"Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it."
George Santayana
Having finally found time to transfer some notes I made in NB to my practice journal, here are a few lessons I learned from my first competitive two-day alternative tournament, that I thought were worth sharing. Some are serious, most aren't, but all are things I'll keep in mind at future tournaments.
- Injuries heal faster by continuing to play, or are at least masked by adrenaline.
- A positive, fearless attitude is essential no matter what just happened on the field.
- The "clap line" is more innocent than the name implies and rivals sliced bread as a great invention.
- Ability to play ulty with little to no sleep is a valuable skill.
- Never leave it up to Gavin to dress you for a 70s party.
- Ensure you're not the only one in the car who's never heard of pedidle.
- If you're the only person in the car who's never heard of pedidle, imitate Matt who's a seasoned veteran.
- Although not a big part of ultimate, nudity is one element of the game.
- Alcohol is everywhere, but no one forces it on you.
- Having a loud sideline helps, although being part of that sideline means increased potential for losing your voice.
- There are plenty of "unique" tourist attractions on the way to North Bay.
- Bathroom breaks mean different things to different people.
- Every competitive team has a few designated pullers.
- Zen from Toronto likes calling their designated puller "Batman" (not "fatman", as I misheard and told the guy he looked fit to me).
- Blackflies bites itch non-stop for about a week.
- Certain stereotypes (both positive and negative) about ulty players are true.
- Bring your own food and snacks; don't rely on field food to get you through.
- My physical endurance is fine (even though I had a lapse during game #6 covering a handler), but my mental endurance needs to improve (I counted stalls on a cutter without the disc in game #7).
- The ratio of female hotties per team (especially on Ottawa teams) is significantly higher than every other sport with the possible exception of beach volleyball.
- When rooming with Gavin, bring extra…everything.
- Sleeping on university dorm single beds without box-springs is damn near impossible compared to my regular Sealy Posturepedic queen sized pillow-top mattress.
-Charlie-horses suck just as much in ultimate as they do in basketball, volleyball, baseball, track, cross-country, and tennis (long racquet-throwing story).
- Knowing handlers' preferences helps when things break down (ty Chris for this tip that proved helpful).
Not sure if I'll get around to an abbreviated update before Regionals or not, but I'm going to tomorrow's optional practice on a high after two of my better league games ever. Not only was last Friday's sprawl game my favourite in the last 2+ years, I helped the B&Es win against an experienced Black Velvet Elvis team tonight. The only bad part of tonight's game was my inability to "turn it down a notch" when it comes to my level of intensity.
Might as well put this down as well: I've decided to play balls to the wall at Regionals, and empty the tank. The way I look at it, we'll have lots of subs, I won't get called on as often as in NB, and this could be my last tournament with the team this summer (not being negative, just realistic with Glenn probably rejoining the team for the remaining tournaments). Assuming I get called on once every three points or less frequently (likely), I'll have plenty of time to recover on the sideline when the point is over. I'm intentionally not researching the teams that will be there, since I have the tendency to overanalyze and worry. Instead, I'll play hard no matter what team is on the opposite side of the field, and focus on helping BF qualify for Nationals. Until next time, happy hucking!
Monday, June 30, 2008
Friday, June 27, 2008
Recap & SHOCKING Ulty News
"I want to know where my confidence went
One day it all disappeared.
And I'm lying in a hotel room miles away
Voices next door in my ear."
Til I Am Myself Again - Blue Rodeo
After Northern Flights last weekend, this week of ultimate got off to a strange start when my alarm woke me up at 7:43 Monday morning, and I proceeded to sprint to the bathroom and embrace my commode for the next three hours. As I started to feel better in the afternoon, Monday became one of my best ultimate days ever. Why? You'll have to keep reading to find out.
- Feeling dizzy, noxious, and nursing a massive Charlie-horse from NB, I've never been happier to read that OCUA cancelled league games than on Monday night. I was going to try to suck it up and play, but I would have been a mess.
- Tuesday's practice wasn't as brutal as Ariel, Matt, and I had predicted during the ride to UPI. Even though it was supposed to be hard, I loved the throwing gauntlet.
- Another favorite drill of mine is the "quick hands" one. Note to any BF readers, Deirdre has developed a powerful flick. There was a verbal exchange during D's masterful performance of the drill that made me laugh.
