I still remember the first time I met Tasha. It was February 2008. Tasha was captaining Kansas and I was captaining Texas and TDing the tournament we were playing at in Missouri. Snow resulted in us losing both our primary field site and backup field site during the day on Saturday, and after spending all of Saturday night trying to find a way to pull Sunday's games off, I walked out of a coffee shop with a revised schedule, only for it to start snowing again. The next morning, my team capped off a rough weekend by losing to an in-region team we had never lost to before, and a coach, upset with his team's schedule ripped into me, reducing me to tears. A few minutes later, I walked over to Kansas and tearfully told Tasha that her team would have to have a double bye because the coach was taking his girls home. Tasha smiled, told me it wasn't a problem, and offered me a hug. We've been friends and collaborators since.
There is a small, but growing, circle of women's ultimate leaders in the South Central Regionwho have worked hard over the past few seasons to build both their respective teams as well as the overall state of women's ultimate in this part of the country. We have a listserve, we've held meetings at tournaments, and these leaders and teams form the backbone of every new tournament and endeavor Without Limits has undertaken in the South and Midwest over the past few years. Tasha is an integral part of this network and group of friends. She was one of the best players in the South Central before coaching Betty last year, and she is a co-captain and co-founder of St. Louis RevoLOUtion, a second year women's club team. In this post, Tasha shares her perspective on the state of women's ultimate in the Midwest, as well as how she feels Without Limits has contributed to her team's development.
--
You’re probably heard it before—the interior of the U.S. is often behind the coasts. I’ve heard it with a number of things, including ultimate. We started playing later, we don’t have as many players, we adapt to new styles of playing later, etc. I’ve also heard many players say the talent in the middle of the country isn’t that of the coasts. In my short ultimate career, I’d have to say—I think those comments are fairly accurate. I’ve been playing since 2005 and the teams from the coasts are so impressive to me. I wondered all too often, “How do they do it? How do we get the opportunities that they have?” I’m slowly learning that it takes dedication, creativity, organization, and collaboration. I think Without Limits is all of those things, and more.
In the last few years, I’ve observed a number of teams the Ozark Conference and the South Region grow tremendously. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that this growth occurred at the same time as competitive playing opportunities like D-II and D-III Centex and Midwest Throwdown started catering to the lesser known teams. The reason our game is improving is because of these opportunities! In my opinion though, it’s so much more than just the games at each tournament. Yes… those are awesome because our teams get to see what high-level Women’s Ultimate looks like. But it’s the socials, the skills clinic, the guest coaches, and all of the incredible tournament amenities that put WL tourneys on the map. It’s the empowerment of other teams to start running their own successful tournaments. It’s paying it forward, and it’s inspirational. These are the things that are connecting female ultimate players on a deeper level.
I’ve been involved with ultimate at the University of Kansas for almost 6 years now (whoa!). We’ve been so fortunate to get the chance to compete at a number of Without Limits tournaments. After each tournament, I could sense the excitement in my team. It was bittersweet, but I had to miss Centex this year because I was on a rotation in Montana. When I talked to our players and captains after Centex, I heard so much about what they learned from their guest coach, Cara Crouch. The girls couldn’t stop talking about her! Throughout the reason of the season, the lessons (both on and off of the field) she taught my team persisted in our huddles. Same with Midwest Throwdown in previous years—my teammates were really excited to share what they learned at their own skills clinics. I believe the Bettys are still trying to find their identity—there has been a lot of transformation since my first season, and they are still trying to figure out how to achieve the goals they set for themselves. I think the exposure to ultimate via projects like WL has very much benefited us on our journey. Us aside though, WL has clearly made a huge impact in our Conference and Region. Each year, teams are becoming better. Each game is harder, and at the same time, each game is more fun. It’s been incredible to watch, and I can’t wait to see what happens next.
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Friday, July 8, 2011
Grinnell College:: Turning Opportunities Into Success
Paige Hill is one of the co-captains of the Grinnell College Sticky Tongue Frogs, and we asked her to share about her experiences attending our tournaments. Paige wrote an extremely compelling post for us in May, shared her thoughts in our D-III podcast, and continues to be an advocate for D-III teams and for college women's ultimate in general. It has been our privilege to get to know Paige and her team over the past few seasons. Grinnell is, quite simply, one of those teams that makes us say, "THIS is why we do what we do." The Sticky Tongue Frogs have developed from a small, nearly unheard of team in the Midwest to a Quarterfinalist at the 2011 D-III College Championships in just a few short years. Their love for our sport, and their commitment to its development, are inspiring, and we encourage you to follow them in the coming years if you want to watch a team that's going to make a difference.
--
In the weeks leading up to the Roundup Division of Midwest Throwdown in 2010, the Grinnell women's team was buzzing with excitement and planning. We were researching and debating who we wanted our guest coach to be, we were talking over which skills clinics would be best for each player and promising to remember everything to tell our teammates later, and we were pouring over the schedule and Score Reporter trying to decide which inter-region team would be our toughest matchup. The Sticky Tongue Frogs talk ultimate a lot, but in those weeks, we talked about it more than ever. The most exciting part was that it wasn't just the veterans gossiping about who was going to win an elite tournament, or if a well-known senior was going to take a fifth year in a last-dish effort to win nationals. Every single player was talking because instead of watching elite teams play in elite tournaments, we were thrust center stage of what promised to be a well-run, well-coached, interregional tournament where we got to be part of the action.
Once we got there, we were not disappointed. Every tangible element of an elite tournament was there: good fields, sweet swag, dedicated trainers, and great score reporting. The most important things at that tournament, and the things that keep us coming back to Without Limits tournaments, however, were the intangibles.
That weekend I was coached by multiple Callahan nominees and world champions. Cara Crouch coached all of our games and ran drills with us in between them. We still use the warmup routine she taught us, every single drill she ran, and hope that teams throw zone-D against us because of the zone-O she helped us create. Chelsea Putnam taught me a defensive drill I still use in the practices I plan. And Gwen Ambler taught me how to get vertical, a skill that my teammates used to make fun of me for but now compliment my steady improvements. Those experiences were incredibly powerful, and their impact has stretched far beyond the scope of that weekend. From my perspective as a member and captain of a small team in the Midwest where resources for the ultimate community are underdeveloped and spread out, it was an invaluable chance to bring those resources to us, and to give us the opportunity to capitalize on them. WL understands that there are hundreds and thousands of players out there who will devour any kind of ultimate you can dish out, and stand to grow tremendously from that, and it is just a matter of providing the opportunity for us to do so.
