Our first round robin of the Spring 09 season has us in need of some serious chemistry on the field. We filmed 8 GB worth of game footage, but at first glance all I'm finding is an abundance of on field blunders.
Our first game started off fast for George Mason, who capitalized on early throwing errors, drops, and misscommunication to jump to a 5-0 lead. Most of the early errors were the fault of our upper level players, with myself taking ownership for 1 bad throw, 2 drops, and a premature flick to an incut that decided to head deep. We did manage to pull in a few points to make it 7-2 at half. At this point it was very obvious to all what we needed to work on, so we turned our focus to the fundamentals on offense and mixing it up a bit on defense. We came out with a very bland dump and swing vert stack and managed to get a few points early. The upwind/downwind scenario is typical in the DC area, so we needed to take away easy downwind scores. We managed that with a decent-looking force middle that took away a few easy throws and forced GMU to toss the disc around more than they'd like. With time running down in the round, we managed to bring the score to 11's on the cap. Universe point began with Habit pulling upwind. Our FM defense managed two turns before our offense clicked and found a streaking Still's for the game winner. 12-11 over GMU.
LC Bird high school came next and the game started almost identical to the first. Bird went up 3-0 early on offensive mistakes before we settled down again. Our goals for this game was to focus on our zone defense, work the disc patiently on offense, and get a few of our endzone plays in the game. Everything went fairly smoothly, but we were still able to produce quite a few blunders this game too. 13-7over Bird.
VCU was up next and we sort of have a history against these guys. We've typically struggled against them in round robins, but crushed when it comes to tournament time. This time was no different. I stepped out of this game since I was having problems with my heel, and Jess's bf John cleated up to help us out. The score was basically back and forth the whole game with us maintaining a bit of breathing room to the end. There were good plays by Ranjo, a huck to Frodo's lip that he caught, and a few other funny moments that resulted in a 12-9 victory.
By the time we hit our final game Sunday it was obvious that only 5-8 of our players have seen the practice field regularly. People were wearing out and bench time was at a premium. ODU had a fairly efficient, if unorthodox, style of offense and seemed to move the disc well against our tired defense. In the end it was their lack of discipline that led to a few late scores and a universe point win 12-11.
Overall I'd say this weekend was successful for two reasons. The younger players on our roster managed to get a decent amount of playing time, we got 4 wins under our belts, and we came away with a boat load of skills to work on for this season. It was nice to have a full team to play with for once.. practicing with 5-8 players has just been horrible for the last two months.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Thursday, January 29, 2009
#1 - 2009
Well I guess I've been away long enough to keep people from checking this thing daily... You know you have been, waiting anxiously to hear me bitch and moan about not getting everything I expect out of Ultimate lately. Well, things have been changing for the better recently. Not everything, but "things."
We got a few guys back that had been abroad last semester. That was pretty exciting for me since it means I have my workout partner back. The Ying to that Yang (or whatever that even means) is that we lost a few of our freshmen to coursework and the fine arts. It would be nice if we could actually build this team instead of constantly losing the number we gain...
Anyway, practice has been fairly productive for the ones who have been there. It's definitely worn on me recently and I guess the reason I'm back on here is a few things Coach D told me. He knows I've been having trouble getting fired up about the season and there are many reasons for it, not just a lack of progress. It just made me think about what I am supposed to be for this team and if I'm really filling that role as well as I could be. I thought about it while I worked last night on my cycle trainer and I realize I probably need to work harder. It's not all physical though. I've never been a huge emotional leader, since I tend to be fairly even keel and keep to myself on the field, but I think it's something I may need to improve by April.
I'll try to work on keeping this thing updated. Plans for the Spring:
WUFF Camp
Shippensburg Steakfest
Huck of the Irish
Sectionals
Regionals (?)
D-III Nationals (?)
Oh, and this is really cool: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/28/dining/28bacon.html?no_interstitial.
We got a few guys back that had been abroad last semester. That was pretty exciting for me since it means I have my workout partner back. The Ying to that Yang (or whatever that even means) is that we lost a few of our freshmen to coursework and the fine arts. It would be nice if we could actually build this team instead of constantly losing the number we gain...
