I guess the term "one-and-done" seems to be pretty applicable when it comes to ultimate here in the Los Angeles area. The decision to dissolve Strike-Slip, the defending Socal Sectionals champs, seems to be a slap in the face in the idea of building a successful long-term open team in LA. I totally understand where the leadership is coming from in terms of the difficulty of putting the team together and running it, but I am moreso disappointed in the idea that players seem to have very little sense of loyalty when it comes to sticking with one team and allowing that team several years to "ripen" and grow into a long-term program.
Instead of simply picking up all the best players they can in one year and flying by the seat of their pants, I feel like teams need to build a solid foundation. This is not a stab at people who are moving on with their lives, attending grad school, or going back home, as it seems like LA is a very fast paced town and people come and go much like the rain here. I've just found that such instability with the population does make it difficult for programs to have a good footing and/or flourish with a core group of players.
Even if you look at pro-sports, most teams who go out and chase down all the expensive and attractive free agents for their team usually find that success does not come for a certain price. Teams such as the 2002 Angels and/or the successful A's teams in the early 00's showed that success can be found through home-grown talent and that development with a common group of people is effective and successful. Of course, us ultimate players do not sign multi-year contracts, and our only source of "commitment" would be that of a verbal one.
This year is one of controlled chaos. Strike-Slip is sadly no more... and many of her leadership has jumped to a new co-ed team... now one of the "big three" in the area along with Metro and BCBC. This calls for a very interesting season in the LA area, that will be dominated not by the news of LA's finest Open team, but of which Coed team will assert themselves as the top contender for Nationals against Barrio of Arizona and whatever team comes out of Denver.
That said, it is safe to say that although I had been entertaining the idea of playing open, it seems like the open teams here in LA can't seem to find a strong enough rooting to stay around for more than a one year at most, so it's difficult to invest time when you see people around you jumping ship at a steady pace. It's kind of sad to see teams come and go like this, with no consistency, and with no long-term purpose. Qualifying for Nationals is the goal of most people in this area, but it can't be done by simply stacking talent on one team for one year. Even if the team is successful, it seems like we're so easily distracted by other shiny new teams that we quickly forget about staying true to one team and developing it into a perennial powerhouse.
Ultimate in LA needs more players who are more loyal to their teams, to realize that teams need time to mature into contenders. I still have faith in the ultimate scene here... that soon some teams will pop up that demand loyalty with a philosophy of building the team instead of forming a "one and done" team. Maybe it's just the town we live in, or maybe it's just the very limited ability for people to meet in a single place without transfering 4 different highways. But change needs to happen before we see another program like the Condors or Monster pop up again. I hate to say it, but LA might need to take at what our friends down in San Diego are doing and take note.
Best of luck to all on the season. Let's hope a new open team pops up this year.
note: This is strictly how I feel about the matter. My apologies in advance for any people I may be offending or "calling out." It is not my intention to do so, but rather to simply address the issue at hand.
-Hammie
LAMetro #10