The idea of a tournament focused on DIII and on-the-cusp teams is inspiring, and in my opinion stands to be even better than the (already amazing) WL tournaments Grinnell has attended. The notion that up-and-coming programs will be playing in the championship bracket of the only division at a tournament is a huge step for the development of DIII ultimate and means that these teams will get exposure to high level, high stakes games during the regular season, something that I think is invaluable for DIII teams looking to perform in the post season. It also means that I will be surrounded by hundreds of players that are just like me and my teammates-- invested, passionate, and committed despite having the odds stacked against us. During whatever development opportunity that will be provided on Saturday night, I'm sure there will be a lot of individual informal conversations between players, and I bet a lot of relationships between teams will come out of this tournament. The networking and camaraderie that develops is going to go a long way in helping cultivate a community that is not only accessible to smaller programs, but focused on them. By just bringing us together and allowing us to believe in ourselves and each other, I think Virginia is for Layouts is going to have a huge impact on on all of the schools that get a chance to attend.
My co-captain and I have decided we are going to submit a bid to Virginia is for Layouts. This means a lot to me: I can tell rookies that their spring break will start with learning more about ultimate than any other tournament will teach them, and I'm excited for returning players to buzz with anticipation for skills clinics, awesome fields, and a VIP pass to a tournament that makes us feel as talented, skilled, and legitimate as we are passionate and scrappy. Mostly, I'm excited to cleat up for a tournament run by an organization that recognizes that growing programs not only have a tremendous capacity to learn and adapt, but also have a lot to offer the ultimate community in terms of competition, spirit, and love of the game... And I'm excited to prove that they are right.
--
In the weeks leading up to the Roundup Division of Midwest Throwdown in 2010, the Grinnell women's team was buzzing with excitement and planning. We were researching and debating who we wanted our guest coach to be, we were talking over which skills clinics would be best for each player and promising to remember everything to tell our teammates later, and we were pouring over the schedule and Score Reporter trying to decide which inter-region team would be our toughest matchup. The Sticky Tongue Frogs talk ultimate a lot, but in those weeks, we talked about it more than ever. The most exciting part was that it wasn't just the veterans gossiping about who was going to win an elite tournament, or if a well-known senior was going to take a fifth year in a last-dish effort to win nationals. Every single player was talking because instead of watching elite teams play in elite tournaments, we were thrust center stage of what promised to be a well-run, well-coached, interregional tournament where we got to be part of the action.
Once we got there, we were not disappointed. Every tangible element of an elite tournament was there: good fields, sweet swag, dedicated trainers, and great score reporting. The most important things at that tournament, and the things that keep us coming back to Without Limits tournaments, however, were the intangibles.
That weekend I was coached by multiple Callahan nominees and world champions. Cara Crouch coached all of our games and ran drills with us in between them. We still use the warmup routine she taught us, every single drill she ran, and hope that teams throw zone-D against us because of the zone-O she helped us create. Chelsea Putnam taught me a defensive drill I still use in the practices I plan. And Gwen Ambler taught me how to get vertical, a skill that my teammates used to make fun of me for but now compliment my steady improvements. Those experiences were incredibly powerful, and their impact has stretched far beyond the scope of that weekend. From my perspective as a member and captain of a small team in the Midwest where resources for the ultimate community are underdeveloped and spread out, it was an invaluable chance to bring those resources to us, and to give us the opportunity to capitalize on them. WL understands that there are hundreds and thousands of players out there who will devour any kind of ultimate you can dish out, and stand to grow tremendously from that, and it is just a matter of providing the opportunity for us to do so.
The idea of a tournament focused on DIII and on-the-cusp teams is inspiring, and in my opinion stands to be even better than the (already amazing) WL tournaments Grinnell has attended. The notion that up-and-coming programs will be playing in the championship bracket of the only division at a tournament is a huge step for the development of DIII ultimate and means that these teams will get exposure to high level, high stakes games during the regular season, something that I think is invaluable for DIII teams looking to perform in the post season. It also means that I will be surrounded by hundreds of players that are just like me and my teammates-- invested, passionate, and committed despite having the odds stacked against us. During whatever development opportunity that will be provided on Saturday night, I'm sure there will be a lot of individual informal conversations between players, and I bet a lot of relationships between teams will come out of this tournament. The networking and camaraderie that develops is going to go a long way in helping cultivate a community that is not only accessible to smaller programs, but focused on them. By just bringing us together and allowing us to believe in ourselves and each other, I think Virginia is for Layouts is going to have a huge impact on on all of the schools that get a chance to attend.
My co-captain and I have decided we are going to submit a bid to Virginia is for Layouts. This means a lot to me: I can tell rookies that their spring break will start with learning more about ultimate than any other tournament will teach them, and I'm excited for returning players to buzz with anticipation for skills clinics, awesome fields, and a VIP pass to a tournament that makes us feel as talented, skilled, and legitimate as we are passionate and scrappy. Mostly, I'm excited to cleat up for a tournament run by an organization that recognizes that growing programs not only have a tremendous capacity to learn and adapt, but also have a lot to offer the ultimate community in terms of competition, spirit, and love of the game... And I'm excited to prove that they are right.
Thursday, July 7, 2011
The Melee Years:: Dream Bigger
Since I am headed to Austin today, it seemed appropriate to share the story of my time on Melee. My two years in the Texas Ultimate program allowed me to develop as a leader and advocate of women's ultimate more than any other period of my career. I am grateful for the time I spent in Austin, and for friends and teammates who shaped my experience.
--
My senior year at Cal, I applied to a handful of grad schools. I had two requirements: a good Planning program and a good ultimate team. A series of unlikely events unfolded between Summer 2005 and Spring 2006, and when it came time to make a decision, Austin became the obvious choice. Moving to Austin was probably the best decision I have ever made.
I moved two months after losing two games-to-go at Northwest College Regionals. It was difficult to leave teammates and friends after such a disappointing end to our season, but my new teammates welcomed me with open arms and made me feel right at home. My first season on Melee, we had a fantastic regular season and cruised through Regionals until the Finals game where we lost a heartbreaker to Truman State. The game itself was devastating, but even more difficult for me to swallow were the ticky-tack calls, and the fact that every single person watching that game, except TUFF, was cheering against us. I was crushed.
