improve, and KJs classes are going to have me in such awesome shape come next spring, I'll be kicking IAD players' asses when it counts…at tryouts and tournaments.
"And guess what
I'm having more fun"
I plan on busting my ass in IID and on Fridays this winter, But since I won't be in IAD, I'm guaranteed to have more fun than by playing in Reza's old boy club.
"And now that we're done
I'm gonna show you tonight
I'm alright, I'm just fine"
Now that IAD tryouts are over, and I didn't make it, I'm gonna show Reza and everyone playing on Wednesday night at FCS just how much I improved this summer. There were nights when I was healthy last winter that I was pretty dominant in IID. This winter, I'll prove I'm better than "alright" or "just fine"…I'm going to make a run at being this year's Ahmad of IID.
"And you're a tool."
No elaboration required.
As mentioned before, even though I wanted and hoped to be playing IAD this winter, the realist in me expected to be playing IID. Having said that, with a little extra fuel, I'm super fired up to get winter ulty underway. I know I'll have some good company in IID (a couple of Fishes come to mind). Plus, I know that next year, I'll have to totally dominate at tryouts like G did in order to get my ticket stamped for the big league. Until next time, happy hucking!
"I'm sorry to inform you that your application to IAD was not successful."
- Reza
"So, so what?
I'm still a rock star
I got my rock moves
And I don't need you
And guess what
I'm having more fun
And now that we're done
I'm gonna show you tonight
I'm alright, I'm just fine
And you're a tool."
Pink – So What
The above lyrics go out to Reza, and accurately reflect my thoughts after getting his "You didn't make the cut" email. If this entry comes back to bite me in the ass at a future date, so be it. One of the nice things about having a blog, especially one that is now reasonably well hidden (thanks again Jon) is that you get to vent when things don't go your way.
"So, so what?
I'm still a rock star
I got my rock moves"
Seriously, so what? I'm still a competitive ultimate player (aka a "rock star"…hell, BigFish beat Rock Star *haha*), which is more than I can say for half the players in IAD. This brings me to my primary criticism of IAD – since one of the goals of OCUA is to support their competitive program, why wouldn't you want competitive players playing at the highest level during their off-season? Instead, IAD has plenty of Reza's buddies who I've bested in various games throughout the summer and fall. How did I best them? My rock moves of course ;-) Let's see any of them complete a field length flick, play hard for seven games in two days, or sky a taller defender for a point at Regionals.
"And I don't need you"
Sharpe gave me some great advice on stuff to work on this winter, one of the BF captains told me where to focus to improve, and KJs classes are going to have me in such awesome shape come next spring, I'll be kicking IAD players' asses when it counts…at tryouts and tournaments.
"And guess what
I'm having more fun"
I plan on busting my ass in IID and on Fridays this winter, But since I won't be in IAD, I'm guaranteed to have more fun than by playing in Reza's old boy club.
"And now that we're done
I'm gonna show you tonight
I'm alright, I'm just fine"
Now that IAD tryouts are over, and I didn't make it, I'm gonna show Reza and everyone playing on Wednesday night at FCS just how much I improved this summer. There were nights when I was healthy last winter that I was pretty dominant in IID. This winter, I'll prove I'm better than "alright" or "just fine"…I'm going to make a run at being this year's Ahmad of IID.
"And you're a tool."
No elaboration required.
As mentioned before, even though I wanted and hoped to be playing IAD this winter, the realist in me expected to be playing IID. Having said that, with a little extra fuel, I'm super fired up to get winter ulty underway. I know I'll have some good company in IID (a couple of Fishes come to mind). Plus, I know that next year, I'll have to totally dominate at tryouts like G did in order to get my ticket stamped for the big league. Until next time, happy hucking!
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Recap - Too Much Ulty???
"If you can read the writing and make known to me its interpretation, you shall be clothed with purple..."
Daniel 5:16
Is it possible to have played too much ultimate in a week? As I write this, my body is saying 'yes', while my mind is saying 'no'. Below is my lengthy recap of the week's events.
- Since I covered the IAD tryout in another post, the only new piece of information is that my groin, right foot, and right hand hurt extremely badly the days following the tryout. It's depressing how one night of intense ultimate can bring so many dormant injuries to the forefront.
- Although Carl hasn't written me back with feedback about the tryout, my informal network of evaluators / co-tryoutees / ultimate peeps seem to be under the impression that I had a 'solid' to 'impressive' tryout. This of course makes me question the people I associate with ;-)
- Tuesday's KJ-approved workout was quieter since:
A) The drilling in my gym at work has decreased; and
B) The creator of the 'iPurple' workout journal was absent *sigh* sigh.
- Wednesday I picked up with DVC again and had an interesting night. During the prolonged warm-up, I threw hard and long flicks with a team-mate for about 20 minutes. With no wind, and coming off tryouts, my flicks were beautiful. During my first point, after getting the disc on a hard cut, I threw a 20 yard flick to one of my ex-comp team-mates, only to have the flick go extreme O/I, float, and get D'd by a group of defenders.