- We scrimmaged BFC at the end of practice for the first time this season. Even though BFC beat us (duh, they're the A-team and had some of our stars), we played well. Covering Glenn was educational as always. On one point, I had the misfortune of marking Jamieson on D…which resulted in an inevitable quick score for BFC.
- On Tuesday I offered one of the organizers of Arrested Development a ride to UPI after she posted that she was looking for one. One of her team-mates came through in the end, but we exchanged a couple of emails and my personal grudge over being cut from AD is over. I'm happier with BF, and AD was looking for a commitment...which I wasn't ready to offer.
- Also on Tuesday, former practice squadder Jordan got promoted to the BF roster. It was well deserved as he's one of those rock solid, experienced players.
- While off on Wednesday, captain Sandra did a Facebook post looking for No Borders volunteers. Since I've never been to Ottawa's premier tournament, I offered to cover two 4-hour shifts (hopefully Saturday and Sunday). I'm really looking forward to my first ulty volunteering experience.
- Tom set up a wicked fitness circuit that was the high-light of Thursday's BF practice.
- Amusingly, I think my ultra-tight, nipple chafing, how can this possibly be a medium, sleeveless shirt was the low-light of Thursday's practice. Ah well, as long as everyone got a laugh out of it, it's all good. (Note to self: Try shirts on before purchasing…or at least before wearing to practice).
- Since I enjoy a good quote, Duffy's reaction to the shirt was "Hey James, I really think you should save something for the wedding night.".
- Here's a random Facebook observation that shows just how weird my life has become: I made the mistake of clicking on the "People You May Know" list, and 75% of them are competitive ultimate players. The other 25%? I don't know them…but they very well could play ultimate.
- Friday's game against the Pylons was my best of the year with Urban Sprawl. Despite getting broke a bunch of times by Pete Hook while in the cup (didn't know he was a lefty til late in the game), I kept the turnovers to minimum on offense (2 or 3), threw a bunch of goals (6 or 7), and caught a few as well. The goal was to get everyone involved in the offense, and it worked well as we won 15-6 against a pretty highly skilled team. An added bonus? I didn't have to break out my trusty BF rulebook!
Ready to be shocked? While completely out of it on Monday, I was checking the weather forecast on the net when I noticed a message from Gavin. Despite playing below par in NB, the captains offered me a chance to play with the team at the Regionals where BF hopes to qualifies for Nationals. After supper, I remembered the message, but wondered if I had halucinated/dreamt it (I alternated between puking and sleeping Monday). After double-checking, I quickly responded that I'd love to play. So, yah, apparently I'm off to Waterloo next weekend? Sadly, this good news does come at the expense of Ahmad and Peter, both very deserving, more experienced players, and genuinely good people. Honestly, that makes me feel guilty. On the bright side, this is an incredible opportunity, plus I might be able to help BF qualify for Nationals, which would mean my "mystery tournament tipper" would get to play with the team when she's back for a while from down under. Since she's one of the people that encouraged me to try out for the team in the first place, this would be a great way for me to pay her back.
This week's lesson learned is not to be too hard on yourself. I tend to pick holes in my game, and envision shortcomings that others don't see. Even though I was less than proud of my play at NB, the captains must have seen something they liked. Sadly, my own critical attitude is shared by some team-mates, who also got down on themselves after losing games last weekend. BF has this awesome cheer, and my favorite part is when Gavin asks "Do you love this game?" and everyone shouts "Hell ya!". I have to let that love over-ride my innate negativity and self-doubt. With lots of work ahead of me in the next week, I better get to it. Until next time, happy hucking!
One day it all disappeared.
And I'm lying in a hotel room miles away
Voices next door in my ear."
Til I Am Myself Again - Blue Rodeo
After Northern Flights last weekend, this week of ultimate got off to a strange start when my alarm woke me up at 7:43 Monday morning, and I proceeded to sprint to the bathroom and embrace my commode for the next three hours. As I started to feel better in the afternoon, Monday became one of my best ultimate days ever. Why? You'll have to keep reading to find out.
- Feeling dizzy, noxious, and nursing a massive Charlie-horse from NB, I've never been happier to read that OCUA cancelled league games than on Monday night. I was going to try to suck it up and play, but I would have been a mess.
- Tuesday's practice wasn't as brutal as Ariel, Matt, and I had predicted during the ride to UPI. Even though it was supposed to be hard, I loved the throwing gauntlet.
- Another favorite drill of mine is the "quick hands" one. Note to any BF readers, Deirdre has developed a powerful flick. There was a verbal exchange during D's masterful performance of the drill that made me laugh.
