Congratulations to Surly, Revolver, Fury, and the Polar Bears on your National Championships! Well deserved!
Hibernating for a little bit... 2010 Club Season definitely burned me out a little bit. Be back in December.
-ham
Monday, November 8, 2010
Monday, October 25, 2010
The Show
A year ago today, I was sitting in the same chair, figuring out what the heck to put in my Ultimate pack. Three weeks prior in early October 2009, we had qualified for the 2009 UPA Mixed Championships in Sarasota, FL, by taking 2nd in the Southwest Region and by Sunday, had finished 11th overall, with wins over Slow White, TAU, Bashing Pinatas, in addition to close losses to Slow White, 'Doh, One Trick Pony, and eventual champions Axis of C'Ville.
Fast forward to this year. On 10/10/10...we had upset the #1 seed at Regionals to secure the top spot in the Southwest Region and a coveted spot at the new USAU Club Championships in Sarasota, Florida. It's been quite a change from 2009. Not only is the "UPA" no more, but we go into this year with higher expectations and a more experienced and energetic club. Of the three years I've been with this club, the 2010 campaign has been the most dramatic and eventful. Devastating losses, unpredictable injuries, two teammates contracting mono (not from each other), this season had it all. Being completely dominated in the finals at Sectionals did not help either, but we bounced back... and here we are.
We come into these championships with a greater hunger than we had last year, and know that we will be bearing the weight of being the sole representatives of Los Angeles Ultimate in Florida.
game 1 vs. (#2) District 5
When the schedule came out, this scheduled game instantly reminded me of 2009 and our first round game against eventual champions Axis of C'ville. It was a hard fought match with Axis pulling out the win 13-15. The lasting impression I had from that game was that the game was very winnable. Maybe it was the heat/humidity during warm up, maybe it was the time adjustment, but simply put, we weren't ready. It is imperative for teams to be playing at their best right at first pull and this game will most certainly demand it from us. District 5 has been rolling all season and if it wasn't for a loss to Slow White in the Regional final, they would most definitely have been the #1 seed overall. Watching them at ECC, they're solid. They're a first year team, but you can never discount those teams who put together solid women with very athletic male players. I'm excited for this match up and know that the tempo will be set right from the get go. It will be 85 degrees-ish with 80% humidity at first pull, 6:30am PST.
game 2 vs. (#7) Polar Bears
These guys have been in the thick of talks all season. They demand a lot of respect because simply put, they are a very good team. With solid throwers in Raty, 808, and Greg, to athletic cutters in Zip, Lisa, and Robot, they have been relevant since day one. A universe point loss to rivals Mischief is the only reason for them not being a top 5 seed at Nationals, but rest assured that despite being a new team, they have what it takes to win. We have only played them once this season, with us squeaking out a universe point win at CalStates. It's a completely new ballgame now, and what better then a rematch on the polo fields in Florida? The matchup has explosive potential as both teams pack a lot of talent with a lot of desire to win. Slugfest anyone?
game 3 vs. (#15) Dirty Birds
We owe these guys big. A tough loss against them at Labor Day has left a bitter taste in our mouths. All we really saw from them was a difficult zone to break. The wind was definitely a factor in San Francisco, and it can potentially do the same in Florida. Last year at the '09 Championships, the wind was the calmest it had been in years. We won't know about the wind until we get down to the fields on Thursday, but despite them being the #15 seed, they are the favorite because of their Labor Day win over us. It will come down to desire and patience if facing the zone, and winning with our legs and not with only throws. By the third game, exhaustion, fatigue, and dehydration become relevant, and I remember feeling dizzy and nauseous in our 3rd round game against TAU in '09. It becomes a battle of wills and against a zone-heavy team, that desire to win must be mixed in with patience, intelligence, and a gritty work ethic.
------------
Two more days until first pull. Two more days until again, I get to play on the best fields on earth. I've had the following picture up on my bulletin board since January 2010. It was something I looked at everyday, something I burned into my brain as I began preparing for the 2010 season.
Honestly, after the shalacking we took at Sectionals, there were doubts in my head and I was unsure whether we would make it to Florida this year. My team proved me wrong, and never have I had more desire, more motivation to win for my teammates. This is why we ran all those miles, this is why we did all those stairs. A chance to perform at the highest level of Ultimate, with the best people and personalities in the world. I love you Metroids. Let's go to work.
#10
if you would like to donate to help Metro go to Nationals, visit
http://sites.google.com/site/metroultimate/sponsors
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Southwest Mixed Regionals 2010 Recap
Regionals this year was different then years' past for several reasons. First, it was held in Southern California for the first time since 2007, second, the mixed division was held on its own, apart from Open and Women's, and third... I was in charge of all the logistics for the entire weekend. Not an easy task for a first-time TD.
The biggest challenge initially was setting up the tournament so that it could essentially run on auto-pilot. Helping run sectionals was already a tall task and the stress and distraction of running it overflowed onto the field and it was apparent that my mind was somewhere other than the game of ultimate. It simply was not fair for my team to be in that state of mind, so in the weeks leading up to the tournament, preparations were made so that once the first pull went up on Saturday morning, logistical matters would be at a minimum.
First off though, a big thanks to all those who helped make this tournament possible. My teammates Spencer, Scott, Keegan, Martha, and Chad, and all those who encouraged me and offered their support. It is much appreciated and I am very grateful for your help.
Now onto the Ultimate....
========
At Stake...
was bragging rights. At stake was the title of "top dawg" in the Southwest Region. 7 Figures was the clear #1, with Barrio, Metro, and MotU rounding out the top 4. The SW had two bids this year... one less then last year, and with bracket 16.2.2 in use, it meant that making the finals simply wasn't good enough. You'd have to WIN the tournament or win out the backdoor bracket to punch your ticket to the show.... so you can imagine, it got harder this year, not to mention that the teams got better in the Southwest Region.
Game 1 vs. Lunch Money
We came out firing against our Sectional counterparts. The first point being the longest point in the game, we simply out played them from the very beginning, with defense being the most defining strength. Simply put, we forced tough throws and allows very little up-field looks which resulted in high stall counts and easy d's. We rolled off a 6-0 run to start the game, taking half 8-2 enroute to an easy 15-5 win. Great start to the tournament, keeping in mind that we wanted to keep our big guns fresh for the difficult games that lay ahead.
Game 2 vs. Love Tractor
This team came out with more fire then the past and we essentially traded with them before going on a huge defensive run that put us up from 3-3 to 9-3. From there... it was just a simple trade-fest and a 15-8 win over a very spirited but overmatched Colorado team. The term coach Frankie threw around was that we needed to "ramp-up" to the Semis and Finals, and from the way we were playing, it was looking good and we were starting to get our offense into the right gear.
Game 3 vs. Killjoy
This was a game where we felt we needed to prove the most to the Region. For weeks leading up to the tournament, all I heard as the TD was that Killjoy should be seeded higher since they beat Metro, or "we beat Killjoy, so we should be ahead of Metro... etc." While in all actuality, they had valid arguments, in my head, I was thinking what BS. We lost to Killjoy by 4 at Labor Day with a injury riddled squad, and the first game of the day. I knew that we had something to prove and we owed it to Killjoy to show them what we were really made of. We pretty much scored 2 goals to their 1 in the first half, going up 7-4 before they closed the gap to 8-6 at half. We continued the pressure and wound up running away with a 14-10 win and despite finishing the season series against Killjoy at 1-1, we had won the one that counted and could silence the doubt and shut up our critics. It was a great win, and meant that we had locked up the 1 seed in the pool and a spot into Saturday finals against B1: Barrio.
Semifinals vs. Barrio
The season series was 1-1. We blew a 9-6 lead at GRUB to lose 10-12, and got over the "hump" with a good win at ECC 13-8. This was the "rubber game," the "best-out-of-three" kind of game that proves to the world who's the superior team. It was only fitting that this winner-take all game was for a berth in the finals. Barrio had won Regionals for several years running, and had beaten us last year in the finals 9-14, but no one cared. We were to elated to be going to the show... we could have cared less about winning the Region in 2009. Things were different this year... as simply making the finals did not guarantee a bid. We knew we had to win out from here to make things easier.
Game time was 3:30pm on Saturday. The sun was sitting kindof low in the sky, but there was a buzz to the game like none I have ever experienced. The other semifinal game was on the far field (in the sun), while our semifinal had a row of trees on one sideline that cast a shade on one side, and of course drew a large crowd. Teams from New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, who had finished their games were out in droves, drinking, fooling around, all while watching this game. It was a great atmosphere. Metro started on D and almost instantly you could tell the energy level was beyond anything we had played at this year. The sideline was on TOP of the o-line and before we knew it, they had miscommunicated and turned a sloppy dump pass for negative yards to no one. It almost felt like being in a loud NFL crowd and inducing a false start. Trogdor quickly jumped on the disc and threw to a wide open Peaches for the first break of the game.
We traded points from there and went up 5-4 before going on a defensive tear and breaking the game open with a 4-0 run to put us up 9-4. From there on, Barrio was only able to get back one break before we put them away 14-10. It was a great feeling going back to the finals, but the celebration was brief, and after the game, the focus was back on because 7 Figures had just punched their ticket to the final with a 15-7 win over BCBC. What this meant was an all LA Final, with a bid to Nationals on the line.
====
We all knew going into the Barrio game that we would be playing 7-Figures if we beat them, barring some miraculous charge from BCBC, no offense to them. It was easy to overlook the Barrio game and look ahead to a matchup with 7 Figs, but I am proud how our team focused on the game at hand and took care of business.
We had dinner at Holly's place, watched Stanford beat USC, and went to bed 4-0 on the day. The next morning was intense. Not in a... omg we're late type of way, but, the anxiety and focus was much more noticeable on 10/10/10 then any other tournament Sunday that I have experienced. People doing yoga, ipods on... focused looks while drinking morning joe. Everyone had the game on their minds. Even though it was a 1:45pm start, it was on my mind from the moment I woke up. A couple of us ended up at I-Hop for breakfast, and I feel like that was the best thing for me. I was with 4 other close teammates and we shared stories, joked around, and as opposed to the intensity and focus in the morning, things were loose, relaxed, and jovial. It was good for us to go into the finals relaxed, after all... ultimate is about fun right?
===
Finals
(#1) 7 -Figures vs. (#3) LA Metro
The last time we played, 7-Figures established that they were the team to beat in the Region. The obvious and deserved #1 seed destroyed us 15-6 in the FINALS of Sectionals. It was ridiculous and a pain that didn't go away for weeks. It ate at me and pushed me to be better... and I know it bothered everyone since all the practices were at an intensity none of us had practiced at all year. It was great and we knew we did what we could to be ready.
First pull at a little before 1:50pm, and the game was underway. We started on D and immediately generated a turn but was unable to generate points. Figs went up 1 before we responded with a huge sky from Barrs "gimme that" Lang. At 2-2, the momentum swung. I am told that momentum usually swings in the middle to later parts of the game but whoever was present at this game knew that right then and there, at two all, we got a jolt of momentum from Trogdor! Simply said, our defense was stifiling and we got them swinging the disc in their end zone and stuck on the front cone. We clamped down hard and a forced dump was met with a quick la
yout from Trogdor for the callahan break. The energy was up, and before we knew it, we had seized control of the game going up 9-5.
