The First Days

We’ve had two practices, and I already like what I’m seeing. I would like to take this opportunity to say “hi” to all the rookies. Feel free to look around the blog. Our team is good, one of the top 8 in the country. Our team will also make you good. Whether you come to our practices so you can learn to dominate pick-up games on the quad or you want to play against some of the top ultimate players in the nation, I encourage you to keep coming to practice. We don’t make cuts. If you keep coming to practice, then you still have a spot on the team. We do have an A and B team, but those decisions don’t get made til later in the fall. This sport is fun. There’s a reason why it’s called ultimate.

Now, a lot of our new recruits show a lot of promise. In particular, I like Kurt (cause he’s already read my blog) and Squeaks (more on that nick name in a later post). I also came across some rookies who played in the YCC. Nice. What I’m really excited about is the enthusiasm our rookies possess. I saw a lot of lay outs in the scrimmages. Also, a lot of your throws look better than mine did on day 1.

Freshman Open Preview

Normally, I give previews and recaps of every tournament we go to. The rookie open tourney is no exception. Unfortunately, I know nothing about the teams, so a preview seems impossible. Here are my thoughts. A good team needs 2 people that can huck the disc and 2 people that can run down those hucks. After that, it’s mainly luck and the enthusiasm of the veteran captains. (enthusiasm should be read as trash talk). In fact, I would say that trash talk is the biggest factor of success.

Heckling is an art form. When done well, it is a truly beautiful experience. Basic phrases include, “Hammer!” “Huck it!” or “Jack it!” These are to be said in a repeated fashion towards a person holding the disc for an extended period of time. More advanced phrases include “not a thrower” “not a catcher” and “not a puller”, usually said after a poor play by a good player. The best heckles include a personal touch. For example, when Lamp drops the disc, I will say, “You would have caught that if you had broken that kid’s leg!”

So come out tomorrow night. Play hard and you may just win the esteem of your peers. I’m pretty sure there’s also free discs involved.