I had a lot of fun this weekend, and it was great to play competitive ultimate again after a six-week break due to my sprained ankle. It was also great to see a lot of people and players that I met this year or played against in high school. There were a couple common threads running through the weekend, generally dealing with players not knowing the 11th edition rules and playing on a team that had never practiced together, and many of us had never played together.
With regards to the former, it was especially noticeable for us, with only two, possibly three, players having played in the college series this past spring. We got in quite a few rules arguments this weekend, some that would have come up anyway under the 10th edition, and many regarding the changes. As expected, there was confusion about the new interpretation of the pick rule, but that was all resolved fairly quickly and with little incident. There was a lot of disarray regarding marks and marking fouls. As usual, a lot of illegal marks went uncalled - I think that the "disc space" call will become a lot more frequent once people realize that they can use it and that almost every mark violates disc space. And unfortunately, a lot of legal marks had fouls called on them, both for us and against us.
One of the big things that needs to stop, in my opinion, is lunging into the mark, calling foul, and then making a throw. In the 11th edition rules, this is supposed to be illegal and a turnover if the throw is incomplete. Only one team correctly called us on this, and because they had made many bad calls earlier in the game, it was not received well. Among those bad calls? The thrower hucks it, and on the follow through smacks the marker in the face. The marker falls to the ground and has to take an injury sub, and the thrower calls foul because the marker "tried to block the disc with his face."
Playing with Brooklyn was an interesting experience, as the team is generally very confrontational. No stranger to confrontation myself, and armed with knowledge of the rules, I threw myself into foul debates and angry arguments. But Brooklyn didn't stop there, including almost getting into a brawl with players on Alpha Dog (aka Tufts) after our captain was angry with one of their players for blocking his cuts with his arms, and shoved him to the ground. The best line of the tournament came when the Tufts player called a foul and the response was "Contest! ... no ... DOUBLE FOUL!" Later in the game, another one of our captains was hit in the face with the disc after getting skied in the endzone (play called back on a marking foul) and shoved the offending player, resulting in another dicey situation.
Unfortunately, the anger wasn't all directed at the other teams (and French Canadians in general). Teammates yelled at each other and bad-mouthed each other on the sidelines (usually deservedly), which I'm generally okay with, but the problem in this case was people taking it personally and refusing to let it go. We'll need to get over this and be able to talk to each other without it getting personal if we want to be successful this club season. And I'm generally optimistic, seeing as we haven't practiced yet and most of us haven't played together yet. These are things we'll work out as the season progresses.
Speaking of things to work out, we made a lot of mistakes this weekend, which explains why we dropped seed so much. I was happy with the general level of turnovers we were generating on defense, but not with our conversion rate on either offense or defense. In general, we had far too many decision-making and mental errors leading to turnovers. I was not too bothered by execution errors in throwing a little too outside or behind our receivers, or hucks that floated a little too much, but the amount of drops we had was ridiculous and really needs to be curtailed. It wasn't just a few players, either, but drops across the board. But I think that this is to be expected from a new team, although it doesn't make it any less frustrating. I think that the most frustrating thing is knowing that I can run with anyone on the opposing line, but that not all of my six teammates can, which made it easy for other teams to move the disc on us, especially on the open side, and especially without us knowing any junk defenses.
But on to the games! Our first game was against the "Providence Pack Dogs," aka Colin Mahoney and friends. We came out quick but then they adjusted and started to grind us down, taking the capped game 13-9. We had trouble containing them and their deep game, even going upwind, and they punished us when we turned it over going downwind. They had a couple upwind breaks early in the second half that put the game out of reach. Also, Colin Mahoney had two layout D's on the first point and buttery hucks.
Next we had Nor'easter, a team that wasn't confident in their throws, particularly in the wind, and so we basically won the game by converting our O points going downwind and getting a few breaks by forcing them forehand and fronting them when they were going upwind. This game shouldn't have been as close as 15-9, but it was a win and that was what mattered. I also ended up with a layout D in this game, which makes the first since Lewis & Clark at NW Regionals, 8 weeks ago. It's a good feeling.
After a two hour bye, we ended up against Magma, the first of two French Canadian teams we'd play on the weekend. We started off well, after going down 2-0 we took the lead 3-2 and traded until just short of half. We were down a break or two but kept battling, again forcing them underneath into the wind and fronting, which worked almost as well on the open side, but Magma had better breaks than Nor'easter and was able to convert a few more breaks than we could, especially after some of our suspect decisions close to the endzone. We should be getting more conservative the closer we get, not less. Especially with our 'D team' on the field. We found ourselves down 14-10, receiving on game point, and scored, then answered with a downwind break, and then had the disc to break again but turned it over, ending the game 15-12, but it could have been 14-13 with them going upwind again. Unfortunately, this guaranteed us 4th place in the pool, with a meaningless game against 3-0 Run Silent, Run Deep, who had clinched first.
And of course, when do we bring our best offense? In a meaningless game! We shot out to several early leads, including an 8-6 halftime lead, receiving to start the second half. My favorite point was then they threw zone on us and I got to be the middle handler, and I threw a lefty backhand, several high backhands over the cup, and a hammer for the assist. At this point I was trying to rest my ankle, and I only played O points and handled. Until, that is, we squandered our 11-9 lead to go down 11-13, with the "cap on." But with it being the last game of the day and their misunderstanding of the cap rule (win by 2 in soft cap, or so they thought), we basically captains claused our way into no cap. We came ahead 14-13, then went behind 15-14, and ahead 16-15, and then received for universe point at 16-16. I played as a handler, we worked it up the field, and after an amazing catch on an ill-advised and poorly executed throw, we had a timeout just outside the endzone. The play worked, we jammed it in, and won the meaningless game 17-16, but at least we all felt good about ourselves.
When we got back we showered and went to the grill across from our hotel (great hotel and great grill), then all immediately passed out by 10:30 because were so tired. We had an 8:30 game the next morning, and we made it to the fields by 8:10 and started the game around 8:35 or 8:40, and our lack of preparation showed. We went down early, before fighting back and taking half 8-6. Q made a lot of terrible calls, in angry Frenglish, and while it distracted us, what really started to let us down were drops and forced throws. We were up 10-8 when cap went on, and promptly managed to get give up a goal on defense, then get broken three straight times to lose 12-10. It was awful, and dropped us to the D bracket. One moment in particular sticks out, down 11-10, we work it down the field, in perfect position to tie it up and force a universe point, when we hammer it out the back of the endzone on stall 2.
