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

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 layout 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

Sarasota, Florida

LA Metro is going back to the show!

5-0 Southwest Regionals Champions
tourney wrap coming soon...

soaking up the moment for now....

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.


------------
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