I had previously made plans to study abroad in Montreal in the fall to do research for my thesis. A few days after we lost at Regionals, I retracted my paperwork and decided to stay in Austin. I was voted captain for the following season and spent the summer in California, starting and captaining Slackjaw in an effort to get as much experience as possible before going back and playing my last season of college ultimate. My co-captain, Becca Shelton, played for Showdown that season, and we spent hours upon hours exchanging ideas, planning for the season, and challenging each other to become better players. When I got back to Austin, Becca and I spent just about every day at the IM Fields throwing, working out, and talking.
One of the areas that I pushed hardest in was that I wanted our team to take a leadership role in developing women's ultimate in the South. I had two reasons that I wanted to get more involved:
--
My senior year at Cal, I applied to a handful of grad schools. I had two requirements: a good Planning program and a good ultimate team. A series of unlikely events unfolded between Summer 2005 and Spring 2006, and when it came time to make a decision, Austin became the obvious choice. Moving to Austin was probably the best decision I have ever made.
I moved two months after losing two games-to-go at Northwest College Regionals. It was difficult to leave teammates and friends after such a disappointing end to our season, but my new teammates welcomed me with open arms and made me feel right at home. My first season on Melee, we had a fantastic regular season and cruised through Regionals until the Finals game where we lost a heartbreaker to Truman State. The game itself was devastating, but even more difficult for me to swallow were the ticky-tack calls, and the fact that every single person watching that game, except TUFF, was cheering against us. I was crushed.
I had previously made plans to study abroad in Montreal in the fall to do research for my thesis. A few days after we lost at Regionals, I retracted my paperwork and decided to stay in Austin. I was voted captain for the following season and spent the summer in California, starting and captaining Slackjaw in an effort to get as much experience as possible before going back and playing my last season of college ultimate. My co-captain, Becca Shelton, played for Showdown that season, and we spent hours upon hours exchanging ideas, planning for the season, and challenging each other to become better players. When I got back to Austin, Becca and I spent just about every day at the IM Fields throwing, working out, and talking.
One of the areas that I pushed hardest in was that I wanted our team to take a leadership role in developing women's ultimate in the South. I had two reasons that I wanted to get more involved:
1) I wanted Melee to be one of the best college women's teams in the country, not just the best team in the South. Helping to raise the overall level of play around us seemed like a good investment.
2) I saw a distinct difference in the quantity and quality of resources and opportunities available in the South compared to what I was used to in the Northwest. I felt like I had a responsibility, as someone who had been handed tons of resources and opportunities, to spread the wealth.
I took drastic measures to invest in other teams, and I am incredibly grateful that I had a co-captain, coaches, and teammates who supported those decisions. Cara Crouch, one of my frisbee mentors, was one of our coaches that year, and she both fueled my aspirations, as well as gently reminded me that change takes time. It was important for me to have that kind of support as Cara understood the ultimate scene in the South much better than I did, and also had a very similar vision for what ultimate in Texas could be. I am lucky to have had her as my coach, captain, and teammate, and to continue to be able to call her my friend.
A few examples of the general "dream bigger" mentality our team developed:
1) Our team ran five events that year, including two out-of-state tournaments, AND hosted Sectionals. I often look back with regret at how much I pushed my teammates, but I am also very proud of them for how much they changed the landscape of the South that year. Tournaments like Midwest Warmup and Midwest Throwdown exist because of Melee '08.
2) We focused on relationships. We refunded teams' bid fees when tournaments weren't executed to perfection. We made a conscious effort to model Spirit of the Game both on and off the field. Teams we had fought with in the past became allies. At Regionals, teams cheered FOR us and at Nationals, the team we had beaten in the game-to-go at Regionals was on our sidelines cheering for us.
3) We served as a connector. In addition to developing OUR relationships with other teams, we tried to develop relationships between other teams as well. We got people talking and we tried to build a network of people who care about our sport.
To tie those things together, I am confident that the only reason Without Limits has had any success is because of the investment of our friends. In the early years, people like Heather Waugh, Courtney Kiesow, and Sarah Griffith dragged their teams to our tournaments. We hosted out-of-state events because it was a way to make those tournaments more convenient and accessible, and our friends responded incredibly positively to that. Our friends trusted us to run good events, and we hope that over the years, we've rewarded that trust and earned their continued love and support. Today, our friends do more than just attend our tournaments; they have become our collaborators- Lindsey Hack, Leila Tunnell, and Lindsay Lang from UNC-Chapel Hill; Abby Stephens, Sam Huo, and Sarah Ebstein from Wash U; Melissa May, Carly Maconaghy, and Katie Erikson from Penn State. The list goes on and on. My time on Melee taught me a lot about thinking outside of the box, and about the importance of my friends in bringing those ideas to life. So, thanks Melee, and thanks friends, for believing in what we do and for shaping what we're all about.
2) I saw a distinct difference in the quantity and quality of resources and opportunities available in the South compared to what I was used to in the Northwest. I felt like I had a responsibility, as someone who had been handed tons of resources and opportunities, to spread the wealth.
I took drastic measures to invest in other teams, and I am incredibly grateful that I had a co-captain, coaches, and teammates who supported those decisions. Cara Crouch, one of my frisbee mentors, was one of our coaches that year, and she both fueled my aspirations, as well as gently reminded me that change takes time. It was important for me to have that kind of support as Cara understood the ultimate scene in the South much better than I did, and also had a very similar vision for what ultimate in Texas could be. I am lucky to have had her as my coach, captain, and teammate, and to continue to be able to call her my friend.
A few examples of the general "dream bigger" mentality our team developed:
1) Our team ran five events that year, including two out-of-state tournaments, AND hosted Sectionals. I often look back with regret at how much I pushed my teammates, but I am also very proud of them for how much they changed the landscape of the South that year. Tournaments like Midwest Warmup and Midwest Throwdown exist because of Melee '08.
2) We focused on relationships. We refunded teams' bid fees when tournaments weren't executed to perfection. We made a conscious effort to model Spirit of the Game both on and off the field. Teams we had fought with in the past became allies. At Regionals, teams cheered FOR us and at Nationals, the team we had beaten in the game-to-go at Regionals was on our sidelines cheering for us.
3) We served as a connector. In addition to developing OUR relationships with other teams, we tried to develop relationships between other teams as well. We got people talking and we tried to build a network of people who care about our sport.