After moving fields - to the satellite fields about a 15 minute walk away - we were up against FUG, a Lincoln-Sudbury HS alumni team. We only had 8 players cleated up when we started, about 15 minutes late due to the last game going to cap and our long walk over. We started out with some zone and some hucks, taking half comfortably at 8-3. Then we started to give back the lead, even letting them get within one as we proceeded to forget how to play offense with a series of ill-advised hucks and forced throws. We won on cap, 13-11.
That put us in the D bracket semifinals against Tufts (Alpha Dog), and the game proceeded without defense until they broke us twice to go up 5-3. But we broke back and took half 8-7, with the first aforementioned shoving incident on that last point of the half. The second half started out the same, with more trading, until they broke again to go up 11-9. They broke us again and went up 13-10, when we called timeout and regrouped like we had against Magma. We got as close as 13-12, but with the wind as less of a factor in this game, they closed us out with another break, 15-12, and our tournament was over.
Monday, June 25, 2007
Thursday, June 21, 2007
NJ YCC Team Profiles
Alex Kinsey Princeton
Kinsey has been a strong handler during
Bo Li Hillsboro
Having a guy named Bo never hurts, especially if he plays like Beau – which he does. A relentless deep cutter, Bo will run past you or jump over you to get the disc. And as a plus – he’s also a great defender, not just a deep poacher. Take notes, Beau.
Chris Giblin Hillsboro
A handler on
Sharath Babu JP Stevens
Sharath has a willingness to learn and work and an uncanny knack for getting open. Unfortunately, he was one of the players that I didn’t get a chance to see very much at tryouts.
Fred Tsai JP Stevens
Fred is fast. Very fast. He is squirrelly enough to get inside you to get that D, or around you to somehow get open in the endzone. The only player from JP Stevens to make the all-state team this year, he’ll be a valuable addition to the team.
Jake Raidwarter Highland Park
Untapped potential. Height, athleticism, and better hucks than short throws. In seven weeks, he’ll be a completely different player than he is now. It’s players like this that make ultimate exciting.
Sachin Desai Watchung Hills
A handler for Watchung, he’s calm with the disc under pressure and keeps the offense moving. Unfortunately, he’s another one of the players that I didn’t get to see very often at tryouts.
Alex Growney Watchung Hills
A big man with throws. The biggest decision we’re going to have to make with Alex is whether we want him going deep to catch bombs or coming under to throw them. But why choose when we can have both?
Brian Li Watchung Hills
This kid is only going to be a junior? There’s a reason Watchung chose him to be their “rare junior captain.” He looks and plays like the consummate ultimate player – slightly tall, athletic, and great extension on his throws. It will be a pleasure to play with him and watch him develop this summer.
Jesse Moy Columbia
So good you don’t even have to try out? I wouldn’t go that far, but while Jesse couldn’t make tryouts, he is still a welcome addition to the team. One of the best juniors handlers in the country, no mark can stop him. And he’s no offense-only player, as his incredible record of Callahans shows.
Julian Elman Columbia
Another player who missed tryouts, Julian has all of the throws in the game, even if he’s a little reluctant to use them. He’s come up big at states in the past, showing it with two all-state recognitions. He’s a veteran handler who will definitely aid the O team.
Zander Padget Columbia
The complete package. He’s a great cutter with an incredible vertical who doesn’t wait for the disc to come to him – he goes and gets it. And, even better, his throws are just as good as any handler’s. One of the reasons I’m so glad to play YCC’s is that I have another chance to play with Zander.
Josh Cincotta Columbia
Josh has always had throws, but in the last year he’s improved his defense and all-around game to be one of best players on the field, whether for
Brian Walter Columbia
Brian had his breakout game against Pennsbury at Easterns this year, and he’s ready for more high-level action in the spring. Playing both YCC’s and for
Ben Swerdlow Columbia
The one who made this all happen, Swerds took initiative and submitted the bids for NJ. He also looks to contribute on the field with his throws and layouts once he heals from his unfortunate pickup foot injury.
Ryan Thompson Stanford (Columbia)
Hi. It’s me. I cut. I handle. Most importantly, I play defense. And I’m willing to do whatever it takes to make this team the best that it can be. See you in the finals,
Stephen Panasci NC State (Columbia)
My co-captain from last year (and Junior Words player), Stephen worked his way onto NC State’s starting O line as a handler. Determined to avenge his injury-filled last season of juniors ultimate and series-missing college season, Stephen is coming back with a vengeance and planning to dominate some high schoolers.
Monday, June 18, 2007
YCC Tryouts
There were a healthy number of people at tryouts for the New Jersey YCC team Sunday morning - I think we had 22, with several other people who couldn't make the tryouts also in consideration. Unsurprisingly, there was a pretty large gulf between the Columbia players in attendance and the players from the rest of the state, but there were plenty of turnovers all around - which was quite disconcerting coming from a system where turnovers are unacceptable, especially for the O team. One of my goals for the team will be to try to instill that mentality into our players, which should translate into an advantage for our team, especially with how common turnovers are in juniors ultimate.
We started with a scrimmage - it was sloppy, most of us had never played together, and nobody really stood out. Evan Walter, an eighth grader, scored both of his team's goals. Afterwards, we moved into drills. We did both throwing and cutting drills, seeing who could throw short, deep, and break side, as well as who could beat their man, make sharp cuts, and who could play hard defense. Some people started to separate themselves from the rest, but it was really apparent that many New Jersey juniors players are seriously lacking an experienced coach.
The decision making and fundamentals of many non-Columbia players were deficient - players had throws and/or athleticism, and a basic sense of how to play the game (with a vertical stack and the basic forces). But the concepts of quick disc movement, smart clearing, making space for other players, and team defense weren't visible at all. We played one scrimmage with a four-second stall count - it didn't go well. The defense didn't pressure the open side cutters enough and handlers didn't look to move the disc quickly enough. For New Jersey players to be competitive nationally and in college, more teams need to pick up coaches from nearby club teams like Pike and AMP.
But despite the somewhat discouraging play, there were flashes of what certain players can bring to the team. There are some strong receivers who can beat people deep and in regularly, and handlers who make aggressive dump cuts, both back and upline. We will definitely be competitive and able to handle the other teams. But will we be deep enough? And will three practices be enough to develop sophisticated defensive and offensive concepts? Especially when most people haven't seen a spread offense and virtually nobody has ever seen a clam. It remains to be seen. I'm still upbeat about the team, while down about the state of NJ juniors ultimate. Teams need coaches from outside the system, who can bring outside/club/college perspectives and strategies to their high school teams. Hopefully this summer will help players realize that.