Anyway, practice has been fairly productive for the ones who have been there. It's definitely worn on me recently and I guess the reason I'm back on here is a few things Coach D told me. He knows I've been having trouble getting fired up about the season and there are many reasons for it, not just a lack of progress. It just made me think about what I am supposed to be for this team and if I'm really filling that role as well as I could be. I thought about it while I worked last night on my cycle trainer and I realize I probably need to work harder. It's not all physical though. I've never been a huge emotional leader, since I tend to be fairly even keel and keep to myself on the field, but I think it's something I may need to improve by April.
I'll try to work on keeping this thing updated. Plans for the Spring:
WUFF Camp
Shippensburg Steakfest
Huck of the Irish
Sectionals
Regionals (?)
D-III Nationals (?)
Oh, and this is really cool: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/28/dining/28bacon.html?no_interstitial.
Friday, October 24, 2008
Recruitment
Well, we're about 2 months in and the prime recruiting period here is just about over.
No more afternoon practices in the sun or pick-up games on the lawn... We've moved to a morning practice schedule to take advantage of the sun we do have, we're looking at 4 tournaments in a row, and there just wasn't that much visibility on campus to begin with.
What's a D-III Ultimate team to do when all the kids who think they're athletes aren't gonna get cut from these small varsity teams? Lacrosse, football, baseball, ice hockey, rugby, track, cross country, and tennis pull the majority of the athletes at our school of 7500 or so. We had a freshman class of close to 1000 and we have 3 freshmen who came to play! How can a program survive with that? How can you build depth on your team and win games at the same time if you only have a strong core of 10-12 players? These are all questions I haven't found the answer to in the 2 years I've been here at CUA. What can I do to increase our roster number?
We've thought of info sessions, putting up fliers, advertising on the University announcements page, we practiced on one of the main lawns for the first month of school, carry discs around, play disc golf at night, and we still cannot seem to pull a strong freshmen class. I'm not gonna lie, I've even cold-called (well cold-emailed) some athletes from the varsity rosters who looked like they would be free in the Spring (Senior football players...etc.) and emailed a coach for a roster of his cut players.. Basketball and soccer do make cuts, but I'm not totally sure about the other sports. The Lacrosse team had like 75 guys on it last time I saw them practicing.
Anyway, the frustration will continue into the Spring if we keep showing up to tournaments with 12-15 guys. I want this team to have a future, our results have been strong in Sectionals and D-III Nats, and I wish the campus could see that and want to be a part of it.
No more afternoon practices in the sun or pick-up games on the lawn... We've moved to a morning practice schedule to take advantage of the sun we do have, we're looking at 4 tournaments in a row, and there just wasn't that much visibility on campus to begin with.
What's a D-III Ultimate team to do when all the kids who think they're athletes aren't gonna get cut from these small varsity teams? Lacrosse, football, baseball, ice hockey, rugby, track, cross country, and tennis pull the majority of the athletes at our school of 7500 or so. We had a freshman class of close to 1000 and we have 3 freshmen who came to play! How can a program survive with that? How can you build depth on your team and win games at the same time if you only have a strong core of 10-12 players? These are all questions I haven't found the answer to in the 2 years I've been here at CUA. What can I do to increase our roster number?
We've thought of info sessions, putting up fliers, advertising on the University announcements page, we practiced on one of the main lawns for the first month of school, carry discs around, play disc golf at night, and we still cannot seem to pull a strong freshmen class. I'm not gonna lie, I've even cold-called (well cold-emailed) some athletes from the varsity rosters who looked like they would be free in the Spring (Senior football players...etc.) and emailed a coach for a roster of his cut players.. Basketball and soccer do make cuts, but I'm not totally sure about the other sports. The Lacrosse team had like 75 guys on it last time I saw them practicing.
Anyway, the frustration will continue into the Spring if we keep showing up to tournaments with 12-15 guys. I want this team to have a future, our results have been strong in Sectionals and D-III Nats, and I wish the campus could see that and want to be a part of it.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Scrimmage #1 Recap
The game against America went pretty well. We had a bit of a letdown in the middle of the game after taking half 8-4, but we surged again at the end to take the game 15-12. There were a few points in there where we looked very patient and swung the disc 6-7 times at the goal line before finding an open cutter for the score. There were also points where we just waited too long to look at the dump... I guess it's a learning process, and it's nice to have so much to work on at practice. We also ran zone for the first time... That only proved to American that we did not talk about it before Saturday.. Oh well.
