theScore: Top 50 Plays of 2010 - A blunder? I wonder...

In the past few days, while casually browsing through the various holiday-themed channels, I came across an interesting show: "theScore's Top 50 Plays of 2010". It is always refreshing to have a quick recap of the year's best and this show proved itself worthy. Through the several basketball slamdunks and unbelievable footwork of soccer and football players, there was one clip that captured my attention. Ranked somewhere in the top 25 was the ever-popular clip of Seattle Sockeye's Andrew Fleming making an almost impossible layout in the World Ultimate Club Championships in Prague earlier this year. Perhaps you share my enthusiasm for this moment as it is rare to come across Ultimate on television, especially on a show like theScore.

I used to follow this show quite closely as the entertaining duo, Tim Micallef and Sid Seixeiro, offered their insight into the world of sports at the professional stage. However, immediately after showing the clip of Andrew Fleming's play, their remarks felt less than amusing. Their comments were offensive on two levels. On the first, they personally attacked Fleming and his hairstyle. A bit of heckling is acceptable, but surely there is a limit, especially on national television. The second level of offensive comments was aimed at all Ultimate players calling it a sport "for losers". "If you are playing it, you're probably still single," said one of the entertaining hosts. It would be immature of me to challenge the validity of their statistics. So let us assume for an instance that their comments were unintentionally offensive, and that it spawned from their ignorance. If that is the case, then it is up to us to remind them of how enjoyable this sport can be.

Recently, I sent this comment in for their perusal and I am anxiously awaiting a response:

Dear Tim and Sid,

I was watching your countdown of the "top 50 plays" on the 24th of December and found it quite entertaining at first, but eventually I was left feeling somewhat insulted. Although I appreciate you airing the clip of Andrew Fleming's layout from the World Ultimate Club Championships in Prague this year, it does seem that you have taken heckling to another level. Personally attacking a player as great as himself, especially after him making a play like that, is slightly confusing, and not at all congruent with the standards that you have maintained in the past. As an avid Ultimate player myself, I found it somewhat disconcerting to hear your comments about the sport. By criticizing Ultimate players, you have now alienated a certain portion of your audience. My intention here is not to restrict your freedom of speech, but to remind you of the power of media and its influence on the masses. I have followed your shows for quite a while and have tremendous respect for your work and appreciate your sense of humour at times. If you have not done so already, I encourage you to at least try this sport, even at the recreation level. I am sure you will find it a positive experience. In addition, perhaps try watching some Ultimate clips on Youtube. This sport is more intense than you think. If you are still doubtful, I will be more than happy to show you how this sport is played.

Wish you a joyous holiday season,

-Dinesh 


I would appreciate your input in this issue, especially since I may be basing my comments on the naive notion that someone on the other side actually cares. Call it an institutionalized and idealistic view of justice thrust upon me by my post-secondary ventures, but enough is enough.

If you are unfamiliar with the clip, please click on the "Ulti-Videos" tab above and check it out. This clip aired on ESPN and has been commented on by thousands of blog-writers like myself.

My Ulti-ventures: CEUUC 2010

The Waterloo team had to be rebuilt, as we lost several of our key players. Tryouts were intense and we scrambled to put together a team in time for Regionals. Many of our players were first years and we got a taste of the future of this sport and our team. With recognized players like Ben Pries and Hugh Bousfield from Toronto's Overdrive as well as many high school champions, we felt fairly confident that our team would learn to notice each other's strengths and build a solid foundation for the years to come.

We took a right turn onto Woodbine Road and felt the excitement building as we inched closer and closer to Woodbine Park. The car pulled into the parking lot and we could see some of our teammates making a quick dash to Disc-Central for a snack before our first game. This year, like last, we sent in two teams to represent the Warriors from Waterloo. I'll share with you my story with the A-squad at Regionals on the weekend of September 18th and 19th at Kingston, Ontario (why so early this year?!)

The Waterloo A-team (6th seed) was in Pool C, with Queens (3rd seed), Concordia (11th seed), and Toronto B (14th seed). We had our first match against Torontula B (many of whom I have played with in the past). It started off quite balanced as both teams were taking advantage of a strong downfield wind. We utilized our Monster-Zone defence on all the upwind points and it seemed to work effectively as we won the game 14-5. Next up, Concordia, a team we had defeated at Nationals last year. But, what happened in the years before does not affect the outcome of the current year. Concordia had just upset Queen's in a 9-5 win in their very first game. They came out strong and showed their athleticism. They were seeded third in our pool and ultimately went undefeated on the first day. Our final match of the day was against Queen's. I heard comments from the other team that their roster was set up only the Thursday before and were missing a lot of their key players. I guess that other teams, including ours, suffered from the same condition. This was ideally the match of the day, since both teams were fighting hard for second seed in the pool. The excitement went through the roof when Andrew Carroll denied the disc from one of our players cutting in and proceeded to huck, when our very own Carson Bott (Mr. Stone Hands) got a huge foot block!

We went off to Boston Pizza for a team dinner and reflecting on the day's work. That night we rested, with the full intent to come back stronger than ever before. Some of my teammates were tending to their wounds from the battle of the first day and were determined to play hard the next day.

The sun seemed to have risen a little early, that's what we all thought as we exited the hotel. As a repeat of last year, our A-team and B-team had to face each other. We decided to play a shorter game and preserve our strengths for the more difficult games ahead. Waterloo A won the match 15-5 and proceeded to face Guelph. It felt like an uphill battle from the start. Before we knew it we were considerably down. Carson Turner, one of our strongest players, was injured and was pushing himself to the max. We had to refocus and called all the timeouts we could, but to no avail. We ended up losing the match 15-5. Unfortunately, Carson Turner had to withdraw from playing on the field due to his injuries, but provided encouragement and dedicated sideline support.