On a personal note, my ankle, which I sprained two weeks before nationals, is healing pretty well. I was able to play offense at about 75% and defense at 50%, and while I felt pretty sluggish, I'm not actually that out of shape. And it was five hours, and 93 degrees. Hopefully I'll get some meaningful playing time at the Boston Invite and help Brooklyn advance to the 9th place bracket.
We started with a scrimmage - it was sloppy, most of us had never played together, and nobody really stood out. Evan Walter, an eighth grader, scored both of his team's goals. Afterwards, we moved into drills. We did both throwing and cutting drills, seeing who could throw short, deep, and break side, as well as who could beat their man, make sharp cuts, and who could play hard defense. Some people started to separate themselves from the rest, but it was really apparent that many New Jersey juniors players are seriously lacking an experienced coach.
The decision making and fundamentals of many non-Columbia players were deficient - players had throws and/or athleticism, and a basic sense of how to play the game (with a vertical stack and the basic forces). But the concepts of quick disc movement, smart clearing, making space for other players, and team defense weren't visible at all. We played one scrimmage with a four-second stall count - it didn't go well. The defense didn't pressure the open side cutters enough and handlers didn't look to move the disc quickly enough. For New Jersey players to be competitive nationally and in college, more teams need to pick up coaches from nearby club teams like Pike and AMP.
But despite the somewhat discouraging play, there were flashes of what certain players can bring to the team. There are some strong receivers who can beat people deep and in regularly, and handlers who make aggressive dump cuts, both back and upline. We will definitely be competitive and able to handle the other teams. But will we be deep enough? And will three practices be enough to develop sophisticated defensive and offensive concepts? Especially when most people haven't seen a spread offense and virtually nobody has ever seen a clam. It remains to be seen. I'm still upbeat about the team, while down about the state of NJ juniors ultimate. Teams need coaches from outside the system, who can bring outside/club/college perspectives and strategies to their high school teams. Hopefully this summer will help players realize that.
On a personal note, my ankle, which I sprained two weeks before nationals, is healing pretty well. I was able to play offense at about 75% and defense at 50%, and while I felt pretty sluggish, I'm not actually that out of shape. And it was five hours, and 93 degrees. Hopefully I'll get some meaningful playing time at the Boston Invite and help Brooklyn advance to the 9th place bracket.
Friday, June 15, 2007
Goals for the Summer/Next College Season
I've been thinking a lot recently about the different roles I've taken on for Columbia for four years and for Stanford this past year, and how that will change next year. There will definitely be a vastly different team dynamic next year as we lose 10 players, including many that have been with the team for the last five years. This year five rookies joined 18 returners, and only two of us had never played college ultimate before. I anticipate that being vastly different next year, as only 6 returning players will have had 3 years of A-team experience. We will likely bring in at least 11 rookies, and unless Will Neff is miraculously one of the 20 transfers who got accepted to Stanford for next year, there will be a large baptism by fire for all of them as they get their first tastes of high-level college ultimate in Santa Barbara.
So where does this leave me? This year for Stanford I was very happy with my role on the team. I played primarily on defense, often as a D handler later in the year, and my matchup was frequently with the other team's second-best handler. I got very few blocks, but I feel like I did a good job of denying my man the disc, especially when I played on downfield cutters. Against Oregon in the Stanford Invite semifinals, I played eight or nine points before I had to put a mark on. I think that it was a great freshman year overall, and I got a chance to acquit myself on defense against some very good players (although Dylan did break me with a forehand huck ...).
But it's also left me hungry for more. There were points this year when we'd get the turn as a D team and I didn't care if I didn't get the disc in my hands. There were O points I played where we worked it up the field ... but I didn't touch the disc. I know that I can get open against good defenders, but I had too great of a fear of "getting in the way." I know that we have great cutters on the team, and I can anticipate their cuts and that they'll get open. So I spent most of my time trying to make continue cuts for them, opportunity cuts to the break side, and abusing the occasional poach. But at times it frustrated me that cuts I wanted to make were cut off by the more assertive veteran cutter - players who need the disc in their hands every third throw and will punish the other team for letting them have it.
Having players like Sherwood, Robbie, Nan, and Tom provides a lot of comfort and relief for the thrower, who always knows that one of them will get open, especially on D team offense. They are *the* guys who will make plays. We have plenty of other great cutters, but they have the combination of cutting, great breaks, veteran savvy, club experience, and assertiveness that makes them the go-to guys. Their names are at the top of the stat sheet, and while taking stats at Nationals when I was injured, I saw firsthand from the sideline the impact they have on the game - Sherwood played 17 straight points against Carleton in the second half. Robbie was phenomenal against Georgia.
But, at the same time, having my open deep look called off in favor of Robbie's second-later deep cut was somewhat grating and altogether too common. Oftentimes at practice I found myself going through the motions of the offense and cutting downfield passively. I think that more and more playing time as a handler was exactly what I needed, because it *mattered* if I didn't get open or get the disc. I was forced to focus on every cut and demand the disc. Evan, one of our coaches, astutely recognized my occasional lapses of focus and called me out on it. It made me wake up again, and when I went downfield I cut with more authority. And, deep down, I want the disc in my hands. A lot.
My junior year of high school I was almost exclusively a D player. My assignment was to mark the best handlers on the other team and take away their hucks. I relished the chance to be in and testing myself against the best juniors players in the country, with my teammates counting on my mark to deny the deep look. Especially after a sophomore year where I played hard but sparingly. Junior year was a very similar situation to this past year. We had studs too, players who were undeniably among the best in the country, and they ran the offense. My job was to play defense, and once we got the turn, I was supposed to run the other team's handler into the ground. I scored a lot of goals and got a lot of D's, but my touches were still limited.
Over that summer, I played summer league for the first time. I found myself stuck on a team of old, not-very-good vets and inexperienced young players. Summer league was the first time that I handled in earnest, the first time that I needed to be *the guy* for our team. We came into the playoffs seeded third to last, upset the third-ranked team, and then I went to ultimate camp. Then I realized that not only was I able to be *the guy* on my summer league team, but I could do it while playing with and against elite juniors players too. I got that feeling and held onto it for the rest of my senior year. I literally had every third touch playing as a receiver against Pennsbury in our pool play game at Fall Brawl, a 12-11 win for us. I was matching up against the other team's best player, be he a handler or receiver, and getting D's and still getting open on the other end. It felt great.