But 7-Figures is a team that we all respect. They have solid players who have much experience, and we were in an all too familiar situation being up 9-5. In an earlier scrimmage, we had been up 9-6, only to be bageled the second half enroute to a 15-9 trouncing. It showed us the potential 7-Figures had if they could get a little bit of a run going, which they did. They went on a 4-2 run to bring it to 11-10, but the difference being that our offensive line of Taz, Gordy, Hammie, Kief, Keegan, Bambi, and Misch responded and the defensive lines kept on rolling to put us up 14-10, game point. We failed to punch it in and at 14-13... we were in need of a dire score. The line of Yugo, Scott, Barrs, Kief, Bambi, Taz, and Misch went on and before we knew it.... we got it done and clinched the win 15-13. Cue the rush, the champagne, tears, hugs... complete elation.
===
The first LA team to win Regionals... wow... it was sweet. Well deserving and in the huddle afterwards, nothing but smiles, joy, and sweet relief. It was a feel good story for us. Being discouraged and dismantled by a very good team in 7 Figures at Sectionals, only to put it all together, adjust, and run the table at Regionals. A perfect 5-0, and the title as the #1 Mixed team in the Southwest Region. It broke everyone's heart to see Barrio beat 7-Figures in the backdoor game, and I know that many Metroids lost their voices cheering our LA friends on. There was an incredible atmosphere present on the sidelines at Freedom Park in Camarillo, CA. Many teams stayed late to watch the finals, with many chanting, heckling, yelling... the sideline was alive at Regionals... and it all amounted to one of the best weekends of my life.
The tournament was successful, people were happy, but above all, we were going to Florida. I took Monday and Tuesday to soak in the moment, but I know that today, the track awaits, the stairs await, and I will hate Ben Bergen after the workout is through.
LA Metro is going back to the show... it doesn't get any sweeter than this. =)
-Hammie
LA Metro #10
The biggest challenge initially was setting up the tournament so that it could essentially run on auto-pilot. Helping run sectionals was already a tall task and the stress and distraction of running it overflowed onto the field and it was apparent that my mind was somewhere other than the game of ultimate. It simply was not fair for my team to be in that state of mind, so in the weeks leading up to the tournament, preparations were made so that once the first pull went up on Saturday morning, logistical matters would be at a minimum.
First off though, a big thanks to all those who helped make this tournament possible. My teammates Spencer, Scott, Keegan, Martha, and Chad, and all those who encouraged me and offered their support. It is much appreciated and I am very grateful for your help.
Now onto the Ultimate....
========
At Stake...
was bragging rights. At stake was the title of "top dawg" in the Southwest Region. 7 Figures was the clear #1, with Barrio, Metro, and MotU rounding out the top 4. The SW had two bids this year... one less then last year, and with bracket 16.2.2 in use, it meant that making the finals simply wasn't good enough. You'd have to WIN the tournament or win out the backdoor bracket to punch your ticket to the show.... so you can imagine, it got harder this year, not to mention that the teams got better in the Southwest Region.
Game 1 vs. Lunch Money
We came out firing against our Sectional counterparts. The first point being the longest point in the game, we simply out played them from the very beginning, with defense being the most defining strength. Simply put, we forced tough throws and allows very little up-field looks which resulted in high stall counts and easy d's. We rolled off a 6-0 run to start the game, taking half 8-2 enroute to an easy 15-5 win. Great start to the tournament, keeping in mind that we wanted to keep our big guns fresh for the difficult games that lay ahead.
Game 2 vs. Love Tractor
This team came out with more fire then the past and we essentially traded with them before going on a huge defensive run that put us up from 3-3 to 9-3. From there... it was just a simple trade-fest and a 15-8 win over a very spirited but overmatched Colorado team. The term coach Frankie threw around was that we needed to "ramp-up" to the Semis and Finals, and from the way we were playing, it was looking good and we were starting to get our offense into the right gear.
Game 3 vs. Killjoy
This was a game where we felt we needed to prove the most to the Region. For weeks leading up to the tournament, all I heard as the TD was that Killjoy should be seeded higher since they beat Metro, or "we beat Killjoy, so we should be ahead of Metro... etc." While in all actuality, they had valid arguments, in my head, I was thinking what BS. We lost to Killjoy by 4 at Labor Day with a injury riddled squad, and the first game of the day. I knew that we had something to prove and we owed it to Killjoy to show them what we were really made of. We pretty much scored 2 goals to their 1 in the first half, going up 7-4 before they closed the gap to 8-6 at half. We continued the pressure and wound up running away with a 14-10 win and despite finishing the season series against Killjoy at 1-1, we had won the one that counted and could silence the doubt and shut up our critics. It was a great win, and meant that we had locked up the 1 seed in the pool and a spot into Saturday finals against B1: Barrio.
Semifinals vs. Barrio
The season series was 1-1. We blew a 9-6 lead at GRUB to lose 10-12, and got over the "hump" with a good win at ECC 13-8. This was the "rubber game," the "best-out-of-three" kind of game that proves to the world who's the superior team. It was only fitting that this winner-take all game was for a berth in the finals. Barrio had won Regionals for several years running, and had beaten us last year in the finals 9-14, but no one cared. We were to elated to be going to the show... we could have cared less about winning the Region in 2009. Things were different this year... as simply making the finals did not guarantee a bid. We knew we had to win out from here to make things easier.
Game time was 3:30pm on Saturday. The sun was sitting kindof low in the sky, but there was a buzz to the game like none I have ever experienced. The other semifinal game was on the far field (in the sun), while our semifinal had a row of trees on one sideline that cast a shade on one side, and of course drew a large crowd. Teams from New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, who had finished their games were out in droves, drinking, fooling around, all while watching this game. It was a great atmosphere. Metro started on D and almost instantly you could tell the energy level was beyond anything we had played at this year. The sideline was on TOP of the o-line and before we knew it, they had miscommunicated and turned a sloppy dump pass for negative yards to no one. It almost felt like being in a loud NFL crowd and inducing a false start. Trogdor quickly jumped on the disc and threw to a wide open Peaches for the first break of the game. 
We traded points from there and went up 5-4 before going on a defensive tear and breaking the game open with a 4-0 run to put us up 9-4. From there on, Barrio was only able to get back one break before we put them away 14-10. It was a great feeling going back to the finals, but the celebration was brief, and after the game, the focus was back on because 7 Figures had just punched their ticket to the final with a 15-7 win over BCBC. What this meant was an all LA Final, with a bid to Nationals on the line.
====
We all knew going into the Barrio game that we would be playing 7-Figures if we beat them, barring some miraculous charge from BCBC, no offense to them. It was easy to overlook the Barrio game and look ahead to a matchup with 7 Figs, but I am proud how our team focused on the game at hand and took care of business.
We had dinner at Holly's place, watched Stanford beat USC, and went to bed 4-0 on the day. The next morning was intense. Not in a... omg we're late type of way, but, the anxiety and focus was much more noticeable on 10/10/10 then any other tournament Sunday that I have experienced. People doing yoga, ipods on... focused looks while drinking morning joe. Everyone had the game on their minds. Even though it was a 1:45pm start, it was on my mind from the moment I woke up. A couple of us ended up at I-Hop for breakfast, and I feel like that was the best thing for me. I was with 4 other close teammates and we shared stories, joked around, and as opposed to the intensity and focus in the morning, things were loose, relaxed, and jovial. It was good for us to go into the finals relaxed, after all... ultimate is about fun right?
===
Finals
(#1) 7 -Figures vs. (#3) LA Metro
The last time we played, 7-Figures established that they were the team to beat in the Region. The obvious and deserved #1 seed destroyed us 15-6 in the FINALS of Sectionals. It was ridiculous and a pain that didn't go away for weeks. It ate at me and pushed me to be better... and I know it bothered everyone since all the practices were at an intensity none of us had practiced at all year. It was great and we knew we did what we could to be ready.
First pull at a little before 1:50pm, and the game was underway. We started on D and immediately generated a turn but was unable to generate points. Figs went up 1 before we responded with a huge sky from Barrs "gimme that" Lang. At 2-2, the momentum swung. I am told that momentum usually swings in the middle to later parts of the game but whoever was present at this game knew that right then and there, at two all, we got a jolt of momentum from Trogdor! Simply said, our defense was stifiling and we got them swinging the disc in their end zone and stuck on the front cone. We clamped down hard and a forced dump was met with a quick la
yout from Trogdor for the callahan break. The energy was up, and before we knew it, we had seized control of the game going up 9-5. But 7-Figures is a team that we all respect. They have solid players who have much experience, and we were in an all too familiar situation being up 9-5. In an earlier scrimmage, we had been up 9-6, only to be bageled the second half enroute to a 15-9 trouncing. It showed us the potential 7-Figures had if they could get a little bit of a run going, which they did. They went on a 4-2 run to bring it to 11-10, but the difference being that our offensive line of Taz, Gordy, Hammie, Kief, Keegan, Bambi, and Misch responded and the defensive lines kept on rolling to put us up 14-10, game point. We failed to punch it in and at 14-13... we were in need of a dire score. The line of Yugo, Scott, Barrs, Kief, Bambi, Taz, and Misch went on and before we knew it.... we got it done and clinched the win 15-13. Cue the rush, the champagne, tears, hugs... complete elation.
===
The first LA team to win Regionals... wow... it was sweet. Well deserving and in the huddle afterwards, nothing but smiles, joy, and sweet relief. It was a feel good story for us. Being discouraged and dismantled by a very good team in 7 Figures at Sectionals, only to put it all together, adjust, and run the table at Regionals. A perfect 5-0, and the title as the #1 Mixed team in the Southwest Region. It broke everyone's heart to see Barrio beat 7-Figures in the backdoor game, and I know that many Metroids lost their voices cheering our LA friends on. There was an incredible atmosphere present on the sidelines at Freedom Park in Camarillo, CA. Many teams stayed late to watch the finals, with many chanting, heckling, yelling... the sideline was alive at Regionals... and it all amounted to one of the best weekends of my life.
The tournament was successful, people were happy, but above all, we were going to Florida. I took Monday and Tuesday to soak in the moment, but I know that today, the track awaits, the stairs await, and I will hate Ben Bergen after the workout is through.
LA Metro is going back to the show... it doesn't get any sweeter than this. =)
-Hammie
LA Metro #10
Monday, October 11, 2010
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Southwest Mixed Regionals 2010 Preview
I finally have a slight break in the action to sit down and pound this out. My apologies if it is not as thorough as you guys are accustomed to. I'm putting together the last parts of the tournament in addition to the captain's packet + other logistical issues.
-ham
-----------------
With AMP, wHagonweel, Mischief, Polar Bears, Bucket, Conspiracy Theory, and Dirty Birds qualifying for the show this past weekend, 9 spots remain going into the weekend. As many of you have now experienced or heard of, the planning for the Southwest Regionals was simply disastrous and resulted in the divisions being split up around the SB/Oxnard area. There has been very little information about the Open division, but for the most part, the Mixed division has been ready to go since early September.
Two bids to Sarasota, Florida. Here is the team-by-team preview:
The Contenders
Here are the "big guns," or the teams that have the complete package to make a run to the show. This of course being the top 4 teams in the tournament, the headliners of each pool, and the teams that have all been there before.
7 Figures, Los Angeles, CA
Here we have the "talented upstarts," the first year mixed team who have proven that they are the top dog in the city of angels. The 7-Figures concept is nothing new. Add one part experienced open player, add another part experienced womens player, turn up the oven and broil for the duration of a season. In some cases, the recipe is wrong and the result is a team that has so much talent but simply can't play with each other. In this case, the result has been golden. 7 Figures has demonstrated over the season that this recipe works and when done with a group of guys and girls who have been playing with each other for years, you get quite a team construct. Winners of Chico, and finalists at Labor Day, they have run away from the rest of the field in the SoCal Section, beating Metro in the finals by 9. They are by far the rightful one-seed at Regionals and know that despite their success, other teams are coming after them.