To tie those things together, I am confident that the only reason Without Limits has had any success is because of the investment of our friends. In the early years, people like Heather Waugh, Courtney Kiesow, and Sarah Griffith dragged their teams to our tournaments. We hosted out-of-state events because it was a way to make those tournaments more convenient and accessible, and our friends responded incredibly positively to that. Our friends trusted us to run good events, and we hope that over the years, we've rewarded that trust and earned their continued love and support. Today, our friends do more than just attend our tournaments; they have become our collaborators- Lindsey Hack, Leila Tunnell, and Lindsay Lang from UNC-Chapel Hill; Abby Stephens, Sam Huo, and Sarah Ebstein from Wash U; Melissa May, Carly Maconaghy, and Katie Erikson from Penn State. The list goes on and on. My time on Melee taught me a lot about thinking outside of the box, and about the importance of my friends in bringing those ideas to life. So, thanks Melee, and thanks friends, for believing in what we do and for shaping what we're all about.
Keystone Classic: A Parent's Perspective
Keystone Classic has been all about our friends coming through for us. In 2010, Carly Maconaghy and Melissa May saved the tournament from the brink of disaster before they had even met Michelle in person, and this year, Katie Erikson joined our team, helping us pull the tournament off in spite of some difficulties with the weather. In many ways, running a highly competitive tournament in the Northeast has been one of the more challenging things that we've done. It's a part of the country that we've never played in so our contacts are limited, the weather is terrible, and it's just plain hard to organize a tournament from thousands of miles away. We might also have really bad luck. Carly, Melissa, and Katie have been rockstar allies for us, and we hope that Keystone Classic continues to grow as a valuable playing and development opportunity for that part of the country. We're grateful for these ladies, as well as for friends on teams like Pittsburgh, Ottawa, Northeastern, and Cornell who have faithfully supported this tournament.
In this post, Corey Ayala-Fagundez shares her experiences as a parent and fan at Keystone Classic this past season. She has two daughters who play for Rutgers University Nightshade and Columbia High School Sparkle Motion, and is a huge advocate for both youth ultimate and women's ultimate. A huge thank you to Corey for sharing about how Without Limits has positively impacted her daughters' teams, as well as for being a champion of our work. As our sport and our organization continue to grow, we hope that the people we hold near and dear to our hearts, especially our family and friends, stay central to all of the work we do.
--
As I sit enjoying the easy relaxed months of summer, thoughts of the coming school year are starting to surface for me. When the school year starts, my mind goes directly to Ultimate Frisbee! I am a very active parent for Sparkle Motion, a high school level girls Ultimate team from Maplewood, New Jersey and have been so for five years now. I support the team fully and will volunteer in any capacity in order to try and pave the way for our girls so that they can concentrate on planning for tournaments and the game itself. I've named myself the chaperone, the driver, the sideliner, the fundraiser, the Gatorader, the first aider, the lugger and one of their biggest advocates! I have had the pleasure of traveling with our girls to many tournaments on the East Coast, Buffalo, Pennsylvania, Virginia, New York, Atlanta, Vermont and Ohio. These tournaments are necessary in order for the girls to stay competitive. One tournament however sticks out in my mind... Keystone Classic which was organized by Without Limits. The girls played many other very talented high school teams and had the opportunity watch very elite college women's teams . Watching these teams play gave them the incentive and drive to continue in the sport that they had come to love, they knew that they wanted to be like these women who played amazingly.
On the first day, during some down time, Sparkle Motion was fortunate enough to be led by Michelle Ng in a Skills Clinic to help them improve their game strategy and learn new drills. In addition to the Skills Clinic, all of the participating high school girls teams were paired with a college team for the weekend in a program called Sister Teams. This was a very special program since it gave the high school girls the opportunity to hang out with, ask questions of, and get on a personal level with older players who wanted to promote college Ultimate and be sure that the girls had a great experience. Sparkle Motion was paired up with Ottawa Lady Gee-Gees! Those ladies took the time to root on our girls during one of Sparkle Motion's games, and our girls did the same for the Gee-Gees during our bye. Near the end of the day, both teams got together for a game of Ninja, some chit-chat and a photo op. The Lady Gee-Gees also brought along some Lady Gee-Gees gear, team jerseys and t-shirts, for girls they felt did a great job playing while they were watching earlier on! Sparkle could have talked and played for hours but Lady Gee-Gees needed to go after a while because they had made the finals and were the eventual first place winners much to our team's delight! It was a wonderful experience for all, and everyone agreed it was great that Without Limits decided to include high school teams in the tournament.
I cannot say enough about the experience and would encourage as many college tournament organizers to include a high school division if it is possible and for the high school teams to respond and attend. The experience is priceless for the girls. In addition we got to know more about Without Limits and rely on them for guidance and information in regard to other college tournaments coming up that they may be interested in participating in if given the opportunity. ;)
The blogs are informative and it has enabled me to learn more about other teams and programs that are inevitably in my future and the future of my two daughters. One is a rising sophmore and plays at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey for the ladies' team Nightshade, and the other is a rising sophmore at Columbia High School and plays for the girls' team Sparkle Motion. My advice to other teams and parents of those players would be to go out of your way to find or try to promote programs such as Keystone Classic because the experience for the high school player is priceless. Thank you to Without Limits for having the foresight to expose the younger girls to a whole new world of Ultimate by integrating them into college level tournaments.
Corey Ayala-Fagundez
Team parent for
CHS Spark-Mo-G-Frizz
Columbia High School Sparkle Motion Girls Ultimate Frisbee
Maplewood,New Jersey
In this post, Corey Ayala-Fagundez shares her experiences as a parent and fan at Keystone Classic this past season. She has two daughters who play for Rutgers University Nightshade and Columbia High School Sparkle Motion, and is a huge advocate for both youth ultimate and women's ultimate. A huge thank you to Corey for sharing about how Without Limits has positively impacted her daughters' teams, as well as for being a champion of our work. As our sport and our organization continue to grow, we hope that the people we hold near and dear to our hearts, especially our family and friends, stay central to all of the work we do.