Fast forward to this summer. I'm going to be playing on the New Jersey YCC team, which means I'll be playing with and against high schoolers again. While that will be fun, getting open at will against high schoolers means nothing for my college game. I need to play against higher-level, more athletic, and more physical competition. I need to find the Wisconsins of the area (Ring is a little far) and play against them. I know it was at Fools Fest, but taking deep, skying, and breaking for the assist a Ring player shows me that I can compete at higher levels of ultimate. I want to come back to Stanford injury-free and with the confidence that I can play a bigger role in games against good teams.
Ultimately, my goal for the summer and fall is to prepare myself mentally and physically to step into the shoes left by our graduating players. I'm not going to come back and be to the team what Robbie or Tom was this year, but my goal is to be to the team next year what Sherwood was his junior year. I can see myself draped on Dusty like Wood was on Tim Gehret (although probably not as fouly). I know it's ambitious, but there will be a void left from our 10 departures, and I will not be shy about filling it. I just need to buckle down and focus. It starts next weekend with the Boston Invite.
So where does this leave me? This year for Stanford I was very happy with my role on the team. I played primarily on defense, often as a D handler later in the year, and my matchup was frequently with the other team's second-best handler. I got very few blocks, but I feel like I did a good job of denying my man the disc, especially when I played on downfield cutters. Against Oregon in the Stanford Invite semifinals, I played eight or nine points before I had to put a mark on. I think that it was a great freshman year overall, and I got a chance to acquit myself on defense against some very good players (although Dylan did break me with a forehand huck ...).
But it's also left me hungry for more. There were points this year when we'd get the turn as a D team and I didn't care if I didn't get the disc in my hands. There were O points I played where we worked it up the field ... but I didn't touch the disc. I know that I can get open against good defenders, but I had too great of a fear of "getting in the way." I know that we have great cutters on the team, and I can anticipate their cuts and that they'll get open. So I spent most of my time trying to make continue cuts for them, opportunity cuts to the break side, and abusing the occasional poach. But at times it frustrated me that cuts I wanted to make were cut off by the more assertive veteran cutter - players who need the disc in their hands every third throw and will punish the other team for letting them have it.
Having players like Sherwood, Robbie, Nan, and Tom provides a lot of comfort and relief for the thrower, who always knows that one of them will get open, especially on D team offense. They are *the* guys who will make plays. We have plenty of other great cutters, but they have the combination of cutting, great breaks, veteran savvy, club experience, and assertiveness that makes them the go-to guys. Their names are at the top of the stat sheet, and while taking stats at Nationals when I was injured, I saw firsthand from the sideline the impact they have on the game - Sherwood played 17 straight points against Carleton in the second half. Robbie was phenomenal against Georgia.
But, at the same time, having my open deep look called off in favor of Robbie's second-later deep cut was somewhat grating and altogether too common. Oftentimes at practice I found myself going through the motions of the offense and cutting downfield passively. I think that more and more playing time as a handler was exactly what I needed, because it *mattered* if I didn't get open or get the disc. I was forced to focus on every cut and demand the disc. Evan, one of our coaches, astutely recognized my occasional lapses of focus and called me out on it. It made me wake up again, and when I went downfield I cut with more authority. And, deep down, I want the disc in my hands. A lot.
My junior year of high school I was almost exclusively a D player. My assignment was to mark the best handlers on the other team and take away their hucks. I relished the chance to be in and testing myself against the best juniors players in the country, with my teammates counting on my mark to deny the deep look. Especially after a sophomore year where I played hard but sparingly. Junior year was a very similar situation to this past year. We had studs too, players who were undeniably among the best in the country, and they ran the offense. My job was to play defense, and once we got the turn, I was supposed to run the other team's handler into the ground. I scored a lot of goals and got a lot of D's, but my touches were still limited.
Over that summer, I played summer league for the first time. I found myself stuck on a team of old, not-very-good vets and inexperienced young players. Summer league was the first time that I handled in earnest, the first time that I needed to be *the guy* for our team. We came into the playoffs seeded third to last, upset the third-ranked team, and then I went to ultimate camp. Then I realized that not only was I able to be *the guy* on my summer league team, but I could do it while playing with and against elite juniors players too. I got that feeling and held onto it for the rest of my senior year. I literally had every third touch playing as a receiver against Pennsbury in our pool play game at Fall Brawl, a 12-11 win for us. I was matching up against the other team's best player, be he a handler or receiver, and getting D's and still getting open on the other end. It felt great.
Fast forward to this summer. I'm going to be playing on the New Jersey YCC team, which means I'll be playing with and against high schoolers again. While that will be fun, getting open at will against high schoolers means nothing for my college game. I need to play against higher-level, more athletic, and more physical competition. I need to find the Wisconsins of the area (Ring is a little far) and play against them. I know it was at Fools Fest, but taking deep, skying, and breaking for the assist a Ring player shows me that I can compete at higher levels of ultimate. I want to come back to Stanford injury-free and with the confidence that I can play a bigger role in games against good teams.
Ultimately, my goal for the summer and fall is to prepare myself mentally and physically to step into the shoes left by our graduating players. I'm not going to come back and be to the team what Robbie or Tom was this year, but my goal is to be to the team next year what Sherwood was his junior year. I can see myself draped on Dusty like Wood was on Tim Gehret (although probably not as fouly). I know it's ambitious, but there will be a void left from our 10 departures, and I will not be shy about filling it. I just need to buckle down and focus. It starts next weekend with the Boston Invite.
Monday, June 11, 2007
The Impact of Juniors Players
This past year, Carleton picked up two freshmen with more silverware than anyone on the team. One won a club national championship playing (not just riding the bench) with Mischief, and the other was a captain of the gold-medal-winning US juniors worlds team. They were able to help pick up a Carleton team that didn't make Nationals last year and take them to the quarterfinals - almost semis. Of Pittsburgh's three main handlers, one was All-Region fifth-year player TallE, and the other two were freshmen - the Metro East FotY and junior worlds player, and a national youth club champion with Philly SEPDA. After Sean McComb and TallE led Pitt to Nationals the two previous years, McComb graduated and the two freshmen came in and the team didn't miss a beat.