Barrio, Tucson, AZ
Barrio finds themselves in the awkward position of the #2 seed in the tournament. For the past several years, they have been the perennial favorites to advance to the USAU Championships and despite having a successful year, they have not performed as dominantly as they have in the past. With solid wins over Dogfight, AIR, BCBC, and Golden Spike, Barrio likes to play with everything in balance. They are solid up and down the board and in my experience against them, any one of them can beat you. Of course with Jeff Grobe still playing top level Ultimate, he is still a force to be reckoned with. Barrio is the #2 seed... but watch for them to simply catch fire at the right time and show off that team chemistry they are known for.
LA Metro, Los Angeles, CA
It's been an up and down season for the orange and blue. A 11th place finish at Nationals last year was indeed successful but it left many with a hunger for more. However; with many key losses and a shuffling in the roster, it's been a rollercoaster ride of a season in 2010. Key wins over Polar Bears, Barrio, Dogfight, AIR, offset tough losses to 7-Figures, Killjoy, and Swagger. Injuries have ravaged the team including bouts of mono that have resulted in having incomplete rosters for all tournaments played this year, including Regionals. But Metro is ready, and has proven time and time again that you can't beat a formula that has already proven to work.
Masters of the Universe, Denver, CO
From what I've heard and been told, these are the Cougars from '08 and '09. You can almost expect a mix of ex-open and women's players a la 7-Figures. They have a lot of skill and experience and in the past two years have qualified for Nationals (only attending in '08). They have picked up some new faces and breezed through the Rocky Mountain Section with relative ease. They will be a "tough out" to put it in baseball terms.
The Dark Horses
These are the teams that will simply ruin a top seed's tournament. Brown Chicken Brown Cow and Killjoy are teams that have hung with the best all season but haven't quite cracked the top yet... but that doesn't mean that they aren't poised to do so. I would even put Red or Green in this category.
Brown Chicken Brown Cow (like Metro), has had a relatively up and down season with good wins coupled with very bad losses. Such a result could be caused by the fact that they don't ever have a definitive roster until the day of (sans the Series), in addition to making final cuts 2 weekends before the Series. What this means is that there is a plethora of talent on this team, but chemistry must be produced on site. They lost some players to injury but look them to give MotU all they can handle.
Killjoy is in the same boat. With them as the 6 seed overall, it sets up a rematch against Metro, whom they beat at Labor Day 14-11 for their only win of that tournament. They have solid throwers, and from what I remember, a pretty stingy defense. Red or Green is from New Mexico and from what I am told, they bring a lot to the table. As a humble 10 seed... they are technically in the middle of the pack, but gave Barrio a very good game at Sectionals in addition to some good wins at GRUB. I have never seen this team, but am basing this off of what I've heard/been told. They could wreak havoc in Pool A... or they could pack it in and just have a fun tournament. We shall see.
Middle of the Pack
Teams from ranks #7-->#14 are what I call, the pack. These are teams that have qualified for Regionals because they are good... but don't have what it takes to hang with the top teams in the Region.
Operation Kapow and Swingline hail from the Rocky Mountain Section and are a good example. They have a couple solid handlers and cutters but for the most part, depth is a major issue. In 2009, Operation Kapow made it all the way to the Semifinals, relying on their deep game male handlers, but in the couple games we've had against them, they have a solid top line but simply did not have the depth to keep up for 15 points. Maybe they did not have their full squads out at those tournaments, but it seems like they are in the middle of the pack, with losses to Swingline, Funk, Golden Spike, and really big losses to Metro, 7 Figures, and BCBC. Who knows about this team. Again... depth is an issue.
Party Van and Mesteno were teams who advanced to Quarters in '09. These teams have lost some players over the past year with Mesteno being less deep from what I remember from last year. They both have the potential to play hard against the top teams but again simply do not have the athleticism and depth to compete until the soft cap.
What would make me happy? One of these teams to prove me wrong and play balls out and do something crazy this weekend.
The Happy to be Here's
The bottom two teams in the Regional are the Expendables and LOFT... both from the Southern California Section with Loft advancing because SC6 Fork in the Road was unable to attend. These teams have nothing to lose and have an infinite amount to gain. There are two ways for these types of teams to play Regionals. One, as a spoiler to teams ranked above them to prove the TD wrong... or two, for fun. This would usually involve some drinking and consequently some forfeitures in the later placement brackets on Sunday but it doesn't matter. Ultimate is for fun right? It's great just to see these two teams out and I am very glad they decided to come play.
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It is now 8:55pm, and since my first keystroke on this entry, I've consumed a Pastrami Sandwich from the Hat in addition to two glasses of Merlot that I'm trying to finish before it goes bad. So to say the least, I apologize if this post was not as focused and poised as my previous previews.
I just want to add that serving as the Southwest Mixed Regionals Coordinator for this season has been quite a learning experience for me and I have come to appreciate any person who has had to set up and/or run an entire tournament. It is not easy and with the drama surrounding the venue changes and what not, it has been one wild ride. Thank you to ALL who have offered encouragement and support through the season. I don't think I could have done it all without you all.
T-minus 4 days until Regionals. 4 more days until the most important tournament of the year. 16 teams... all start off with a clean slate at 0-0. In the end, two teams will earn the right to extend their seasons and travel to Sarasota, Florida. Time to realize why we ran all those sprints, all those miles. Why we did all those push-ups, all those sit-ups. Time to realize that all our efforts on the season lead up to this tournament, and that if there was ever a time to leave it all on the field... now is the time. Envision greatness... picture yourself achieving your goals.
It's go time...
-10
-ham
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With AMP, wHagonweel, Mischief, Polar Bears, Bucket, Conspiracy Theory, and Dirty Birds qualifying for the show this past weekend, 9 spots remain going into the weekend. As many of you have now experienced or heard of, the planning for the Southwest Regionals was simply disastrous and resulted in the divisions being split up around the SB/Oxnard area. There has been very little information about the Open division, but for the most part, the Mixed division has been ready to go since early September.
Two bids to Sarasota, Florida. Here is the team-by-team preview:
The Contenders
Here are the "big guns," or the teams that have the complete package to make a run to the show. This of course being the top 4 teams in the tournament, the headliners of each pool, and the teams that have all been there before.
7 Figures, Los Angeles, CA
Here we have the "talented upstarts," the first year mixed team who have proven that they are the top dog in the city of angels. The 7-Figures concept is nothing new. Add one part experienced open player, add another part experienced womens player, turn up the oven and broil for the duration of a season. In some cases, the recipe is wrong and the result is a team that has so much talent but simply can't play with each other. In this case, the result has been golden. 7 Figures has demonstrated over the season that this recipe works and when done with a group of guys and girls who have been playing with each other for years, you get quite a team construct. Winners of Chico, and finalists at Labor Day, they have run away from the rest of the field in the SoCal Section, beating Metro in the finals by 9. They are by far the rightful one-seed at Regionals and know that despite their success, other teams are coming after them.
Barrio, Tucson, AZ
Barrio finds themselves in the awkward position of the #2 seed in the tournament. For the past several years, they have been the perennial favorites to advance to the USAU Championships and despite having a successful year, they have not performed as dominantly as they have in the past. With solid wins over Dogfight, AIR, BCBC, and Golden Spike, Barrio likes to play with everything in balance. They are solid up and down the board and in my experience against them, any one of them can beat you. Of course with Jeff Grobe still playing top level Ultimate, he is still a force to be reckoned with. Barrio is the #2 seed... but watch for them to simply catch fire at the right time and show off that team chemistry they are known for.
LA Metro, Los Angeles, CA
It's been an up and down season for the orange and blue. A 11th place finish at Nationals last year was indeed successful but it left many with a hunger for more. However; with many key losses and a shuffling in the roster, it's been a rollercoaster ride of a season in 2010. Key wins over Polar Bears, Barrio, Dogfight, AIR, offset tough losses to 7-Figures, Killjoy, and Swagger. Injuries have ravaged the team including bouts of mono that have resulted in having incomplete rosters for all tournaments played this year, including Regionals. But Metro is ready, and has proven time and time again that you can't beat a formula that has already proven to work.
Masters of the Universe, Denver, CO
From what I've heard and been told, these are the Cougars from '08 and '09. You can almost expect a mix of ex-open and women's players a la 7-Figures. They have a lot of skill and experience and in the past two years have qualified for Nationals (only attending in '08). They have picked up some new faces and breezed through the Rocky Mountain Section with relative ease. They will be a "tough out" to put it in baseball terms.
The Dark Horses
These are the teams that will simply ruin a top seed's tournament. Brown Chicken Brown Cow and Killjoy are teams that have hung with the best all season but haven't quite cracked the top yet... but that doesn't mean that they aren't poised to do so. I would even put Red or Green in this category.
Brown Chicken Brown Cow (like Metro), has had a relatively up and down season with good wins coupled with very bad losses. Such a result could be caused by the fact that they don't ever have a definitive roster until the day of (sans the Series), in addition to making final cuts 2 weekends before the Series. What this means is that there is a plethora of talent on this team, but chemistry must be produced on site. They lost some players to injury but look them to give MotU all they can handle.
Killjoy is in the same boat. With them as the 6 seed overall, it sets up a rematch against Metro, whom they beat at Labor Day 14-11 for their only win of that tournament. They have solid throwers, and from what I remember, a pretty stingy defense. Red or Green is from New Mexico and from what I am told, they bring a lot to the table. As a humble 10 seed... they are technically in the middle of the pack, but gave Barrio a very good game at Sectionals in addition to some good wins at GRUB. I have never seen this team, but am basing this off of what I've heard/been told. They could wreak havoc in Pool A... or they could pack it in and just have a fun tournament. We shall see.
Middle of the Pack
Teams from ranks #7-->#14 are what I call, the pack. These are teams that have qualified for Regionals because they are good... but don't have what it takes to hang with the top teams in the Region.
Operation Kapow and Swingline hail from the Rocky Mountain Section and are a good example. They have a couple solid handlers and cutters but for the most part, depth is a major issue. In 2009, Operation Kapow made it all the way to the Semifinals, relying on their deep game male handlers, but in the couple games we've had against them, they have a solid top line but simply did not have the depth to keep up for 15 points. Maybe they did not have their full squads out at those tournaments, but it seems like they are in the middle of the pack, with losses to Swingline, Funk, Golden Spike, and really big losses to Metro, 7 Figures, and BCBC. Who knows about this team. Again... depth is an issue.
Party Van and Mesteno were teams who advanced to Quarters in '09. These teams have lost some players over the past year with Mesteno being less deep from what I remember from last year. They both have the potential to play hard against the top teams but again simply do not have the athleticism and depth to compete until the soft cap.
What would make me happy? One of these teams to prove me wrong and play balls out and do something crazy this weekend.
The Happy to be Here's
The bottom two teams in the Regional are the Expendables and LOFT... both from the Southern California Section with Loft advancing because SC6 Fork in the Road was unable to attend. These teams have nothing to lose and have an infinite amount to gain. There are two ways for these types of teams to play Regionals. One, as a spoiler to teams ranked above them to prove the TD wrong... or two, for fun. This would usually involve some drinking and consequently some forfeitures in the later placement brackets on Sunday but it doesn't matter. Ultimate is for fun right? It's great just to see these two teams out and I am very glad they decided to come play.
------------
It is now 8:55pm, and since my first keystroke on this entry, I've consumed a Pastrami Sandwich from the Hat in addition to two glasses of Merlot that I'm trying to finish before it goes bad. So to say the least, I apologize if this post was not as focused and poised as my previous previews.
