Types of Pickup Players

In any level of pickup, there will be the "token" ______ guy. The guy who you always find at pickup regardless of level or geography. Here are just a few that I noticed.


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1. The Elder Statesman
Here is the guy that has a 4 digit UPA number. Here is the guy who started throwing hucks and hammers even before you knew about the game. You will frequently hear them talking about the 8th edition rules and gasp when they realize that the UPA is on the 11th edition. They may be older than most of us, but they still can ball. Typically they will bring their shaggy dog with them to the pickup game in addition to 2 or 3 of their young childeren whom at age 5 (sorry to say), tend to have better flicks than we do. Most are handlers who don't move very quickly on their surgically repaired knees (see Braces McGee), but will bomb hucks and 50 yard hammers with stunning accuracy. Poachy defense, and with great spirit, these old dogs are to be respected as they offer so much for the younger generation to learn.

2. Agro Craig
Mr. "Takes it too seriously." Or the guy who simply is too competitive for the level of pickup. We all have seen it... or maybe even assumed tihs role. These guys tend to be the more sour personalities of the bunch and are frequently seen chewing out their team for bad cuts/lack of cuts and/or muttering under his/her breath about how the cutter didn't make that deep S-cut or how the handler simply couldn't throw that inside/out flick break in the wind. Their skills tend not to keep up with their level of expectations from their teammates (although there are few exceptions), but in most cases, the average pickup player will just leave him be in his cloud of Agro-ness. They expect a lot out of other players who are really there just for some nice exercise and sun... and treat pickup much like universe point in the game to go to nationals. Sometimes warrented... usually ignored. Most players will respond to his motivational speeches promoting timed-cuts, hard defenses and marks with a simple reply of.. "Dude it's just Pickup..." Also will D the sh*t out of women.


3. The Newbie
These guys loove to BBQ. Backhand of course. Gear of choice includes and is not limited to a grey t-shirt, board shorts, tennis shoes, and/or a very confused facial expression. These are the guys who are usually brought out by friends, or who are new to the game. They are there to learn, and you have to give them credit for their determination and willingness to try. They stand out on the open side, not sure as to what to do, and when given the disc, they twirl the disc up above their head and throw the famous BBQ Backhand. Give them a couple more pickups... and they'll have the game down easy.


4. The Prespirer
The guy you hate to mark... because he's just dripping in sweat. They don't ever believe in synthetic materials and love to sport the dark cotton shirt that is simply struggling to keep up. It's not a big deal until you have to mark them and they pivot into you, drowning you in the process. They're good players... but for some reason just like to sweat.

5. Braces McGee
(See Elder Statesman). These are the guys that take quite a bit of time to get in the right flexibility/stretchy/warm uppy mode to play. In addition to cleats, players of this category will sport two humungous knee braces usually made of neoprene + velcro, ankle braces that lace up, and or an elbow brace for their curious case of "thrower's elbow." As a result, it takes a good 15-20 minutes for these players to gear up and stretch before playing. Their ankle braces are usually squeeky so it is not difficult to know when your guy is starting to run/cut. Sometimes (God forbid), they will reinjure their braced joint, but only slightly to the point where they retire to their fold out chair and talk about the MLB or NFL.

6. Sir Hucks o' Lot
Like the name implies, these are the good o'l huckers... and many of them simply are NOT huckers. They are solid players, but the huck is lacking. These are the guys that will simply break the hearts of their team... but forcing them to *gasp* play defense at pickup. Their hucks will be either super floaty/hospital, and or line drives that are easily d'd by people simply just standing there in the stack. Occassionally they will huck a nice one to an open receiver but that will simply boost their confidence into throwing something they really don't have. Common quotes include:

"Oh [name]!.... I thought you were going!!"
"Just go DEEP!"
"I totally have that!"
"Sorry guys... I hit my leg before the throw."

7. Mr. Excuses
Always has a reason as to why things happen or don't happen.

Why did the huck float out of bounds? "My cleat slipped."
What's with the drops? "It's too cold out..."
Why did I throw it straight into the ground? "I didn't warm up."