Oregon has been reloading on the back of high school studs from South Eugene for the past couple years. Harvard rode on the back of Will Chen, the Stuyvesant baller, and now they're getting a freshman who has played with Chain for two years and captained the US junior worlds team. A third of Stanford's team played in high school. Brown was carried on the backs of high school studs from NMH and Paideia for their championship season (oh, and a little guy from Amherst, what was his name again?). Colorado has been the recipient of copious juniors talent as well. Teams that made waves this year like Minnesota have more and more players drawn from their high school leagues.
But the influence doesn't begin and end with the big teams. Juniors players who go to small colleges don't want to stop playing ultimate, and as a result new teams are forming across the country. San Francisco State and Hartford are just a couple of the many new teams competing at sectionals this year. Connecticut College in the women's division made the jump to Regionals this year, with an all-region junior worlds freshman leading the way. I think that we can expect to see the University of San Francisco appear at Bay Area sectionals next year, as they're picking up a junior worlds player as well.
But most rosters at Nationals were not loaded with juniors players. It's clear that schools like UCSB and Florida can compete without a constant stream of juniors players. Large schools have a huge pool of potential players and former high school athletes to draw from (12 of the 16 teams at nationals on the open side were state schools). But looking at the roster of a team like Carleton, they're a juniors ultimate haven. Brown was led by juniors players when they won nationals. Right now, it seems like smaller schools need to hope for those juniors players who want a small-school environment, and not wait to pick up superstar athletes from their admittedly academically- and size-constrained player pool.
Schools like Pittsburgh have reached out to juniors players at local tournaments and at larger events like High School Easterns. At Easterns both my junior and senior year, Pitt players went around handing out CD's with photos and information about Pitt Ultimate. Counselors at camps like NUTC made connections with students to send them to their alma maters - Wesleyan, Carleton, and MIT to name a few. But as more juniors players become more aware of the college ultimate scene, they will start to base their decisions more and more on what schools will give them a chance to play high-level ultimate. The influx of ultimate players at Carleton is proof of that - I myself only applied to Stanford and Wisconsin (with Carleton as a backup). It may begin to be the case that juniors players will stop being a parity-inducing force, and that they will actually start to separate the programs that have made it from the programs going nowhere.
State schools are beginning to reap the benefits of having a good high school ultimate program in their state - Pittsburgh has the benefit of having two, Oregon and Minnesota are doing well, and Georgia ends up with a few Paideia kids every year. But it's schools like Georgia and Wisconsin where a juniors player may start off with an advantage (and knowing how to throw is a pretty big advantage), but quickly be surpassed by a far more athletic new recruit. Even four athletic A-team juniors players at Stanford were taken aback by Robbie Cahill going from zero to hero in less than a full year. But as juniors players continue to develop, that gap will be more insurmountable for most players at smaller schools, who don't have 20,000 ex-varsity athletes to choose from.
I think it will be very interesting over the next few years to see how Whitman College performs, as they're typically a mid-level finisher at NW regionals who just came off a phenomenal recruiting year. Can they make anything out of it? Will they take a possible third bid to Nationals in a few years? Or even the second? On a similar note, this is Rutgers' best recruiting class in years - will they finally be able to make it to the second day of Regionals? Rutgers traditionally picks up a lot of NJ juniors players who haven't had much out-of-state or high-level experience, and they don't adapt as well to the more physical and fast-paced college game. They've also had problems with numbers at practice, and they'll be another team to watch try to put together the pieces. Rutgers is also a massive school that traditionally hasn't gotten the best recruits, perhaps as part of a vicious cycle of underachieving. Whitman and Rutgers - can they take advantage of their incoming freshman and actually make some waves? We'll have to wait and see ...
Oregon has been reloading on the back of high school studs from South Eugene for the past couple years. Harvard rode on the back of Will Chen, the Stuyvesant baller, and now they're getting a freshman who has played with Chain for two years and captained the US junior worlds team. A third of Stanford's team played in high school. Brown was carried on the backs of high school studs from NMH and Paideia for their championship season (oh, and a little guy from Amherst, what was his name again?). Colorado has been the recipient of copious juniors talent as well. Teams that made waves this year like Minnesota have more and more players drawn from their high school leagues.
But the influence doesn't begin and end with the big teams. Juniors players who go to small colleges don't want to stop playing ultimate, and as a result new teams are forming across the country. San Francisco State and Hartford are just a couple of the many new teams competing at sectionals this year. Connecticut College in the women's division made the jump to Regionals this year, with an all-region junior worlds freshman leading the way. I think that we can expect to see the University of San Francisco appear at Bay Area sectionals next year, as they're picking up a junior worlds player as well.
But most rosters at Nationals were not loaded with juniors players. It's clear that schools like UCSB and Florida can compete without a constant stream of juniors players. Large schools have a huge pool of potential players and former high school athletes to draw from (12 of the 16 teams at nationals on the open side were state schools). But looking at the roster of a team like Carleton, they're a juniors ultimate haven. Brown was led by juniors players when they won nationals. Right now, it seems like smaller schools need to hope for those juniors players who want a small-school environment, and not wait to pick up superstar athletes from their admittedly academically- and size-constrained player pool.
Schools like Pittsburgh have reached out to juniors players at local tournaments and at larger events like High School Easterns. At Easterns both my junior and senior year, Pitt players went around handing out CD's with photos and information about Pitt Ultimate. Counselors at camps like NUTC made connections with students to send them to their alma maters - Wesleyan, Carleton, and MIT to name a few. But as more juniors players become more aware of the college ultimate scene, they will start to base their decisions more and more on what schools will give them a chance to play high-level ultimate. The influx of ultimate players at Carleton is proof of that - I myself only applied to Stanford and Wisconsin (with Carleton as a backup). It may begin to be the case that juniors players will stop being a parity-inducing force, and that they will actually start to separate the programs that have made it from the programs going nowhere.
State schools are beginning to reap the benefits of having a good high school ultimate program in their state - Pittsburgh has the benefit of having two, Oregon and Minnesota are doing well, and Georgia ends up with a few Paideia kids every year. But it's schools like Georgia and Wisconsin where a juniors player may start off with an advantage (and knowing how to throw is a pretty big advantage), but quickly be surpassed by a far more athletic new recruit. Even four athletic A-team juniors players at Stanford were taken aback by Robbie Cahill going from zero to hero in less than a full year. But as juniors players continue to develop, that gap will be more insurmountable for most players at smaller schools, who don't have 20,000 ex-varsity athletes to choose from.