I just want to add that serving as the Southwest Mixed Regionals Coordinator for this season has been quite a learning experience for me and I have come to appreciate any person who has had to set up and/or run an entire tournament. It is not easy and with the drama surrounding the venue changes and what not, it has been one wild ride. Thank you to ALL who have offered encouragement and support through the season. I don't think I could have done it all without you all.
T-minus 4 days until Regionals. 4 more days until the most important tournament of the year. 16 teams... all start off with a clean slate at 0-0. In the end, two teams will earn the right to extend their seasons and travel to Sarasota, Florida. Time to realize why we ran all those sprints, all those miles. Why we did all those push-ups, all those sit-ups. Time to realize that all our efforts on the season lead up to this tournament, and that if there was ever a time to leave it all on the field... now is the time. Envision greatness... picture yourself achieving your goals.
It's go time...
-10
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Mixed Southern California Sectionals Preview
First off, my sincerest apologies for not writing up a Labor Day wrap-up. Many of you guys know that I am the Regionals Coordinator for the Southwest so that has taken up the majority of my time in preparations for Sectionals and Regionals. However; I've just finalized the Sectionals schedule so I have some time now to write about the upcoming Mixed Sectionals in Long Beach, CA.
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Pool A
1. 7 Figures
2. Lunch Money
3. Loft
4. Fork in the Road
This pool is relatively straightforward. The big gun in this pool is obviously the top seed overall, 7-Figures from Los Angeles. Their impressive performance at the Labor Day Championships two weeks ago spoke volumes as to how good this team is and what they can do. With wins over Dogfight, Polar Bears, and a near finals-win over Mischief, 7-Figures looks very good going into the Series. Their men have a lot of open experience while their women are all seasoned veterans who bring speed and skill to complement the accuracy that their male throwers possess. They should have no problems in this pool and should cruise into semis.
Lunch Money, Loft, and Fork in the Road will be left battling for the coveted second spot into Semis. Lunch Money brings a lot of youth to the table with many players from the Air Squids in addition to seasoned veterans such as Alan M. who will throw 40 yard hammer bombs at will. They are quick and athletic. Loft, or "left over from teams" brings a gangg of seasoned players from the greater Los Angeles area. Same with Fork-in-the Road. I am unsure as to what these two teams bring to the table, but it will be interesting to watch them play and how they stack up against the #1 seed.
Note: I have also been told Fork in the Road has some sort of over/under beer bet going on with 7-Figures. Fork is going to be playing inspired against 7-Figs. Should be a good game to watch. If this is a over/under on point dif... I'm calling "UNDER."
Pool B
1. Metro
2. BCBC
3. Expendables
4. OCD
5. In-N-Out
With 5 teams in the pool, it was a tricky pool to schedule. LA Metro is the #2 seed overall in the tournament and look to break seed come bracket play, but they will have to first tackle their long-time rivals BCBC as the #3 seed overall. BCBC has thrown "multiple looks" at different tournaments this past year and it will be interesting to see who they actually have for the Series. BCBC suffered a significant loss in Brian Calle tearing his ACL or MCL at Labor Day. They lose one of their stronger handlers and now must rely on more of their cutters to do the disc handling. It will be interesting to see how this experienced team adjusts to this adversity in addition to their team only recently being finalized to their current roster.
The Expendables, OCD, and IN-N-Out are three teams that have been around for a while, but always bring something different to Sectionals. If you recall, IN-N-Out took half against LA Metro last year at Sectionals 8-6 enroute to a 11-13 loss. It was a VERY close game and they really brought it against us, even though we were the #1 seed overall. OCD is a very young team but they're quick and gritty and gave teams trouble last year as well. Their strength will really be their familiarity with each other as they are mostly players who played together on the Chapman College team. The Expendables are another "pickup" team that have experience and veteran leadership pulling for them.
The tricky part of pool B involved distributing round byes at appropriate times. Teams will have to deal with multiple byes, most noticeably IN-N-Out who have a double bye during the 4th and 5th rounds. It is going to be a very fun weekend with 6 total bids to Regionals.
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Open Preview
San Diego is going to roll through pool play and take the Sectionals title with a 15-12 win over the Condors in the finals. Look for 405 to be the "breakthrough" team in this tournament and who knows... maybe they can pull the upset over the Condors in the 3rd round. It will be very interesting to watch the Beyondors go up against the open teams. They made semifinals at Nationals last season and should still have a very strong roster.
Good luck in your preparation! See you all Saturday
-Hammie #10
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Pool A
1. 7 Figures
2. Lunch Money
3. Loft
4. Fork in the Road
This pool is relatively straightforward. The big gun in this pool is obviously the top seed overall, 7-Figures from Los Angeles. Their impressive performance at the Labor Day Championships two weeks ago spoke volumes as to how good this team is and what they can do. With wins over Dogfight, Polar Bears, and a near finals-win over Mischief, 7-Figures looks very good going into the Series. Their men have a lot of open experience while their women are all seasoned veterans who bring speed and skill to complement the accuracy that their male throwers possess. They should have no problems in this pool and should cruise into semis.
Lunch Money, Loft, and Fork in the Road will be left battling for the coveted second spot into Semis. Lunch Money brings a lot of youth to the table with many players from the Air Squids in addition to seasoned veterans such as Alan M. who will throw 40 yard hammer bombs at will. They are quick and athletic. Loft, or "left over from teams" brings a gangg of seasoned players from the greater Los Angeles area. Same with Fork-in-the Road. I am unsure as to what these two teams bring to the table, but it will be interesting to watch them play and how they stack up against the #1 seed.
Note: I have also been told Fork in the Road has some sort of over/under beer bet going on with 7-Figures. Fork is going to be playing inspired against 7-Figs. Should be a good game to watch. If this is a over/under on point dif... I'm calling "UNDER."
Pool B
1. Metro
2. BCBC
3. Expendables
4. OCD
5. In-N-Out
With 5 teams in the pool, it was a tricky pool to schedule. LA Metro is the #2 seed overall in the tournament and look to break seed come bracket play, but they will have to first tackle their long-time rivals BCBC as the #3 seed overall. BCBC has thrown "multiple looks" at different tournaments this past year and it will be interesting to see who they actually have for the Series. BCBC suffered a significant loss in Brian Calle tearing his ACL or MCL at Labor Day. They lose one of their stronger handlers and now must rely on more of their cutters to do the disc handling. It will be interesting to see how this experienced team adjusts to this adversity in addition to their team only recently being finalized to their current roster.
The Expendables, OCD, and IN-N-Out are three teams that have been around for a while, but always bring something different to Sectionals. If you recall, IN-N-Out took half against LA Metro last year at Sectionals 8-6 enroute to a 11-13 loss. It was a VERY close game and they really brought it against us, even though we were the #1 seed overall. OCD is a very young team but they're quick and gritty and gave teams trouble last year as well. Their strength will really be their familiarity with each other as they are mostly players who played together on the Chapman College team. The Expendables are another "pickup" team that have experience and veteran leadership pulling for them.
The tricky part of pool B involved distributing round byes at appropriate times. Teams will have to deal with multiple byes, most noticeably IN-N-Out who have a double bye during the 4th and 5th rounds. It is going to be a very fun weekend with 6 total bids to Regionals.
----------------------
Open Preview
San Diego is going to roll through pool play and take the Sectionals title with a 15-12 win over the Condors in the finals. Look for 405 to be the "breakthrough" team in this tournament and who knows... maybe they can pull the upset over the Condors in the 3rd round. It will be very interesting to watch the Beyondors go up against the open teams. They made semifinals at Nationals last season and should still have a very strong roster.
Good luck in your preparation! See you all Saturday
-Hammie #10
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Labor Day Mixed Preview
First off, my apologies for not keeping up with the blog as of late. We are in the thick of the season, but my duties as the Southwest Mixed Regionals Coordinator has had be crazy busy so I have been unable to blog about Ultimate. But there's a break in the action, so here's a quick preview for this upcoming weekend. Props to Andy Bandit for the reminder =)
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Pool A
1. Polar Bears(1)
2. Golden Spike (8)
3. Death Star (9)
4. Dirty Birds (16)
This pool features three new teams to the mixed scene with top-seeded Polar Bears, Golden Spike from Utah, Death Star from Davis, CA, and the Dirty Birds from... notsureville. This pool looks very straightforward with the best game most likely coming from the 8-9 matchup between Golden Spike and Death Star. Polar Bears have proven to be very strong this season and are deserving of the top seed overall with a recent semis-finish at ECC. I'm eying the upset by Death Star over Golden Spike in a tight game.
Pool B
1. Mischief (2)
2. 7 Figures (7)
3. Operation Kapow (10)
4. American BBQ (15)
No upsets here. Mischief has been the blueprint for solid mixed-ultimate for the past 6 or so years and they will battle it out with upstarts 7-Figures, 2nd-year team Operation Kapow, and American BBQ. I just don't see any upsets happening here but look for 7-Figures to put up a very tough game for the #2 seed overall. 7-Figures has proven that blending open and women's players into a mixed team can work and their spot-on throws from their men to their female cutters is a very dangerous weapon that they like to utilize. This is Operation Kapow's first trip to Labor Day and should be looking to improve on their team game before the USAU Series.
Pool C
1. Barrio (3)
2. A.I.R. (6)
3. CTR (11)
4. Brown Chicken Brown Cow (14)
I am going to call this the "Pool of Death." You've got Nationals contender Barrio from Tuscon, AZ battling it out against BCBC, who placed 13th at Nationals last year, in addition to solid Bay Area teams in AIR and CTR. This is going to be one exciting pool to watch. AIR and CTR had a less than stellar showing at ECC but are at home in the Bay Area, looking to redeem themselves and put up a solid showing. BCBC are the dark horses at the 14th seed. No one really knows who's going to show up for their team but time and time again, they seem to always pull it together and cause some disruption in the pools. They are solid with women but a big question mark still remains in whether their unfamiliarity with each other will take precedence over their abundance of talent. Barrio takes the top seed going 3-0, with the other three teams just beating each other up. This pool is up for grabs. Should be fun to watch.
Pool D
1. Dogfight (4)
2. LA Metro (5)
3. FunK (12)
4. Operation Killjoy (13)
Pretty interesting to see the 4-5 match up and also the 12-13 matchup in one pool. Last time we played Dogfight, from Portland, OR, We were shut out in the first-half but closed to make it a somewhat "respectable" 8-14 loss. Dogfight is solid with a lot of athleticism and are a worthy top seed in Pool D. FunK and Killjoy are the two teams I am least familiar with. We lost to FunK on universe point at Calstates, but granted it was early in the season with tryouts, and we were resting the majority of our players for that final game on Sunday. Killjoy had a decent showing at GRUB but who knows how much better they've become since then. No upsets here, this pool finishes as is.
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The biggest concern for me this tournament has to be the playing surface. Turf has never been a favorite of mine and although there are no potholes or sprinkler heads to bust ankles on, the trade-off is the fact that the turf is not very forgiving on knees, hips, and shoulders. A big layout D last year dislocated my arm and has caused me to take more steps in mentally preparing to play again on the turf. It's no excuse though and shouldn't alter overall play... but I know the thought of getting hurt is always tucked away somewhere. (MRI on my shoulder coming soon). That said, this tournament is something I am really looking forward to. I'm playing back home in Northern California, the weather is going to be great, and above all, we're just out there having fun playing Ultimate. This is the last tournament before the club series and by now, most teams are hitting their stride and flexing their muscle.
