I am so not committing to the full recap of regionals that I had in mind, not right now, that's a task for a day or so from now, but the blog is calling me all the same. Tough tournament but a lot of motivation to continue. I can probably be a better captain in the off season than I was this season past. Stonefish has a high ceiling but we need to build a ladder to reach it.
Hey.
Good season you guys. It has been a pleasure and an honor to share the field with ya'll.
Seeya later this week, blog friends.
Saturday, September 28, 2013
Friday, September 27, 2013
One Fish Two Fish
Regionals in the morning. The regionals qualification monkey removed, my back feels light and unburdened. I am ready for this tournament.
One more day to get to lead this excellent group of wacky gentleman ballers. One more day of team chemistry and groundwork for next season. Challenge accepted.
Aqua teen is on. Sleepy time.
Surreal dreams and bright mornings, blog friends.
One more day to get to lead this excellent group of wacky gentleman ballers. One more day of team chemistry and groundwork for next season. Challenge accepted.
Aqua teen is on. Sleepy time.
Surreal dreams and bright mornings, blog friends.
Tuesday, September 24, 2013
Having a classic unemployment day of leftover chinese food and watching youtube videos, including the pro flight finale Revolver v Doublewide. Don't tell me who wins, I'm only at halftime as of this posting.
This year we get to watch Northeast Regional Finals live. I've never seen live elite ultimate. I am very excited. Ironside vs PoNY vs Goat oh mannnn.
Remember to pack: warm clothes. Warm clothes. Warm clothes. Cleats. Fun.
I thought I had more to say about preparing for regionals weekend. Mainly, I just need to get outside this week and remember how to catch in the wind.
Okay.
Seeya.
Wednesday, September 18, 2013
Hah whatever.
I swear things smell different when you stay up all night. Maybe after midnight my sinuses work better, or maybe I am just more susceptible to nostalgia.
Its the shaving cream. Something about my new shaving cream (1.69 BOGO at rite aid) is reminding me of all the good parts about staying up all night in college. Soft blue light, sad music, making art, throwing the frisbee on the quad in the middle of the night and then sleeping all day as the snow falls. The kind of thing that, taken together as a montage, could make a pretty crappy indie style movie marketed for high schoolers.
But that was life once. My beard is gone now, and I just want to walk around in the early morning light, or better yet play some disc in the crisp early fall air. But despite the lingering post sectionals euphoria, it is time to go back to the real world and I have doomed myself to staying up until after a job interview, for fear of sleeping through it. Some things don't change, but what has changed is I know that when I am again employed, I'll be able to quit this staying up all night shit and get back on a regular schedule. Hopefully however, I won't lose the impulse to chase some plastic in the autumn breeze. I love fall ultimate the best.
Two weeks until my first ever regionals.
ZOMG.
Good morning blog friends.
Its the shaving cream. Something about my new shaving cream (1.69 BOGO at rite aid) is reminding me of all the good parts about staying up all night in college. Soft blue light, sad music, making art, throwing the frisbee on the quad in the middle of the night and then sleeping all day as the snow falls. The kind of thing that, taken together as a montage, could make a pretty crappy indie style movie marketed for high schoolers.
But that was life once. My beard is gone now, and I just want to walk around in the early morning light, or better yet play some disc in the crisp early fall air. But despite the lingering post sectionals euphoria, it is time to go back to the real world and I have doomed myself to staying up until after a job interview, for fear of sleeping through it. Some things don't change, but what has changed is I know that when I am again employed, I'll be able to quit this staying up all night shit and get back on a regular schedule. Hopefully however, I won't lose the impulse to chase some plastic in the autumn breeze. I love fall ultimate the best.
Two weeks until my first ever regionals.
ZOMG.
Good morning blog friends.
Monday, September 16, 2013
Absolution
Stonefish takes third at sectionals, advances. Yes.
We had slow starts at tournaments, finding our feet before gaining confidence later in the day, leading to some losses to teams who lost to teams, that we beat later on. Ultimately, the regular season raised more questions than it answered. What was the significance of our close game with High Five, for instance? (no idea) Would we be able to have a strong sideline presence after several practices and tournaments with low numbers? (hell yes, it turns out!)
