Return to Slush Kingdom

Winter in New York does not favor participation in recreational sports. Nearly every indoor league it would be possible to participate in takes place during my workday. Ah well. Treadmill season. The daily grind, one foot in front of the other. Why? To reduce the wrath of winter depression. Why? Because being in shape and playing ultimate is fun. Why? Pizza.

What went on since the last time I put pressure on these keys? Regionals came and went in a drunken blur of friday night tequila shooters and trolling. I was on the wagon at the time, and considered myself ready to play an even better tournament than I had at sectionals. This did not occur. In retrospect, two things have salved my ego - 1. we scored a few times on the nationals champions (whatever, gotta hang my hat on something) and 2. I figured out why my forehands were so bad - the horse stomp. Elsewhere noted, this comical movement is a truncated bastardization of proper forehand hucking form, which should be a smooth transition of power from legs to wrist. The horse stomp basically put all my leg power from one leg into the other without adding a force vector to the throw, and to compensate I threw harder from the arm. This lead to really ugly shanked OI throws, and chronic arm and ankle injuries. Lol.

The answer? Step farther, smoother, not hard, engage the core more, engage the arm less, tighter grip, harder writs snap. I had good form at sectionals, lost it at regionals. Given the one day nature of the tournament, there was not time to correct it. Also, my mental game collapsed partway through the tournament and didn't really rebound. Our collective mentality was not sharp either, and its obvious why, but that's not a public conversation. The secret recipe of Fat and Mediocre is not for everybody's pizza.

Captained Brooklyn fall league, my first time drafting a team. Most of the scouting fell to my co captain and girlfriend, who knows more city players, but both of us contributed to the final roster. Grabbed Henry off the DL comically late, I knew if he even showed up to one game it would be huge. When the draft was done I declared with classic #77 bravardo "this team is going to finals". After a slow first few weeks building chemistry we did indeed chug through the regular season with a third place finish. On finals day, we unseated the practically undefeated 1 seed in a universe point semi (ego stroke: final point? Upwind 50 yard forehand huck to Henry for the hockey assist. Boom). We lost in finals to the only team we were never able to defeat. It was an incredible season, one of my favorite ever league teams (and Brooklyn fall league has consistently been excellent). I liked being a captain again, with less stakes than a club season its easier to focus on being a leader and helping young players. Maybe I'll do it again in the spring.

The alumni game! Fell during a manic bender, and I rolled into New Paltz on no sleep with a questionable BAC. Huge group of alumni this year. Got to huck to Zach a few times, it did not feel fair. No horse stomping that day. Really great time, the young New Paltz team has some pretty athletic kids. Hoping we can bring a few more of them along with us this club season. Definitely want to try and run a clinic for them in the Spring. Maybe we can get a few Fat and Mediocre dudes down there. The team photo in front of Mohonk Mountain is one of my all time favorite memories of the GUNX.

It has sure been a wild year. Personally, there's a few main things I'm feeling good and blessed about, staring down the barrel of 2017. For starters, I can honestly say that I found my footing in the city. This involves having found a new home with a great roommate, getting more plugged into the ultimate scene, and getting on top of things at my job. I ran 7 art events at my new space, coached over 50 youth players, and provided field space for over 200 more to play high school games and practice. Building on foundations I was barely aware of building at the time, in 2014 and 2015. Life happens while you're busy paying attention to other things, or however that saying goes.

I went a little off the rails for a while - about 5 months of the year, to be exact. On the upside, I've learned to trust my own instincts and self reliance, while becoming more open to seeking help from the people I can truly count on. That's a blessing.

This year, no dire resolutions and no Ben Gibbard lyrics. Just the basics, more of what is working and less of what is not. More fitness, more practice, more time set aside for sleeping and painting and good friends. Less self abuse, less anxious avoidance of problems and roadblocks. Hopefully a few more blog posts. I've let a few good ones blow away in the wind of action, written in my head and the forgotten. More writing.

Best year yet for painting and ultimate both. Have not felt like this since 2012. Its nice.
Happy 2017, blog friends.