Best of luck to all teams participating this weekend, and good luck to the Irvine club players (Allen, Evan, Iris, Annie, Melissa, Enway), who are participating in the Labor Day Championships this year. I will be in Northern California until Tuesday evening seeing family, so expect a tournament wrap Monday evening or Tuesday morning.
Cheers! Safe Travels
Samuel Chen
LA Metro #10
follow metro at www.twitter.com/metroultimate
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1. Polar Bears(1)
2. Golden Spike (8)
3. Death Star (9)
4. Dirty Birds (16)
This pool features three new teams to the mixed scene with top-seeded Polar Bears, Golden Spike from Utah, Death Star from Davis, CA, and the Dirty Birds from... notsureville. This pool looks very straightforward with the best game most likely coming from the 8-9 matchup between Golden Spike and Death Star. Polar Bears have proven to be very strong this season and are deserving of the top seed overall with a recent semis-finish at ECC. I'm eying the upset by Death Star over Golden Spike in a tight game.
Pool B
1. Mischief (2)
2. 7 Figures (7)
3. Operation Kapow (10)
4. American BBQ (15)
No upsets here. Mischief has been the blueprint for solid mixed-ultimate for the past 6 or so years and they will battle it out with upstarts 7-Figures, 2nd-year team Operation Kapow, and American BBQ. I just don't see any upsets happening here but look for 7-Figures to put up a very tough game for the #2 seed overall. 7-Figures has proven that blending open and women's players into a mixed team can work and their spot-on throws from their men to their female cutters is a very dangerous weapon that they like to utilize. This is Operation Kapow's first trip to Labor Day and should be looking to improve on their team game before the USAU Series.
Pool C
1. Barrio (3)
2. A.I.R. (6)
3. CTR (11)
4. Brown Chicken Brown Cow (14)
I am going to call this the "Pool of Death." You've got Nationals contender Barrio from Tuscon, AZ battling it out against BCBC, who placed 13th at Nationals last year, in addition to solid Bay Area teams in AIR and CTR. This is going to be one exciting pool to watch. AIR and CTR had a less than stellar showing at ECC but are at home in the Bay Area, looking to redeem themselves and put up a solid showing. BCBC are the dark horses at the 14th seed. No one really knows who's going to show up for their team but time and time again, they seem to always pull it together and cause some disruption in the pools. They are solid with women but a big question mark still remains in whether their unfamiliarity with each other will take precedence over their abundance of talent. Barrio takes the top seed going 3-0, with the other three teams just beating each other up. This pool is up for grabs. Should be fun to watch.
Pool D
1. Dogfight (4)
2. LA Metro (5)
3. FunK (12)
4. Operation Killjoy (13)
Pretty interesting to see the 4-5 match up and also the 12-13 matchup in one pool. Last time we played Dogfight, from Portland, OR, We were shut out in the first-half but closed to make it a somewhat "respectable" 8-14 loss. Dogfight is solid with a lot of athleticism and are a worthy top seed in Pool D. FunK and Killjoy are the two teams I am least familiar with. We lost to FunK on universe point at Calstates, but granted it was early in the season with tryouts, and we were resting the majority of our players for that final game on Sunday. Killjoy had a decent showing at GRUB but who knows how much better they've become since then. No upsets here, this pool finishes as is.
-------
The biggest concern for me this tournament has to be the playing surface. Turf has never been a favorite of mine and although there are no potholes or sprinkler heads to bust ankles on, the trade-off is the fact that the turf is not very forgiving on knees, hips, and shoulders. A big layout D last year dislocated my arm and has caused me to take more steps in mentally preparing to play again on the turf. It's no excuse though and shouldn't alter overall play... but I know the thought of getting hurt is always tucked away somewhere. (MRI on my shoulder coming soon). That said, this tournament is something I am really looking forward to. I'm playing back home in Northern California, the weather is going to be great, and above all, we're just out there having fun playing Ultimate. This is the last tournament before the club series and by now, most teams are hitting their stride and flexing their muscle.
Best of luck to all teams participating this weekend, and good luck to the Irvine club players (Allen, Evan, Iris, Annie, Melissa, Enway), who are participating in the Labor Day Championships this year. I will be in Northern California until Tuesday evening seeing family, so expect a tournament wrap Monday evening or Tuesday morning.
Cheers! Safe Travels
Samuel Chen
LA Metro #10
follow metro at www.twitter.com/metroultimate
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Emerald City Classic 2010 Preview
The pools went up on the USA Ultimate score reporter earlier this week, and by most standards, it was a bit wonky to say the least. I am unsure whether this will be the final format for a 13-team field, but generally the seedings are a bit suspect and I am unsure as to whether the seeding was done on purpose, or if the TD's threw darts at team names on the wall to determine #'s 1-13. Well anyway, I'll be going on what they have up currently.
Pool A
1. AIR
2. Barrio
3. Dogfight
4. Polar Bears
Pool B
1. CTR
2. LA Metro
3. Slow White
4. Ranier Rapture
Pool C
1. District 5
2. FunK
3. Mischief
4. Swagger
5. Psychoplastique
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With 3 of the top 5 seeds from the Bay Area, it'll be interesting to see how this pans out. Personally I believe several teams are ridiculously under-seeded (Mischief, Barrio, Polar Bears), not to mention Nationals contenders Psychoplastique. ECC has always been THE tournament I've wanted to attend in club. Being a young player, I would see the ultivillage tapes of the top teams in the nation competing it out in a "pre-nationals" tournament that would feature... like I said, National-caliber teams. A good example would be to look at the Open side of the tournament.
The mixed division doesn't have the star power the Open or Women's divisions have, but with 5 teams that have participated in Nationals within the past several years, (Metro, Mischief, Psychoplastique, Swagger/Doh', Barrio), there will be plenty of good play. Seeding is still a bit weird for me... as they do not reflect the way teams have been playing in the past several tournaments.
If you look at CalStates and Revolutions, it simply does not fit. Polar Bears won the tournament going 6-0 and they're seeded last in their pool. AIR posted losses to Mischief and FunK and sits on top of the field. It's trends like this that have me questioning the validity of the pools/rankings, but hey... it's still early in the season and who knows how good these teams actually are. The two teams from the East Coast, District 5 and Slow White are looking good. District 5 has only lost once in the past month or so, to perennial Nationals team, AMP from Phily. Slow White has only lost twice all season... both to District 5... so these teams show great strengths early on. Mischief has two losses all season, to District 5 and Slow White. Interesting huh? It'll be pretty neat to see all these Regional powerhouses go at it in Seattle.
We could talk about seeding/rankings all morning... why someone is underseeded, why someone is overseeded, but at the end of the day, it's all proven on the field. We're out of the "pre-season" now and working into the heart of the season. It's ECC, then Labor Day, and then the all important Series. We'll be posting score updates and tournament shenanigans here.
Wish us luck. Hopefully we can make Southern California proud.
-hammie #10
Pool A
1. AIR
2. Barrio
3. Dogfight
4. Polar Bears
Pool B
1. CTR
2. LA Metro
3. Slow White
4. Ranier Rapture
Pool C
1. District 5
2. FunK
3. Mischief
4. Swagger
5. Psychoplastique
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With 3 of the top 5 seeds from the Bay Area, it'll be interesting to see how this pans out. Personally I believe several teams are ridiculously under-seeded (Mischief, Barrio, Polar Bears), not to mention Nationals contenders Psychoplastique. ECC has always been THE tournament I've wanted to attend in club. Being a young player, I would see the ultivillage tapes of the top teams in the nation competing it out in a "pre-nationals" tournament that would feature... like I said, National-caliber teams. A good example would be to look at the Open side of the tournament.
The mixed division doesn't have the star power the Open or Women's divisions have, but with 5 teams that have participated in Nationals within the past several years, (Metro, Mischief, Psychoplastique, Swagger/Doh', Barrio), there will be plenty of good play. Seeding is still a bit weird for me... as they do not reflect the way teams have been playing in the past several tournaments.
If you look at CalStates and Revolutions, it simply does not fit. Polar Bears won the tournament going 6-0 and they're seeded last in their pool. AIR posted losses to Mischief and FunK and sits on top of the field. It's trends like this that have me questioning the validity of the pools/rankings, but hey... it's still early in the season and who knows how good these teams actually are. The two teams from the East Coast, District 5 and Slow White are looking good. District 5 has only lost once in the past month or so, to perennial Nationals team, AMP from Phily. Slow White has only lost twice all season... both to District 5... so these teams show great strengths early on. Mischief has two losses all season, to District 5 and Slow White. Interesting huh? It'll be pretty neat to see all these Regional powerhouses go at it in Seattle.
We could talk about seeding/rankings all morning... why someone is underseeded, why someone is overseeded, but at the end of the day, it's all proven on the field. We're out of the "pre-season" now and working into the heart of the season. It's ECC, then Labor Day, and then the all important Series. We'll be posting score updates and tournament shenanigans here.
Wish us luck. Hopefully we can make Southern California proud.
-hammie #10
Monday, July 19, 2010
GRUB 2010 Recap
Overcoming obstacles is a staple of any sports team's season. Whether it be struggles with team chemistry, logistics, or strategy; a good team finds ways to overcome and exceed expectations in the face of adversity. Such was so in our first trip to GRUB (Grass Roots Ultimate Benefit) in Boulder, CO. Already going into the tournament without 3 of our main offensive handlers as well as a dominant offensive cutter, we knew that the remaining 19 or so would have to step up our game offensively but after losing our main O-line handler Friday night due to a "freak injury," the cards were stacked that much more against us. Factor in the travel, the altitude, and temperatures in the high 90's... we had the beginnings of a potentially disappointing turnout.
We were seeded 4th overall in the tournament with Colorado's Liver Punch and Pimpin' Hoes, and Arizona's Barrio seeded 1-3 respectively. We already knew that the altitude would be a factor for us sea-level dwellers, but the heat didn't help... hitting nearly 100 degrees in the sun with very little breeze. We knew about the odds we were facing, the adversity, and we knew that it would require every single player to step up his/her game for the team to succeed.
----
Saturday
Round 1 vs. Mesteno
Mesteno was a team we faced in Regionals the previous year. They feature a line of athletic cutters and one or two real throwing threats. Biggest surprise to many was the success the O-line had from the get-go in terms of chemistry and flow. We had only 2 practices since CalStates and despite the absence of our top line handlers, the disc flowed without resistance while our defense was a bit slow to figure out Mesteno's offense. We eventually figured out their offensive strengths, forcing them into tough decisions and risky throws which added up to a 15-11 win. We were up big at some point, but definitely showed a lack of poise in allowing Mesteno to steal some easy breaks at the end. D-line closes the door 15-11.
Round 2 vs. Colorado University
We knew we had to improve and play better against the College team from Boulder, CO. In pre-game, we referred to them as "kids" but we all knew that we had to play better than them to merit such judgement. The offense continued to gel and play well together while the D-line worked to contain their deep shot oriented offense. Additionally, this team wasn't very effective at cross-gender flow so the D-line had a field-day exploiting their matchups and forcing risky up-field throws by harassing the throwers on the mark. Metro wins easily 15-9.
Round 3 vs. Operation Kapow
The last time we played each other, a bid to Nationals was on the line with Metro prevailing 15-9. This time around, the stakes were not as high, but bragging rights were definitely desired. We started the game by trading the first couple points. Our women were consistently winning their matchups and it came down to the men working harder to step it up and win theirs. Our hard defense and patient offense began to wear down the team from Denver, and before we knew it, we had taken half 8-4 in the midst of a 9-0 run that put Kapow away 15-4. At half up 8-4, the mood was loose, smiles all around. But every single player demonstrated that they were not satisfied and being up 8-4 was by no means grounds to relax. The defense continued to be relentless. Big D's, hand-blocks, run through D's, we forced Kapow into very uncomfortable situations and dictated their throws rather than reacting. Metro wins 15-4 to take Pool D.
