Gearin' Up

I don’t how many of you plan your lives, but I’ve recently started doing just that. Let’s see…graduate in May, get married in November, buy a house, have kids…Oh yeah! Vegas in two weeks!


It’s been a long time since I’ve stepped onto an ultimate field, and I’m definitely looking forward to crushing Stanford like we did at Centex (Hey Dave, peaches aren’t in season. We will own you. Oh, and my parents say hi). But I’ll be saving my preview for next week.


Boys, it’s time to get excited again. Winter is almost over, and a long hibernation should make you hungry for one thing: competition. We aren’t 100% yet, and it’s evident in our practices. Yes, we’re a solid team, but there’s no fire. No excitement. What are you playing for? Are you a tired old vet just looking to finish what he started? I hope not.


We each need to find that motivation, that spark, that fire. Joel supplied it for the past three years with his command on the field. Pat brought it with his refusal to give up no matter how many points we were down. Pappy brought it with his screaming. They had help too. The rest of the team bought into it. When they sparked, the whole team caught fire, and we left our opponents roasting in that inferno. And it was FUN. Having the energy is fun. Executing our game plan is fun. And rolling over chumps is fun.


We’ve got less than two weeks to bring it back. Let’s make Vegas fun.


Ps bet on black and the number 6.

From Bad News Springs Hope

Whoa. The team has received enough letters of resignation in this past week. It’s sad to see these men go. You may hate them for it or be upset about it or do your best to talk them out of it. (Seriously Chuck, you said you were superman. Last I checked, Superman could go from Florida to Champaign in a matter of seconds). But the decision is theirs to make, and as a teammate and a friend, we must respect that decision.

As team, we also have a decision. We have the decision to continue our pursuit of this game. We have the decision to show up to as many practices as we can and give as much effort as possible. I, for one, intend to make that decision. Yes, I have other obligations. You can’t plan a wedding with someone and never see them for four months. Sorry guys, but none of you are prettier than her. This may mean missing a few Friday practices and a tournament or two, but I’m still gonna be a damn good teammate.

This team isn’t one person. It’s everyone. If you’re slacking, there’s somebody there to pick up that slack. Eventually it’ll be your turn to put in the extra effort for somebody else. Yes, it would be nice if everyone was 100% dedicated, but that’s impossible. No single individual can give 100% of their time to a game, but that’s why we have a team. I’m proud to call myself a part of this team.

Resolution Season

First of all, I would like to wish everyone a Happy New Year. It feels like it’s been a year since I’ve made any posts. Anyway, normally the New Year is full of people making resolutions to workout and get in better shape. As ultimate players, we’re already in fantastic shape. Seriously, I took my blood pressure yesterday and it read 123 over 72 with a heart rate of 50 bpm. And I’ve only done half the practices that most of you folks have done.

However, as ultimate players, we always push ourselves to be better. I’m pretty sure most of you have slacked off a bit with Christmas and New Years parties. That’s okay. Sometimes a week or two off allows the body to heal, but those two weeks of inactivity will catch up to you. For those of you wishing to set some sort of workout schedule, here’s my suggested schedule for working out, especially if you can’t make it back for early week because of Job interviews (I really hate it when life gets in the way of ultimate).

Rip’s Winter Break Workout

Begin each workout with a warm-up: 10-30 slow push-ups, squats, sit-ups and calf raises (best done on a step so you get a better range of motion). Take extra care to do these slow. 10 slow reps with a large range of motion do more good than 30 quick, little reps.

Odd Days: Run 3 miles and 3 hills. Do this in any order, but make sure the 3 hills are in succession with thirty seconds of rest once you get back to the bottom of the hill. For example, you can run 1.5 miles, 3 hills, 1.5 miles. If there isn’t a hill near you, then substitute with 3 50yd sprints. Adjust distance and rest with your preferred level of difficulty. Stretch when you get back. It’s best if you stretch after a warm shower.

Even Days: 5 sets of 25 push-ups, sit-ups, squats and calf raises. Do all four exercises in a row and then rest for 60 seconds. The goal here is to not stop moving until you finish a set. Think of it as a cross fit without the running part. Make sure you stretch after this workout as well.

As you probably guessed, alternate these workouts every other day. If you wish, take one day a week off. Also, if you get the chance to lift, don’t skip the above workouts. I recommend four lifts that will give you a total body workout in a short time: Bench Press, Squats, Military Press and Hang Cleans. Use dumbbells on the presses as it works more muscles in each arm than using a bar. I recommend 3 sets of 8-12 reps increasing the weight with each set.

If you have any suggestions, please post a comment. I’m not a physical therapist, personal trainer or doctor, so I’m open to suggestions.