--
As I sit enjoying the easy relaxed months of summer, thoughts of the coming school year are starting to surface for me. When the school year starts, my mind goes directly to Ultimate Frisbee! I am a very active parent for Sparkle Motion, a high school level girls Ultimate team from Maplewood, New Jersey and have been so for five years now. I support the team fully and will volunteer in any capacity in order to try and pave the way for our girls so that they can concentrate on planning for tournaments and the game itself. I've named myself the chaperone, the driver, the sideliner, the fundraiser, the Gatorader, the first aider, the lugger and one of their biggest advocates! I have had the pleasure of traveling with our girls to many tournaments on the East Coast, Buffalo, Pennsylvania, Virginia, New York, Atlanta, Vermont and Ohio. These tournaments are necessary in order for the girls to stay competitive. One tournament however sticks out in my mind... Keystone Classic which was organized by Without Limits. The girls played many other very talented high school teams and had the opportunity watch very elite college women's teams . Watching these teams play gave them the incentive and drive to continue in the sport that they had come to love, they knew that they wanted to be like these women who played amazingly.
On the first day, during some down time, Sparkle Motion was fortunate enough to be led by Michelle Ng in a Skills Clinic to help them improve their game strategy and learn new drills. In addition to the Skills Clinic, all of the participating high school girls teams were paired with a college team for the weekend in a program called Sister Teams. This was a very special program since it gave the high school girls the opportunity to hang out with, ask questions of, and get on a personal level with older players who wanted to promote college Ultimate and be sure that the girls had a great experience. Sparkle Motion was paired up with Ottawa Lady Gee-Gees! Those ladies took the time to root on our girls during one of Sparkle Motion's games, and our girls did the same for the Gee-Gees during our bye. Near the end of the day, both teams got together for a game of Ninja, some chit-chat and a photo op. The Lady Gee-Gees also brought along some Lady Gee-Gees gear, team jerseys and t-shirts, for girls they felt did a great job playing while they were watching earlier on! Sparkle could have talked and played for hours but Lady Gee-Gees needed to go after a while because they had made the finals and were the eventual first place winners much to our team's delight! It was a wonderful experience for all, and everyone agreed it was great that Without Limits decided to include high school teams in the tournament.
I cannot say enough about the experience and would encourage as many college tournament organizers to include a high school division if it is possible and for the high school teams to respond and attend. The experience is priceless for the girls. In addition we got to know more about Without Limits and rely on them for guidance and information in regard to other college tournaments coming up that they may be interested in participating in if given the opportunity. ;)
The blogs are informative and it has enabled me to learn more about other teams and programs that are inevitably in my future and the future of my two daughters. One is a rising sophmore and plays at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey for the ladies' team Nightshade, and the other is a rising sophmore at Columbia High School and plays for the girls' team Sparkle Motion. My advice to other teams and parents of those players would be to go out of your way to find or try to promote programs such as Keystone Classic because the experience for the high school player is priceless. Thank you to Without Limits for having the foresight to expose the younger girls to a whole new world of Ultimate by integrating them into college level tournaments.
Corey Ayala-Fagundez
Team parent for
CHS Spark-Mo-G-Frizz
Columbia High School Sparkle Motion Girls Ultimate Frisbee
Maplewood,New Jersey
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Bay Area Mixer:: The Beginning
When I think about what has motivated me as a leader and organizer, 2005 Nationals stands out as a formative weekend for me. I have some vivid memories from the tournament, such as Stanford cheering for us during our crazy Pre-Quarters win against MIT, our impromptu dance-off with Colorado, and a blossoming love affair with Texas. I feel like this tournament was where I first realized how awesome the ultimate community is. My sports background up to that point was baseball. I captained the boys' team in high school, and the community had a very, very different feel to it. It is interesting for me to look back and to realize how many Stanford, Texas, and Colorado players I have been (or am currently) teammates with. I feel incredibly lucky.
Following my rookie year on the UC Berkeley Pie Queens and an awesome time at Nationals, I was voted one of the captains for the 2005-2006 season. To put it bluntly, I had no idea what I was doing. Upon being voted captain, I panicked and immediately did three things: registered for SFUL summer league, found a local club team to play with, and bought Ultimate Techniques and Tactics. I spent every waking hour of that summer either in Architecture studio (getting ahead so I wouldn't have to take a studio class in the spring) or doing something frisbee-related. I felt like I had some extremely big shoes to fill as I had been a very quiet rookie who could barely throw a forehand. My love for the sport continued to grow and at the end of my summer studio session, my professor pulled me aside to tell me that "this frisbee thing" was just a game and that I could be an incredible designer if I put my heart into it. A few months later, he would write me a letter of recommendation that gave me some fantastic options for where to spend my last two years of eligibility. ;)
Late that summer, I was thinking about ways to build the Bay Area women's ultimate community based on all of the things I had witnessed as a rookie. I pitched the idea of a mixer to the Stanford, UC Santa Cruz, and UC Davis captains. The idea was warmly received, and the first mixer, held on the Stanford campus, was a success! The rookies had a ton of fun, the vets played a hilarious very non-PC themed showcase game... and most importantly, for the first time ever, we saw Stanford's fun side! (Just kidding, you know I love you guys.) The mixer helped to cultivate some awesome relationships among the college women's teams in the Bay Area-- they formed the base for a successful California B-team tournament in Spring 2006 and led to an end-of-the-season beach bash, shared graduation parties, and a year later, the formation of Slackjaw, a women's club team. I am very thankful for my Bay Area ultimate friends, and for everything that they taught me.
Little did I know that the Bay Area Mixer would become an annual event, and that over the course of the next 5.5 years, I would run two dozen tournaments...
Tomorrow: The Melee Years:: Dream Bigger
Following my rookie year on the UC Berkeley Pie Queens and an awesome time at Nationals, I was voted one of the captains for the 2005-2006 season. To put it bluntly, I had no idea what I was doing. Upon being voted captain, I panicked and immediately did three things: registered for SFUL summer league, found a local club team to play with, and bought Ultimate Techniques and Tactics. I spent every waking hour of that summer either in Architecture studio (getting ahead so I wouldn't have to take a studio class in the spring) or doing something frisbee-related. I felt like I had some extremely big shoes to fill as I had been a very quiet rookie who could barely throw a forehand. My love for the sport continued to grow and at the end of my summer studio session, my professor pulled me aside to tell me that "this frisbee thing" was just a game and that I could be an incredible designer if I put my heart into it. A few months later, he would write me a letter of recommendation that gave me some fantastic options for where to spend my last two years of eligibility. ;)
Late that summer, I was thinking about ways to build the Bay Area women's ultimate community based on all of the things I had witnessed as a rookie. I pitched the idea of a mixer to the Stanford, UC Santa Cruz, and UC Davis captains. The idea was warmly received, and the first mixer, held on the Stanford campus, was a success! The rookies had a ton of fun, the vets played a hilarious very non-PC themed showcase game... and most importantly, for the first time ever, we saw Stanford's fun side! (Just kidding, you know I love you guys.) The mixer helped to cultivate some awesome relationships among the college women's teams in the Bay Area-- they formed the base for a successful California B-team tournament in Spring 2006 and led to an end-of-the-season beach bash, shared graduation parties, and a year later, the formation of Slackjaw, a women's club team. I am very thankful for my Bay Area ultimate friends, and for everything that they taught me.