Cross-over vs. Liver Punch
Liver Punch was the #1 seed overall in the tournament with top players from CU as well as Bravo and Box/Rare Air. They really did not have a weakness and was a team that would not turn the disc on their own accord. We went down early, playing flat and uninspired offense as well as "prevent" defense rather than actual defense. Despite only being down 1 break at the half, fatigue and the effects of a long day in the sun were starting to show. Throws were a little bit too far... discs were being dropped, but we were right there. Liver Punch was good but they did not put us away right away and allowed us to "hang around." Losing 12-15 to them might have felt as a relief in being able to go home, but to many it was a bitter defeat. We knew we were good enough to beat them and despite many opportunities to punch in breaks, we were unsuccessful.
-------
Sunday
Quarterfinals vs. Barrio
Big games require big performances. Whether it comes on the defensive side, or the offensive side... it simply has to happen. Against Barrio, we all knew that the big plays would have to come from the defensive side of the disc. Our offense was playing well all weekend and had the simple assignment of scoring each time. The defense was facing a very disciplined, very well coached team that would not give up breaks easily and whose defense could break us back just as easily. We started on D, and to our surprise, generated a turnover and punched it in for the 1-0 lead and quick break. The next 5 or 6 points or so were very intense with each team's offense moving it effectively and without incident. Barrio then threw a zone and got their break back after a series of bad decision on our part. They had the momentum, and were looking for their offense to continue to trend. But our defense stepped up big time and generated a stop, and not one... but two breaks to put us up 8-6 at the half, on offense to start.
But oh how the wind can change. We pushed it to a 9-6 lead with an offensive gem of a point after half but after the defense failed to make a stop to make it 9-7, Barrio's defense showed their teeth in the form of a standard zone that proved to be our downfall. They scored 4 straight on the zone to bring it to 10-11 and hard-cap on (first to 12 wins) with Metro on defense. We were on Defense trying to force universe, and Barrio calmly moved the disc down for the 12-10. It was a very bitter loss for us. We ALL knew what had happened, and we all knew what we "coulda woulda shoulda" done. Turnovers did us in, and it was a team effort in the loss... and we all knew that things could have been different.
Placement Game (5th) vs. Love Tractor
This could have easily been a "throw-away" game where we just tune out and "let things go." This might have been the case last year, or the year before, but I can vouch for everyone there that not one person wanted to relax and would much rather take their frustrations out on the next game. We came out firing generating 2 or 3 breaks right away behind the solid play from the defense. Love Tractor was a solid team that had formidable throwers and deep threats and we didn't really contain their offense until late in the first half. The offense continued to flow very well behind stellar play from Keegan and Karen Ko who paced the team to a 15-6 win. Throw in a post-game chat and a sudden 20 minute thunderstorm, and we had the punctuation point to a very successful showing at our first ever GRUB.
------
We now have two weeks off to rest and relax before a series of practices in preparation for ECC in August. GRUB really served as a barometer for our team in terms of where we stack up in the Region and things look optimistic and bright as we head into the meat of our season.
-Regards
Hammie
LA Metro #10
We were seeded 4th overall in the tournament with Colorado's Liver Punch and Pimpin' Hoes, and Arizona's Barrio seeded 1-3 respectively. We already knew that the altitude would be a factor for us sea-level dwellers, but the heat didn't help... hitting nearly 100 degrees in the sun with very little breeze. We knew about the odds we were facing, the adversity, and we knew that it would require every single player to step up his/her game for the team to succeed.
----
Saturday
Round 1 vs. Mesteno
Mesteno was a team we faced in Regionals the previous year. They feature a line of athletic cutters and one or two real throwing threats. Biggest surprise to many was the success the O-line had from the get-go in terms of chemistry and flow. We had only 2 practices since CalStates and despite the absence of our top line handlers, the disc flowed without resistance while our defense was a bit slow to figure out Mesteno's offense. We eventually figured out their offensive strengths, forcing them into tough decisions and risky throws which added up to a 15-11 win. We were up big at some point, but definitely showed a lack of poise in allowing Mesteno to steal some easy breaks at the end. D-line closes the door 15-11.
Round 2 vs. Colorado University
We knew we had to improve and play better against the College team from Boulder, CO. In pre-game, we referred to them as "kids" but we all knew that we had to play better than them to merit such judgement. The offense continued to gel and play well together while the D-line worked to contain their deep shot oriented offense. Additionally, this team wasn't very effective at cross-gender flow so the D-line had a field-day exploiting their matchups and forcing risky up-field throws by harassing the throwers on the mark. Metro wins easily 15-9.
Round 3 vs. Operation Kapow
The last time we played each other, a bid to Nationals was on the line with Metro prevailing 15-9. This time around, the stakes were not as high, but bragging rights were definitely desired. We started the game by trading the first couple points. Our women were consistently winning their matchups and it came down to the men working harder to step it up and win theirs. Our hard defense and patient offense began to wear down the team from Denver, and before we knew it, we had taken half 8-4 in the midst of a 9-0 run that put Kapow away 15-4. At half up 8-4, the mood was loose, smiles all around. But every single player demonstrated that they were not satisfied and being up 8-4 was by no means grounds to relax. The defense continued to be relentless. Big D's, hand-blocks, run through D's, we forced Kapow into very uncomfortable situations and dictated their throws rather than reacting. Metro wins 15-4 to take Pool D.
Cross-over vs. Liver Punch
Liver Punch was the #1 seed overall in the tournament with top players from CU as well as Bravo and Box/Rare Air. They really did not have a weakness and was a team that would not turn the disc on their own accord. We went down early, playing flat and uninspired offense as well as "prevent" defense rather than actual defense. Despite only being down 1 break at the half, fatigue and the effects of a long day in the sun were starting to show. Throws were a little bit too far... discs were being dropped, but we were right there. Liver Punch was good but they did not put us away right away and allowed us to "hang around." Losing 12-15 to them might have felt as a relief in being able to go home, but to many it was a bitter defeat. We knew we were good enough to beat them and despite many opportunities to punch in breaks, we were unsuccessful.
-------
Sunday
Quarterfinals vs. Barrio
Big games require big performances. Whether it comes on the defensive side, or the offensive side... it simply has to happen. Against Barrio, we all knew that the big plays would have to come from the defensive side of the disc. Our offense was playing well all weekend and had the simple assignment of scoring each time. The defense was facing a very disciplined, very well coached team that would not give up breaks easily and whose defense could break us back just as easily. We started on D, and to our surprise, generated a turnover and punched it in for the 1-0 lead and quick break. The next 5 or 6 points or so were very intense with each team's offense moving it effectively and without incident. Barrio then threw a zone and got their break back after a series of bad decision on our part. They had the momentum, and were looking for their offense to continue to trend. But our defense stepped up big time and generated a stop, and not one... but two breaks to put us up 8-6 at the half, on offense to start.
But oh how the wind can change. We pushed it to a 9-6 lead with an offensive gem of a point after half but after the defense failed to make a stop to make it 9-7, Barrio's defense showed their teeth in the form of a standard zone that proved to be our downfall. They scored 4 straight on the zone to bring it to 10-11 and hard-cap on (first to 12 wins) with Metro on defense. We were on Defense trying to force universe, and Barrio calmly moved the disc down for the 12-10. It was a very bitter loss for us. We ALL knew what had happened, and we all knew what we "coulda woulda shoulda" done. Turnovers did us in, and it was a team effort in the loss... and we all knew that things could have been different.
Placement Game (5th) vs. Love Tractor
This could have easily been a "throw-away" game where we just tune out and "let things go." This might have been the case last year, or the year before, but I can vouch for everyone there that not one person wanted to relax and would much rather take their frustrations out on the next game. We came out firing generating 2 or 3 breaks right away behind the solid play from the defense. Love Tractor was a solid team that had formidable throwers and deep threats and we didn't really contain their offense until late in the first half. The offense continued to flow very well behind stellar play from Keegan and Karen Ko who paced the team to a 15-6 win. Throw in a post-game chat and a sudden 20 minute thunderstorm, and we had the punctuation point to a very successful showing at our first ever GRUB.
------
We now have two weeks off to rest and relax before a series of practices in preparation for ECC in August. GRUB really served as a barometer for our team in terms of where we stack up in the Region and things look optimistic and bright as we head into the meat of our season.
-Regards
Hammie
LA Metro #10
Friday, July 16, 2010
Follow Metro at tournaments via Twitter
Off to (even hotter) Colorado today. 5,000+ feet closer to that big ball of flame in the sky.
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
GRUB 2010 Preview
Pool A
A1: Pimpin' Aint Easy, Boulder,CO
A2: Golden Spike, Salt Lake City, UT
A3: Operation KillJoy, Fort Collins, CO
A4: Midnight Threat Level, KS
Pool B
B1: Liver Punch, Boulder, CO
B2: Swingline, Colorado Springs, CO
B3: Blast Susie, Denver, CO
B4: Red or Green?, ABQ
Pool C
C1: Barrio, Tuscon, AZ
C2: Trollhaveners, San Francisco, CA
C3: The Business, Denver, CO
C4: Love Tractor, Boulder, CO
Pool D
D1: LA Metro, Los Angeles, CA
D2: Operation Kapow!, Denver, CO
D3: Mesteno, Denver, CO
D4: Rule of Thumb, Boulder, CO
----------
This is the first tournament that we are participating in that will feature our new squad for the 2010 season. The tryout process started way back in May and now in mid-July, our roster has been finalized and we are ready to roll. This is also the first time our team will be attending GRUB (Grass Roots Ultimate Benefit Tournament), which is now in its 19th year (http://gru.org/play/grub-2010).
This tournament will feature some of the top teams from the Southwest Region, most notably perennial powerhouse Barrio from Tuscon, Arizona, and the new upstarts in Operation Kapow as well as some other solid teams from the Denver/Boulder area. I am not familiar with the majority of the teams going to this tournament, but the ones I do know about are the Trollhaveners from San Fran, which are a bunch of BCBC players + friends. Mesteno, Swingline, and Love Tractor were all teams that we played in Regionals in Arizona. They are solid teams and it will be interesting to see how they stack up in the Region. Golden Spike is a team from the Northwest Region that gave us a very good game last year. They were athletic and very skilled in our only meeting at the Labor Day Championships in SF.
Essentially, this tournament is a barometer for our team in the region. We are already slated to play against Operation Kapow, which will prove to be a tough match since word has it that they have been actively recruiting in the Colorado area to improve their already talented team. If you remember, Operation Kapow was the team that we beat in the Semifinals of Regionals last season to secure a bid to Nationals. It was a close game in the beginning but with our team breaking it open with a 6-0 run to pace us to a 15-9 win. I guess it's safe to say that this is a pretty anticipated rematch between the two teams. Although our team won't be at full strength with several key players being absent, this tournament will be an indication to our team identity, our style of play, and what we need to work on in preparation for ECC and Labor Day. Regional Champs Barrio will also be there, and although it might not line up for our teams to play each other, it will be a good thing to have an early gauge on how difficult the road to Nationals will be. We still believe that the road to Nationals goes through Southern California with the likes of Metro, BCBC and 7 Figures, but this tournament will allow us to see what the Colorado and Arizona teams have in store for us.