In our final game, against uOttawa, our team found itself and was able to feed off the trust in each other. We played our best game against uOttawa. With unbelievable athleticism shown from both sides, this was surely a match for the records. Daniel Huynh, one of Waterloo's aces, showed that he could play the role of handler and cutter as he shredded some of his defenders with creative throws. We were all in awe of Carson Bott's performance, especially in that last game. He was actually moving! Jonathan Templin, captain and administrative genius, worked well despite his injured knee and got several layout-D's. We ended up winning that match which placed us tied for fifth with Western.

Our team learned something important that weekend: to trust in each other. Come Nationals, it'll be exciting to see how our trust fosters successful results.

My Ulti-ventures: Canadian Ultimate Championships 2010

Bishop's University in Sherbrooke hosts CUC2010. Photo by BU.

Sherbrooke, QC - a small city or a large town roughly two hours east of Montreal, is a beautiful place to play Ultimate. The rolling hills and the endless forests of this city of 200,000 define the unique region of the St. Lawrence lowlands. From Thursday the 12th to Sunday the 15th, this city was completely overrun with Ultimate players. One could walk into any given restaurant and find a team enjoying dinner and drinking it up after a long day of 'throwing around the pie plate'.

The Canadian Ultimate Championships (CUC), perhaps the greatest event within Canada, brought together sixty-five teams in five divisions from all over the nation for four days of competition. CUC2010 was my first national conference outside of the University series and it exceeded all my expectations severalfold. I felt like a kid in a candy story. Thrilled by the possibilities, and coming face-to-face with teams I had followed online for the past several years, I could barely contain my excitement.

We had prepared for this moment all season and every game we played would reflect on our capacity as a team. During our last practice on the Tuesday before Nationals, we went over all the basics and the plays that we had practiced the entire season. Sort of like the final review before an exam, we paid close attention to details and walked through the strategies that were engraved in our minds.

Captain Andy Milne (6) throws a break-force backhand up the field against Mayhem. Photo by Tushar Singh.

Rahil Suleman (74) bids for the disk. Photo by Tushar Singh.

On the bus, I received an update that Tundra had won one and lost two games in the first day of pool plays. A 14-10 loss against Mayhem and a 12-11 universe point loss against Spawn, a team from Fredericton, forced Tundra to focus harder on the prize. The very next game was against Hard, where Tundra played their heart out and won on a 12-11 universe point break.

After three buses and a cab, I arrived in Sherbrooke on Friday at noon. A day and a half of Ultimate had already passed.

Tundra's Marc Hodges (27), throws a beautiful flick under a Mayhem defender's leg. Photo by Ed Kung.

When I arrived at Bishop's University, I proceeded straight to Paterson Hall to check-in to the dormitories. One of our teammates had wisely booked several rooms on campus since we would be at the epicenter of all the fun (especially the parties!). Mackinnon Hall is a three-storey single and double room dorm with a large lounge and aged furnishings.

Christian Parsons (83) in action against BFC. Photo by Corry Berghout.

After dropping of my stuff off in my room, I rushed to the satellite fields at Atto Beaver. Tundra had already played two games that morning: a 12-11 universe point win against Tobasco and a 16-5 loss to RIP. There was a two hour break before we faced our friendly rivals, Bytown Flatball Club (BFC), in the second round of pool plays.

We wanted to forget about our game against BFC at Mixed-Up and play hard Ultimate to earn a solid victory.

Michelle "Wangers" Wang (16) snatches the disk. Photo by Corry Berghout.

BFC was able to take the game to half, but we were determined to come back. After some amazing long plays, especially a huck from Rahil Suleman (74) to David Shimoda (11), we became more confident in our abilities. Unfortunately, we couldn't keep up our attack and BFC continued to play their best. We ended up losing the match that would put us in the top eight by 14-8.

Although it was disappointing to lose out the chance to be in the top eight, we reassessed our goals and wanted to top the 'ninals'.

We decided to stick around for a while after our game to observe the match between Maverick and Grand Trunk on one side, and between Phoenix and Q on the other.  Phoenix, who had lost to Grand Trunk 12-11, was able to take a quick 15-6 win against Q. Grand Trunk asserted themselves against Maverick in 12-11 win, but would go on to lose to them 14-10 in the playoffs.

Phoenix's Derek Alexander (9), shreds his mark and throws an amazing flick. Photo by Corry Berghout.

On the Saturday, we faced Natural Born Spinner (NBS), a team from Sherbrooke, in our first playoff game. The field at Sylvie Daigle was turf and the day was hot. The flames of determination scorched our hearts as the waves of dry heat burnt our skin. NBS gave us a scare as they we went point-for-point in the first half. The slight crosswind made it difficult to read the disk at times and we were suffering because of it.

"Let's get our heads out of our as-es and play some fr-gging Ultimate! We should be burning them!" said one of our captains. We needed that kick to nudge us back on track as we took the game 13-9.

On the field beside ours, F-Bomb was playing Short Bus. We heard a lot of cheering from the F-Bomb side so I assumed they must have won, and they did win by a considerable margin 13-6. Now we'd have to face F-Bomb.