Little did I know that the Bay Area Mixer would become an annual event, and that over the course of the next 5.5 years, I would run two dozen tournaments...
Tomorrow: The Melee Years:: Dream Bigger
Without Limits:: The Stories Behind Our Work
As you may have seen on RSD, Facebook, and/or Twitter, we're rolling out two tournaments in Virginia. You can read up on all of the tournament details on the Projects page of our website: http://withoutlimitsultimate.com/projects
Our spring tournament, Virginia is for Layouts, is aimed at a group of teams that we haven't invested a lot of time and energy into (yet)-- D-III teams and on-the-cusp teams. Most of our tournaments have been designed for the "elite" teams- the teams that consistently compete for spots at the D-I College Championships. There have been a few exceptions over the years, and we always try to include the up-and-coming teams in our work, but the bulk of our work has been focused on elite competition. We've incorporated some development-related stuff into our work over the past year or so, but we decided that it's high time that we did something completely focused on this next tier of teams (more on how this came about in a later post).
In thinking about how our tournaments have evolved over time, we recognize that any success we've had is only because of supportive friends who have backed our work at every opportunity. We are lucky to have the backing of many of the top teams in the country, and we hope that with each event they attend, we can continue to earn their trust. Knowing we have that love and support makes the work of building tournaments and recruiting teams infinitely easier. Virginia is for Layouts is uncharted territory for us as most of the teams we are trying to reach are probably saying, "Without Limits? What's that and why should I attend their events?"
And so... in the next week or so, we'll be rolling out a mini-series with some stories, both from us, as well as from some of our friends and collaborators, explaining to you how Without Limits has made a difference. Our goal here is two-fold:
1) The obvious goal is that we want you to check one of our tournaments out. We'll do our best to make it a rewarding experience.
2) But even more importantly, we want to share our passion with you. For us, tournaments are more than a way for us to help college teams make money. They're a way for us to serve our friends, and to help build something that we can all be proud to be a part of.
Here's how you can help:
1) Read our stories. Then figure out the reasons you should care and do something in your local ultimate community.
2) Share our stories with the teams we are trying to reach. Who are the teams in your conference or region who could benefit from Virginia is for Layouts? Tell them about our work.
3) Share your story with us. Help us improve our work. Drop us a line at contactus (at) withoutlimitsultimate dot com.
Thanks for reading, and we look forward to telling you some of the stories behind our work.
Our spring tournament, Virginia is for Layouts, is aimed at a group of teams that we haven't invested a lot of time and energy into (yet)-- D-III teams and on-the-cusp teams. Most of our tournaments have been designed for the "elite" teams- the teams that consistently compete for spots at the D-I College Championships. There have been a few exceptions over the years, and we always try to include the up-and-coming teams in our work, but the bulk of our work has been focused on elite competition. We've incorporated some development-related stuff into our work over the past year or so, but we decided that it's high time that we did something completely focused on this next tier of teams (more on how this came about in a later post).
In thinking about how our tournaments have evolved over time, we recognize that any success we've had is only because of supportive friends who have backed our work at every opportunity. We are lucky to have the backing of many of the top teams in the country, and we hope that with each event they attend, we can continue to earn their trust. Knowing we have that love and support makes the work of building tournaments and recruiting teams infinitely easier. Virginia is for Layouts is uncharted territory for us as most of the teams we are trying to reach are probably saying, "Without Limits? What's that and why should I attend their events?"
And so... in the next week or so, we'll be rolling out a mini-series with some stories, both from us, as well as from some of our friends and collaborators, explaining to you how Without Limits has made a difference. Our goal here is two-fold:
1) The obvious goal is that we want you to check one of our tournaments out. We'll do our best to make it a rewarding experience.
2) But even more importantly, we want to share our passion with you. For us, tournaments are more than a way for us to help college teams make money. They're a way for us to serve our friends, and to help build something that we can all be proud to be a part of.
Here's how you can help:
1) Read our stories. Then figure out the reasons you should care and do something in your local ultimate community.
2) Share our stories with the teams we are trying to reach. Who are the teams in your conference or region who could benefit from Virginia is for Layouts? Tell them about our work.
3) Share your story with us. Help us improve our work. Drop us a line at contactus (at) withoutlimitsultimate dot com.
Thanks for reading, and we look forward to telling you some of the stories behind our work.
Thursday, June 2, 2011
2011 College Championships: What it Meant to Me
(Author Note: You'll also find this post on my Without Limits Blog www.robynplaysultimate.blogspot.com)
The 2011 College Championships have come and gone. I'm back in Madison, working my internship. Heck, I've even started playing Summer League already. I've been doing nothing but reflecting about what my journey through college ultimate has meant, particularly the 2010-2011 season with Iowa.
I started playing in spring 2007. Looking for something to fill the void that college softball left when my numbered days as a catcher ended, I chose ultimate after experiencing an indoor 6 am practice with 8 players at Wisconsin-Eau Claire. At Eau Claire, I have experienced, with my teammates, the heartbreak of 4 consecutive losses in the backdoor bracket: once in backdoor semis in 2007, and three times in backdoor finals in 2008, 2009, 2010. We were SO close every single year. Literally, as close as you can be without ever going.
There are countless talented players and talented teams that fall short of their goal to qualify every season. I relate to the experience of continuing to fall short year-in and year-out. I was certain that I'd never get the shot to compete with top teams at the College Championships. Robyn, face the reality: It's just not in the cards for a vast majority of the over 12,000 college ultimate players who compete in our sport. It's just not in the cards for me.
