Saturday, August 21, 2010

Affirmation

Have you ever thought about the phrase "they don't make em like they used to?" Me neither until today. It is commonly used to imply a sort of vague sighing derision for the inadequacy of the present with regards to a better past. However, it could easily be used with a different tone in a positive sense! They don't make planes like the used to, and thank goodness for that.

Goals for this semester and season.:

Improve myself as a captain to better lead the team.

I will achieve this by working to become more confident in my skillset and teaching ability. I will be there for the team. I will work hard and set an example. I will be organized and on top of the neccesary legistical work. I will work to develop the potential of the team in such a way that our skillet is maximized and people are in rolls, on the field and off of it, that optimize their talents and the unique skills they are bringing to the table.

Be healthy, mentally and physically

I will accomplish this by eating healthy, reading, and above all working out and running on the track. I will push my limits and develop my physical skillset beyond anything I have achieved thus far. I will keep drinking to a minimum.

Fiscally responsible

I will accomplish this by saving money on food when possible, not wasting it on overly expensive meals or useless inane purchases of any kid. I will manage my bank account.

I will work hard at drawing and have a children's book ready to publish by the end of next spring
I will dedicate myself and make the most of my time in college.
I will seize every moment and not let a day go to waste.


I will continue to refine my goals and seek to achieve them, and give some more thought to this post after the fatigue from the staff social wears off.
What a summer.

Wrapping up

Summer league ended perhaps more with a wimper than a bang. Went out first round, Bill's blue boyos captializing on our turnovers. Our lack of legs made it hard to get the disc from them and we were way too supa fast for them to D us, so the game came down to execution errors and fatigue. Amped up by Chetti on the sidelines, I played a decent game, coming down with a big layout grab and scoring a few other goals. Unfortunately I could not pull the trigger on defense and missed something like five prime opportunities to save a break. Also smacked a guy with a disc. You had to be there.

Second round the B team combined with another coed squad to form team chocolate covered strawberries, squaring off with open white and red featuring chocolate women (and Herbst). Lost in a clincher. Kevin left before the end of the game and our other handlers did not realize how good an idea it was to bomb it to a goon every point.

Third round I joined forces with the red open squad to face off C Rob and his merry men, featuring hilarious travel call. It was a fun spirited game and C Rob really is a tremendous captain, looked like they had fun. Between pickle grenades and Herbst making the awk-est hilarious plays on my hucks, it was a right laugh. Forest may have the trophy and orange played a ballin game of disc but open red you have my heart.

So that's what the other side of the coed bracket looks like, having made finals the past two years I missed out on the chaos of the b bracket. All told, fantastic season with the B team, wish I could have made it to more games. Our record does not indicate how strong the team was but sadly we will remain in the mind the team that could have been. I have never played on more adaptable squad. We were easily able to transition into one of four offenses at the drop of a hat and that is something that I want to bring to New Paltz this year. Offensive breadth is such a rarity in frisbee that being able to call side stack off the pull could make the difference between a break and a goal.

And boy did we have a blast. B team!

PS watched half the open final and the entire two hour coed slugfest. What a game. Picture if you can the following scenario: Game to 15 win by two. With the score 14 - 13, black throws the game winner to a wide open Skip. Elf flies out of nowhere and gets a full extension layout d, Forest goes on to win 17 - 16. I have never seen a more clutch play.

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Upward over the mountain

A tale in three parts.

I
Hingham was one of the best weekends of my life in recent memory (and anyone with anything but recent memory is not partying hard enough amirite?). It was a blast and I got to spend time with some of the best people imaginable, and it taught some important lessons. Namely, sometimes doing right by yourself will negatively affect others and you have to figure out when it is appropriate to live for yourself and when to sacrifice for other's benefit. But that's a life lesson. Boring! Frisbee is what is happening, am I right?

So yeah on that note, Hingham brought me back to my roots. It was a weekend of the distilled essence of what frisbee should be: Having as much fun as possible with your crew and meeting new people while doing the things you love to do. I have been getting too serious and my onfield demeanor is not always the nicest. Hingham was a reality check, and I will use the expereince to get my head straight and go back to being a fun person to play ultimate against as well as with. Not at the expense of competitiveness! Never that. But the great thing about this little game of ours is the great people you meet and the fun you can have gritting out a universe point win against a team you like and respect.

II
Today was the last WUDI regular season game, a gritty loss to Gold, starting 6 on 7 and ending 5 on 7 after Sergei went out with a hurt something. It was rough and we ultimately lost, but we had fun and played confidently with a "nothing left to lose so throw everything and the kitchen sink" sort of mentality. With no Julie to be positive or Adam to run the show, people will need to step up at playoffs and I will be one of them. Fueled by Hingham and fun and life, I will be, as Jenn would say, POSITIVE POSITIVE POSITIVE and we will go out with a bang and face whatever end the WUDI playoffs bring.

III
Positivity is a good keyword for the upcoming season. If we can strive to impart positive energy to each new and old player at every practice and team function, we will be on the right track for a fantastic fall season. Doober being captain is going to come up huge, you heard it here first (or did you?). Plans are in the works and this is shaping up to be our most organized season ever, which can only help. Everyone is talking about how good we are right now and how good we can be. Now we all need to man or woman up and make it happen. Set some personal goals, it will help a lot.

We all need to come together and get by with a little help from our friends.
Get each other's backs...
...and make this our best year ever by far.

Thursday, August 5, 2010

Bad form?/And now for something completely different

Blurbs.

OMK showcases the baseline of the team, even better than wildwood. We have a long way to go but are coming in with a head full of confidence and a ridiculous skill set.
Let's do work.

Rec league finals- not going. Sadlife in the sense that I blew a commitment and there is nothing worse a leader can do. I know I am doing right by me but am hurting a team I committed to lead in the process. That is a lesson and a warning, cannot ever let that happen in New Paltz.

Hingham- Zieh Dich Aus! Black and white! GOOOOO ZEBBBBBBRAS

Talk to you soon.