The game started of strong as we took the early lead and maintained that lead for the rest of the game. There was a point in the game which stretched for well over twenty minutes. Looking at the scoreboard on the field beside, I saw that BFC had scored five points against Hard in the time it took for that point against F-Bomb. One could see the exhaustion in the faces of all the players on the field. I overheard one of the F-Bomb female player voice her tiredness: "I can't go on anymore!" There were many turnovers that point as a result of the wind and miscommunication. But, we persevered and took the match 11-5.

Hard won against BFC in a close 11-9 game. BFC had pulled a "greatest" in that match and set the pace for the rest of the game. But, Hard never relented.

After a two hour break, we faced Hard just as the sun was right above us. The heat left our feet blistered and burnt, but we maintained our composure and played on. We looked to play the perfect game: focusing on tight containment on defence and no risk passes on offence. It was unfortunate that Hard suffered several injuries during the game but never relented.

We got the break and Joel Landy (19) got an amazing layout D up the line, picked up the disk and sent a beautiful flick to Norman Lew to win the game 12-9. Thus, we took 9th place in the Mixed Division.

The Juniors finals took place on Saturday evening and was definitely one of the greatest matches. Toronto's Overdrive and Vancouver's West Coast Reign showed the Ultimate world that they are the future of the sport. Overdrive's Brandon Lusty, brother of my teammate, Caitlind Lusty, was a star player and played a pivotal role in both offence and defence. Tundra decided to stick around and play the role of Brandon's personal cheering squad.

It was a tough loss for Overdrive as West Coast Reign took gold with a commanding 15-6 lead. There were tears and an overwhelming sense of disappointment in the eyes of all the Overdrive players. However, it was one of the greatest matches I have seen in my Ultimate career, and they should be proud of their accomplishment.

That night's party was surely one to remember, if I could remember it at all. I vaguely recall there being a band, a stage, a lot of drinks, and people dancing uncontrollably and without rhythm. If you were there, you'd savour it, if you weren't, then I'd rather not say. I'll leave the rest to your imagination.

ONYX and fans cheer as they win 14-12 against RIP in the finals.

Sunday was the finals match in all the other divisions. The Mixed finals was first with ONYX (2nd in Worlds) facing RIP (10th in Worlds). The match started at 9:30 a.m. sharp and ONYX was making quick work of their opponents. ONYX had gone undefeated in the pool plays and the playoffs thus far. They looked to finish strong and maintain their first place seed. RIP gave a scare to ONYX as they scored several points in a row and looked to make a comeback. ONYX's skyscraper, Mathieu Bordeleau (5), had two amazing points. They were able to capitalize on their quick transitions from defence to offence and maintained their hold on first place with a 14-12 victory.

Next up, the Women's finals between Stella and Storm. Both teams played really well in the finals match and I got to learn a lot from watching their match. The thing that distinguishes Women's Ultimate is their reliance on clean cuts and solid throws. It's less of a huck game, although there were some beautiful huck points. I paid special attention to the handlers who made the most of the space they were give to work with and moved the disk quickly. Storm played a four-person cup on some of their points and it was difficult for the Stella handlers to move the disk upfield in the gust.

Stella (green) versus Storm (violet) in the Women's Finals.

Storm eventually got a good lead on Stella and the crowd in the stands erupted as they took the championship match 15-6. 

Phil Watanabe (far right) giving important words of advice and encouragement to the Moondoggies.

Inian (33) supporting from the sidelines after his injury.

The Open finals was an interesting match. The game went back and forth between Toronto's Moondoggies and Montreal's Mephisto. Moondoggies took the early 4-1 lead, but gave up the upwind point and the scores were even at 4s. Mephisto took the half 8-5 and the Moondoggies had to do dig deep to overcome the deficit. After, a quick huddle, Mephisto was back and ready to dominate.

In the stands, a small crowd of Torontonians supported the Moondoggies with howls and cheers at every point. One supporter, having no clue of the sport and obviously drunk, decided to chant "Go Leafs Go!" for the duration of the game further perpetuating the stereotype of the "obnoxious Toronto folk" in the minds of the peaceful Quebecers. Albeit, it provided entertainment and a conversation topic for the ride home.

The Moondoggies are the CUC2010 Open Champions. They shake the hands of their opponents in Mephisto.

With sheer hustle and precision throws, Moondoggies got the score back and were now tied up at 12s. John Hassell (38) put up a near full field huck which was chased down by Phil Watanabe (16) and the Moondoggies went up to 13-12. Moondoggies became the champions after a perfect layout point to seal the deal at 15-13. Unfortunately, Inian (33) injured his hand and was forced to assist from the sidelines, but his contributions were the foundation on which Moondoggies built their victory.

Overall, this was a great experience and definitely a great close to a wonderful season. As a personal goal, I had strived to not turning over the disk and that remained true even till the very end. I love my team and I will surely miss playing and practicing with them. I want to thank my team for always supporting me and taking care of me. I want to thank Andy, Neil, and Eric for seeing potential in me and allowing me to join the team.

Twenty-five practices. Five tournaments. Two tryouts. One training camp. And one solid team!

This was my first touring experience and I'm sure it won't be my last.

CUC 2010 Seedings and Schedules

Seedings for CUC 2010 in Sherbrooke, QC. Click to enlarge. Courtesy of CUC2010.com

Seedings

After the exciting run at Regionals in Burlington last month, Tundra qualified for Nationals along with five other strong teams from Ontario. Mayhem, a team which went undefeated at Regionals, is currently seeded third. ONYX holds on to their first place, closely followed by another World's contender, RIP.

