Last night was a double header for Ultimate. We needed to win both games to play in the finals. For me this season has been great. The team I am part of is a great group of people who really got the game. We had a number of people who could teach the newer players, and I actually offered a few tips here and there too.

The first game was against a team we had only beaten by one point. They have one player that is awesome on defence. Actually, he is just awesome since he just got back from playing in the worlds, but he is especially awesome on D. Any time I was handling for this game I checked where he was and avoided throwing to that location. The rest of the team, for the most part, did the same.

I ran hard, played hard, and threw well. I also wasn’t afraid to layout. Near the beginning of the game my check broke away from me for the end zone and the thrower hucked it hard. We both chased after the disc with him one step ahead of me. I could see he was going to catch it, so I gave it my all and at the last possible moment dove for it. With a big swat I knocked the disc out of the air as he was reaching for it. Thankfully the grass was soft and I didn’t hurt anything with my dive and roll.

During the first game I also had a few good diving catches. I was catching well this game and I was proud of that.

One zoned offense when I was handling we were swinging the disc well, but not making much progress up field. I got the disc and I could see one of our players in the end zone, open from everyone. The only way to get it to him was a hammer. I threw it up, and it was perfect. It arced perfectly and landed in his hands with little movement from him.

Nearing the end of the game we were tied 12-12. Universe point, just like the last time we played this team. I headed off the field and sent another team mate on. Moments later he called me back. The captain called a set line and I was one of the players she wanted on. We worked the disc up field when we got possession, but that one player was always lurking, waiting for his chance to D block the disc.

I passed to one of the women handlers, she took one look, and one of our long strikers broke for a sideline. The tough D player didn’t follow. The handler put up the disc, the striker caught it, and we won!

Game two was going to be a much more difficult game. We played the team earlier in the season, and somehow managed to beat them. Once we started we were shocked at how relentless they were. Quickly we were down 3-0 and our egos were shattered. Time to rebuild and get moving.

On one of our pulls, it was a high hanging pull that dropped in the far right corner. I booted down the field and saw where the first pass was going. I pushed as hard as I could to intercept and came oh so very close. The recipient was visibly shaken that I had got there so quickly and was so close to intercepting. After a couple more throws there was a turnover and we capitalized for out first point.

Unfortunately no matter how hard I tried we kept getting beat. Our teams morale dipped, then someone went on a beer run and that was the end of our game. We had a good time, but we were not running nearly hard enough. We ended up losing 13-4.

At the end of the night I was drained, sweaty, dirty and sore. It was a great season full of hard played ultimate. Definitely one of my favourite summer league seasons. Next week the finals are being played, and I think our team is going to play another for a fun game for third/fourth spot. Time to figure out another source of exercise.

Wednesday night’s Ulti game was frustrating and a little demoralizing. We lost. We lost big. At one point the game was 12-1. It ended 15-4. I’m still trying to figure out what went wrong.

I think it boiled down to the whole team making a lot of rookie mistakes. We weren’t playing well, we weren’t running well, we weren’t trying hard, we weren’t holding our force, and we weren’t checking well.

I gave it my all on the field, but my throwing was off for this game. I threw too many blades and high passes that were intercepted. After a while I stopped volunteering to be a handler. This worked out much better since I was catching very well.

One of the things I practice when warming up is catching with my left hand. I actually had to make a left handed catch in the game.

I dove a few times as well. I made a couple good diving catches that helped us keep possession, and I made one defensive dive that I was sure missed the disc. We were in the end zone and as I got up I was sure that my check was going to be standing there with the disc. Instead he was walking away and my team was setting up our play. I never learned what happened, but I guess I got in the way enough to cause him to miss.

I called one foul. In the end zone on offense I was jumping up to catch the disc. I was stopped when I jumped and went straight up. I owned that space and yet my check jumped into me and when he came down his elbow made contact with my head. We got possession right on the end zone line. I don’t think we converted that point either.

The whole game I ran as hard as I could, threw as well as I could, yet the other team had us utterly dominated.

Next week are playoffs and I really hope that everyone gets there early so we can work on some things. Like holding the force. Very important to hold the force.

