Ultimaaaaaaaaaaaaaaate!
I accompany a UT Tyler student for his vocals lessons once a week during the summer right now. Yesterday we went out to lunch afterwards, and he mentioned that he was going to be playing Ultimate Frisbee that evening with some friends. I didn't even know people played Ultimate around here. "Can I come?" "Sure! We play over in the soccer field at 7pm."
So after another couple rehearsals, I show up there at about 7:25, and they've just split up teams. I get out of the car, and I start to feel a little awkward because this is definitely a huge group of teenagers. They see me stop and get out, and they sort of look at me like "Why's the old guy coming over here? Is he going to tell us to get off the field?" Finally I get up close and I'm like, "What team am I on?" and everything goes back to normal. The friend that invited me finally shows up, and then I feel validated for being there.
All in all, I had a great time. I imagine that the majority of the kids knew each other from a church group of some sort. They were all really nice, and they didn't have those bad teenage attitudes you just come to expect from kids their age. They took to me right away ... probably because I'm overly enthusiastic, a big chatterbox all the time on the field, and I run the entire game so I'm not all talk. Oh, and I had to keep up the excitement level since I was the old fogey on the field, too. Don't want to start feeling like the chaperone.
They really took to me pretty quickly. High fives and hugs exchanged all around by midway through the evening ... another one of those things you just don't expect from total strangers an hour ago (especially in the 90+ Texas evening. Sweaty hugs, groooooooss). It was fun, I was pooped, and for some reason out of three games played (switching up teams every time) I lost every game. I can't feel responsible though, because some of my players never switched up either. I'm blaming them.
OK, sooooo .. what is the deal with the short game? This I will never understand. You have me expecting these teenagers to play an aggressive crazy game, and I'm running all over the field trying to lose my defenders, and I never see a pass for the first 30 minutes. They're all passing it to each other about 10 feet apart. And calling out names as they do it. I mean, I'm looking right at you, you don't have to look at me, say my name, and then throw it. Why not throw in a signed Hallmark card and a balloon while you're at it? And THEN!! (Oh, this was aggravating.) Some of the kids would stand BEHIND the person throwing the frisbee and be calling for it. I don't ask for much guys, but as my loyal blog readers, I implore you: DO NOT EVER THROW THE FRISBEE BACKWARDS UNLESS ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY. And certainly don't stand back there and ask for it. Eventually after I saw this as a trend, I started getting my team together and saying "OK, guys, why don't we try some long game for a while and see how that works?" "We can win this thing slow and steady. Long passes are so risky."
So that's how it's going to be. Huh. After that, anytime the frisbee fell close to me, I ran straight for it as quick as possible, looked up, and hurled that sucker to the endzone. The field was short enough for endzone to endzone passes, easily. And you know, it didn't matter at all that the majority of the people were playing the short game ... there was always some lazy guy standing down in the endzone cherry picking, so I didn't have to worry about waiting for someone to show up down there. The game started picking up quickly after that.
OK, I'm done with that rant. Just remember: No one likes short game except people with no endurance.
Anyway, it was a good night, and I plan on doing it once a week now as long as they keep playing. I can't even pretend that I didn't get home last night and not collapse into deep sleep instantly. Hey, I ran way more than kids 10 years younger than me. :( That reminds me ....
I'm old.
So after another couple rehearsals, I show up there at about 7:25, and they've just split up teams. I get out of the car, and I start to feel a little awkward because this is definitely a huge group of teenagers. They see me stop and get out, and they sort of look at me like "Why's the old guy coming over here? Is he going to tell us to get off the field?" Finally I get up close and I'm like, "What team am I on?" and everything goes back to normal. The friend that invited me finally shows up, and then I feel validated for being there.
All in all, I had a great time. I imagine that the majority of the kids knew each other from a church group of some sort. They were all really nice, and they didn't have those bad teenage attitudes you just come to expect from kids their age. They took to me right away ... probably because I'm overly enthusiastic, a big chatterbox all the time on the field, and I run the entire game so I'm not all talk. Oh, and I had to keep up the excitement level since I was the old fogey on the field, too. Don't want to start feeling like the chaperone.
They really took to me pretty quickly. High fives and hugs exchanged all around by midway through the evening ... another one of those things you just don't expect from total strangers an hour ago (especially in the 90+ Texas evening. Sweaty hugs, groooooooss). It was fun, I was pooped, and for some reason out of three games played (switching up teams every time) I lost every game. I can't feel responsible though, because some of my players never switched up either. I'm blaming them.
OK, sooooo .. what is the deal with the short game? This I will never understand. You have me expecting these teenagers to play an aggressive crazy game, and I'm running all over the field trying to lose my defenders, and I never see a pass for the first 30 minutes. They're all passing it to each other about 10 feet apart. And calling out names as they do it. I mean, I'm looking right at you, you don't have to look at me, say my name, and then throw it. Why not throw in a signed Hallmark card and a balloon while you're at it? And THEN!! (Oh, this was aggravating.) Some of the kids would stand BEHIND the person throwing the frisbee and be calling for it. I don't ask for much guys, but as my loyal blog readers, I implore you: DO NOT EVER THROW THE FRISBEE BACKWARDS UNLESS ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY. And certainly don't stand back there and ask for it. Eventually after I saw this as a trend, I started getting my team together and saying "OK, guys, why don't we try some long game for a while and see how that works?" "We can win this thing slow and steady. Long passes are so risky."
So that's how it's going to be. Huh. After that, anytime the frisbee fell close to me, I ran straight for it as quick as possible, looked up, and hurled that sucker to the endzone. The field was short enough for endzone to endzone passes, easily. And you know, it didn't matter at all that the majority of the people were playing the short game ... there was always some lazy guy standing down in the endzone cherry picking, so I didn't have to worry about waiting for someone to show up down there. The game started picking up quickly after that.
OK, I'm done with that rant. Just remember: No one likes short game except people with no endurance.
Anyway, it was a good night, and I plan on doing it once a week now as long as they keep playing. I can't even pretend that I didn't get home last night and not collapse into deep sleep instantly. Hey, I ran way more than kids 10 years younger than me. :( That reminds me ....
I'm old.
posted by Karl at 6:37 AM
4 Comments:
Actual Ultimate teams-- like the ones that go to tourneys-- rarely play an entirely long game. If there is an obviously open long pass, then certainly it's taken, but more typically working the frisbee up the field is preferred.
What most people don't seem to realize is that plays are actually supposed to be run in Ultimate. Essentially the team lines up down the field in front of the person with the disc (facing the person, obviously), then run out to the sides of the field, alternately, to try to get open. If you dash out & don't get an open pass, you then run back into the line and dash out again. Once a pass is made, the team then lines up again, this time from the new disc position.
It goes a lot more smoothly than it sounds when typed out. Additionally, there are several other plays that a team could run. The point is that an experienced team usually runs plays, not the glory passes. It's been my observation that most of the time those guys hopped up on testosterone and the desire to look impressive are the most likely to play a long-pass game.
And let me just say: It doesn't impress me.
Those are exactly the type of games that David and I hate.
I have no endurance, but I hate the short game as well. Perhaps it's because I'm horrible as a handler. Perhaps it's because it negates what little speed and jumping ability I have left. I'm with you - Ultimate should be all about the long pass.
I mean, short passes are fine. Do them. Keep people all over the field so you don't have a limited amount of real estate for them to defend. But don't nickel and dime the frisbee all the way to the endzone. Take the long pass when it's open. Otherwise you're much more apt to drop a pass when you're making 500% more of them.
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