Schedule
Mixed Division

Tundra is in Pool C, along with Mayhem, Hard, and Spawn (a Prairie team). It'll be interesting to see if Tundra holds true to its revised goal this season and turns more than just heads in Sherbrooke this year.

Open Division

The Open teams will play their games later in the day. In the first set of games, Phoenix versus Grand Trunk ought to be one of the more savoured ones.

Women Division

Looking for a Lotus-PPF finals match.

Masters Division

Juniors Division

West Coast Reign, formerly called Blackout, will likely face OVERDRIVE, formerly D.I.R.T. in the finals. After the successful season that D.I.R.T. had in 2009, it was bittersweet to watch most of the team dissolve as they players graduated from the junior system and moved on to tour with mixed, women's and open teams in the region. This year's Toronto Junior's team, OVERDRIVE, has shown that they can retain the excellence of their predecessors. After taking first place in the Juniors division at Mixed-Up and bagelling RessureXion, OVERDRIVE is more confident than ever on its chances at glory.

Development: An insight into my growth as a player

Several years ago, as I searched YouTube for its infinite wisdom, I was amazed by the Ultimate videos. I was just starting out in Ultimate and couldn't imagine a game at higher levels than what I was exposed to in the high school league. Hearing of teams like ROY, GT, and GOAT made me feel very small and fragile. That was my way of marvelling at their greatness. I was putting them on the proverbial pedestal, if you will. Looking at those videos brought up several questions in my head. How are they all so good? Where'd they learn all those throws? How are they able to create so much space? How are they not clogging up all the lanes like in all my games?

GOAT players. Photo by Jaleel Paje.

In the high school scene, as long as one is able to throw a flick, they are considered a superstar. That's understandable. The lower the level of game, the greater the distribution of skills amongst players. Think of it like the IQ for the measure of intelligence. British psychologist Liam Hudson wrote, "It is amply proved that someone with an IQ of 170 is more likely to think well than someone whose IQ is 70." "But," wrote Hudson, "the relation seems to break down when one is making comparisons between two people both of whom have IQs which are relatively high." He concluded that, "A mature scientist with an adult IQ of 130 is as likely to win a Nobel Prize as is one whose IQ is 180."(Gladwell, 79-80).When we compare this concept to the skill level in Ultimate players, we can safely say that a GOAT player is more likely to play better than a high school player. However, an entry level GOAT player is just as likely to bid for a disk as is one of his more experienced teammates.

Throwing a low release flick. Photo by Heather Gilmour.

As a handler in my high school team, I focused mainly on mastering my low release flick (albeit it was more of a flick bounce). In my senior year, I continued to develop my throws and discovering new ones. My teammates were somewhat captivated by my ability to bounce all my throws (this is bad, especially in windy games!). It came to a point where I had lost the ability to throw a normal backhand and resorted to air bounces for my backhand and flick. It wasn't until I was properly coached in university that I gained a quicker release and a less obvious bounce.

Another low release flick to "green space". Photo by Ed Kung.

As I progressed further in my games and leagues, a question of spacing became more and more relevant. After learning the HO (Horizontal Offence)-stack, knowing where the cutter will cut became a lot more obvious to me. I banked on my ability to break the mark (usually forcing me flick) with an I-O (Inside-Out) flick.

A vertical stack in one of my high school games. Photo by Vivian Shan.

"Throw to green space!" yelled my coach from the sideline. Green space? But there's no one there. Why would I intentionally turnover possession?

Spacing was a big issue for me. It took me a long time to understand why I, even as a handler, had to clear out and create space for others. Handler cuts in high school league consisted of running in circles around the player with the disk. When I started playing for my university team, I made some of the worst decisions as a handler. Often and unknowingly, I would cut off other handlers from making throws to the open cutters.

"Get the f--- out of there! Clear that space!" I'd hear from the other players.

Space? Not that again! What am I doing wrong?

Me (5) with my team, Tundra. Photo by Gavin Thompson.

My bad habits followed me into the touring scene. While playing with Tundra, even in practice, I would make the wrong cuts. We had probably ran through the dump-swing drill numerous times already, so I knew what cut I had to make. But in the heat of the moment, I'd forget there are other players on the field and just make my cut to no avail. In games, I noticed a large "sag" or poach on my position as the far handler from my defender. In order to engage my defender and move him away from the cutting lanes, I would yell "Poach!", but nothing more.

"You have to move to where you can be a threat." said a veteran of Tundra as he positioned bottles on the ground to show me which cuts were feasible options.


It came down to discipline and focus for me. "You have the throws, but you don't have the timing yet. Clear your mind of all distractions. Throw to where they're going, not where they are," was one piece of advice that stuck with me. Another was, "You have to hustle on defence and what ever you do, DON'T GET BROKEN!"

"Remember the three rules of defence," I'd hear every time I was beat on defence. "One, don't get beat upline. Two, don't get beat force side. And three, don't get broken."

It was with Tundra that I found these simple and effective concepts. I figured, those teams I look up to so much, they're just doing the same thing that they've done countless times before. It's consistency and completion. Efficiency and execution. 

I'm not saying I've stopped looking up to these teams, rather I've developed even more respect for them. I no longer feel small and fragile, instead I look forward to my games against tougher opponents. This is the only way to learn and my appetite for that will probably never be satisfied.

Performance is as much a mental game as it is a physical one in this sport, or any for that matter.


References:

Gladwell, Malcolm. Outliers. Toronto: Penguin Group, 2008. 79-80. Print.  

My Ulti-ventures: Mixed Up 2010

ONYX celebrate their 15-7 victory over Monster as they hold on to top spot two years in a row.