When I decided which graduate school I would attend in Fall 2010, I chose the University of Iowa, not for its strong tradition in ultimate like many of the grad students I see in the game, but for the Urban and Regional Planning program and educational/professional opportunities the school offered. The fact that there was a women's team was a plus and the fact that they finished in the top 4 of Regionals in 2010 was an even bigger plus. What I did not know was that I was walking onto the most talented college ultimate team I was given the opportunity to play in the brief 4.5 years of my "ultimate career."
This team worked harder than any ultimate team I had ever been part of, club or college. Every single player lifted, ran sprints, and pushed themselves harder than they ever had. Some of us overcame the physical and psychological challenges posed by knee surgeries, broken bones, stress fractures, months of extreme back pain, pulled quads, knee injuries, and severe ankle injuries to contribute to the team's success. More players made immense progress in their skill sets and physical abilities than I have ever seen before in just one short year. We had gone throughout the regular season kicking butt throughout the country. Winning Midwest Throwdown. Winning Easterns. Taking 4th at Centex.
Throughout the season, I felt the weight of the challenge to make it to nationals fall heavily on my shoulders. I'm not entirely sure why. The group of girls was extremely talented and hungry for improvement and success. My big fear is failure. I did not want to see my teammates fail. It wasn't really a problem until we got to the post season and the challenges increased with difficulty and consequences were harsher for failing.
The pressure mounted. Up until this point, our team had lived the Cinderella season. We hit a road bump at the West North Central Conference Championships. After playing extremely well in the 45+mph winds at Northern Iowa (imagine the Open Finals in Boulder, but it was 30 degrees and wet outside), our field chemistry was lost on Sunday without the wind. We struggled to play man-to-man offense. We looked gassed and nothing was working. We dropped a game to a talented Iowa State team. All of a sudden, everyone was questioning our legitimacy as a team. I felt like it was my fault. I felt the need to defend my teammates and our team.
We didn't defend it with our words (well, sometimes we did). We stepped up with our play: our actions on and off the field. We bounced back, winning decisively in the 2nd place game and headed into Regionals with the attitude that we controlled our destiny. We would not let anyone take our goal of getting Saucy Nancy back to the big show for the first time since 2005. Not a team could stand in our way. We overcame so many obstacles. We won the "pool of death" featuring both Wisconsin and Carleton (the teams with the most appearances at Nationals in our region). Breaking for a win in Regional Semis despite the elements and talented players in our way, sealing a bid to the College Championships was a dream come true. Looking around me seeing my teammates crying out of pure happiness. We had accomplished our goal. We had qualified for Nationals. We captured the 5th seed out of a talented pool of teams represented in the field of competition.
I'll be honest. Up until this point, I had been slightly disappointed. In my mind, I was absolutely convinced that our team was a semis team. Not reaching semis was devastatingly bittersweet to say the least. Writing this has been extremely cathartic. It has helped me to understand just how immense of an accomplishment the Saucy Nancy season has been. We proved that it doesn't matter how low your team or program goes, you can get the greatness back with some good old fashioned hard work and drive. I feel a sense of pride in myself and in my teammates for getting to Nationals and performing well. We accomplished the goal we set. It paid off.
Mikey Lun, my coach and friend, once told me that I'm a player who plays the odds, and that the dice just seem to fall in my favor. I'm not entirely sure what he meant by that statement, but I have my interpretation. I played this season like I do Blackjack (I like Blackjack because it's a simple game that I can understand...and when I play it in a casino, I feel like I have a chance to win). I sit down at the table, make my minimum bet and win a few hands before I start betting more. On the field, I choose my battles when the odds were with me, and I played them right most of the time. I tend to be a high risk/high reward player when the stakes are high and the rewards even higher. Sometimes, I don't even know how I come out with the disc when I'm out of position or complete a huck that should never have worked. Sometimes, I think "how in the world did we score that?!" But here's the secret to playing the odds in ultimate: believing in your teammates to beat the odds with you.
This season, my teammates did beat the odds. Hucking upwind with a 20 mph wind to a receiver in double coverage sounds crazy. But when that receiver is Katie Johnson, the 5% decision, becomes an 80% decision if I can get the disc flat. Taking away an around on D on a team's best handler, giving her the huck down field becomes harder to complete when Audrey Erickson is on the downfield cutter and about to sky her. Placing the disc right on the line is okay, because I know Liza Minor is going to toe the line and make the play anyways. Putting a huck way in front of speedy little Jojo Peterson will probably get completed, even if she's covered by a team's best defender expecting to "pwn" on our noob (news flash: our rookies ARE good).
You have to trust your teammates to beat the odds too. You can't beat the odds by yourself (unless you're really good at throwing to yourself...and in that case, you should probably be playing disc hoops anyways). This team showed me how to believe in everyone the same way I believe in myself. This team beat the odds by working hard to give every advantage possible. A percentage or two or ten in our favor allowed us to play and beat the odds all season long.
So, what did the 2011 College Championships mean to me? Spending hours spray painting neon colored shirts for my teammates at my garage in Muskego and getting a little dizzy in the process. Freaking out about how I'm going to get 20 t-shirts and like 40 long sleeve jerseys to my teammates in Boulder (those TSA workers better not TOUCH them).
Most important: sharing the game that I love with my closest friends and family, one last time as a college ultimate player. This experience is unmatched by any that I have had in the college women's game.
I was always told that my resume was supposed to be short, to the point, using active voice to describe my strengths and experiences I bring to my potential employer. My cover letter is supposed to highlight the specifics that the resume can't speak to. The intangibles, if you will.
The most important intangible that allows me to keep beating the odds: the fact that I know my teammates like I know myself. Being a good teammate, working with them in and out of practice, helping them improve, supporting them at Dance Marathon, making them dinner, bringing them coffee before an exam when they are so tired. Holding yourself accountable to the same standards you hold your teammates. That huge list of things I listed, specifically about my experience at nationals this year, and taking the time to appreciate them.
After 2011, I know what my "ultimate cover letter" will detail: all the intangibles that help me beat the odds. After all, it's these intangibles that I finally realize only after the 2011 season and the College Championships that define me as a player and my college ultimate experience.