- High-light of the game was helping DVC win against a very talented Montego Bay Lobsters squad 15 – 12 to temporarily claim first place on Wednesday nights. Our opponents included BF-er "Salmon", one of the famed Casey and Jackie combo (even though I played with them, I get them mixed up), and one of my personal handling heroes, he of the sweet lefty flick, he who enjoys hucking even more than I do, he who can break me at will – Kris "Kross" Korpinen. Sadly, MBL sub Glenn didn't make it out. I'm glad he didn't since…
- I sucked <- Low-light of the game. Apparently, after warm-up my flick abandoned me to visit my sister and nephews near-by in Barfhaven. I also missed 2 easy passes (one sky, one flick that hit me in the belly-button). Oh, and I stopped counting throw-aways at 5....because despite the popular 80s tv show title, 5 is enough!
- For those of you who are saying "I'm sure you weren't that bad", let me give you two pieces of information.
1. DVC had 5 men (including myself) and 3 women, and I didn't have one goal or assist. Therefore, I was totally useless on O.
2. Mehmet was having an equally awful game, and after hearing him call himself a "wuss" for not jumping / moving for an easy point since he had two girls around him, I resisted the urge to slag him simply because I knew he'd have so much potential material to respond with.
- Given how sore my groin, wrist, and foot were, I wasn't sure about going to KJ's…no wait, Michelle's (<- that's her name…I think) class on Thursday. Wanting to get my money's worth, I went, and was glad I did. High-light of the class was doing 55 (yah 55!) push-ups while teaming with Michelle and BF-er Sandra. Low-light was barely lasting 2 minutes on the wall sit, and having Sandra totally show me up on that and the step-ups.
- On Friday, I rested. Well that's not entirely true, I lifted for about a half hour.
- Saturday morning, I played in one of the closest games I've ever been a part of, as Employee of the Month won on universe point against Cruisin 16-15.
- Low-light of the game was that Cruisin seems to bring out the worst in a EotM. They gave us a 5 for spirit last time we played, this time we traded 7s with them. The sad thing is, Cruisin is such a good match-up for EotM, since they're fast and do a lot of things unconventionally. Their rules knowledge is definitely lacking, but I enjoy playing them for the competition they provide.
- High-light of the game was....hmmm....trying a lay-out D. No, I didn't get it, but I'm glad I gave it an effort since it was for an important point in our end-zone. I don't think twice about laying out on offense (actually, I got a pretty sweet layout grab that very game), but I have to remove that "do you really want to layout?" filter on defense.
- Sunday morning I picked up again with DVC, but we lost with an uninspired effort by a score of 15-8 to Sweet: Fall.
- Low-light was that the DVC just wasn't sharp. We were creating lots of turns on defense, but our passes, catches, and strategy were a tad off all day.
- High-light was that I got a little redemption after a bad game on Wednesday. I caught 3 or 4 goals, and had a couple of D's to boot. My flicks weren't great, but I only tried two long ones before I stopped throwing them.
On that note, I'm going to take a nap since I'm exhausted. DVC offerred me a spot on their roster for the rest of the season, but I'm not sure if I'll take them up on it. Granted, it's basically just 2 more games, but I'm so tired and sore right now, I really need a break. Not that I don't love playing with Chris and Mehmet, but, it's tough when your body is telling you to stop, and they don't ever seem to have any more than 5 guys out at a game. Decisions, decisions. Until next time, happy hucking!
Daniel 5:16
Is it possible to have played too much ultimate in a week? As I write this, my body is saying 'yes', while my mind is saying 'no'. Below is my lengthy recap of the week's events.
- Since I covered the IAD tryout in another post, the only new piece of information is that my groin, right foot, and right hand hurt extremely badly the days following the tryout. It's depressing how one night of intense ultimate can bring so many dormant injuries to the forefront.
- Although Carl hasn't written me back with feedback about the tryout, my informal network of evaluators / co-tryoutees / ultimate peeps seem to be under the impression that I had a 'solid' to 'impressive' tryout. This of course makes me question the people I associate with ;-)
- Tuesday's KJ-approved workout was quieter since:
A) The drilling in my gym at work has decreased; and
B) The creator of the 'iPurple' workout journal was absent *sigh* sigh.
- Wednesday I picked up with DVC again and had an interesting night. During the prolonged warm-up, I threw hard and long flicks with a team-mate for about 20 minutes. With no wind, and coming off tryouts, my flicks were beautiful. During my first point, after getting the disc on a hard cut, I threw a 20 yard flick to one of my ex-comp team-mates, only to have the flick go extreme O/I, float, and get D'd by a group of defenders.
- High-light of the game was helping DVC win against a very talented Montego Bay Lobsters squad 15 – 12 to temporarily claim first place on Wednesday nights. Our opponents included BF-er "Salmon", one of the famed Casey and Jackie combo (even though I played with them, I get them mixed up), and one of my personal handling heroes, he of the sweet lefty flick, he who enjoys hucking even more than I do, he who can break me at will – Kris "Kross" Korpinen. Sadly, MBL sub Glenn didn't make it out. I'm glad he didn't since…
- I sucked <- Low-light of the game. Apparently, after warm-up my flick abandoned me to visit my sister and nephews near-by in Barfhaven. I also missed 2 easy passes (one sky, one flick that hit me in the belly-button). Oh, and I stopped counting throw-aways at 5....because despite the popular 80s tv show title, 5 is enough!
- For those of you who are saying "I'm sure you weren't that bad", let me give you two pieces of information.
1. DVC had 5 men (including myself) and 3 women, and I didn't have one goal or assist. Therefore, I was totally useless on O.
2. Mehmet was having an equally awful game, and after hearing him call himself a "wuss" for not jumping / moving for an easy point since he had two girls around him, I resisted the urge to slag him simply because I knew he'd have so much potential material to respond with.