- We scrimmaged BFC at the end of practice for the first time this season. Even though BFC beat us (duh, they're the A-team and had some of our stars), we played well. Covering Glenn was educational as always. On one point, I had the misfortune of marking Jamieson on D…which resulted in an inevitable quick score for BFC.
- On Tuesday I offered one of the organizers of Arrested Development a ride to UPI after she posted that she was looking for one. One of her team-mates came through in the end, but we exchanged a couple of emails and my personal grudge over being cut from AD is over. I'm happier with BF, and AD was looking for a commitment...which I wasn't ready to offer.
- Also on Tuesday, former practice squadder Jordan got promoted to the BF roster. It was well deserved as he's one of those rock solid, experienced players.
- While off on Wednesday, captain Sandra did a Facebook post looking for No Borders volunteers. Since I've never been to Ottawa's premier tournament, I offered to cover two 4-hour shifts (hopefully Saturday and Sunday). I'm really looking forward to my first ulty volunteering experience.
- Tom set up a wicked fitness circuit that was the high-light of Thursday's BF practice.
- Amusingly, I think my ultra-tight, nipple chafing, how can this possibly be a medium, sleeveless shirt was the low-light of Thursday's practice. Ah well, as long as everyone got a laugh out of it, it's all good. (Note to self: Try shirts on before purchasing…or at least before wearing to practice).
- Since I enjoy a good quote, Duffy's reaction to the shirt was "Hey James, I really think you should save something for the wedding night.".
- Here's a random Facebook observation that shows just how weird my life has become: I made the mistake of clicking on the "People You May Know" list, and 75% of them are competitive ultimate players. The other 25%? I don't know them…but they very well could play ultimate.
- Friday's game against the Pylons was my best of the year with Urban Sprawl. Despite getting broke a bunch of times by Pete Hook while in the cup (didn't know he was a lefty til late in the game), I kept the turnovers to minimum on offense (2 or 3), threw a bunch of goals (6 or 7), and caught a few as well. The goal was to get everyone involved in the offense, and it worked well as we won 15-6 against a pretty highly skilled team. An added bonus? I didn't have to break out my trusty BF rulebook!
Ready to be shocked? While completely out of it on Monday, I was checking the weather forecast on the net when I noticed a message from Gavin. Despite playing below par in NB, the captains offered me a chance to play with the team at the Regionals where BF hopes to qualifies for Nationals. After supper, I remembered the message, but wondered if I had halucinated/dreamt it (I alternated between puking and sleeping Monday). After double-checking, I quickly responded that I'd love to play. So, yah, apparently I'm off to Waterloo next weekend? Sadly, this good news does come at the expense of Ahmad and Peter, both very deserving, more experienced players, and genuinely good people. Honestly, that makes me feel guilty. On the bright side, this is an incredible opportunity, plus I might be able to help BF qualify for Nationals, which would mean my "mystery tournament tipper" would get to play with the team when she's back for a while from down under. Since she's one of the people that encouraged me to try out for the team in the first place, this would be a great way for me to pay her back.
This week's lesson learned is not to be too hard on yourself. I tend to pick holes in my game, and envision shortcomings that others don't see. Even though I was less than proud of my play at NB, the captains must have seen something they liked. Sadly, my own critical attitude is shared by some team-mates, who also got down on themselves after losing games last weekend. BF has this awesome cheer, and my favorite part is when Gavin asks "Do you love this game?" and everyone shouts "Hell ya!". I have to let that love over-ride my innate negativity and self-doubt. With lots of work ahead of me in the next week, I better get to it. Until next time, happy hucking!
Thursday, June 26, 2008
4/3 vs. 5/2
"I'm just a girl, what's my destiny?
What I've succumbed to Is making me numb
I'm just a girl, my apologies
What I've become is so burdensome"
Just a girl - No Doubt
After reviewing the titles of the last couple of posts, and realizing they've been about a awkward, lanky, wanna-be comp player, I thought tackling a more challenging subject would be appropriate. A quick troll through the OCUA forums shows that the most heavily debated issue has been the non-existent "check feet" call. Since this fictional call doesn't deserve any more thought, effort, or hype that it's already garnered, I decided to go with a more interesting subject on the forums: the old 4/3 vs. 5/2 mixed debate. As for "check feet", I plan to employ one of the posters' suggestions and respond with "check rules" the next time I hear it.