Some comments on individuals...
Lemon had moments of brilliance on offense, but is getting a little complacent with his d... I'm thinking we need to find him mismatches to take advantage of rather than trying to get him to shut down a team's best cutters.
Frodo is definitely stepping it up this year. He's where he needs to be on the swings and is finding himself open a lot. One big problem is that he needs to learn when to the throw and when to holster the disc. There were a few up-line cuts that just weren't open and he tried to force it in there.
Jim is getting there with his backhands. A little more patience on the transitions is necessary, but his throws and decision-making otherwise is fine.
Brian just won't play d. I hope he reads this. Anyway, his throws are there, decisions are solid, but his complete lack of defense makes him a serious liability. The funny thing is that this guy is one of our fastest players... Too bad he doesn't use it on d.
Jess is ridiculous. She was basically open all day against the men on American's team. She's one of those players that just does everything right and doesn't try to take more than a defense gives her. We could all learn a lot from that... me included.
J-M is coming along as a player. He's putting two hands on every disc and making good cuts. We need to work a bit on his flick with a mark, but otherwise he's playing well. I like how excited he is to be out there. Just a little less Bash Brother would be great though... I'm sure Paco, Martini, and that dude he truck-sticked on American would appreciate that too...
Kyle is still solid. He's quick, but he had a faster opponent on Saturday. Coming to the disc was a problem for him and he was d'd a few times because of it. Learning to extend his hands, box out his defender, and run full speed through the disc could really help him. He could benefit from chilling out a bit with the disc too. I feel like he's really worried about the cutters not cutting when he's always got a reset if he needs it. Just use the reset and clear out to set up another big gainer, Kyle!
Well that's about all I really feel to cover/write about at work today... There were other guys out there, but I just don't have time to go on. We can talk about you later! Ha, constructive criticism guys, constructive criticism...
Some comments on individuals...
Lemon had moments of brilliance on offense, but is getting a little complacent with his d... I'm thinking we need to find him mismatches to take advantage of rather than trying to get him to shut down a team's best cutters.
Frodo is definitely stepping it up this year. He's where he needs to be on the swings and is finding himself open a lot. One big problem is that he needs to learn when to the throw and when to holster the disc. There were a few up-line cuts that just weren't open and he tried to force it in there.
Jim is getting there with his backhands. A little more patience on the transitions is necessary, but his throws and decision-making otherwise is fine.
Brian just won't play d. I hope he reads this. Anyway, his throws are there, decisions are solid, but his complete lack of defense makes him a serious liability. The funny thing is that this guy is one of our fastest players... Too bad he doesn't use it on d.
Jess is ridiculous. She was basically open all day against the men on American's team. She's one of those players that just does everything right and doesn't try to take more than a defense gives her. We could all learn a lot from that... me included.
J-M is coming along as a player. He's putting two hands on every disc and making good cuts. We need to work a bit on his flick with a mark, but otherwise he's playing well. I like how excited he is to be out there. Just a little less Bash Brother would be great though... I'm sure Paco, Martini, and that dude he truck-sticked on American would appreciate that too...
Kyle is still solid. He's quick, but he had a faster opponent on Saturday. Coming to the disc was a problem for him and he was d'd a few times because of it. Learning to extend his hands, box out his defender, and run full speed through the disc could really help him. He could benefit from chilling out a bit with the disc too. I feel like he's really worried about the cutters not cutting when he's always got a reset if he needs it. Just use the reset and clear out to set up another big gainer, Kyle!
Well that's about all I really feel to cover/write about at work today... There were other guys out there, but I just don't have time to go on. We can talk about you later! Ha, constructive criticism guys, constructive criticism...
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Test #1
Things seem to be going alright with the team.... well, attendance is down, but everyone seems pretty excited to be out and playing when they are in fact out and playing. It seems like we have 2-4 committed freshmen at this point. I occasionally see others out at practice, and there are starting to be more women with the birth of our women's Ultimate team (Nun-chuk, is it?), but we need more. Bring your friends, how hard can that be?