The altitude will definitely play a role, and I've been running my track workouts with that fact in mind. The air is thinner, the oxygen density in the air is less, and the Colorado teams will definitely have an advantage being acclimated to that altitude for months, while we have mere hours to do so. I'm stoked to play this tournament, and I am anxious to be playing at top level again. Ten more days until first pull.
-Hammie #10
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Anteaters on Club teams
Congratulations to the UC Irvine Eaters who have made the roster for their respective club teams for the 2010 season.
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LA Metro (SoCal Sectionals Champs, Regionals Runners up, 11th place finish at Nationals)*
-Enway Hsu (3rd season)
-Hammie Chen (3rd season)
Metro returns over 3/4 of it's squad but only 3 women, including Enway. After winning Sectionals on universe point, and taking 2nd at Regionals, the Metroids look to make a return to Sarasota and improve on their surprising 11th place finish. The journey starts at GRUB in Colorado where they will see Regionals rivals Barrio and the retooled Operation
Kapow. The roster will be finalized this upcoming weekend with practices starting right thereafter.
San Diego Safari (SoCal Sectionals Champs, 3rd place finish at Regionals, 12th place finish at Nationals)*
-Iris Leung (2nd season)
-Annie Ngo (2nd season)
-Melissa Spalding (1st season)
Safari is ready to make another run at Nationals despite losing many players to Knockout and the Mixed division. They have a solid core of ladies that have plenty of experience and will again have to do battle against Rare Air and possibly the Lady Condors (if it happens), to qualify. Iris and Annie have both improved immensely during their past season here with the Grass Ninjas and look for these two to be solid role players on this team who will be crucial to Safari's success. Melissa is a great addition to the team in that she brings speed and athleticism to the cutting core. Despite it being her first year or so playing, she will learn so much from Safari and I know will develop into a baller player for the crew from San Diego.
San Diego Street Gang (SoCal Sectionals Runner-up, Regionals Runners-up, 15th place finish at Nationals)*
-Allen Lai (1st season)
-Evan Valdez (1st season)
I am so proud of these two guys. They have worked very hard to get where they are and have been rewarded for their efforts with roster spots on Southern California's best open team (atleast for now). Allen and Evan both bring a lot of speed and experience to this already veteran roster and will play important roles in their huck-heavy offense. After a heartbreaking loss in the finals at Sectionals and a somewhat disappointing show at Sarasota despite a very surprising and impressive win over Boston's Ironside, Street Gang has retooled their roster and look to do some damage late into the season. They will face their rivals the Condors, and Johnny Bravo(?), but I have these guys winning the Region this year, if their top players can stay healthy.
----
Good luck on the season and hopefully we'll throw the zot-zot-zot at the Polo Fields in late-October.
*-2009 Series results
Hammie #10
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LA Metro (SoCal Sectionals Champs, Regionals Runners up, 11th place finish at Nationals)*
-Enway Hsu (3rd season)
-Hammie Chen (3rd season)
Metro returns over 3/4 of it's squad but only 3 women, including Enway. After winning Sectionals on universe point, and taking 2nd at Regionals, the Metroids look to make a return to Sarasota and improve on their surprising 11th place finish. The journey starts at GRUB in Colorado where they will see Regionals rivals Barrio and the retooled Operation
Kapow. The roster will be finalized this upcoming weekend with practices starting right thereafter.
San Diego Safari (SoCal Sectionals Champs, 3rd place finish at Regionals, 12th place finish at Nationals)*
-Iris Leung (2nd season)
-Annie Ngo (2nd season)
-Melissa Spalding (1st season)
Safari is ready to make another run at Nationals despite losing many players to Knockout and the Mixed division. They have a solid core of ladies that have plenty of experience and will again have to do battle against Rare Air and possibly the Lady Condors (if it happens), to qualify. Iris and Annie have both improved immensely during their past season here with the Grass Ninjas and look for these two to be solid role players on this team who will be crucial to Safari's success. Melissa is a great addition to the team in that she brings speed and athleticism to the cutting core. Despite it being her first year or so playing, she will learn so much from Safari and I know will develop into a baller player for the crew from San Diego.
San Diego Street Gang (SoCal Sectionals Runner-up, Regionals Runners-up, 15th place finish at Nationals)*
-Allen Lai (1st season)
-Evan Valdez (1st season)
I am so proud of these two guys. They have worked very hard to get where they are and have been rewarded for their efforts with roster spots on Southern California's best open team (atleast for now). Allen and Evan both bring a lot of speed and experience to this already veteran roster and will play important roles in their huck-heavy offense. After a heartbreaking loss in the finals at Sectionals and a somewhat disappointing show at Sarasota despite a very surprising and impressive win over Boston's Ironside, Street Gang has retooled their roster and look to do some damage late into the season. They will face their rivals the Condors, and Johnny Bravo(?), but I have these guys winning the Region this year, if their top players can stay healthy.
----
Good luck on the season and hopefully we'll throw the zot-zot-zot at the Polo Fields in late-October.
*-2009 Series results
Hammie #10
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Progression of UC Irvine Ultimate
As the case in most sports, it is really cool to see how a team progresses as the years go by. I've only been playing on an organized team since 2005, 2006ish, and have been part of many teams, most notably UC Irvine, LA Metro, and Frorida/City Wok.
I guess this post is more for my own enjoyment as to see how teams I've been a part of have progressed and morphed into what they are today. I'll talk about UC Irvine today. Metro and Frorida will come another time.
The progression made was not only in numbers, but also in level of play. I believe this was the first year we began running serious practices with strategy and white board sessions. We established a Vertical Stack offense and despite such "organization," we still played a very loose style of ultimate with hammers and gratuitous layouts being very obvious. Our "HUGE" win was over UCLA-B on double game point in the consolation bracket.
Hammie #10
UC Irvine Nightlife Alumni 2008
I guess this post is more for my own enjoyment as to see how teams I've been a part of have progressed and morphed into what they are today. I'll talk about UC Irvine today. Metro and Frorida will come another time.
University of California, Irvine
'04: Urban Sprawl
'05-'06: Bone
'05-'06: Bone
'06-'07: ICU
'07-present: NightLife
'07-present: NightLife
The names we've flown by over the years already demonstrates the progression that this young program has had in the past. In a previous post, I talked about the very beginnings of UCI Ultimate.
It started out in 2003 with several grad students. The first undergrads began to trickle in and a team was formed. We flew under "Urban-Sprawl" and from video, you can see that our play was not very high level and we did not qualify for Regionals. One [suspension] year later, we begin anew with a new freshmen class and the team name, "Bone."
The progression made was not only in numbers, but also in level of play. I believe this was the first year we began running serious practices with strategy and white board sessions. We established a Vertical Stack offense and despite such "organization," we still played a very loose style of ultimate with hammers and gratuitous layouts being very obvious. Our "HUGE" win was over UCLA-B on double game point in the consolation bracket.
Winning over Smaug-B to us back then (ranked #238 in the nation) was like winning Nationals. It's very trivial to look back and see that win as such a huge accomplishment, but I still remember the rush of winning and the joy my teammates and I shared as we celebrated our qualifying for our first ever Regionals, taking the last qualifying spot behind UCSD-B.
2008-2009 saw another landmark, with the first permanent coaching figure at UCI. Under the direction of KG who served as a captain as well as a primary coach, the new team saw it's first rebuilding year as well with the graduation of literally the starting 7 from the '07-'08 campaign. 2009-2010 was another breakthrough with the formation of the first ever UCI B-team, in addition to full-time coaches coaching both the A and B squads.
It is scary to think that after my graduation from the program, there were thoughts that UCI would not survive the next several years, but through th determination of the players, coaches, and alumni, the program is gaining steam and had progressed from mediocrity to a competitive team that is expected to compete with the best in the Region. In addition, Irvine Ultimate is represented on local Elite Club teams such as LA Metro, Monster, Strike-Slip, Street Gang, and Safari by current players and alumni alike. To see Irvine players holding their own on their respective teams is very encouraging in addition to seeing them make crucial plays and not simply ride the bench.
The progression of the Men's program also translated into the establishing and growth of the UCI Women's program, the Grass Ninjas, coached by Allen Lai, this team started out as "Pink Posse" in 2006-2007, not knowi
ng much about the game, and now has morphed into a team with 20+ players, qualifying for Regionals and showing positive signs of growth and player development.
ng much about the game, and now has morphed into a team with 20+ players, qualifying for Regionals and showing positive signs of growth and player development.At this juncture, we have players playing on National level teams in Safari, Metro, and San Diego. These players all play big roles on their respective teams and can be seen contributing on all levels of the game. I had a friend once say to me that it is "easy to spot an Ultimate player who went to UCI." Apparently we all throw the same way and can handle. Irvine's players are slowly making themselves known in the area. It is very encouraging to see our players getting recognized on the club level and even taking up leadership roles in the Los Angeles Ultimate community.
Additionally, Irvine has become a "farm" system for local club teams such as Monster that have recruited Irvine players the past 3 years or so. Despite the somewhat absence of club ultimate in SoCal, Irvine players are starting to put their fingerprints on the teams. Hopefully in the future more players from NightLife and the Grass Ninjas will play important roles on club teams, and/or possibly start up new club teams in the area.
On-field play aside, the culture of Irvine Ultimate is something to behold. The Women's and Men's teams are one cohesive bunch, hanging out with each other all the time, throwing with each other, and practicing with each other. Not many schools get that luxury of having both programs work so closely together and as the years go by, I hope that this is something that won't soon fade from Irvine's Ultimate culture. The video below simply shows that despite the sport that holds us together, Ultimate in Irvine is all about the players and the people. Smiles all around. I love this program. So proud to be an alumni.
zot zot zot!
Hammie #10
UC Irvine Nightlife Alumni 2008
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Cal-States 2010 Mixed Wrap-Up
So go ahead and ignore the post I made with the pools. Slug Ultimate sent out an email with that set-up but it was altered upon arriving at the fields. Instead of a pool with AIR, TWSS, and Classy, we were put in a pool with CTR, Classy, and Dutch Rudder. The schedule had it where the 1 seed and 2 seeds in each respective pool were playing each other first round on Saturday. Which I am honestly not a fan of.
(Note: Cal States did not have anything online regarding scores or pools so this is really just me trying to recollect everything so don't get upset if the score is off).
First round vs. CTR
Came out FLAT. CTR was a talented group of players from the Bay Area. The easy excuse for us in the performance we had the first half would have been that we were trying out new players, but the truth was that we didn't come prepared. People were late, people weren't mentally ready, and we just came out playing tentative and were trying to be "too cute" with the disc rather than power it/move it like we knew we could. We went down 12-5 with CTR simply out-matching us, with the majority of the turnovers being on our miscues. After recollecting ourselves, we began to go on a little bit of a run and actually pulled it to 11-12 after a 6-0 run. However; the run was stopped at 6 and CTR scored the winning goal to win 13-11. Despite the loss, we had our heads up as we definitely brought it the second half and knew that if we hadn't spotted them such a huge lead, we would be right there with them.
Round 2 vs. Classy
Much better play this game with a lot of good disc movement. Last time we played Classy, we got ourselves down in a hole of 1-9 as a #1 seed in Chico. It was terrible and although the game was pretty much decided after 5 points, we continued to push and ran away with the game 13-5(?)-ish. Much better movement, much better decision making led to a much better result.
Round 3 vs. Dutch Rudder
Again, we carried our momentum into this third game and won the game within the first half. We were executing very well and our new recruits were definitely bringing their game, especially the new women who were simply outclassing the opposition in terms of speed, agility, and throwing. Showed us that our play wasn't simply a fluke and that we were able to be consistent in our level of play. Metro over Dutch Rudder 13-6(?)