Granted I've only been around ultimate for a little over two years, but changing the gender ratio in OCUA from four men and three women to five and two seems to come up on the forums frequently. It's not always as blatant as a guy (btw – only men propose this) suggesting it should be done, as it's often disguised as "Why are all the women quitting my team?", "How do we bring more ladies into OCUA", and most subtly as "Need female subs tonight".
The most obvious argument against changing the gender ratio to 5/2 is being misaligned with the international bodies that govern mixed ultimate. This doesn't assume that all players want to play competitive, although it supposes that players might want to enter a tournament or play mixed ultimate elsewhere at some point in their future. Tournaments and other larger mixed leagues in Canada and abroad go with the 4/3 ratio, so players moving out of Ottawa would be at a disadvantage if they tried to take what they learned about the game elsewhere.
There's also an argument to be made about gender equality if OCUA ever went with the 5/2 ratio. Considering approximately half the population is female, limiting their access to a sport by restricting them to four or five per team seems inequitable. Why should men have more than a 50% advantage of being able to join a team? Having a penis doesn't mean you'll be a better ulty player…unless you can use it to catch a disc…which I haven't seen….yet ;-)
From a woman's point of view, can you imagine having to deal with the increased testosterone that a 5/2 ratio would entail? Instead of being hit on by one or two guys on a team, you'd have to turn down the advances of an entire line. Plus, you'd be chasing down long blades from even more men who want to overcompensate for what incredibly small penises they have. On a more serious note, there would be less chances for female bonding on the team (which helps keep women involved). On a less serious note, there would be fewer female teammates to bring to the bathroom with you in the nearby bush *har har har*.
One of the frustrating things about the 4/3 vs. 5/2 debate is that there's a blatantly obvious answer – involve and develop your women players. Before you respond "But then they'll leave us", ask yourself if that's such a bad thing. If they leave you to find a better team, you've succeeded in improving the caliber of league play, and introduced someone who will tell all her friends about this great sport. You've done your small part in solving OCUA's "lack of women" problem.
For clarity, involving and developing female players centers around ensuring they're getting what they're looking for out of the experience. If a woman is out for the fitness aspect of the game, and feels uncomfortable throwing, great, you have a cutter who will readily dump on offense, and a cup member on defense. If one of your ladies likes to keep things organized, teams can always use an assistant or captain to make sure enough bodies show up at the field for games. If you have a 4 or 5 rated woman who wants to develop handling skills, giving her a spot as on off-side handler is an excellent first step.
Oddly, none of my teams have ever had a problem finding enough women to fill the roster. Urban Sprawl has actually had the opposite issue, with seven talented ladies on the roster this year, girls are complaining about not playing enough. Sadly, I had to turn down two female ulty friends who expressed interest in playing on that fun Friday purple team. Poach Motel has plenty of quality women players (including a couple amazing handlers), and two very active female subs who show up when called upon. Of course BigFish is stalked with nine of the best female players in the city, and a sub who's speedier than any woman I've ever met (outside of track and cross-country).
In conclusion, whoever proposes a 5/2 ratio next in the OCUA forums deserves to have his mental capacity questioned as much as it inevitably will be. Personally, I'll leave the slagging to the pros, since I'd rather just continue to give the disc to the fairer sex. Until next time, happy hucking!
What I've succumbed to Is making me numb
I'm just a girl, my apologies
What I've become is so burdensome"
Just a girl - No Doubt
After reviewing the titles of the last couple of posts, and realizing they've been about a awkward, lanky, wanna-be comp player, I thought tackling a more challenging subject would be appropriate. A quick troll through the OCUA forums shows that the most heavily debated issue has been the non-existent "check feet" call. Since this fictional call doesn't deserve any more thought, effort, or hype that it's already garnered, I decided to go with a more interesting subject on the forums: the old 4/3 vs. 5/2 mixed debate. As for "check feet", I plan to employ one of the posters' suggestions and respond with "check rules" the next time I hear it.
Granted I've only been around ultimate for a little over two years, but changing the gender ratio in OCUA from four men and three women to five and two seems to come up on the forums frequently. It's not always as blatant as a guy (btw – only men propose this) suggesting it should be done, as it's often disguised as "Why are all the women quitting my team?", "How do we bring more ladies into OCUA", and most subtly as "Need female subs tonight".