I think it will be very interesting over the next few years to see how Whitman College performs, as they're typically a mid-level finisher at NW regionals who just came off a phenomenal recruiting year. Can they make anything out of it? Will they take a possible third bid to Nationals in a few years? Or even the second? On a similar note, this is Rutgers' best recruiting class in years - will they finally be able to make it to the second day of Regionals? Rutgers traditionally picks up a lot of NJ juniors players who haven't had much out-of-state or high-level experience, and they don't adapt as well to the more physical and fast-paced college game. They've also had problems with numbers at practice, and they'll be another team to watch try to put together the pieces. Rutgers is also a massive school that traditionally hasn't gotten the best recruits, perhaps as part of a vicious cycle of underachieving. Whitman and Rutgers - can they take advantage of their incoming freshman and actually make some waves? We'll have to wait and see ...
Saturday, June 9, 2007
Regional Analysis: 2007 to 2008
Atlantic Coast
It was a strong year, but it didn't live up to the hype. Florida met expectations (ours, not theirs) with a semifinals appearance at nationals. Georgia couldn't repeat and almost crashed out to Pitt in the prequarters. UNC had a terrible second day at nationals and nearly (should have?) lost to Pitt on Friday. NC State looked promising at the beginning of the year but couldn't gel as a team or in a system. Mid-level teams performed well across the country and produced highlight reels.
Next year: This will be an exciting region to watch. There will be at least four teams fighting for three bids that could go to anyone in any order. Florida, NC State and Georgia look the most solid, assuming Kurt takes his 5th year. But look for UNC to play spoiler again. I don't think UCF or JMU can hope to do better than that 5th place spot.
Central
A great year for the Central region, at least for their top 3 teams. Wisconsin roasted everyone at Nationals on their way to a 55-1 season and a national title. Carleton roared back at Centex and they have an excellent recruiting class coming in this fall. Minnesota surprised a lot of people and nearly upset Carleton, and they made waves at Terminus. The rest of the region, besides Wisconsin-Whitewater, seems mostly to stay in-region or in the Great Lakes. The problem with the Central region is that until Carleton and Wisconsin both have a great year, the third teams will never get their shot at the big show.
Next year: It will be a dogfight for Regionals - Carleton loses Goldstein but only two other seniors and picks up a great group of juniors players, including Chain Lightning player Grant Lindsley. Wisconsin loses a lot of veteran leadership but they're still returning a large core of a team that doesn't know what losing feels like. Minnesota and Whitewater battle for that meaningless third spot yet again, but Minnesota will keep getting stronger as they feel the benefit that a strong in-state juniors program will bring.
Great Lakes
The good news for the Great Lakes: they get to keep their size bid (presumably). And once again a Great Lakes team takes 9th. Congratulations Ohio State - and congratulations on finally getting your jerseys. Aside from Ohio State's rise to prominence this year, Great Lakes teams were largely unimpressive. Illinois made waves earlier in the season, beating both national powers Las Positas and Wisconsin-Whitewater on universe point. Indiana managed to ruin Delaware's shot at any winner's bracket glory following their upset of Florida and made it a game against Texas in prequarters before finishing 11th at Nationals, and the Michigans never really turned up this year. Michigan State even lost to Paideia High School 13-6.
Next year: Really, who knows? Michigan is getting a junior worlds player from Paideia, Ohio State returns a large group of players, and maybe Kalamazoo will finally break out and beat Michigan State. But they have two bids and will probably provide two four-seeds once again.
Metro East
Is this signs of a new era? Or will Pitt just become the next Michigan, sitting on the edge of elite ultimate but not quite able to break in. Being bred on Metro East ultimate, I can say that Pittsburgh has come a long way since they beat our high school team 13-3 just three years ago. They acquitted themselves well as they travelled across the country, took Wisconsin to double game point, and will hopefully continue to grow as they pick up a lot of very talented juniors players from Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. Hopefully they'll come out to Stanford Invite next year. Delaware was the other traveling Metro East team - they took Regionals without beating Pittsburgh, upset Florida at Nationals, and then promptly finished tied for 15th. But they got their glory, and I doubt anyone will overlook them again. The rest of the region was, as usual, unspectacular. Cornell got their glory by upsetting Pittsburgh on Saturday of Regionals and then were put back in their place in the game-to-go. Edinboro placed well at Easterns.
Next year: Once again, the Metro East remains the largest region and once again will have two bids. I'm going to boldly predict that Pittsburgh will actually win the region this year, and go out on a limb and say that ... some other team will beat a rebuilding Delaware to that next spot. But if Brandon Redding has another year left in him, then Delaware will be hard to beat.
New England
This is not the same New England region that produced the 2005 national champion. While some of the players from that team still remain, for the most part Brown is a younger, less experienced team. As we were watching Brown defeat UNC 15-11 in a consolation game, Neale Mahoney told me that for most of the players, that was their first-ever win at nationals. Williams played the "just happy to be here" role at Nationals, despite not even being from the Metro East. A topsy-turvy Metro Boston sectionals saw the rise of a new "on any given sunday ...", one that spelled the end of a dominant second team in the New England. And unless one team can assert itself next year, the New England region will provide the other two four-seeds at Nationals.
Next year: Brown once again, almost by default. It looks as though Northeastern might finally be able to break through, if they can hold on to Will Neff and Camden Kittredge continues to develop. I know better than to pick UMass, and Harvard and Tufts both seem to be in flux. Can Williams repeat? I doubt it, but anything's possible. Dartmouth seems poised for a run as well, and that loss in the game-to-go will leave them with a bitter taste in their mouth going into the spring.
Northwest
Ah, Stanford and Oregon. Oregon and Stanford. Is there really much more to say? But all kidding aside, Stanford went out and got another semifinals appearance (whoop-de-doo) and Oregon lost in quarters. The rest of the region ... UBC was anonymous until Regionals, UCSC started strong but couldn't reach that higher level, LPC was inconsistent, the Washington teams were decent, and Cal disappointed. It's almost as if all of the NW club talent is brought in from the outside, because there was little evidence at Regionals that the region could produce four of the top six teams in the country. But c'est la vie ...
Next year: Stanford loses 10, returns 13. Reloading, not rebuilding. Oregon will make a serious bid to win the region. What's good for Oregon and scary for the Northwest is that Kevin Stout is possibly still in eligibility, which will make them a threat for the semis next year. Anyone else on the horizon? I don't really see it happening, but we might be able to bring back a strength bid for the next year.