Pre-Quarters vs. That's What She Said (TWSS)
Since we placed second in our pool, we were not granted a bye into Quarters but had to play TWSS in Pre-Quarters. We came out on fire in the first half with great play by our returning guys in addition to hard harassing defense that generated many turns. I believe we only turned it once in the first half to take a 7-1 or 7-2 lead into half, but kind of let up afterwards, but still winning by a wide margin. I was not pleased with the fact that after we took half, people got distracted, watching other games, screwing around, etc. etc. I know it was an early tournament and we were up big, but the poise begins now. The experience is gained now. Our team has a history of focus issues after generating leads and we didn't capitalize on an opportunity to stay disciplined and focused. Lessoned learned.
End of Saturday
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Quarterfinals vs. (#1)Polar Bears
As I stated in the preview, Polar Bears were the logical #1 seed for this tournament and despite winning their pool, teams that played them said that they struggled a bit in the early going but I am more than sure that their early round struggles were similar to ours in trying out new players, and getting things back into gear. This was a 10:30am start for us and was the featured game after a very great Wolf vs. Condors battle in which the storied club team from Santa Barbara upset Wolf on Double Game point. We were warming up on sidelines and right when that game was over, it was 7 on, ready to go.
Polar came out strong and quickly got a break on us. We had some bad miscues that resulted in turnovers in our own red-zone which (with their throwers) led to easy break scores. After that first break, we managed to break back at around 5's, but quickly lost that break right after half. It was 9-10, with Polar Bears generating a red-zone turnover again and calling time/out to set up a play. This proved to be the turning point in the game with our defense holding the line and Yugo making a very smart and timely poach D. [Insert Transition/fast break offense here] Before we knew it we had worked it down the field on the fast break and scored to tie it at 10's. Big swing of momentum and later on after a couple near breaks for us, we punched in a break to take the lead.
That ultimately led to Universe point, with Metro going up-wind on offense. A lot of people had begun crowding to watching this game, and the final point did not disappoint. We had a stellar line out against their best defensive line and after some calm disc work, Keegan hucks up a break-side backhand huck to Barrs who goes up high and wins the 50/50 for the dgp win. It was a good win for us and we showed a lot of grit and a lot of heart even on the brink of being down two breaks late. Defense won us that game... albeit it was great defense after an offensive turnover. We took a lot from this game, and knew that these adjustments would need to be worked on over the course of the season if we wanted to step up higher into that Elite level of play during the Series.
On another note, I think the mentality was pretty good for the last point. Most of our team had no idea it was dgp until it was over (myself included), and if you think about it, DGP is like any other point really,. Great win for us... and we were "rewarded" with a bye before Semi-finals.
Semifinals vs. A.I.R.
This was a battle. Both teams were very balanced but I felt like AIR integrated their women into their game plan a lot better than we did. We began to fall back into some of our habits and found ourselves down a bit and it was a "trade-points until we ran out of time" scenario. We couldn't generate a break and even times we'd get a turn, we couldn't punch it in, or we'd turn it right back. It was a very intense game and to their credit, AIR has really taken that extra step since the last time we played them in 2009. They have solid throwers, very dangerous deeps, and their women held their own and were very effective. AIR wins 13-11 to advance to Finals vs. Mischief.
3rd place game vs. FunK
In typical Metro fashion, we spotted the team 3 points before rallying back to force DGP at 11's. We fought hard but there were some moments where we just let golden opportunities slip by. They were a solid group of players that matched up well against our crew, but as the heat continued to increase, fatigue definitely became a factor in this game. Early season, no one is quite in shape and it showed as we had some uncharacteristic drops, and some untimely mental lapses. It was a well fought game and we were proud of ourselves after this one with our 4th place finish.
---
In all, it was a great tournament for us. We got to see our new recruits show off their abilities and to really get a sense of how our team would be this year and quite frankly, it's looking a lot better than in years previous. Our next tournament is not for another month, so after finalizing our roster within the next weeks, we will be practicing full-time to get ready for GRUB in Colorado. Just wanted to say that everyone played well and all the try-outs were ballers and that the decisions to trim our team to a final roster will be difficult.
Other Notable Results:
Our sister-team from Los Angeles, 7-Figures, also played well this weekend with a DGP win over Polar Bears and a solid showing. Their women were running circles around players and they look poised to do a lot of damage in the very competitive mixed Southwest Region.
Wolf was upset by the Condors in Quarters on double game point. I watched the majority of this game and the Condors played a very sound team-oriented offense. Of course there were the huge bombs put up by Arbiter to a streaking receiver... but other than that, it was a very good win for the Condors who surprised a lot of people with this win.
Open Finals were between Revolver and Street Gang. All weekend these two teams had simply been rolling but the finals was clearly a mismatch with Street Gang's deep game simply not being effective enough against the athletic and skilled Revolver team. The hucks that were hitting receivers open by 15 yards for Street Gang in earlier rounds began to float into 50/50's as the wind picked up. it was a one-sided affair with Revolver pulling away 15-6 for the tournament win.
Till next time,
Hammie #10
(Note: Cal States did not have anything online regarding scores or pools so this is really just me trying to recollect everything so don't get upset if the score is off).
First round vs. CTR
Came out FLAT. CTR was a talented group of players from the Bay Area. The easy excuse for us in the performance we had the first half would have been that we were trying out new players, but the truth was that we didn't come prepared. People were late, people weren't mentally ready, and we just came out playing tentative and were trying to be "too cute" with the disc rather than power it/move it like we knew we could. We went down 12-5 with CTR simply out-matching us, with the majority of the turnovers being on our miscues. After recollecting ourselves, we began to go on a little bit of a run and actually pulled it to 11-12 after a 6-0 run. However; the run was stopped at 6 and CTR scored the winning goal to win 13-11. Despite the loss, we had our heads up as we definitely brought it the second half and knew that if we hadn't spotted them such a huge lead, we would be right there with them.
Round 2 vs. Classy
Much better play this game with a lot of good disc movement. Last time we played Classy, we got ourselves down in a hole of 1-9 as a #1 seed in Chico. It was terrible and although the game was pretty much decided after 5 points, we continued to push and ran away with the game 13-5(?)-ish. Much better movement, much better decision making led to a much better result.
Round 3 vs. Dutch Rudder
Again, we carried our momentum into this third game and won the game within the first half. We were executing very well and our new recruits were definitely bringing their game, especially the new women who were simply outclassing the opposition in terms of speed, agility, and throwing. Showed us that our play wasn't simply a fluke and that we were able to be consistent in our level of play. Metro over Dutch Rudder 13-6(?)
Pre-Quarters vs. That's What She Said (TWSS)
Since we placed second in our pool, we were not granted a bye into Quarters but had to play TWSS in Pre-Quarters. We came out on fire in the first half with great play by our returning guys in addition to hard harassing defense that generated many turns. I believe we only turned it once in the first half to take a 7-1 or 7-2 lead into half, but kind of let up afterwards, but still winning by a wide margin. I was not pleased with the fact that after we took half, people got distracted, watching other games, screwing around, etc. etc. I know it was an early tournament and we were up big, but the poise begins now. The experience is gained now. Our team has a history of focus issues after generating leads and we didn't capitalize on an opportunity to stay disciplined and focused. Lessoned learned.
End of Saturday
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Quarterfinals vs. (#1)Polar Bears
As I stated in the preview, Polar Bears were the logical #1 seed for this tournament and despite winning their pool, teams that played them said that they struggled a bit in the early going but I am more than sure that their early round struggles were similar to ours in trying out new players, and getting things back into gear. This was a 10:30am start for us and was the featured game after a very great Wolf vs. Condors battle in which the storied club team from Santa Barbara upset Wolf on Double Game point. We were warming up on sidelines and right when that game was over, it was 7 on, ready to go.
Polar came out strong and quickly got a break on us. We had some bad miscues that resulted in turnovers in our own red-zone which (with their throwers) led to easy break scores. After that first break, we managed to break back at around 5's, but quickly lost that break right after half. It was 9-10, with Polar Bears generating a red-zone turnover again and calling time/out to set up a play. This proved to be the turning point in the game with our defense holding the line and Yugo making a very smart and timely poach D. [Insert Transition/fast break offense here] Before we knew it we had worked it down the field on the fast break and scored to tie it at 10's. Big swing of momentum and later on after a couple near breaks for us, we punched in a break to take the lead.
That ultimately led to Universe point, with Metro going up-wind on offense. A lot of people had begun crowding to watching this game, and the final point did not disappoint. We had a stellar line out against their best defensive line and after some calm disc work, Keegan hucks up a break-side backhand huck to Barrs who goes up high and wins the 50/50 for the dgp win. It was a good win for us and we showed a lot of grit and a lot of heart even on the brink of being down two breaks late. Defense won us that game... albeit it was great defense after an offensive turnover. We took a lot from this game, and knew that these adjustments would need to be worked on over the course of the season if we wanted to step up higher into that Elite level of play during the Series.
On another note, I think the mentality was pretty good for the last point. Most of our team had no idea it was dgp until it was over (myself included), and if you think about it, DGP is like any other point really,. Great win for us... and we were "rewarded" with a bye before Semi-finals.
Semifinals vs. A.I.R.
This was a battle. Both teams were very balanced but I felt like AIR integrated their women into their game plan a lot better than we did. We began to fall back into some of our habits and found ourselves down a bit and it was a "trade-points until we ran out of time" scenario. We couldn't generate a break and even times we'd get a turn, we couldn't punch it in, or we'd turn it right back. It was a very intense game and to their credit, AIR has really taken that extra step since the last time we played them in 2009. They have solid throwers, very dangerous deeps, and their women held their own and were very effective. AIR wins 13-11 to advance to Finals vs. Mischief.
3rd place game vs. FunK
In typical Metro fashion, we spotted the team 3 points before rallying back to force DGP at 11's. We fought hard but there were some moments where we just let golden opportunities slip by. They were a solid group of players that matched up well against our crew, but as the heat continued to increase, fatigue definitely became a factor in this game. Early season, no one is quite in shape and it showed as we had some uncharacteristic drops, and some untimely mental lapses. It was a well fought game and we were proud of ourselves after this one with our 4th place finish.
---
In all, it was a great tournament for us. We got to see our new recruits show off their abilities and to really get a sense of how our team would be this year and quite frankly, it's looking a lot better than in years previous. Our next tournament is not for another month, so after finalizing our roster within the next weeks, we will be practicing full-time to get ready for GRUB in Colorado. Just wanted to say that everyone played well and all the try-outs were ballers and that the decisions to trim our team to a final roster will be difficult.
Other Notable Results:
Our sister-team from Los Angeles, 7-Figures, also played well this weekend with a DGP win over Polar Bears and a solid showing. Their women were running circles around players and they look poised to do a lot of damage in the very competitive mixed Southwest Region.
Wolf was upset by the Condors in Quarters on double game point. I watched the majority of this game and the Condors played a very sound team-oriented offense. Of course there were the huge bombs put up by Arbiter to a streaking receiver... but other than that, it was a very good win for the Condors who surprised a lot of people with this win.
Open Finals were between Revolver and Street Gang. All weekend these two teams had simply been rolling but the finals was clearly a mismatch with Street Gang's deep game simply not being effective enough against the athletic and skilled Revolver team. The hucks that were hitting receivers open by 15 yards for Street Gang in earlier rounds began to float into 50/50's as the wind picked up. it was a one-sided affair with Revolver pulling away 15-6 for the tournament win.
Till next time,
Hammie #10
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