- Given how sore my groin, wrist, and foot were, I wasn't sure about going to KJ's…no wait, Michelle's (<- that's her name…I think) class on Thursday. Wanting to get my money's worth, I went, and was glad I did. High-light of the class was doing 55 (yah 55!) push-ups while teaming with Michelle and BF-er Sandra. Low-light was barely lasting 2 minutes on the wall sit, and having Sandra totally show me up on that and the step-ups.
- On Friday, I rested. Well that's not entirely true, I lifted for about a half hour.
- Saturday morning, I played in one of the closest games I've ever been a part of, as Employee of the Month won on universe point against Cruisin 16-15.
- Low-light of the game was that Cruisin seems to bring out the worst in a EotM. They gave us a 5 for spirit last time we played, this time we traded 7s with them. The sad thing is, Cruisin is such a good match-up for EotM, since they're fast and do a lot of things unconventionally. Their rules knowledge is definitely lacking, but I enjoy playing them for the competition they provide.
- High-light of the game was....hmmm....trying a lay-out D. No, I didn't get it, but I'm glad I gave it an effort since it was for an important point in our end-zone. I don't think twice about laying out on offense (actually, I got a pretty sweet layout grab that very game), but I have to remove that "do you really want to layout?" filter on defense.
- Sunday morning I picked up again with DVC, but we lost with an uninspired effort by a score of 15-8 to Sweet: Fall.
- Low-light was that the DVC just wasn't sharp. We were creating lots of turns on defense, but our passes, catches, and strategy were a tad off all day.
- High-light was that I got a little redemption after a bad game on Wednesday. I caught 3 or 4 goals, and had a couple of D's to boot. My flicks weren't great, but I only tried two long ones before I stopped throwing them.
On that note, I'm going to take a nap since I'm exhausted. DVC offerred me a spot on their roster for the rest of the season, but I'm not sure if I'll take them up on it. Granted, it's basically just 2 more games, but I'm so tired and sore right now, I really need a break. Not that I don't love playing with Chris and Mehmet, but, it's tough when your body is telling you to stop, and they don't ever seem to have any more than 5 guys out at a game. Decisions, decisions. Until next time, happy hucking!
Monday, October 13, 2008
IAD Tryout Breakdown
"Sometimes when you win, you really lose, and sometimes when you lose, you really win, and sometimes when you win or lose, you actually tie, and sometimes when you tie, you actually win or lose. Winning or losing is all one organic mechanism, from which one extracts what one needs."
Gloria Clemente (Rosie Perez) - White Men Can't Jump
To echo the words of a wise (and undeniably hot) actress, tonight I didn't win or lose, but probably tied. My tryout was neither completely positive, nor completely negative. Below are some thoughts on the tryout.
The Positive
- During the two half-hour scrimmages, I got two D's, one of which was rather pretty.
- In the first scrimmage, I laid out and came up with a Berkley pass that I would have previously given up on. Props to Stu for teaching me never to give up on a disc.
- I handled reasonably smartly, moving the disc up the field the great majority of the time, dumping in lots of time, swinging it quickly when I was playing middle handler, and clearing when there were four back and I was on the far side.
- My pulls were suprisingly on tonight. All three flick pulls landed within 10 yards of the end zone, and one was even in the end zone. Since I don't pull often on EotM, this surprised me.
- I didn't play with any fear, despite being matched against some very talented players.
- Received some very nice compliments from various IAD, IID, and comp players that I respect.
The Negative
- I got mad at my team on one point for not calling an 'up'. This was a bone-head move, since I should have covered the breakforce cut closer, and not relied on people I don't know to hold a force.
- My mark was a bit crowdy tonight. I also got called for a fast count....but that's more subjective.
- I was giving away in cuts all night. Mainly because...
- My fitness, which I have been working on ridiculously hard, sucked donkey balls *sigh* Seriously, I was winded after the first point. I was totally in survival mode during the second scrimmage.
- My team was kind of meh. We had a couple of decent players (Pat, Josh, one lady from Scarlett)...but others were hesitant to call themselves handlers, and wouldn't lay out for discs. It was a weird mix. I would have rather played with either of the other two teams, both of which had many more cutters who weren't afraid to go long.
- Ok, so I let a couple of hucks fly tonight. People would get a few steps on their defenders, and shoulder check, make eye contact me....at which point I'd let fly....only to see them turn and come in....or jog after a huck that was catchable if they only LAID OUT! I don't regret any of my hucks...although they probably didn't look the best to some of the evaluators.
- I threw one pass away on an in cut....ah well...it happens.
The Strange
- I fell over while marking a girl on a sideline dump drill. In my defense, she was a lefty with a very convincing fake.
- I completely forgot the bread and butter break force drill (in particular which side to cut to). Odd since I did it about 50 times this summer.
- After handling for the great majority of the scrimmage, I was asked to cut for a few points by my evaluators (Spence and Sharpe). I was two for two on in-cuts, and got over thrown when I made a deep cut. On the bright side, at least both the evaluators know who I am.
In summary, some good, some bad, didn't exactly shine, didn't exactly suck. Most likely, I'll be in the familar confines of IID again this year, unless the evaluators were looking for a decent handler with awful fitness *tee hee*. Seriously, it was a good learning experience. I talked to Carl Sharpe briefly on the way out and am going to email him for some feedback on things to work on this winter. Since winning or losing is only an organic mechanism, I'll extract some tidbits to work on in IID, and bust my ass this winter to improve. There's always next year :(
Until next time, happy hucking!