We left Toronto late at night on the Friday before the tournament hoping to avoid the late rush of traffic exiting the city. I was as yet unsure about my living arrangements in Ottawa, but thanks to the generosity of one of my teammates, I wasn't left stranded in the nation's capital. "This is it," said one of the captains on our drive up to Ottawa. "Our tune-up time for Nationals!"

He was right. Throughout our entire season, regardless of which tournament we were at, our main goal as a team was the qualify for Nationals. We'd done it. Now what?

For the most part, I can only comment on Tundra's games as my full concentration went into supporting my team. Here's how it reads.

The Saturday games were to thirteen. Our first game was against Silver Fish Hand Catch, a pick-up team of sorts. They put up a pretty good fight, but our chemistry and teamwork persevered as we won the game 13-7.

Our D-line charges down the field towards Silver Fish Hand Catch.

Our captain, Andy, brings his maturity and crisp throws to every game. Photo by Gavin Thompson.

Next up, ONYX. After watching them play at WUCC in Prague this year, I knew this was going to be our hardest game. They had just defeated Hard, a team from Montreal, 11-8 in their first game and looked pumped and ready to go for round two. We could hear the "On... Nyx" chants from the field beside ours during our first game and we knew we'd have to play the best we've ever played just to keep up. 

Zone defence on a crucial equalizer point in the game against ONYX. Photo by Gavin Thompson.

A word of motivation from le petit commandant. Photo by Gavin Thompson.

The ONYX game began and we were excited to be going point for point against them. The sideline erupted every time we scored and we made sure to support each other through this uphill fight. Our petit commandant, as he was identified by the ONYX players, kept up the intensity and set an example for each of us to follow. We thought we'd mix up our defence and decided to play zone. They were able to break through our cup with some difficulty, but took advantage of our transition from zone to man defence near our endzone. Despite our best efforts, we were unsuccessful in taming the beast that is ONYX. We lost the game 13-6.

We cleared our heads and prepared for the next match against Plogg, a team from Sherbrooke. We were quickly able to capitalize on our speed and good decisions to win the game 13-3.

Tight line force. Photo by Daniel Bergson.

Our defence was spotless during the second half. Photo by Daniel Bergson.

The last game of the Saturday was against Hard. Our loss against ONYX had every player determined to work harder. With the will to win strong, our D-line never relented as they didn't give up a single point in the second half. Hard had great flow and worked well in their down field plays, but we won 13-4.

Our D-line converts a quick point after forcing a turnover. Hard is hit hard. Photo by Daniel Bergson.

Later that night, we congregated at one of our teammate's place near the fields and feasted to our heart's content. Through sweat and blood we earned each and every point on the field that day. The second day would soon show us that it takes a lot more than just a strong will to win.


The Sunday began with our game against MuD, a strong team from Guelph. Our entire team was on the field, cleated, and ready to go long before even a line of MuD players were visible. Our determination and focus could be felt in the air around us.

The game was back and forth as each point scored was answered with equal force. The score was 8-7 for MuD at halftime. "We're doing great guys! But there isn't an elevator ride to the top," said one of our captains. "We've got to climb up one step at a time, one point at a time."

In the second half, with the disk in LBR's able hands, there were no less than three travel calls and two fouls from the same person at the same point. We would rush the fields in premature celebration thinking that a point was scored, when in fact a call was made. The monotony of that point left every player on edge and the success of it that much sweeter as he made a breakforce throw to an open player in the endzone.  However, after MuD got a break point, they were up 13-10 as the soft cap horn went off. We kept our celebration to a minimum as we rushed to even the scores. A minute later it was 13-11. We sent out our strongest line to try and force a quick turnover and score. That point stretched for almost eight minutes as we heard the two heart wrenching sirens that signalled the playing of the last point. It didn't matter if we would lose this game anymore. MuD scored the last point and won the game 14-11. "We all gave it everything we've got even though we knew we would lose the game. And that makes us winners," said a veteran player as we gathered up. "It's all about heart and hustle."


Moving over to the next field, we were faced with our most upsetting match against Bytown Flatball Club (BFC). We had defeated this team at Regionals and knew what they were capable of if given the opportunity. They started scoring on us one point after another and we were left scratching our heads. Perhaps the charm of home-field-advantage brings with it an unrivalled resilience. What else could explain the score, 8-1, at halftime?

"We've got to forget about all other things and play Ultimate!" said one of our captains.

"Play what we know, what we've practiced. I'm seeing nothing that we've practiced," said another, moments before he went on the field. That point he successfully defended the possession as he battled two opponents in the air and rushed down the field to the other endzone where he scored an amazing aerial point. But our efforts were to no avail as we lost the game 15-3.

"It doesn't matter who scored what against who," commented a captain. "All that matters is what's at hand: a game of Ultimate. We forgot that out there."

Our last game of the weekend was against SeVen, an Ottawa team with a few pick-ups from Phoenix and Big Fish. In previous games, I caved under the pressure to perform and felt my concentration slipping. In this game I threw down all that I carried on my shoulders and felt a moment of inner-peace. None of the other games mattered anymore. They seemed distant and irrelevant. I focused on the now and cut myself off from my thoughts.

The captains decided to cap the game off at thirteen so that we could watch the finals between Monster and ONYX. They were agile and quick on turnovers, but we easily took the game 13-4.

A beautiful huck from Monster's Albert Wu (13) inches the score closer to ONYX's.

Beers and cheers at the finals game.