These guys always find a way to pass the torch of blame to someone/somebody else. I have even heard one guy say "I didn't shave," or even the "Allergies" alibi. I'm still waiting to hear someone say something along the lines of. "Yea, sorry about dropping that perfect throw... it's just the economy... you know how it is... my mind really isn't into it right now."

8. The Coach
Here are the aspiring coaches in the Ultimate world. The ones who want to throw ZONE in pickup... the ones who will demonstrate to newer players or even savvy veterans how to set a force. Everyone is below them, and their knowledge of the game is superior and they seem to want to share it with everyone when it simply doesn't matter or fit for the game at hand. I can see why they do it, why they look to coach their team, but for pickup... it seems a bit ridiculous when they ask a guy who has been playing ultimate their whole life if they know what a cup is... or when they teach an entirely new line of people the complexity of Split-stack, or a box zone. There are unwritten rules in pickup... and being the coach is not something that is looked well upon... especially if one is simply way too serious about it.

9. Add yours here! [comment below]




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till next time,

Hammie #10

LA Metro Tryout Schedule (Tentative)

For those interested in trying out for LA Metro, here is a very preliminary schedule:

05/01/2010: Pickup, TBA*
05/09/2010: Pickup, TBA*
05/16/2010: Pickup, TBA*
-Pickup sessions will give attendees a better understanding about our team in addition to giving the Captains an adequate idea of who is trying out.

*-tentatively scheduled. NOT Official. Location will be announced soon.


05/29-05/30: Santa Barbara Classic, Goleta, CA
- Roster will include returners from the 2009 campaign as well as those interested in trying out for the team. In the past, Captains have been selective in whom they invite but this is by no means a first cut. SB Classic Roster should be around 20-25, so captains are limited in the # they can bring.

06/05-06/06: Cal States, Santa Cruz, CA
- This will be more so the "official tryout," or at least the official tournament tryout. We will be fielding a team between 20-25 people with a mix of returning players + interested players. This tournament will give the selection committee an idea as to the dynamic of this year's squad in addition to seeing how the new talent stacks up against solid co-ed teams from all over California.
(Past Results: 2008: Runner-up, 2009: 3rd place finish). Cuts will be made after this tournament.


Following Cal States, there may be a full official tryout w/ drills/ scrimmages/ etc. This is not official but there have been talks regarding having this "official" tryout, something that we have not had in the past. Should be finalized soon.


If you have any questions regarding tryouts or are interested in trying out, please contact the captains at metro.ultimate.la@gmail.com


Good Luck!
-Hammie
LA Metro #10

Commentary: LA Ultimate

LA Ultimate in the 2009 UPA Series:

• Coed + Open Sectionals Champs (LA Metro, Strike-Slip)
• Top 3 finish at Southwest Regionals (LA Metro, Strike-Slip)
• Two bids to Nationals (LA Metro, BCBC)

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

LA Metro Tryouts 2010

It's that time of year again! Time to dust off your cleats, time to run those miles as tryouts begin for club season 2010.

If you are intetrested in trying out for LA Metro, please email the captains (Martha & Keegan Uhl, and Frankie Rho) at metro.ultimate.la@gmail.com

decisions

Open or Coed?

simple as that

Being Effective in the Rain and Cold

disclaimer: these tips and ideas come through my expriences playing in extreme conditions. Beware-O 2001 (4'+ of rain and ~40 degrees), SB Qualifier 2006 (~40-degrees), SB Invite (5' of rain + cold), 2008 Southwest Regionals (35 degree start + rain) to name a few. and yes... I am aware that you East Coasters and Midwesterners will say "pshhh You don't know what cold is." But I'm a California kid.... and I'm just passing along words from my experiences. =)

Most of us remember instances when rain didn't mean staying indoors on a Saturday morning. Most of us will remember the first time they played Ultimate in a light shower, or for some of us, in a torrential downpour. Playing pickup in the rain is one thing for those who are brave enough... but being caught or forced to play in the rain at a major tournament is another thing. There are many things one can do to prepare for a weekend tournament and checking the weather is one of the most basic and overlooked tasks. However; when the rain is inevitable and you're not playing on turf, there are ways you can prepare and play that will not only prevent injury, but also allow you to be effective as a cutter or a handler.