Gloria Clemente (Rosie Perez) - White Men Can't Jump
To echo the words of a wise (and undeniably hot) actress, tonight I didn't win or lose, but probably tied. My tryout was neither completely positive, nor completely negative. Below are some thoughts on the tryout.
The Positive
- During the two half-hour scrimmages, I got two D's, one of which was rather pretty.
- In the first scrimmage, I laid out and came up with a Berkley pass that I would have previously given up on. Props to Stu for teaching me never to give up on a disc.
- I handled reasonably smartly, moving the disc up the field the great majority of the time, dumping in lots of time, swinging it quickly when I was playing middle handler, and clearing when there were four back and I was on the far side.
- My pulls were suprisingly on tonight. All three flick pulls landed within 10 yards of the end zone, and one was even in the end zone. Since I don't pull often on EotM, this surprised me.
- I didn't play with any fear, despite being matched against some very talented players.
- Received some very nice compliments from various IAD, IID, and comp players that I respect.
The Negative
- I got mad at my team on one point for not calling an 'up'. This was a bone-head move, since I should have covered the breakforce cut closer, and not relied on people I don't know to hold a force.
- My mark was a bit crowdy tonight. I also got called for a fast count....but that's more subjective.
- I was giving away in cuts all night. Mainly because...
- My fitness, which I have been working on ridiculously hard, sucked donkey balls *sigh* Seriously, I was winded after the first point. I was totally in survival mode during the second scrimmage.
- My team was kind of meh. We had a couple of decent players (Pat, Josh, one lady from Scarlett)...but others were hesitant to call themselves handlers, and wouldn't lay out for discs. It was a weird mix. I would have rather played with either of the other two teams, both of which had many more cutters who weren't afraid to go long.
- Ok, so I let a couple of hucks fly tonight. People would get a few steps on their defenders, and shoulder check, make eye contact me....at which point I'd let fly....only to see them turn and come in....or jog after a huck that was catchable if they only LAID OUT! I don't regret any of my hucks...although they probably didn't look the best to some of the evaluators.
- I threw one pass away on an in cut....ah well...it happens.
The Strange
- I fell over while marking a girl on a sideline dump drill. In my defense, she was a lefty with a very convincing fake.
- I completely forgot the bread and butter break force drill (in particular which side to cut to). Odd since I did it about 50 times this summer.
- After handling for the great majority of the scrimmage, I was asked to cut for a few points by my evaluators (Spence and Sharpe). I was two for two on in-cuts, and got over thrown when I made a deep cut. On the bright side, at least both the evaluators know who I am.
In summary, some good, some bad, didn't exactly shine, didn't exactly suck. Most likely, I'll be in the familar confines of IID again this year, unless the evaluators were looking for a decent handler with awful fitness *tee hee*. Seriously, it was a good learning experience. I talked to Carl Sharpe briefly on the way out and am going to email him for some feedback on things to work on this winter. Since winning or losing is only an organic mechanism, I'll extract some tidbits to work on in IID, and bust my ass this winter to improve. There's always next year :(
Until next time, happy hucking!
Friday, October 10, 2008
With Compliments
"And there it goes, my innocence
While gathering up a compliment
And here I lie with words to swear
Theres something more than the world out there"
Collective Soul - Compliment
Instead of writing about the need for refs and observers, I thought I'd go with something more positive heading into tryouts. Just for the record, I think observers (who call lines, and settle disputes) are a good idea at regional/national tournaments, but would be against the spirit of self-refereeing and total superfluous in league play.
Remember the first compliment you ever got on your ultimate game? Maybe you made a nice cut, got a huge D, or caught a big point for your team? Then someone congratulated you on a job well done? Didn't it feel great? Don't all compliments feel awesome? Maybe that's what makes ultimate so addictive?!
What triggerred this post was a really touching, and totally unexpected compliment I got tonight at the library of all places. I managed to tell a joke, to deflect it....but...it really made my day. The fact that the compliment came from a person I really respect, made it even better.
It got me thinking of how many crazy compliments I've received in the past year. Some of them, like the one I wrote about from Carl Sharpe after a game against him at CHEO were overt and memorable. Others, are more implied, but just as special.
If I had to pick a favorite verbal compliment, it was from one of my Poached team-mates last summer when I drove her home. She knew I hadn't been playing the sport for long, and told me that she's never seen anyone progress as quickly as I had. The fact she was playing/practicing with a semi-competitive team, and had come a long way herself, really made me cherish that compliment. She knew the hard work I had put into making myself a better player.
In terms of implied compliments, once this summer, when practicing with BigFish and BFC, Damian assumed I was a handler. Not sure why he assumed that, since he hadn't seen me throw since he taught me to extend on flicks over a year beforehand. Still, to have one of the players I respect most in the city assume I'm a handler for a competitive team....I'll take that any day!
Having received a lot of compliments, and knowing how sweet they are to get, it's my job (and yours) to give them out to others. Don't just tell someone they had a "good game", or something generic, make it specific to the person. Did you see them busting their ass on D? Then tell them they put in an awesome effort on defense! Did they make a gutsy throw that paid off? Then tell them you respect their courage and skillful tosses! Did they make a good clearing cut that opened up the field for someone else to shine? Tell them that role players are important and are needed to make the stars shine brighter!