Our first test comes this weekend against American University. It should be a pretty relaxed game with an opportunity to play in a more competitive environment as well as a chance to learn some of the rules of the game. We'll play a game to 13 or 15 and then mix up the two squads to form two teams of CUA and AU players and play another game. It should be a great chance for the two teams to get to know each other and just enjoy some competitive Ultimate. Not to mention this is a good warm-up for both of our teams for Club Sectionals.
Hopefully we can start pulling better numbers at practice soon or else we'll need to shake things up a bit. I can't stand having 12-16 players at each practice...it just isn't enough to help us improve.
Our first test comes this weekend against American University. It should be a pretty relaxed game with an opportunity to play in a more competitive environment as well as a chance to learn some of the rules of the game. We'll play a game to 13 or 15 and then mix up the two squads to form two teams of CUA and AU players and play another game. It should be a great chance for the two teams to get to know each other and just enjoy some competitive Ultimate. Not to mention this is a good warm-up for both of our teams for Club Sectionals.
Hopefully we can start pulling better numbers at practice soon or else we'll need to shake things up a bit. I can't stand having 12-16 players at each practice...it just isn't enough to help us improve.
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Week 3: Bad Habit
2 weeks have passed and we're starting to get a feel for the rookies that will stick it out for the season. It looks like we've got a really positive, athletic bunch, so I'm excited for the first tourney. It looks like the first one for us will be the end of Sept at the Snake Farm Classic in Richmond, VA. Our good friends the Biscuit Villains of VCU will be putting on their second annual tourney and I'm pysched that we can be a part of it. It's too bad we missed the first run of it!
I should be going to bed, since we've now started 7am Wed practices, but I just wanted to put a few thoughts down about the upcoming season....
1. We're going to play a lot of tournaments this Fall!
2. Starting a women's team at Catholic looks like it might just happen this year.
3. People are starting to buy into the "Ultimate as a 'real' sport" thing I've been preaching.
4. We're doing a Saturday pick-up each week that we don't have a tourney. I really want this to turn into a scrimmage against other DC teams. Thoughts are American, Georgetown, GW, Maryland (B, maybe?), VCU, George Mason, and Johns Hopkins... Others cross my mind, but I'm trying to stay close.
5. It's great to have a coach!
Well, need to get some sleep so I can be productive tomorrow. Get into the Habit!
I should be going to bed, since we've now started 7am Wed practices, but I just wanted to put a few thoughts down about the upcoming season....
1. We're going to play a lot of tournaments this Fall!
2. Starting a women's team at Catholic looks like it might just happen this year.
3. People are starting to buy into the "Ultimate as a 'real' sport" thing I've been preaching.
4. We're doing a Saturday pick-up each week that we don't have a tourney. I really want this to turn into a scrimmage against other DC teams. Thoughts are American, Georgetown, GW, Maryland (B, maybe?), VCU, George Mason, and Johns Hopkins... Others cross my mind, but I'm trying to stay close.
5. It's great to have a coach!
Well, need to get some sleep so I can be productive tomorrow. Get into the Habit!
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Catholic Ultimate
Started the 08-09 season this week! It's a pretty exciting time despite being overwhelmed by work, school, and club Ultimate schedules... We've had around 7-8 new guys come out and a few more waiting in the wings, so it looks to be a decent class this year.
Hopefully I'll be able to give a more in-depth write-up on the new class once I get to meet everyone and find out who plans on staying for the season (I've only been to one practice since I've been busy elsewhere).
Looks like we're looking at Club Sectionals, Snake Farm Classic (at VCU), Skylander, B-Deviled, Goucher Mixed, and possibly 2 more tourneys for the Fall, so we're going to be pretty busy!
Anyway, just wanted to write something about the new year! Take care!
Hopefully I'll be able to give a more in-depth write-up on the new class once I get to meet everyone and find out who plans on staying for the season (I've only been to one practice since I've been busy elsewhere).
Looks like we're looking at Club Sectionals, Snake Farm Classic (at VCU), Skylander, B-Deviled, Goucher Mixed, and possibly 2 more tourneys for the Fall, so we're going to be pretty busy!
Anyway, just wanted to write something about the new year! Take care!
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