The 2011 College Championships have come and gone. I'm back in Madison, working my internship. Heck, I've even started playing Summer League already. I've been doing nothing but reflecting about what my journey through college ultimate has meant, particularly the 2010-2011 season with Iowa.
 |
| SOL takes 3rd in the Central in 2010. There were 2 bids. |
There are countless talented players and talented teams that fall short of their goal to qualify every season. I relate to the experience of continuing to fall short year-in and year-out. I was certain that I'd never get the shot to compete with top teams at the College Championships. Robyn, face the reality: It's just not in the cards for a vast majority of the over 12,000 college ultimate players who compete in our sport. It's just not in the cards for me.
When I decided which graduate school I would attend in Fall 2010, I chose the University of Iowa, not for its strong tradition in ultimate like many of the grad students I see in the game, but for the Urban and Regional Planning program and educational/professional opportunities the school offered. The fact that there was a women's team was a plus and the fact that they finished in the top 4 of Regionals in 2010 was an even bigger plus. What I did not know was that I was walking onto the most talented college ultimate team I was given the opportunity to play in the brief 4.5 years of my "ultimate career."
This team worked harder than any ultimate team I had ever been part of, club or college. Every single player lifted, ran sprints, and pushed themselves harder than they ever had. Some of us overcame the physical and psychological challenges posed by knee surgeries, broken bones, stress fractures, months of extreme back pain, pulled quads, knee injuries, and severe ankle injuries to contribute to the team's success. More players made immense progress in their skill sets and physical abilities than I have ever seen before in just one short year. We had gone throughout the regular season kicking butt throughout the country. Winning Midwest Throwdown. Winning Easterns. Taking 4th at Centex.
 |
| Saucy busting off the line on D at the 2011 College Championships |
The pressure mounted. Up until this point, our team had lived the Cinderella season. We hit a road bump at the West North Central Conference Championships. After playing extremely well in the 45+mph winds at Northern Iowa (imagine the Open Finals in Boulder, but it was 30 degrees and wet outside), our field chemistry was lost on Sunday without the wind. We struggled to play man-to-man offense. We looked gassed and nothing was working. We dropped a game to a talented Iowa State team. All of a sudden, everyone was questioning our legitimacy as a team. I felt like it was my fault. I felt the need to defend my teammates and our team.
We didn't defend it with our words (well, sometimes we did). We stepped up with our play: our actions on and off the field. We bounced back, winning decisively in the 2nd place game and headed into Regionals with the attitude that we controlled our destiny. We would not let anyone take our goal of getting Saucy Nancy back to the big show for the first time since 2005. Not a team could stand in our way. We overcame so many obstacles. We won the "pool of death" featuring both Wisconsin and Carleton (the teams with the most appearances at Nationals in our region). Breaking for a win in Regional Semis despite the elements and talented players in our way, sealing a bid to the College Championships was a dream come true. Looking around me seeing my teammates crying out of pure happiness. We had accomplished our goal. We had qualified for Nationals. We captured the 5th seed out of a talented pool of teams represented in the field of competition.
 |
| Saucy Nancy huddle at the 2011 College Championships |
Mikey Lun, my coach and friend, once told me that I'm a player who plays the odds, and that the dice just seem to fall in my favor. I'm not entirely sure what he meant by that statement, but I have my interpretation. I played this season like I do Blackjack (I like Blackjack because it's a simple game that I can understand...and when I play it in a casino, I feel like I have a chance to win). I sit down at the table, make my minimum bet and win a few hands before I start betting more. On the field, I choose my battles when the odds were with me, and I played them right most of the time. I tend to be a high risk/high reward player when the stakes are high and the rewards even higher. Sometimes, I don't even know how I come out with the disc when I'm out of position or complete a huck that should never have worked. Sometimes, I think "how in the world did we score that?!" But here's the secret to playing the odds in ultimate: believing in your teammates to beat the odds with you.
 |
| Saucy practicing in Boulder. Mountain backdrop. Sick. |
You have to trust your teammates to beat the odds too. You can't beat the odds by yourself (unless you're really good at throwing to yourself...and in that case, you should probably be playing disc hoops anyways). This team showed me how to believe in everyone the same way I believe in myself. This team beat the odds by working hard to give every advantage possible. A percentage or two or ten in our favor allowed us to play and beat the odds all season long.
 |
| Me with my sisters at 2011 Nationals. |
 |
| Me and my mom at the College Championships. |
Sending a lone Saucy on her Geology Field Camp trip in Montana her Nationals Jersey and a spray paint t-shirt, trying to tell her how much I would miss her smile and wonderful attitude in Boulder while she was hundreds of miles away. Being re-united with my teammates after their brutally long car-trip to Boulder with hugs and smiles (driving through Nebraska is the worst). Spray painting about 60 Saucy tats on my 21 teammates.
 |
| Dave takes home the silver in '11. |
Playing a showcase game vs. Stanford...while two of my best friends announced the game (sorry I only sported the Jeadband for a few points). Watching ultimate and learning more strategy and things to bring back with me. Seeing people that I love and respect cheer on me and my teammates on the sidelines. Making it to quarter finals, and putting up the final fight in a game that the other team thought they had already won. Throwing a forehand huck with the mountains serving as the backdrop. Celebrating one last time with my teammates. Not having a voice 5 days after the tournament is done. Cheering my boyfriend and his team onto a 2nd place finish in the Open Division. Hugging my teammates and not wanting to let go.
Most important: sharing the game that I love with my closest friends and family, one last time as a college ultimate player. This experience is unmatched by any that I have had in the college women's game.
I recently filled out a tryout form for a women's club team. It asked me to include my "ultimate resume." Yeah. I can say "I was part of a top team in the Central Region for 5 consecutive College seasons." or "I made all-region in x,y,z years." or "Team finished 5th at 2011 College Championship" or even "helped to build a new successful college women's program at a small school." Who cares about that stuff. I already know it. Chances are my potential employer (or in this case, potential captains/coaches) already know it too.
The most important intangible that allows me to keep beating the odds: the fact that I know my teammates like I know myself. Being a good teammate, working with them in and out of practice, helping them improve, supporting them at Dance Marathon, making them dinner, bringing them coffee before an exam when they are so tired. Holding yourself accountable to the same standards you hold your teammates. That huge list of things I listed, specifically about my experience at nationals this year, and taking the time to appreciate them.
After 2011, I know what my "ultimate cover letter" will detail: all the intangibles that help me beat the odds. After all, it's these intangibles that I finally realize only after the 2011 season and the College Championships that define me as a player and my college ultimate experience.
 |
| Indefinite free time. No more college ultimate. But I'll always remember these girls. |
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)