Thankfully that loss didn’t affect our standings. We finished the season in 2nd place. This has been an awesome team to play with. Most other summer league teams I have played on have not been anywhere close to making the playoffs, usually since we had a lot of newer players. This team has a lot of veteran players, and newer players who have some experience. I just hope that next week we win the first game. If we do, then we play a second game.

Tonight was a tough Ulti game for me. I played through the cold I currently have, but I was pretty beat on some points. I tried to handle as much as I could for the night and that I did well. My hands were catching everything that came my way, and my throws were going (mostly) where I wanted them too. I felt like I was making smart plays too. I would bide my time, waiting for the right opportunity to strike. I was directing people, showing them where I was going to throw.

I managed to catch a few points, and throw for a few points too. The women on the team are very good about getting open in the end zone. One bad throw I made was to one of the women on the team. She was open in the end zone, and her check had no clue where the disc was, nor where her check was. I pointed to where I wanted her to go and sent the disc there. Unfortunately the check was also moving in that direction and the disc hit her right in the butt. Bad throw.

The other team battled hard. We were up 8-3 at one point, and near the end of the night it was 11-11. We scored the next point maing the score 12-11. We were pumped to score the last point. We marched the disc up the field with myself and V as handlers. Near the end zone we called a stack and everyone went there quickly. I broke out to the corner of the end zone as V sent the disc there. The cut was perfect and the throw was awesome. The disc was knee height, and I did the proper two handed catch. And yet somehow the disc popped out of my hands. I hadn’t dropped anything all night, and the one I drop was the game winner. Aaargh.

Of course the other team making the score 12-12. The universe point was called. We did our best, but failed. The other team capitalized on a small mistake and won the game. Bummer for us. I am still beating myself up over that one drop.

Last weeks ulti game was a win, but it was a bad game. The night started off badly by the team captains arguing over some rules about how many women needed to be on the field. Both teams had three women, the league is a 4 men/3 women on the field league, yet the other team only wanted to field two women. Strangely they had a sub (male) and we had no subs. They wanted to field five men, two women against our four men three women team. Weird.

Throughout the game there was lots of checking on rules causing stoppages in the play. This made for a game that didn’t flow very well, and really wasn’t very much fun. The rules are important, but so is the spirit of the game.

On the field I felt pretty good, barring my stomach. That felt like a shrunken pit that bounced around inside me. Not sure what was happening there. Throwing was pretty good for me, and I made a couple nice catches.

One point I was chasing down a disc in the end zone with my check right on my tail. I mistimed my approach to the disc and got there too early and had to stop and wait. This allowed my check to catch up. He and I jumped for the disc and he swatted it, tipping it a little. Somehow I was right there as it came off his finger and grabbed it. Lucky, lucky moment for me.

During the final point of the night we had another rule stoppage. Some of us were getting cranky and wanted the game to be over. We neared the other teams end zone and a foul was called. My team still had the disc and when the play resumed I made a break for the end zone. The handler threw the disc to me, but the throw was behind me, and away from the direction I was travelling. I put on the brakes and reached backward and snagged it for the final point. True to form someone called “not in”. I immediately checked, saw I was in, so I tapped the disc to the ground and the game was done.

I hope next week’s game goes a little smoother.

Last weeks Ulti was a double header, our third and last of the season. It was a great night for playing too. Hot, very, very hot. The games themselves were pretty good too. The teams we played were competitive, challenging, and yet we still won. Our team has really gelled and we are making plays, catching well, and defending quite well too.

I really feel like I am coming into my own as a handler too. I am very comfortable catching and throwing in any sorts of conditions. I still make mistakes like everyone else, but I don’t dwell on those.

One play there was a long bomb to me striking in the end zone. I broke away from my check and raced after it. Unfortunately the disc hung in the air right in the end zone and I got there too early and had to wait. I stopped right where the disc was coming down and could hear my check racing in after me. I boxed him out, protecting my space, and when the time was perfect he and I both jumped up for the disc. Luckily I came down with it. We both congratulated each other on a good play.