Anyway, this was a nice post to head into tryouts on. Hope everyone enjoys some well deserved rest and turkey this weeend. Until next time, happy hucking!
While gathering up a compliment
And here I lie with words to swear
Theres something more than the world out there"
Collective Soul - Compliment
Instead of writing about the need for refs and observers, I thought I'd go with something more positive heading into tryouts. Just for the record, I think observers (who call lines, and settle disputes) are a good idea at regional/national tournaments, but would be against the spirit of self-refereeing and total superfluous in league play.
Remember the first compliment you ever got on your ultimate game? Maybe you made a nice cut, got a huge D, or caught a big point for your team? Then someone congratulated you on a job well done? Didn't it feel great? Don't all compliments feel awesome? Maybe that's what makes ultimate so addictive?!
What triggerred this post was a really touching, and totally unexpected compliment I got tonight at the library of all places. I managed to tell a joke, to deflect it....but...it really made my day. The fact that the compliment came from a person I really respect, made it even better.
It got me thinking of how many crazy compliments I've received in the past year. Some of them, like the one I wrote about from Carl Sharpe after a game against him at CHEO were overt and memorable. Others, are more implied, but just as special.
If I had to pick a favorite verbal compliment, it was from one of my Poached team-mates last summer when I drove her home. She knew I hadn't been playing the sport for long, and told me that she's never seen anyone progress as quickly as I had. The fact she was playing/practicing with a semi-competitive team, and had come a long way herself, really made me cherish that compliment. She knew the hard work I had put into making myself a better player.
In terms of implied compliments, once this summer, when practicing with BigFish and BFC, Damian assumed I was a handler. Not sure why he assumed that, since he hadn't seen me throw since he taught me to extend on flicks over a year beforehand. Still, to have one of the players I respect most in the city assume I'm a handler for a competitive team....I'll take that any day!
Having received a lot of compliments, and knowing how sweet they are to get, it's my job (and yours) to give them out to others. Don't just tell someone they had a "good game", or something generic, make it specific to the person. Did you see them busting their ass on D? Then tell them they put in an awesome effort on defense! Did they make a gutsy throw that paid off? Then tell them you respect their courage and skillful tosses! Did they make a good clearing cut that opened up the field for someone else to shine? Tell them that role players are important and are needed to make the stars shine brighter!
Anyway, this was a nice post to head into tryouts on. Hope everyone enjoys some well deserved rest and turkey this weeend. Until next time, happy hucking!
Thursday, October 9, 2008
To all the turkeys out there...
"Don't sing it. Just bring it!"
- Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson
This week's recap comes to you early, and is brought to you by the letter "T" – which stands for "Turkey"... and that's good enough for me!
- Employee of the Month got blown away by Ragin' on Monday by a score of 15-7. This might come across as the lamest excuse ever, but, I swear we had too many players. All nine men showed up (with the sole exception being super sub Jon). Personally, I didn't break a sweat, which is not a good thing.
- High-light was getting to handle in horizontal O with Gavin and Julie a few times. With the talent we have on EotM, getting a chance to handle at all is surprising. However, getting a chance to handle with two of the best in the city is an exceptional opportunity.
- Low-light was not getting to match up against Glenn and Damian as much as I would have liked. Knowing Glenn's aptitude to trash-talk me during games, I fired the first shot on Facebook which he replied to during the first point we were on the field together by body checking me. I love matching up against great players, and not having a chance to try to shut down Glenn and Damian often was a let down.
- Tuesday's KJ workout with the Fishes was productive. After dishing out for a tasty gelato last week, G made us all workout books to track our progress this week. If you need to ask what color mine is, you should first read my ultimate accessories post.
- Wednesday was a big day in that I got my IAD tryout notification. When you're enjoying your thanksgiving turkey next Monday, I'll be busting my ass in hopes of impressing the Persian Kingpin.
- On a serious note, I'm super pumped for tryouts. Seeing some of the names on the list makes my competitive juices flow. Even though I think the selection process is a complete sham, I'll guarantee that I'm leaving it all on the field Monday night. For that matter, when the near-inevitable happens, and I'm told I'll be back in good old IID this winter, I'm planning to dominate the way Ahmad did all last winter proving that IAD is the equivalent of an "old boy's club".
- To bastardize the name of one of my fellow-tryouties and team-mate from last winter: K. Bringiton!
- On a related note, if any readers feel like throwing Friday night or on Monday, you know how to contact me.
- Thursday class with....#24 on BFC....(seriously bad with names)....was awesome. Did a great core workout, some body weight resistance, and a downward push-up ladder from 9 that felt easy. My partner wasn't quite as enthusiastic about the push-ups...but ah well...he just gave me some extra rest time in between reps.
On that note, I'm off to worry about IAD tryouts for the next 4 days :P Even though deep down I know I have what it takes, it's a matter of showcasing my strengths while contributing to my scrimmage squad's success. I've put in so much work both on and off the field to get ready for these tryouts, I've progressed quite a bit from last year, but still...there's a shread of doubt that keeps nagging at me....reminding me of my awful Fish and Arrested Development tryouts last spring. Ugh, don't think I'll be able to enjoy my thanksgiving weekend....*sigh* Sigh.
Until next time, happy hucking!
- Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson
This week's recap comes to you early, and is brought to you by the letter "T" – which stands for "Turkey"... and that's good enough for me!