The finals match between Monster and ONYX had already begun by the time we settled on their sidelines. Our cold beers kept us relatively comfortable in the near-Saharan temperatures that scorched the field.
There were amazing plays from both sides as Monster tried desperately to catch up to ONYX's lead. Albert Wu caught what seemed to be an impossible to read push-pass from a teammate in mid-field and converted that into a huck-point. However, ONYX's pressure brought the disk close to the Monster endzone at game point. With the photographers ready to snap the game-winner, ONYX set up a vertical stack in the endzone. Monster held their force for a while, but were broken by a Inside-Out break pass to a female ONYX player in the endzone. Thus ended the tournament.

We beat our seed to Nationals, but most importantly we beat our inner-selves to perform better than ever. 

Monster cheer ONYX on their victory.

Despite getting two "amazing" D's, my favourite moments from this tournament were the connection I felt with the team. After missing two tournaments, I wasn't sure if I was as close to the team as the other rookies. This was the first time I felt very attached to the team.

Regardless of what other teams did or didn't do, our team had an emotional rollercoaster ride that, as a result, brought us closer to one another. I feel we're more of a family now more than ever before not only because we celebrated our victories, but also because we stuck together and supported one another even in defeat. There was a level of mutual understanding in which every member of this family knew what role they had to play and worked hard towards accomplishing it.

Tundra: not just a team, but also a concept.

Tundra is not just a team, it's a concept. One which exhibits a unique team spirit and the strength and determination to overcome monumental challenges. Our team is a blend of veterans and rookies, different playing styles, and different life experiences. But we all stand united under this name: Tundra.

Tree growth may be hindered on this land, 
but our growth is infinite where we stand.

We may not sustain vegetation,
but we sustain ample determination. 

Our subsoil may suffer permafrost,
But before the game begins, you've lost!

Now we're set for Nationals. With a few more practices left before the Sherbrooke Ulti-matum, discipline and fitness will run its course.

Ontario Open Regionals 2010 - Rain, Pain, and a lot to Gain!

Phoenix edge out the Moondoggies for first seed to Nationals.

The drive up to Waterloo on that humid Saturday morning was soon overshadowed, quite literally, by rain clouds threatening to burst out into an orchestra of thunderstorms. I had the pleasure of driving two very experienced players to the 2010 Ontario Open Regionals, both of whom picked up with Moondoggies (GOAT's pickup team). During the ride, I got to hear about their experiences playing for several teams, including their worldy exploits.

Maverick's Dan Benvenuti (middle) scores a great point.

When we reached the premier outlined fields at Kiwanis Park, Waterloo, Maverick was already running drills to warm up. On the eastern most field, Too Bad was setting up a tent and Grand Trunk was gathering up its forces. The western field had ROY gearing up for their big game against the Moondoggies. A slight south-westerly breeze rolled in as the warm-ups ensued. At ten minutes to nine, a horn sounded signalling the matches to commence shortly. The excitement was building all around as Phoenix and Maverick, huddled in their own teams, expressed their eagerness to start the game with deafening roars!

The game started exactly at nine and attracted the most attention in the first round of matches. Phoenix, with only two lines worth of players, was making its presence felt in the quality of its offence. At one point, they were leading Maverick quite commandingly. But Maverick was not deterred. Following some great disk movement by the handlers and forcing a few great layout-D’s, Maverick was able to catch up and the game was tied at twelve’s when the hard cap horn sounded. Universe Point! With an easy break force throw near the end zone, Maverick torched the mythical bird, and took the game 13-12. 

Bryan Cunningham(51) plays hard defence as Phoenix's Aaron Kucherawy (47) plans the next cut

Too Bad fought hard in the weekend, but failed to qualify.

Moondoggies' Andrew Butler (right) snatches the disk for a point.

During this time, Too Bad was trying desperately to break through Grand Trunk’s defence. Too Bad players on the sideline were supporting their teammates on the field through a barrage of verbal cues. Upon Too Bad turning over the disk, one sideline player commented, “We’re making some bad decisions; we just need to make better decisions.” Unfortunately, those decisions didn’t come soon enough as Grand Trunk overwhelmed them and won 15-8. 

On the opposite side of the park, the Moondoggies left ROY howling as they asserted their 15-0 win. The Moondoggies held true to their abilities and fought each battle tirelessly. They defeated Grand Trunk 15-9 by forcing amazing turnovers and running great give-and-go's. Their seemingly victorious day was ended by a loss to the athleticisim of Phoenix. Andrew Carroll got two amazing layout-D's, one of which halted the Phoenix offence at their end zone. Phoenix took the game to half at 8-3 and won it 11-9. Despite beating the Moondoggies, one Phoenix player couldn't help but drown himself in an ocean of F-bombs for every failed attempt at scoring.  It came to a point where, my group of friends chose to relocate to a safer viewing distance before things got out of hand. 

Calm, cool, and collected. The Moondoggies prepare for their next game.

 ROY's Nathaniel Brown leads his team from the front lines.

Too Bad faced ROY and the weather started to get worse. With strong winds and an irritating level of precipitation, both teams had to focus extra hard to stay in the game. ROY's offence was being tested by Too Bad's strong cup. They were able to break through a couple of times, but turned it over further down the field. Nathaniel Brown could be seen running as fast as he can with his knee brace coming lose. It reminded me of the scene from Forrest Gump. Too Bad was able to weave through ROY's defences with their unorthodox playing style. There were some great attempts to score on both sides, but Too Bad ultimately took the victory 11-8.