The most obvious argument against changing the gender ratio to 5/2 is being misaligned with the international bodies that govern mixed ultimate. This doesn't assume that all players want to play competitive, although it supposes that players might want to enter a tournament or play mixed ultimate elsewhere at some point in their future. Tournaments and other larger mixed leagues in Canada and abroad go with the 4/3 ratio, so players moving out of Ottawa would be at a disadvantage if they tried to take what they learned about the game elsewhere.
There's also an argument to be made about gender equality if OCUA ever went with the 5/2 ratio. Considering approximately half the population is female, limiting their access to a sport by restricting them to four or five per team seems inequitable. Why should men have more than a 50% advantage of being able to join a team? Having a penis doesn't mean you'll be a better ulty player…unless you can use it to catch a disc…which I haven't seen….yet ;-)
From a woman's point of view, can you imagine having to deal with the increased testosterone that a 5/2 ratio would entail? Instead of being hit on by one or two guys on a team, you'd have to turn down the advances of an entire line. Plus, you'd be chasing down long blades from even more men who want to overcompensate for what incredibly small penises they have. On a more serious note, there would be less chances for female bonding on the team (which helps keep women involved). On a less serious note, there would be fewer female teammates to bring to the bathroom with you in the nearby bush *har har har*.
One of the frustrating things about the 4/3 vs. 5/2 debate is that there's a blatantly obvious answer – involve and develop your women players. Before you respond "But then they'll leave us", ask yourself if that's such a bad thing. If they leave you to find a better team, you've succeeded in improving the caliber of league play, and introduced someone who will tell all her friends about this great sport. You've done your small part in solving OCUA's "lack of women" problem.
For clarity, involving and developing female players centers around ensuring they're getting what they're looking for out of the experience. If a woman is out for the fitness aspect of the game, and feels uncomfortable throwing, great, you have a cutter who will readily dump on offense, and a cup member on defense. If one of your ladies likes to keep things organized, teams can always use an assistant or captain to make sure enough bodies show up at the field for games. If you have a 4 or 5 rated woman who wants to develop handling skills, giving her a spot as on off-side handler is an excellent first step.
Oddly, none of my teams have ever had a problem finding enough women to fill the roster. Urban Sprawl has actually had the opposite issue, with seven talented ladies on the roster this year, girls are complaining about not playing enough. Sadly, I had to turn down two female ulty friends who expressed interest in playing on that fun Friday purple team. Poach Motel has plenty of quality women players (including a couple amazing handlers), and two very active female subs who show up when called upon. Of course BigFish is stalked with nine of the best female players in the city, and a sub who's speedier than any woman I've ever met (outside of track and cross-country).
In conclusion, whoever proposes a 5/2 ratio next in the OCUA forums deserves to have his mental capacity questioned as much as it inevitably will be. Personally, I'll leave the slagging to the pros, since I'd rather just continue to give the disc to the fairer sex. Until next time, happy hucking!
Sunday, June 22, 2008
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!
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!
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Abbreviated Recap
"To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift."
- Steve Prefontaine
Since I'm looking forward to recapping my first tournament in a future post, this weekly recap is a bit of ahead of schedule. The quote above is one of my favourites, and I decided to use it to motivate myself to give it my everything this weekend in North Bay.
- As mentioned in a previous post, I played hookie on Poach Motel this Monday to play for the Berts & Ernies instead. I was actually going to play in both games, but since Poach's 7:30 start got moved up to 6:30, I couldn't be in two places at once. Poach might have missed me as they lost 15-8 to a slightly lower rated opponent.
- The B&Es lost their first game of the season to Disc in a Box (great name btw). It was a close 16-14 match, which could have gone either way, especially if the B&Es had more of their regulars at the game.
- Here's two quick things I've noticed about playing low/mid-tier ultimate after Monday's game. 1. Nobody knows the rules. It was crazy that I made every call (three in total) during the game. I called a disc space violation (the guy was bear hugging me), called a disc down after I clearly got out the "t" in "ten" counting stalls (he contested, he was wrong, but whatever), and explained how some girl had to play the disc since she picked it up in her team's endzone. I felt like a rules nazi, but, c'est la vie!
2. Once my team-mate from IID Aaron showed up (they led us 6-3), we could have won the game just by doing give-a-goes. Aaron's ridiculously fast, but luckily for the other team, he felt like spreading the disc around. Having said that, I'm having a hard time remembering points of the B&Es that weren't scored by one of us (via a pass from the other one of us).