1. Dynamic Stretching and Keeping your Muscles warm on the sideline.

Muscles work through a process of lengthening and contracting through myosin and actin cross-bridging. Basically the point is, your muscles require Ca2+ in addition to K and Na to effectively contract and relax so that you can run, throw, jump, etc. etc. This process is also heat sensitive in that "cold" muscles will be more prone to injury if any sudden and explosive strain is exerted (cutting, hucking, jumping). In a wet environment, the rain will most likely soak any ultimate player down to his base-layer and playing with a rain jacket and/or rain pants is not very conducive to the sport let alone your own safety. So there are ways to prepare.

Dynamic Stretching is a way for players to be consistently keeping their muscles loose and warm. What this means is that players need to stretch very well and CONSTANTLY at the beginning of each touranment and game, and while on the sideline. It doesn't make sense to stand on the sideline watching the game. The wetness and the cold will simply lower your core body temperature causing your circulatory system to reroute blood to your core and away from your extremities... consequently reducing blood flow to your muscles and therefore less Ca2+, Na... etc. etc. Basically what this means it that if you're not constantly moving on the sideline, you will be more prone to injury, cramping, and/or ineffectiveness on the field. When you are back on the sideline, you need to layer up with a thermal, jacket, or simply getting out of the rain helps.

Do some lunges with twists, jumping jacks, high knees and butt kicks on the sideline to keep yourself warm and ready to go back into the game. I guarantee that while on the field, you will not feel cold as you will be exerting maximum effort in your cuts. Playing in the game does not concern me... but the sideline activity or lack thereof is what's dangerous and will ultimately alter your overall effectiveness once you DO get in.

tips
- very thorough stretching pre-game
- layer up on the sideline or simply get out of the rain.
- keep stretching and moving on the sideline.
- Find a girl to hug. Girls are warm =)



2. Clothing

Performance baselayers are effective in the cold, but they will still soak through your jerseys and will be detrimental since they tend to retain moisture (supposed to be sweat) and will trap the cold between your layers. The most effective things I've found in terms of baselayering is to be Macruber and to simply wear a trash bag. Punch a hole for your head and arms, and (important). Do not wear the trash bag as the first layer on top of your skin. Polyethylene is NOT breathable and if you do wear it, you will believe it or not, cause overheating and dehydration. Wear the trash bag as the 2nd to last layer (from your skin), right under your team jersey, and on top of another baselayer. This will ensure more breathability for your skin but also will keep the rain out. BIG tip. It's the 2000's... don't wear cotton. It simply absorbes everything and will cool down your core. Cotton is the enemy (Underarmor).

Headware is important. You lose a high percentage of heat through your head so wear a beanie, or a hat at the very least. Who cares about visability or spotting the disc. If it's raining... a hat will pose more of a benefit than disadvantage. Hoods are no good since they ruin your peripheral vision, in addition to soaking through and promoting heat loss.

Multiple layers of socks are good too in addition to a sandwich plastic bag in between them to ensure that your feet stay dry. Be ready to ruin a pair of cleats but keep your feet dry to avoid blisters and "corpse feet."

tips:
-wear a performance baselayer FIRST (underarmor, nike pro, or another jersey)
-NO COTTON
- Trash bag should be the 2nd to last layer (from your skin) directly underneath your active light or dark
- Wear headware to minimize heat loss.
- Multiple socks are suggested but not required. Do whatever feels right for your feet.



3. Throwing and Catching

If you've ever caught a disc on the knuckles on a brisk morning or evening, you know what i'm talking about. The disc is plastic, and will react to the elements much like you. I've had a disc crack entirely in half after hitting a fence because of the cold. The disc becomes rigid and will not "give" like in normal conditions. You, the player, must adjust to the disc. Since the disc never lies.