South
Ah, the South. The region that sneaks by while the Metro East and New England are trashed by the critics. It was a ridiculous one-horse race this year, as Texas crushed Kansas *15-4* in the finals at Regionals. Kansas proceeded to tie for 15th at Nationals behind fat handlers and their all-heckle line. Somehow fourth in the spirit award rankings ... I guess they're jovial? Texas A&M made waves at Centex, upsetting Georgia, before they promptly tanked at sectionals and regionals. Texas State and North Texas were hyped big but didn't deliver. But there's good news! They only have one bid to Nationals next year! Hallelujah!
Next year: One cheer: Texas, Texas, yee-haw!
Southwest
The region that got "shafted", a year after having three bids to nationals, did produce a legitimate contender for a quarterfinals spot at nationals. UCSB was good, intense, and just not quite good enough to beat Colorado. But they'll be back. Mamabird will also be back after a year of reloading but not rebuilding. Their biggest losses are Rabbit and Beau, but everyone at Colorado is on the five-year plan, so they keep Jolian and Martin. Claremont and UCSD battled for a meaningless third, with UCLA coming up fifth. Their club experience is helping, but it can't compare to the rigorous training and preparation of the top teams in the region.
Next year: Colorado takes the region and Black Tide head back to Nationals. Colorado is getting another group of juniors players, but most will be shuffled off to the B-team for a year as they get used to the Mamabird system.
Nationals 2008
I guess that makes the field: Georgia, NC State, Florida, Carleton, Wisconsin, Ohio State, Michigan, Pittsburgh, Delaware?, Brown, Northeastern, Stanford, Oregon, Texas, Colorado, UCSB
It was a strong year, but it didn't live up to the hype. Florida met expectations (ours, not theirs) with a semifinals appearance at nationals. Georgia couldn't repeat and almost crashed out to Pitt in the prequarters. UNC had a terrible second day at nationals and nearly (should have?) lost to Pitt on Friday. NC State looked promising at the beginning of the year but couldn't gel as a team or in a system. Mid-level teams performed well across the country and produced highlight reels.
Next year: This will be an exciting region to watch. There will be at least four teams fighting for three bids that could go to anyone in any order. Florida, NC State and Georgia look the most solid, assuming Kurt takes his 5th year. But look for UNC to play spoiler again. I don't think UCF or JMU can hope to do better than that 5th place spot.
Central
A great year for the Central region, at least for their top 3 teams. Wisconsin roasted everyone at Nationals on their way to a 55-1 season and a national title. Carleton roared back at Centex and they have an excellent recruiting class coming in this fall. Minnesota surprised a lot of people and nearly upset Carleton, and they made waves at Terminus. The rest of the region, besides Wisconsin-Whitewater, seems mostly to stay in-region or in the Great Lakes. The problem with the Central region is that until Carleton and Wisconsin both have a great year, the third teams will never get their shot at the big show.
Next year: It will be a dogfight for Regionals - Carleton loses Goldstein but only two other seniors and picks up a great group of juniors players, including Chain Lightning player Grant Lindsley. Wisconsin loses a lot of veteran leadership but they're still returning a large core of a team that doesn't know what losing feels like. Minnesota and Whitewater battle for that meaningless third spot yet again, but Minnesota will keep getting stronger as they feel the benefit that a strong in-state juniors program will bring.
Great Lakes
The good news for the Great Lakes: they get to keep their size bid (presumably). And once again a Great Lakes team takes 9th. Congratulations Ohio State - and congratulations on finally getting your jerseys. Aside from Ohio State's rise to prominence this year, Great Lakes teams were largely unimpressive. Illinois made waves earlier in the season, beating both national powers Las Positas and Wisconsin-Whitewater on universe point. Indiana managed to ruin Delaware's shot at any winner's bracket glory following their upset of Florida and made it a game against Texas in prequarters before finishing 11th at Nationals, and the Michigans never really turned up this year. Michigan State even lost to Paideia High School 13-6.
Next year: Really, who knows? Michigan is getting a junior worlds player from Paideia, Ohio State returns a large group of players, and maybe Kalamazoo will finally break out and beat Michigan State. But they have two bids and will probably provide two four-seeds once again.
Metro East
Is this signs of a new era? Or will Pitt just become the next Michigan, sitting on the edge of elite ultimate but not quite able to break in. Being bred on Metro East ultimate, I can say that Pittsburgh has come a long way since they beat our high school team 13-3 just three years ago. They acquitted themselves well as they travelled across the country, took Wisconsin to double game point, and will hopefully continue to grow as they pick up a lot of very talented juniors players from Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. Hopefully they'll come out to Stanford Invite next year. Delaware was the other traveling Metro East team - they took Regionals without beating Pittsburgh, upset Florida at Nationals, and then promptly finished tied for 15th. But they got their glory, and I doubt anyone will overlook them again. The rest of the region was, as usual, unspectacular. Cornell got their glory by upsetting Pittsburgh on Saturday of Regionals and then were put back in their place in the game-to-go. Edinboro placed well at Easterns.
Next year: Once again, the Metro East remains the largest region and once again will have two bids. I'm going to boldly predict that Pittsburgh will actually win the region this year, and go out on a limb and say that ... some other team will beat a rebuilding Delaware to that next spot. But if Brandon Redding has another year left in him, then Delaware will be hard to beat.
New England
This is not the same New England region that produced the 2005 national champion. While some of the players from that team still remain, for the most part Brown is a younger, less experienced team. As we were watching Brown defeat UNC 15-11 in a consolation game, Neale Mahoney told me that for most of the players, that was their first-ever win at nationals. Williams played the "just happy to be here" role at Nationals, despite not even being from the Metro East. A topsy-turvy Metro Boston sectionals saw the rise of a new "on any given sunday ...", one that spelled the end of a dominant second team in the New England. And unless one team can assert itself next year, the New England region will provide the other two four-seeds at Nationals.
Next year: Brown once again, almost by default. It looks as though Northeastern might finally be able to break through, if they can hold on to Will Neff and Camden Kittredge continues to develop. I know better than to pick UMass, and Harvard and Tufts both seem to be in flux. Can Williams repeat? I doubt it, but anything's possible. Dartmouth seems poised for a run as well, and that loss in the game-to-go will leave them with a bitter taste in their mouth going into the spring.
Northwest
Ah, Stanford and Oregon. Oregon and Stanford. Is there really much more to say? But all kidding aside, Stanford went out and got another semifinals appearance (whoop-de-doo) and Oregon lost in quarters. The rest of the region ... UBC was anonymous until Regionals, UCSC started strong but couldn't reach that higher level, LPC was inconsistent, the Washington teams were decent, and Cal disappointed. It's almost as if all of the NW club talent is brought in from the outside, because there was little evidence at Regionals that the region could produce four of the top six teams in the country. But c'est la vie ...