- Employee of the Month got blown away by Ragin' on Monday by a score of 15-7. This might come across as the lamest excuse ever, but, I swear we had too many players. All nine men showed up (with the sole exception being super sub Jon). Personally, I didn't break a sweat, which is not a good thing.
- High-light was getting to handle in horizontal O with Gavin and Julie a few times. With the talent we have on EotM, getting a chance to handle at all is surprising. However, getting a chance to handle with two of the best in the city is an exceptional opportunity.
- Low-light was not getting to match up against Glenn and Damian as much as I would have liked. Knowing Glenn's aptitude to trash-talk me during games, I fired the first shot on Facebook which he replied to during the first point we were on the field together by body checking me. I love matching up against great players, and not having a chance to try to shut down Glenn and Damian often was a let down.
- Tuesday's KJ workout with the Fishes was productive. After dishing out for a tasty gelato last week, G made us all workout books to track our progress this week. If you need to ask what color mine is, you should first read my ultimate accessories post.
- Wednesday was a big day in that I got my IAD tryout notification. When you're enjoying your thanksgiving turkey next Monday, I'll be busting my ass in hopes of impressing the Persian Kingpin.
- On a serious note, I'm super pumped for tryouts. Seeing some of the names on the list makes my competitive juices flow. Even though I think the selection process is a complete sham, I'll guarantee that I'm leaving it all on the field Monday night. For that matter, when the near-inevitable happens, and I'm told I'll be back in good old IID this winter, I'm planning to dominate the way Ahmad did all last winter proving that IAD is the equivalent of an "old boy's club".
- To bastardize the name of one of my fellow-tryouties and team-mate from last winter: K. Bringiton!
- On a related note, if any readers feel like throwing Friday night or on Monday, you know how to contact me.
- Thursday class with....#24 on BFC....(seriously bad with names)....was awesome. Did a great core workout, some body weight resistance, and a downward push-up ladder from 9 that felt easy. My partner wasn't quite as enthusiastic about the push-ups...but ah well...he just gave me some extra rest time in between reps.
On that note, I'm off to worry about IAD tryouts for the next 4 days :P Even though deep down I know I have what it takes, it's a matter of showcasing my strengths while contributing to my scrimmage squad's success. I've put in so much work both on and off the field to get ready for these tryouts, I've progressed quite a bit from last year, but still...there's a shread of doubt that keeps nagging at me....reminding me of my awful Fish and Arrested Development tryouts last spring. Ugh, don't think I'll be able to enjoy my thanksgiving weekend....*sigh* Sigh.
Until next time, happy hucking!
Saturday, October 4, 2008
Falltimate + Pre-Indoor Slagging
Steve Chowareyouonlya4inLeagueWonder – Are you playing with us tonight James?
Nurple – Yup. Chris called in the heavy hitters while he's injured.
Steve – Sweet! We got a ringer!
Mahatma – Or maybe Chris wanted us to get bumped down a few notches when he comes back so he called you in.
Team – Laughs
PN#55 – Yea, you probably owed me that one Mehmet.
*On the line after Mahatma drops an easy pass five yards from the endzone*
Mahatma – That was great patience against the zone guys.
Nurple – Very nice patience and execution, except for that dropped pass at the end. Who dropped that MEHMET?
Team - Laughs
The Almighty Kamasutra *thinks of ways to keep PN#55 out of IAD this winter*
As the weather cooled down in Ottawa, the ultimate action actually heated up this week.
- Sweet Daddy Whup Ass lived up to their misspelled name and whooped EotM's collective ass on Monday by a final score of 15 – 8. SDWA got off to a huge 8-2 lead, then EotM scored 4 unanswered points, before SDWA took the momentum back to win with a 7 – 2 run.
- Personal high-light was a very strong second half (minus soon-to-be-discussed-defensive-blunders). I had two sweet skies (one over a much taller opponent), one of the prettier D's I can remember, and displayed very sound decision making which resulted in BF captains Jer & Julie commenting that I should be handling more often.
- Personal low-lights were not starting off as quickly as I would have liked, throwing away a huck, and getting absolutely owned on O & D by Simon from Phoenix. I had trouble getting off simple in cuts on Simon, and couldn't keep up with him on D. The quick disc movement style of Ottawa's open program is a challenge on D for an older, slower, mixed player like me.
- Got together with two Fishes on Tuesday for the first of *hopefully* many KJ circuit workouts. It was great that Sandra totally pushed us to do a third circuit, and both ladies were kind enough to give me some tips on form.
- High-light of the workout was winning the contraplank contest thus ensuring the sweetest tasting FREE gelato I've ever had : ) Low-light was probably the single-arm deadlifts, which I suck at.
- With IAD tryouts quickly approaching, I had considered contacting the captain of my Monday summer team and asking if he needed any subs since I know he plays on a top Wednesday team in the fall. He beat me to the punch contacting me when he sprained his ankle. Not only did I get some high quality handling practice, as noted in my previous post, I got to play with the always quotable Mahatma (see above).
- Dirty Voodo Children (my team) beat their closely matched opponents 15 – 13 on Wednesday. - High-light of the game was having fewer drops (0 vs. 2) and throw-aways (2 vs. 3 – both of mine were on dumps) and more points (2 vs. 0) than the Almighty Kamasutra.
- Low-light of the game was getting scored on 4 times on D by the same guy : ( Granted he was quick, but I should have shut this guy down after he beat me with a deep cut the first time. It didn't help that my team wasn't the best at calling ups, or holding the force, but I should have shaded him in instead of risk getting beat deep.