In throwing, the grip is key. Much like footing in rock-climbing. You need to establish a strong foundation through the grip. I've been told that in the rain, you wanna grip it tighter and stronger to ensure stability, but I found that it is more effective to almost go with what you're used to and to make minimal adjustments. I have a power grip that is very tight, and in the wet it will slip out from time to time... but it comes down to knowing what you can throw too. The hammer in the wet will not really work, but the nice floaty backhand is high percentage. The rain really levels out the playing field and if you can consistently throw "boring" but high percentage throws, you will be effective as a handler. Huge hucks might not work because of a constantly slick disc, so as handlers, it's up to YOU to know what you can throw at a 0.95 clip in the rain. Footing is important as a handler and you have to realize that you probably won't be able to plant you foot further out for hucks or breaks. Know---Your---Limits.

Catching is most difficult. Pancake catches require pressure on the top and bottom of the disc but with the rain, friction is hard to attain and the disc seems to just slip out. Lobster claw and Chicken catches require a bit more skill. I found that wearing long sleeves w/ my jersey gives me a little bit more friction in catching pancake style. I know it's not suggested to catch with your arms, but in the rain, that extra security might be needed. In Colorado, the cold was so bitter that most of my team including myself resorted to football receiver gloves to give us more warmth and friction on our catches. It sacrificed some throwing ability for some of us but hey... atleast we weren't dropping the disc. Cutting will be difficult as well and it comes down to traction. You might have to sacrifice some directional change by taking more steps, but your defender is going to have to do the same so the advantage goes to you.


tips:
- stick to your grip, slightly tighter/looser if needed (practice throwing with a wet disc).
- Know your limits in the rain. Boring and 100% throws will win you games and matchups.
- Long sleeves aid in catching (need practice first)
- Gloves if needed aid in catching + keeping warm.
- Exaggerate the # of steps needed to change direction. More Steps = More Open



4. Miscellaneous

Do not forget to hydrate. Even though there is water all around, your body will be consistently losing moisture to the more saturated air in addition to your body burning through resources to keep your core temperature up. You need to be hydrating and if possible, drinking warm fluids. If I know it will be bitter cold, I tend to bring a thermos with simply hot sugar water and/or honey tea.

Post-game, your team needs to find shelter from the rain/cold if going through a bye. Retreating to the cars is a good idea and/or simply retreating to a tent is just as effective. Just be ready to repeat Section 1 in warming up post-bye. At the end of the tournament, a cool down is needed. For your muscles to be working so hard in the cold and then suddenly just call it a day will cause your muscles to contract and increase the likelyhood of future injury or soreness over the week.


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In all... you just have to be smart when playing in the rain. Exercise common sense and be prepared. I can't describe how many times I've seen teammates that are ill-prepared for such conditions and have them reduced to a shivering mess, refusing to go in and play. You want to be looking out for yourself and if you are prepared, you will be effective and instrumental in your team's success. These are just a few tips that I have learned over my 4 years playing ultimate and if you have any other tips, please leave a comment for other ultimate players to see.


Till next time,
Hammie #10

Club Trouble in Vegas 2010

"Five years, no deaths, some arrests"


top: StraightJacket, Allen, KG, Jerry, Matt Hennessey, Steve, Box, Biclops, Soren, Jamison, Brandon
bottom: Bob, Hammie, Danny Walters.