Next year: Stanford loses 10, returns 13. Reloading, not rebuilding. Oregon will make a serious bid to win the region. What's good for Oregon and scary for the Northwest is that Kevin Stout is possibly still in eligibility, which will make them a threat for the semis next year. Anyone else on the horizon? I don't really see it happening, but we might be able to bring back a strength bid for the next year.
South
Ah, the South. The region that sneaks by while the Metro East and New England are trashed by the critics. It was a ridiculous one-horse race this year, as Texas crushed Kansas *15-4* in the finals at Regionals. Kansas proceeded to tie for 15th at Nationals behind fat handlers and their all-heckle line. Somehow fourth in the spirit award rankings ... I guess they're jovial? Texas A&M made waves at Centex, upsetting Georgia, before they promptly tanked at sectionals and regionals. Texas State and North Texas were hyped big but didn't deliver. But there's good news! They only have one bid to Nationals next year! Hallelujah!
Next year: One cheer: Texas, Texas, yee-haw!
Southwest
The region that got "shafted", a year after having three bids to nationals, did produce a legitimate contender for a quarterfinals spot at nationals. UCSB was good, intense, and just not quite good enough to beat Colorado. But they'll be back. Mamabird will also be back after a year of reloading but not rebuilding. Their biggest losses are Rabbit and Beau, but everyone at Colorado is on the five-year plan, so they keep Jolian and Martin. Claremont and UCSD battled for a meaningless third, with UCLA coming up fifth. Their club experience is helping, but it can't compare to the rigorous training and preparation of the top teams in the region.
Next year: Colorado takes the region and Black Tide head back to Nationals. Colorado is getting another group of juniors players, but most will be shuffled off to the B-team for a year as they get used to the Mamabird system.
Nationals 2008
I guess that makes the field: Georgia, NC State, Florida, Carleton, Wisconsin, Ohio State, Michigan, Pittsburgh, Delaware?, Brown, Northeastern, Stanford, Oregon, Texas, Colorado, UCSB
Thursday, June 7, 2007
What is this? Why am I here?
Well, it all started with an innocent little nickname. "The Pulse" (insert heartbeat noises here). Basically, I know a lot about the ultimate world. I pore over the score reporter, have been on RSD since my junior year in high school, live for UltimateTalk, and cherish every source of ultimate information around. And to my friends on other ultimate teams around the country - thank you for those little tidbits of information that you give me, like the ones that let me answer questions such as "Who is Beau hooking up with right now?" and "Did Will Neff really run off with his Child Studies teacher?"
And so how could "The Pulse" (more heartbeat noises) not have an ultimate blog?
But what will be here? I'm hoping for more than a random collection of ultimate knowledge (but for all of you guys from the Bay Area section and Northwest region, yes Robot has been playing in the series for more than 5 years), and I don't want to post a boring workout log or summary of how Team Green crushed Team Black at summer league. So instead I'm looking at series analysis, tournament recaps, broad conjecture about other teams (I hear Florida juices), and a wide assortment of my opinions on ultimate - from whether or not high school nationals is a good idea to the Metro East to how Revolver can get 5th at club nationals with an average height of 5'6".
For starters, I plan on playing a lot of ultimate this summer, and it will be my first real club experience (Kaimana, as fun as it was, isn't quite the real thing). I will also be playing a lot with high school kids, and part of my goal is to get them to take some college and club level strategies back to their high school teams, to make New Jersey high school ultimate (and by proxy, Rutgers) more competitive on a national scale. At Stanford, we get the benefit of Revolver's playbook from the fall, we adjust it and adapt it for the spring, tweak it, and then Revolver benefits by getting to take away some new things that Stanford picked up. I think the same thing can happen between college and high school teams if it works out right.
And that's something else I plan to take a more vested interest in - coaching, teaching ultimate, and helping people get better. I don't mean teaching people how to throw a forehand, but the actual exciting feeling of teaching your team the clam, or a trap zone, or a new handler set, watching them learn it, and then execute it well in scrimmages and games. If I get the opportunity, I want that to happen with the New Jersey youth club team I'm playing with, but if not, I'll have that opportunity in the fall when high school practice starts but Stanford hasn't. High school ultimate is not at the point where teams can really be selfish about strategies - I'm not concerned about teaching Watchung's captain the clam and having them turn around and beat Columbia with it - Columbia will learn it too, adapt, and then both teams will be able to throw it against out-of-state teams and dominate them until they can learn it.
And so how could "The Pulse" (more heartbeat noises) not have an ultimate blog?
But what will be here? I'm hoping for more than a random collection of ultimate knowledge (but for all of you guys from the Bay Area section and Northwest region, yes Robot has been playing in the series for more than 5 years), and I don't want to post a boring workout log or summary of how Team Green crushed Team Black at summer league. So instead I'm looking at series analysis, tournament recaps, broad conjecture about other teams (I hear Florida juices), and a wide assortment of my opinions on ultimate - from whether or not high school nationals is a good idea to the Metro East to how Revolver can get 5th at club nationals with an average height of 5'6".
For starters, I plan on playing a lot of ultimate this summer, and it will be my first real club experience (Kaimana, as fun as it was, isn't quite the real thing). I will also be playing a lot with high school kids, and part of my goal is to get them to take some college and club level strategies back to their high school teams, to make New Jersey high school ultimate (and by proxy, Rutgers) more competitive on a national scale. At Stanford, we get the benefit of Revolver's playbook from the fall, we adjust it and adapt it for the spring, tweak it, and then Revolver benefits by getting to take away some new things that Stanford picked up. I think the same thing can happen between college and high school teams if it works out right.
And that's something else I plan to take a more vested interest in - coaching, teaching ultimate, and helping people get better. I don't mean teaching people how to throw a forehand, but the actual exciting feeling of teaching your team the clam, or a trap zone, or a new handler set, watching them learn it, and then execute it well in scrimmages and games. If I get the opportunity, I want that to happen with the New Jersey youth club team I'm playing with, but if not, I'll have that opportunity in the fall when high school practice starts but Stanford hasn't. High school ultimate is not at the point where teams can really be selfish about strategies - I'm not concerned about teaching Watchung's captain the clam and having them turn around and beat Columbia with it - Columbia will learn it too, adapt, and then both teams will be able to throw it against out-of-state teams and dominate them until they can learn it.
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