- Thursday was my first "KJ Class", taught by a BFC lady…oh…I'll say it's Michelle...and probably be wrong. Although these sessions are a tad pricey, and the gym isn't the best, I found it to be an incredible workout. Right up there with workouts from my favorite BF trainer Tommy.
- The teacher…yah…let's stick with Michelle (sounds right) was telling me how much she had benefited from KJ's sport specific training sessions the year before, and how it helped her make the jump from BigFish to BFC. It's nice that she remembered me as a BF, and tried to relate her experience to me : )
- Not to blow my own horn, but I'm in such fantastic shape right now, it's hard to believe. The sports hernia hasn't bothered me since Spirit, cutting out long runs hasn't hurt my endurance , and I feel so much stronger and faster on the field.
- On a windy Saturday morning, Employee of the Month dismantled Ultimate Elmo 15 - 9. I probably had my strongest game of the year, so of course Gavin wasn't there to see it *sigh*. I remember scoring at least 5 points, and throwing another 2. The low-lights were two throw-aways (not bad for a windy day), but strangely they were both on longer downwind passes that I didn't throw long enough. I also had one of my best pulls ever, before putting another decent pull slightly out of bounds.
- It's nice to see some of the newer players on EotM improve. I'm awful with names, but Jon's partner and Jeanne are both really impressive players who are rock solid offensively. It also helps when you have subs like Pete Hook, who's absolutely amazing on both sides of the disk. And our latest pick-up to replace big Mike....Al "Callmeantonio"! Sweet!
On that note, I'm off to do some physio exercises and sprint intervals. Even though Mehmet was saying that there's currently more spots than people for IID and IAD, I'm sure that will change and I'm anticipating a very hard tryout thanksgiving Monday. Oh, and I think my next post will be about the role of referees and observers in ultimate, since it seems to be a red hot topic on the OCUA forums. Until next time, happy hucking!
Nurple – Yup. Chris called in the heavy hitters while he's injured.
Steve – Sweet! We got a ringer!
Mahatma – Or maybe Chris wanted us to get bumped down a few notches when he comes back so he called you in.
Team – Laughs
PN#55 – Yea, you probably owed me that one Mehmet.
*On the line after Mahatma drops an easy pass five yards from the endzone*
Mahatma – That was great patience against the zone guys.
Nurple – Very nice patience and execution, except for that dropped pass at the end. Who dropped that MEHMET?
Team - Laughs
The Almighty Kamasutra *thinks of ways to keep PN#55 out of IAD this winter*
As the weather cooled down in Ottawa, the ultimate action actually heated up this week.
- Sweet Daddy Whup Ass lived up to their misspelled name and whooped EotM's collective ass on Monday by a final score of 15 – 8. SDWA got off to a huge 8-2 lead, then EotM scored 4 unanswered points, before SDWA took the momentum back to win with a 7 – 2 run.
- Personal high-light was a very strong second half (minus soon-to-be-discussed-defensive-blunders). I had two sweet skies (one over a much taller opponent), one of the prettier D's I can remember, and displayed very sound decision making which resulted in BF captains Jer & Julie commenting that I should be handling more often.
- Personal low-lights were not starting off as quickly as I would have liked, throwing away a huck, and getting absolutely owned on O & D by Simon from Phoenix. I had trouble getting off simple in cuts on Simon, and couldn't keep up with him on D. The quick disc movement style of Ottawa's open program is a challenge on D for an older, slower, mixed player like me.
- Got together with two Fishes on Tuesday for the first of *hopefully* many KJ circuit workouts. It was great that Sandra totally pushed us to do a third circuit, and both ladies were kind enough to give me some tips on form.
- High-light of the workout was winning the contraplank contest thus ensuring the sweetest tasting FREE gelato I've ever had : ) Low-light was probably the single-arm deadlifts, which I suck at.
- With IAD tryouts quickly approaching, I had considered contacting the captain of my Monday summer team and asking if he needed any subs since I know he plays on a top Wednesday team in the fall. He beat me to the punch contacting me when he sprained his ankle. Not only did I get some high quality handling practice, as noted in my previous post, I got to play with the always quotable Mahatma (see above).
- Dirty Voodo Children (my team) beat their closely matched opponents 15 – 13 on Wednesday. - High-light of the game was having fewer drops (0 vs. 2) and throw-aways (2 vs. 3 – both of mine were on dumps) and more points (2 vs. 0) than the Almighty Kamasutra.
- Low-light of the game was getting scored on 4 times on D by the same guy : ( Granted he was quick, but I should have shut this guy down after he beat me with a deep cut the first time. It didn't help that my team wasn't the best at calling ups, or holding the force, but I should have shaded him in instead of risk getting beat deep.
- Thursday was my first "KJ Class", taught by a BFC lady…oh…I'll say it's Michelle...and probably be wrong. Although these sessions are a tad pricey, and the gym isn't the best, I found it to be an incredible workout. Right up there with workouts from my favorite BF trainer Tommy.
- The teacher…yah…let's stick with Michelle (sounds right) was telling me how much she had benefited from KJ's sport specific training sessions the year before, and how it helped her make the jump from BigFish to BFC. It's nice that she remembered me as a BF, and tried to relate her experience to me : )
- Not to blow my own horn, but I'm in such fantastic shape right now, it's hard to believe. The sports hernia hasn't bothered me since Spirit, cutting out long runs hasn't hurt my endurance , and I feel so much stronger and faster on the field.