Roster:

• Andrew Chao (UCLA, TFT)
• Mike "Bob" Liu (LPC, Strike-Slip)
• Matt Hennessey (Wake Forest, Monster)
• Soren Viuf (Chapman, OCD)
• Ed "Biclops" Melo (UCLA, LA Monster)
• Brandon Gerstle (Cal Poly Pomona)
• Allen Lai (UCI, Strike-Slip)
• Mike Ng (UCI, LA Monster)
• Jerry Yang (UCI, Strike-Slip)
• Steven Lowe (UCI, LA Monster)
• Andrew "Box" McRae (UCI, LA Monster)
• Jamison Gorin (UCI)
• Danny Walters (UCI, LA Monster)
• Hammie Chen (UCI, LA Metro)

Club Trouble in Vegas 2010 was hyped up to be an awesome 16-team tournament on the normal concrete fields at the Soccer Complex. However; because of the heavens opening up the past entire week, those fields were underwater and Cultimate had to rush to secure a turf-field complex several days before the tournament and send out an email offering refunds to teams that decided to drop. It was a big change in the tournament format for both the Open and Mixed division, and our team also debated not going. However; after several players decided not to travel to Vegas with us, the remaining 12 players decided that we would reprioritize the trip and that it would not be a trip to play ultimate with gambling on the side... but a trip to Vegas, with a bit of Ultimate on the side.

The new tournament site was able to only field 4 full-fields on the turf, meaning that there were 20+ teams trying to play on 4 fields. Consequently, the entire open division was moved to SUNDAY while the Mixed division played the all games up to semi-finals on Saturday, with some pools starting play near 3:00pm. Although it was unconventional, it worked, and it worked even better for us because we knew we wouldn't be playing on Saturday so Friday night was now open for business. IF we made it to Vegas on Friday of course...

We left at 6:30pm from Irvine, CA, the second group left around 8:30pm. In short... our car didn't make it to the Rio parking lot until 2:00am the next morning, and the second car didn't make it in until the next morning around 10:00am. The 15-N was shut down through the mountain pass however our car had made it through the cutoff... so although the highway was technically closed, we were in it and had to get through it at a slow, painful crawl. Let's just say... after hour 3 of stopped traffic, the goose was set loose in our car to alleviate the pain. The car that left Irvine 2 hours before missed the highway pass cutoff by 1/2 a mile and spent the night in Baker... at a very shady motel that issued a "Snake Spotted... please close doors," advisory. Not a good start, and some cars almost debated ditching the tournament in all. Good thing they didn't.

We made it to Vegas finally, met up with some friends and spent the time at the Rio hanging out, drinking, and gambling. It was near 3:00am and it was too late to hit up the strip and by then we were all too worn out to try. It was a nice night knowing we didn't have to wake up the next morning at 7:00 to go to the fields. The entire team slept soundly taht night and the next morning we ventured to the fields to check out the new pools/ schedule as well as watch ultimate in general. The weather was brisk and in the 40's... but it was sunny and there was very little wind. Great weather for ultimate.

We spent all of Saturday hanging out, gambling, watching/heckling ultimate at the fields. Nightcap saw more Vegas shenanigans, gambling, hitting up the buffet, and also going to the Cultimate party. One perk of the trip was that Cultimate got every ultimate player on the VIP list for Studio 54 at the MGM Grand, meaning we didn't have to wait in line AND we got in for free. So there were hella people in the club and we didn't get back to the Rio hotel until near 2 or 3 am. Ears buzzing/ringing... we knew we kindof did ourselves in by staying out late, knowing that we had an early 9:00am start.

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Sunday
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Here was our pool:

G1: Gunslingers (Boston, MA)
G2: GOP (Carelton College Alum)
G3: Feed the Geese (Toronto, Canada)
G4: City Wok (Irvine, CA)
G5: OHM (Minnesota Alumni)

We had a game at 9:00am, a bye, and then three straight games. We played first against the Gunslingers from Boston who also had Squid alum Venga. After trading the first two points, we rushed them with our defense and janky H-stack and ran away with the win 11-3.

The same happened against GOP. We traded the first couple but then started dominating on defense to win 11-3. This game was won with our pulls. Allen and 808 were consistently putting the disc on the back corner of the end zone causing problems for their handlers as well as forcing them into throwing two callahans, and one near-callahan barring a terrible "I could have leaped 4 feet in the air to get that but you foul'd me" foul call. We were confident, we were playing well but we were in for a reality check against OHM from Minnesota.