- As mentioned in my previous post, I played like a bungling idiot at Tuesday's practice. Even during the drills I was catching discs one-handed (not recommended), throwing blading flicks, and misjudging targets during a slant-to-huck drill. More importantly, I was a total non-factor in the scrimmage. That had to be my worst practice with the team.
- I was able to get some confidence back at Thursday's practice. The fitness wasn't intense as normal (ty Tom), and the drills were cool. The slant-to-huck is quickly becoming my favourite drill. Having said that, I really have to concentrate on completing my hucks, as opposed to throwing it out of the back of the endzone.
- I don't get why people aren't listening when people explain things at practice. We're all there to learn, and listening is a big part of learning.
- Captain Sandra was nice enough to give me a packing checklist for North Bay. For a notorious last minute packer (haven't started yet at 10pm), that's a great tool.
- I feel guilty for helping Urban Sprawl to a 3-1 record (it should be 4-1, but I digress), and then leaving them to handle Jolly Rogers on Friday night. On the bright side, three of Jolly Rogers' best players will be on BF in North Bay, sprawl shouldn't get killed too badly.
On that note, I'm going to force myself to pack for North Bay now. The retro costume is looking promising (pictures to follow, I promise), and I'm looking forward to experiencing my first two day tournament. After thinking about this for a while, I'm mentally granting myself a "bye" no matter what happens on the field Saturday and Sunday since this will be a new experience, and I want to enjoy it. Until next time, happy hucking!
- Steve Prefontaine
Since I'm looking forward to recapping my first tournament in a future post, this weekly recap is a bit of ahead of schedule. The quote above is one of my favourites, and I decided to use it to motivate myself to give it my everything this weekend in North Bay.
- As mentioned in a previous post, I played hookie on Poach Motel this Monday to play for the Berts & Ernies instead. I was actually going to play in both games, but since Poach's 7:30 start got moved up to 6:30, I couldn't be in two places at once. Poach might have missed me as they lost 15-8 to a slightly lower rated opponent.
- The B&Es lost their first game of the season to Disc in a Box (great name btw). It was a close 16-14 match, which could have gone either way, especially if the B&Es had more of their regulars at the game.
- Here's two quick things I've noticed about playing low/mid-tier ultimate after Monday's game. 1. Nobody knows the rules. It was crazy that I made every call (three in total) during the game. I called a disc space violation (the guy was bear hugging me), called a disc down after I clearly got out the "t" in "ten" counting stalls (he contested, he was wrong, but whatever), and explained how some girl had to play the disc since she picked it up in her team's endzone. I felt like a rules nazi, but, c'est la vie!
2. Once my team-mate from IID Aaron showed up (they led us 6-3), we could have won the game just by doing give-a-goes. Aaron's ridiculously fast, but luckily for the other team, he felt like spreading the disc around. Having said that, I'm having a hard time remembering points of the B&Es that weren't scored by one of us (via a pass from the other one of us).
- As mentioned in my previous post, I played like a bungling idiot at Tuesday's practice. Even during the drills I was catching discs one-handed (not recommended), throwing blading flicks, and misjudging targets during a slant-to-huck drill. More importantly, I was a total non-factor in the scrimmage. That had to be my worst practice with the team.
- I was able to get some confidence back at Thursday's practice. The fitness wasn't intense as normal (ty Tom), and the drills were cool. The slant-to-huck is quickly becoming my favourite drill. Having said that, I really have to concentrate on completing my hucks, as opposed to throwing it out of the back of the endzone.
- I don't get why people aren't listening when people explain things at practice. We're all there to learn, and listening is a big part of learning.
- Captain Sandra was nice enough to give me a packing checklist for North Bay. For a notorious last minute packer (haven't started yet at 10pm), that's a great tool.
- I feel guilty for helping Urban Sprawl to a 3-1 record (it should be 4-1, but I digress), and then leaving them to handle Jolly Rogers on Friday night. On the bright side, three of Jolly Rogers' best players will be on BF in North Bay, sprawl shouldn't get killed too badly.
On that note, I'm going to force myself to pack for North Bay now. The retro costume is looking promising (pictures to follow, I promise), and I'm looking forward to experiencing my first two day tournament. After thinking about this for a while, I'm mentally granting myself a "bye" no matter what happens on the field Saturday and Sunday since this will be a new experience, and I want to enjoy it. Until next time, happy hucking!
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