- On a windy Saturday morning, Employee of the Month dismantled Ultimate Elmo 15 - 9. I probably had my strongest game of the year, so of course Gavin wasn't there to see it *sigh*. I remember scoring at least 5 points, and throwing another 2. The low-lights were two throw-aways (not bad for a windy day), but strangely they were both on longer downwind passes that I didn't throw long enough. I also had one of my best pulls ever, before putting another decent pull slightly out of bounds.
- It's nice to see some of the newer players on EotM improve. I'm awful with names, but Jon's partner and Jeanne are both really impressive players who are rock solid offensively. It also helps when you have subs like Pete Hook, who's absolutely amazing on both sides of the disk. And our latest pick-up to replace big Mike....Al "Callmeantonio"! Sweet!
On that note, I'm off to do some physio exercises and sprint intervals. Even though Mehmet was saying that there's currently more spots than people for IID and IAD, I'm sure that will change and I'm anticipating a very hard tryout thanksgiving Monday. Oh, and I think my next post will be about the role of referees and observers in ultimate, since it seems to be a red hot topic on the OCUA forums. Until next time, happy hucking!
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Ottawa's "Ultimate" Male Player
"You're simply the best, better than all the rest
Better than anyone, anyone I've ever met."
Tina Turner - Simply the Best
With very few non "weekly recap" entries the last few months, I thought it was time for another fun post. Although this has the potential to be a bit more controversial than the "ultimate accessories" post, it isn't meant to be serious. Therefore, if you're male, from Ottawa, and don't form part of my proposed "ultimate" player, save the threatening emails and digs at my own knowledge/intelligence/skills for someone who cares...like your mom ;-)
Forehand Throws – Gavin Thompson
Backhand Throws – Geofford Seaborn
Special Throws (including pulls) – Mike Hall-Jones
Break Force Throws - Kenny Alexander
Fakes – Tom King
Decision Making – Steve Trainor
Athleticism (aka "Skyability) – Derek Alexander
Behind the back catches - Matt McCalla (honorable mention to Lamo)
Offensive intensity – Glenn Ford
Defensive intensity – Luke Phelan
Defensive Speed – Bryce Ring
Offensive Speed – Jamieson McKay
Height – Mike Hillebrand
Trash Talking – Carl Sharpe
Rules Knowledge – Ken Lange
Off field Attitude – Jack Webb
Leadership – Derek Hodgson
Fashion Sense – Hmmm…very few guys care about fashion…I do enjoy Lamo's gold cleats…Billy Alexander's hat tilt...Pete's field flask…and Gavin's selection of party clothes.
I'll let the surgeons hack away to create this "ultimate" male player. Alternatively, if all these guys had a massive orgy with some of Ottawa's top female players…Phoenix would challenge Furious in 15 – 20 years ;-)
As for the inevitable question, why not try something similar with female players, the answer is that I don't know many of Ottawa's top ladies. Not to say the above list isn't somewhat biased, but I've played with or against everyone listed. Feel free to create your own version of Ottawa's "ultimate" players, or propose additional categories (i.e. has two thumbs and looks best in purple).
Now I must be off to pick-up on a team with the Almighty Kamasutra. Will Nurple be able to overcome the once powerful Mehmet Curse (see May or June entry for reference)??? I'll let you know this weekend. Until next time, happy hucking!
Better than anyone, anyone I've ever met."
Tina Turner - Simply the Best
With very few non "weekly recap" entries the last few months, I thought it was time for another fun post. Although this has the potential to be a bit more controversial than the "ultimate accessories" post, it isn't meant to be serious. Therefore, if you're male, from Ottawa, and don't form part of my proposed "ultimate" player, save the threatening emails and digs at my own knowledge/intelligence/skills for someone who cares...like your mom ;-)
Forehand Throws – Gavin Thompson
Backhand Throws – Geofford Seaborn
Special Throws (including pulls) – Mike Hall-Jones
Break Force Throws - Kenny Alexander
Fakes – Tom King
Decision Making – Steve Trainor
Athleticism (aka "Skyability) – Derek Alexander
Behind the back catches - Matt McCalla (honorable mention to Lamo)
Offensive intensity – Glenn Ford
Defensive intensity – Luke Phelan
Defensive Speed – Bryce Ring
Offensive Speed – Jamieson McKay
Height – Mike Hillebrand
Trash Talking – Carl Sharpe
Rules Knowledge – Ken Lange
Off field Attitude – Jack Webb
Leadership – Derek Hodgson
Fashion Sense – Hmmm…very few guys care about fashion…I do enjoy Lamo's gold cleats…Billy Alexander's hat tilt...Pete's field flask…and Gavin's selection of party clothes.
I'll let the surgeons hack away to create this "ultimate" male player. Alternatively, if all these guys had a massive orgy with some of Ottawa's top female players…Phoenix would challenge Furious in 15 – 20 years ;-)
As for the inevitable question, why not try something similar with female players, the answer is that I don't know many of Ottawa's top ladies. Not to say the above list isn't somewhat biased, but I've played with or against everyone listed. Feel free to create your own version of Ottawa's "ultimate" players, or propose additional categories (i.e. has two thumbs and looks best in purple).
Now I must be off to pick-up on a team with the Almighty Kamasutra. Will Nurple be able to overcome the once powerful Mehmet Curse (see May or June entry for reference)??? I'll let you know this weekend. Until next time, happy hucking!
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