In the end, we did enough chemistry work that when we assembled everyone on the same field, things fell into place and we played very strong ultimate all weekend. Our sideline was supportive and positive, and our energy was very good all weekend. It felt so good to qualify, after many years of playing with these dudes in various forms. A lot of old ghosts were put to rest, and we've earned two more weeks of Stonefish, and a much stronger position for next year. I'll write more about it at a later date, maybe.
For my part, I'm finally starting to understand how to play as a handler when you are not trying to get the disc every single play. It allowed me to calm down and see the whole field better, and I think I played my most consistent and successful tournament of the season. I want to be better next year, and our success as a team is a great motivator.
Next mission is to find some pickup this week so I can get some reps in before regionals. I did not throw enough this season, so my throws were sloppy. I did not run enough, so I was not in good enough shape. This is very simple math. I can be a better player if I force myself to be. Easy. Hard. Life.
Seeya, blog friends.
We had slow starts at tournaments, finding our feet before gaining confidence later in the day, leading to some losses to teams who lost to teams, that we beat later on. Ultimately, the regular season raised more questions than it answered. What was the significance of our close game with High Five, for instance? (no idea) Would we be able to have a strong sideline presence after several practices and tournaments with low numbers? (hell yes, it turns out!)
In the end, we did enough chemistry work that when we assembled everyone on the same field, things fell into place and we played very strong ultimate all weekend. Our sideline was supportive and positive, and our energy was very good all weekend. It felt so good to qualify, after many years of playing with these dudes in various forms. A lot of old ghosts were put to rest, and we've earned two more weeks of Stonefish, and a much stronger position for next year. I'll write more about it at a later date, maybe.
For my part, I'm finally starting to understand how to play as a handler when you are not trying to get the disc every single play. It allowed me to calm down and see the whole field better, and I think I played my most consistent and successful tournament of the season. I want to be better next year, and our success as a team is a great motivator.
Next mission is to find some pickup this week so I can get some reps in before regionals. I did not throw enough this season, so my throws were sloppy. I did not run enough, so I was not in good enough shape. This is very simple math. I can be a better player if I force myself to be. Easy. Hard. Life.
Seeya, blog friends.
Wednesday, September 4, 2013
Dear Diary
It has been difficult to write about ultimate this summer and I am overdue for a personal inventory. My performance in August was 50/50. I have steadily improved the technical issues plaguing my game at the beginning of the summer, with only one drop at NY Invite (and none at the last practice that I can remember...").
My mental game has been incredibly inconsistent. When I am focused, I have been able to get open for dumps (and clear for the other handlers) and play defense far more consistently than I have ever been able to before. When I am unfocused, I have had bad defensive miscues, clog the cutting lanes or occasionally wander upfield.
That's just it. I'm either playing with my eyes closed or open. When I can focus and see the field, things go pretty well. So my goal for practice this weekend is to play focused, play my role, and cut intelligently in the handler spot. That done, everything else takes care of itself. The cutters are there. And if they're not, we reset until they are. This team is sweet.
The other thing is, when I'm off the field I need to stop focusing inward on my own mistakes or whatever, and just work on getting people fired up, or focused, or wherever else we need to go. Captain stuff.
Oh yeah also slowing down my pace. I play frantic when I'm unfocused, and vice versa. Just relax man. Ain't for nothing that hippies took a liking to this game before the rest of us.
Responsibility List:
On Field:
Eyes open
Catch the pull
Advance, reset and center the disc
Call the offense
Etc Etc
Off field:
Be a leader
Don't overthink it
Be positive and direct
I don't know what the future holds but one of my goals is to end this ultimate season in such a way that it is a memory I can cherish for the entire off season. What else is there? Maybe I'll get a custom layout for the blog. Maybe I'll stop writing about ultimate. I always have difficulty with ideas to big, setting goals too wild and outlandish, running my mouth and writing checks that I can't possibly cash. I probably won't stop, but nonetheless another goal is to live in the moment and just like, exist you know?
Goodnight blog friends. Thanks for reading.
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