Another strike I had one of my team members tossed another long bomb on a set play. I was only about mid way down the field when I started breaking for the end zone. For a moment or two I had doubts I would be able to track it down, but I noticed I was gaining on the disc while it was still climbing. Sure enough I caught it for a point.

Both games were a lot of fun, but the only downside was that I missed out on beer. 🙁

Last night’s Ulti was a double header.

The first game the other team had no subs, and only 2 women. They ran out asses off. Holy smokes did they ever work hard. It threw us off our game for a while. The breeze was slight last night which made throwing pretty easy, but the other team thew on the zone quite a bit. I chose to play a handling role for the first game and quote enjoyed it. Their cup was doing a good job, but then we started working them hard. On one particular point their pull was perfect enough to put us in the back corner of our end zone. The pull was so good though that the cup almost made it to me by the time the disc landed. I made a quick swing pass, then there was a forward pass. The three handlers, and a couple of our mids then marched up the field with the disc. Dump, swing, look for a mid, dump swing, forward. We got to their end zone line pretty easily and their cup was getting worked hard. We got that point and we made it look good too.

They played zone a few more points, but we worked them so hard they reverted to man coverage. Once they went man, they actually shut us down pretty well. Some of the points were pretty long and both teams were feeling it. On one point the disc was tossed to the end zone and my mark and I were chasing it down. I was trying to grab it or block it and he was trying to score a point. I looked over my left shoulder and spotted the disc going right. As I swung my head around I got a little disoriented, and ended up tripping over my own feet. As I stumbled I tried to stay vertical but that was to no avail. Down I went onto the hard ground, and off my mark raced to catch the disc for a point. He was only 5 feet away from me, and if I hadn’t tripped I know I could have prevented the point.

Nearing the end of the time slot the captains called a cap and we had two more points to play. We ended up splitting those and instead of settling for the tie, we played a universe point. We lost 🙁 It was a fun, hard fought game and I did enjoy it.

The second was vastly different. The other team didn’t have enough people and forfeited. We split up the people and played a game for fun. It wasn’t all that fun. Many people weren’t playing hard since the game didn’t matter. I felt like the team I was on was looking me off for passes quite a bit. I felt like I barely touched the disc at all.

To top it off I had a crappy interaction with one of my team members who was on the other team, let’s call him D. For two plays D was handling close to my end zone and was looking to score. For both those plays my check broke away from me and was open for a short pass when the stall count was above 5. Both times D looked him off, and instead tried to score. His flick was bad and he ended up throwing it high, resulting in a blade that nobody could catch. I brought it up with him and mentioned that next time it would be a good idea for the short, safe pass to reset the count. I was trying to be helpful.

Instead he got all pissed off, and got in my face. He yelled “Are you criticizing my play?”. I was taken aback at how quick his demeanor changed and replied that I was trying to be helpful. That incident put a damper on the rest of the game. At the end of the night I was tired and sore, and none too happy. Not how I like Ulti nights to end.

Last night was our first double header of summer league. The first game got going late, and was actually a bit of a let down. Noone was running very hard. Nobody showed any energy. The points came pretty easily, and we ended up winning. The game was just weird though and I didn’t enjoy it at all.

The second game was totally different. We played against the top team who was undefeated. They had many excellent players including a husband/wife combo who are both national level players. The rest of their team was just damn good. This game would be a challenge to us.

Sure enough they got off to a great start. They were up 6-1 and it wasn’t looking so good for us. Then we changed our luck and started playing better. We scored a couple points and started to get a little momentum. The teams went back and forth for a while experimenting with zone and man coverage on a perfect ulti night (a slight breeze, sunshine, and warmth).

I managed to catch a couple points on the night and felt my throwing was pretty decent. I screwed up a couple times, but overall I was happy with how I felt. On defence I made a few blocks to be proud of. In all my game was going pretty well.

Then there was the play that made my night. My team was on offence and I was striking for the endzone. I had broken from my check and was right where I should be. Then I looked back and saw the disc was going to come up short. I put on the brakes, dove backward trying to make the catch. My fingers hit the disc. It flipped up and I fell down hard on the ground. I then felt the disc land on my outstretched arm. Quickly I looked up and saw it balanced on my arm. With my other hand I reached up and trapped the disc against my arm before it touched the ground. An opponent was right there watching (one of the national level players) and he called it a fair catch. Somehow the disc never hit the ground. He congratulated me on the catch and the rest of my team caught up. Big smile on my face. Of course, the ground was hard like cement so I lost some skin on my knee, hip, side, and elbow.