The first day ended with a brutal four game loss for ROY, who were now contemplating their chances at qualifying for Nationals. Maverick defeated Phoenix, Grand Trunk defeated Maverick, Moondoggies defeated Grand Trunk, and Phoenix defeated Moondoggies. What more was needed? This resulted in a three-way tie for first place between Phoenix, Moondoggies, and Maverick. After Grand Trunk's universe point win against Maverick, one player couldn't contain his frustration about the unexpected turn of events as he said, "I can't believe [Phoenix, Moondoggies, and Maverick] are all tied up now, that f**ks everything up!" 

Firebird grabbing some unexpected wins. Photo by Tushar (iamultimate.com)

Firebird turned some heads as they won 13-11 against Grand Trunk and 14-7 against Too Bad. In the second day, Firebird and ROY faced off in their playoff game. Despite sustaining many injuries, Firebird was able to pull through and win 12-8. Firebird's game against Maverick resulted in a universe point loss for Firebird placing them in the 4th seed. ROY, placed in the 7th seed, had to face Firebird again. Many of the injured players on ROY decided to play this game to the finish. Through sheer determination and quality playing, ROY was able to defeat Firebird 10-9 in a universe point win.  After taking even more injuries during their ROY game, Firebird did not lose hope. Now, Firebird had to face Too Bad in the Game to Go. Firebird was able to dominate from the start and sealed their victory and a seat at Nationals with a 11-8 win. It was too bad for Too Bad, but they will be tenacious as ever in the coming seasons. 

  

The final seed going into Nationals are as follows:

1. Phoenix

2. Moondoggies

3. Maverick

4. Grand Trunk

5. ROY

6. Firebird

Phew, I'm glad that's over. Now the exciting part: Nationals!

Ulti-blog: Toronto Ultimate Teams, Leagues and Clubs

Taken from article "Toronto Ultimate Teams, Leagues and Clubs" (April 22, 2009) by Jennifer Tse. Photo by Ed Kung.

While browsing casually through the articles of my fellow Ultimate players, I came across a well-written piece about the opportunities available for Ultimate in Toronto. The article, titled Toronto Ultimate Teams, Leagues and Clubs delves deep into the structure of the sport and offers great tips on improving one's game. The author, Jennifer Tse, is a close friend and a great Ultimate player in the Toronto region. She is a frequent contributor to blogTO, a popular Toronto blog. Her articles have reached a wide circle of readers in varying fields who all share the common thread of this sport. Her fresh and dynamic style of writing brings flavour to the world of Ultimate. Tell her, "Isn't [Ultimate] a game for dogs? Or stoned hippies in a park?" Chances are she'll give you a more than convincing lecture on the sport and it's growth. Jen's contributions to this sport have been well received albeit she never really likes taking credit for it.

Here's a little snippet of her work:

"The ultimate community is special in that it's large enough for one to attend satisfyingly huge events (think 2-day, 31-team tournaments at Sunnybrook Park), but close-knit enough for those serendipitous connections to happen. If you know an ultimate player, chances are he or she knows someone who knows someone who knows you." (Jennifer Tse, April 22, 2009)

To Flick, or not to flick

A few days ago, I was reading some Shakespeare (I think you might recognize which play based on the title of this post), and I became inspired to write the following:

"To Flick or not to flick- that is the question:
Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer
The curses and taunts of getting D'ed,
Or to take aim down the field,
And, by throwing, crush them. To layout, to get D'ed
No more - and by getting D'ed to say we end
The joy and thousand cheers
That scoring is heir to - 'tis a situation
Rarely to be wished. To layout, to get D'ed
To get D'ed, perchance to score. Ay, there's the stuff,
For in that field of dreams what dreams may come,
When we have shuffled up our O-line,
Must give us cause. There's the respect
That makes calamity of opponents alike.
For who would D the flicks and hucks of O-line,
Th' opponent's wrong, the better team wins,
The pride of coming first, the game's delay,

The insolence of trapping, and the turnovers

That patient merit of th' Cup makes,

When we ourselves might play Junk D

With a close upline? Who would handlers dare,

To bleed and sweat under a fiery sky, 

But that the joy of something after scoring,

The undiscovered player from whose run

No defender can stop, puzzles the D

And makes us rather score the points we have

Than try the throw that we know not of? 

Thus experience does make leaders of us all,

And thus the creative hue of imagination

Is drizzled o'er the new cleats we've bought,

And the prizes of great reach and moment

With this wind their throws turn awry, 

And they lose the game of nations. -Soft throws now!

The clear Sunnybrook! There, in thy field

Be all my skills remembered."

Hope you liked it. It took me about an hour or so to write, so I'm not sure if it's the best work I've done so far. I might change up the words here and there depending on my mood. By "Cup", I'm refering to zone-defence. I chose to write, "the clear Sunnybrook", with reference to Sunnybrook Park in Toronto. I've had many tournaments on this field and I absolutely love it. Premier fields. Well maintained. Great for layouts!

My Ulti-ventures: Mixed Regionals 2010

Tired. Noxious. And severely jet-lagged. That’s how I’d describe my initial experience at the Mixed Regional Championships. It was a weekend-long tournament in Burlington, Ontario for the several co-ed touring teams in the region to qualify for the few seats to the Canadian Ultimate Championships taking place this August in Sherbrooke, Quebec.

My plane from Mumbai had landed the night before and I felt energized to get back into the game. It had been almost a month since I had played serious Ultimate and I could feel my cardio level dip below zero (not the greatest feeling going into a competition that qualifies for nationals). After reaching the fields, I received a warm welcome from my Tundra teammates and a new set of jerseys. It felt comforting to have the number “5” on the back of my new sublimated jersey and to be accepted back this quickly, but I knew I’d have to earn my spot on the field.