They caught us off guard. We were forcing backhand the majority of the day but these guys had great throws and were running harder than we were. They went up I believe 6-2 before we had to claw ourselves back into it. We eventually lost 9-7 to a very solid team on Hard-cap. A difference this game was that our pulls were not falling in at all, giving the teams a healthy yardage boost in addition to the opportunity to run a set play which they beat us deep with repeatedly.

We won the 4th game 11-7-ish I believe and at that point knew that we no longer controlled whether or not we would make the finals. We took a team photo, started milling around but then after checking with the TD's, I found out that GOP had beaten OHM and because of point differential, we had advanced to the finals. Field One, 2:00pm, City Wok from Irvine, CA vs. Ice Holes, aka Wisconsin Hodag Alumni. Oh boy....

The mood on our sideline was kindof anxious. Some of us figured we'd just "score a couple points, go get sushi buffet and go home." The team we were facing was led by a Callahan award winner. They had guys that dominated in the college game. They were big names and it was easy to fall into the "star struck" mentality in the Ultimate game. I think many of us vastly underestimated how good of a team WE were. But we all knew that this game would be the toughest of the weekend... and for some of us, the toughest game we've every played.

We started on defense... pulling down wind and after a nice stop from Slowe on Muffin, he got the bookends and scored deep. Right away, we were up a break, pulling upwind. Not bad at all. Some of us got the feeling that the Hodags were expecting an easier game than we gave them, but there was this calm fierceness that our team exemplified that resulted in calm and collected offense, and controlled chaos on defense. We were converting on their turns, generating turns, and found ourselves up 6-3 at half. Of note was some spectacular play from Allen and Bobby who out of everyone had the most open division experience and had come to play. Credit to the Hodags. They played very well and put a lot of defensive pressure on our offense and we had to work very hard against our matchups to even get open. It was so much fun... and no discredit to mixed... the work ethic and intensity level of this game was something that made me miss playing Open division.

Wisco made a bit of a run to bring it to 9-8 with Hard Cap coming on soon. We were on offense... going slightly up wind and it was the first point of the day where an actual line was called. On the line... Biclops, Hammie, Bobby, Matt Hennessey, Jerry, KG, and Allen (?). They had been running zone on our handlers for the first 5 throws so as the pull came down, Biclops, Kg, and myself worked it around the handles for 5-6 throws and as they transitioned, hit them hard. We swung up field to a wide open Jerry who saw Matt Hennesey, who was a deep, burning his guy who was still in the midst of transitioning to man defense. He hucked it and it was not a throw we knew was a sure thing. Matt was running really hard and the rest of us all held our breath as we watched the disc sink lower... lower... lower... and then it was caught with about 5 inches to spare. No lay out... just a calm catch by one of our new additions to the team. We had done it. With a 10-8 victory... we had just WON vegas. We rushed the field and congratulated each other before shaking hands with the Hodags, who played very well as well and gave us the best game of the weekend. They were very disciplined in their play, and their players were all very talented, athletic, and experienced. Great play.

With the win, we won free chipotle dinner, and a Champions banner that the team graciously allowed me to keep. The uknown team from an unknown city (Irvine+LA), had just won Vegas. It was one of the best feelings to have organized this team and to see us gel in a way that brought us the title. Everyone contributed to the effort and I can say that had we lost any one person on this team, we would not have done what we had done. I am proud of this team, and have my sights set on submitting a bid to Fool's Fest in late March.

Frorida is now 2-0 in tournament wins... 11-1 overall in our one year history. Props to the Irvine crew for anchoring the team, and a big thanks to the LA guys that joined our team. We could not have done it without you all.


And last but not least...

opposing sideline: "They're backing everyone! They're backing!"

Biclops: "Duh... we're all short and asian!"

observer: "The guy with the red socks [brandon] is running and getting open but he keeps on getting looked off...

observer's friend: "Maybe it's cuz he's white.... the other white dude isn't getting the disc either..."

"KICK SAM OFF! KICK SAM OFF!"
"Get- Box - Laid!! Get - Box - Laid!!"


Till next time,
-Hammie #10