As time was winding down we were down by a point. We tied it up, then scored another on the last point. We had won the game. Totally awesome.

Ulti tonight was a blast. I had such a great time, and played really well. I had some wheels tonight, and felt strong the entire game. It was a close one too.

It was slightly windy which meant a lot of zone coverage. The team is doing very good with the zone and that makes playing so much more enjoyable. I played all over the field on defence too. I was in the cup for a while, I was mid mid, and I was even deep quite a bit. There was one player on the other team who was really good. For many points we simply had one person follow him around trying to shut him down a little. I was that rabbit for a couple points and that was rather tiring.

Also on defence I made some excellent reads on the disc. Since it was windy, sometimes it would float way up there, and sometimes it would dive for the ground. The other team liked to huck and zone, and I made quite a few d-blocks that stopped points. The only thing that wasn’t so nice was that a couple of them were on women, but it was to prevent a point so I don’t feel that bad. I even made a diving block that almost worked. I got a couple fingers on the disc, but wasn’t able to catch it, and the receiver still got the disc.

On offence I was throwing well which was great since I was handling a fair amount. I was very pleased with my throwing, and managed not to throw it away.

One point that still brings a smile to my face was a set play. It was a downhill point, and we called a huck and zone. I let the hucker know where to throw it and he agreed he could get it there. At the pull I ran downfield fairly fast and watched the handler set up for our play. I cut left, got behind my check, then cut hard right for the sideline as the handler hucked. It was a little far away from me though so I had to push it pretty hard. I saw a teammate attempting to catch the disc, but it was over her head. I was getting close to the sideline in a full sprint, and the disc was starting to dive for the ground. My only option was to dive. This resulted in a spectacular one handed grab, just inside the sideline, and a full body slide. That put a smile on my face for quite a while.

Nearing 8:15 the score was 10-9 for the other team, we stepped up and scored the points needed to win the game 13-11. That was one of the most fun games I have played in a long time. Strong opponents, my team played well, the weather was a little unpredictable, and it wasn’t a blowout.

Tonight’s ulti game was awesome. It was a super windy night, but at least it was sunny. The wind was gusty too which made passing very interesting.

Our team played quite well and we had a lot of fun. There was lots of zoning which we did quite well with. I was proud of the team in how we played.

I was very happy with how I felt the entire game too. I felt strong and fast the entire game and could have played longer. I was playing all sorts of positions too. On defence for some points I was in the cup, some points a mid, some points a long. On offense I was a handler, a mid, and a striker. All around I played every position out there.

On defence I read the disc well, and many times ended up in the right place at the right time to stop the other team from catching it.

On O I threw fairly well despite the wind. I had a couple stupid passes that I regretted instantly. I also caught a couple points. One I called for the team to stack up, then when it was my turn sprinted to the open area, blowing by my check to catch the disc inches from the sideline.

Lots of fun, and we got the win. On the third point we scored an up wind point and the rest of the game we traded points.

Ulti is such a fun game, and tonight I had a blast. My team played quite well and we had a lot of fun at it. We got to practice a bunch of things, even throwing on the zone as well as being zoned.

I was still a little concerned about my leg so I took it easy the whole night. I only did a couple full sprints and that was enough for me. I felt a couple small twinges, but nothing major. It should be fine for next week’s game.

One of my sprints I was chasing down a disc that had been hucked to the endzone. The disc was hanging in the air against an opponent and I managed to swat the disc without any foul. The other person was standing still in the endzone waiting for the disc and I came flying in from the side. After I hit it, the disc actually made forward progress toward a second opponent. I followed the disc and knocked it down again. I would have rather caught it, but the situation prevented that.

This season I am really enjoying not being typecast into a handling role. I don’t mind doing it once in a while, but I really want to get out and run. Hopefully I can get my cardio level back up to where it needs to be.