One bad throw after another. I tried to adjust after every throw, but I figured it was something deeper. I had to teach myself how to focus on the game once again. What I had normally considered to be warm-ups left me more tired than any competitive game I had played before. Almost like a shock to the system, I could feel the lethargy and lard of a month’s worth of stuffing my face and doing almost no exercise.

Ever had one of those days where you feel completely out of sync with your body? Where your body just won’t respond to anything you try?

“What’re you? 18?” heckled a teammate.

“Yeah, on paper,” I responded.

I pushed forward with the drills while trying to suppress the strong urge to vomit.

Our first game was against Zen, our training buddies from Toronto. I played for a few points, trying to keep up with my friend on the other team. They gave a great fight, but our quick disk movement was able to set the pace for the rest of the game. We took that battle with a 15-3 victory. Our next game was against Big Hammers, also a strong team from Toronto. After many fouls, picks, and yells, the game was lost, 8-9, at universe point due to a hard cap rule. We had another close game against Bytown Flatball Club (BFC), but we ultimately took it for an 11-10 victory. The last game on the Saturday was against MuD, a fast-paced team from Guelph. We weren’t able to capitalize on the few turnovers we received. The battle was fought hard by both sides, but we lost 8-15.

The next day, my teammates came back with vigour and a positive attitude. We all wanted to qualify for nationals. Two more wins would guarantee us a spot, but we convinced ourselves that it’d take four more wins. We started off down at the lower fields against Big Fish, a feeder team to BFC from Ottawa. We picked up our energy from the start to keep the momentum throughout the day. Big Fish is a team that relies heavily on momentum and energy. If they score a point, the sidelines erupt into a “Big...Fish!” chant. We were able to seal our 9-6 victory with a few great hucks. Monster is a solid team from Toronto and we had to really shift gears to keep up. We knew we had it within us to defeat Monster, but with a few breaks they took it 8-11. Our next game was against Druid, a team from London. We exchanged the first few points, but after a timeout we were able to successfully claim our spot for Nationals with a 12-4 win. Our final game for the weekend was against Mayhem, a Hamilton team that went undefeated. Both teams had already qualified, so this was sort of a test game to gauge each other’s abilities. We started off strong and exchanged points till halftime. In the second half, there were great scoring attempts and layouts from both sides, but we simply couldn’t contain Mayhem’s offence. We lost the game 9-12.

It was a great experience to be with my team. I value every minute I spent with them because it gave me a chance to bond with them after a month’s break. I also got to learn a lot from observing the games and tried to play my part as an active sideline. I look forward to a great season with this team!

My Ulti-ventures: Mumbai

Ultimate is a sport that transcends all borders. At least that's what I realized when I played a pickup game with Mumbai's team, the Storm Chasers, this summer. I met this team on the beaches of Mumbai one Saturday morning, after getting in touch with them in advance. Although the sport is only two years old in India, the players were very skilled and well-versed in the rules. Their captain mentioned that most of their development was through watching and learning from 'Ultimate' videos on YouTube. They did have American players who visited and contributed to their start-up, but they have progressed much further on their own. When I was told that some of their players were away at a tournament in Southern India, I began to realize just how quickly the sport was growing in India. After the hugely successful 'Ahmedabad Ultimate's First Official Tournament' back in July of 2006, there have been attempts to host several other tournaments around the country. One major tournament is 'Chennai Heat', which was highly regarded by the Storm Chasers for its quality of fields.

I asked why the Storm Chasers weren't playing on fields and was immediately answered. Fields, or a lack of them, are a great problem for any sport activity in Mumbai. If there is a field, it is usually reserved for cricket, field hockey, or is private or flooded. So instead of enjoying the freedom to layout for a disk on grass, the team is forced to hold practice on a small strip of the somewhat unclean and unsafe beach. The team said they savoured the time they spent in Chennai playing Ultimate.

"Most of us have jobs or school or both," said the captain, "but we all still find time to meet at least once a week to play together and improve." With strategies and throws quite different from what I was used to, I found it quite hard to keep up. I was really impressed by their skills and team mentality. It renewed my spirits as I came back to Toronto for a season with my own touring team. I did take part in the 'Ultimate Exchange', which is essentially a trade of Ultimate gear between two international parties. The Storm Chasers' captain offered his jersey without anything in return. I couldn't simply walk away with it, so I gave him my Toronto Ultimate Club disc and a cotton Canada shirt.

For a relatively new sport, it took quite a while to reach this far in terms of growth in the western world. When I was at the Mixed Division Tryouts in Toronto, a confused and upset soccer player asked me why there were so many people on the field chasing discs. Although he phrased it in a vulgar fashion, I remained as diplomatic as possible as I explained the rules of the sport. Historically, one of the main reasons is the lack of exposure in the media to this high-pace sport. However, even the slightest mention of a tournament in India sends newspapers on a frenzy. Just check the exposure 'Chennai Heat 2009' got! These days, there is usually a news crew at any major tournament in Canada. Sometimes, there are even games shown on TV! But, it's the dedication of the players and the opportunistic nature of organizations like UltiVillage that make it possible for the masses to view games live over the Internet from anywhere in the world.

Ultimate is now played in most major cities in India and chances are you will come across a pickup game. If you are visiting Mumbai, and would like to get in touch with the Storm Chasers, I recommend checking out their Facebook page, or getting their contact information from PickupUltimate.com.