For me, 2010 was a very meaningful year when it comes to many aspects of my life. Ultimate was a big one this year!

As the year closes and a new one opens up, I wanna take a moment to look back, and share a little of that experience.

In 2010 I saw my new college team, built just one year earlier, go through a lot. Good and bad hit us from many sides, often at unexpected moments. It became clear that a team divided cannot stand, but that placing good faith in players and helping them out even when people doubt their capabilities is a driving force that will surprise many. I also learned, as the year ended, that sometimes when you least expect it, if you keep on working and creating an environment where the sport can thrive, new blood will show up, because well laid plans also take time to sprout their wings.

I’ll take a short interim to draw a parallel point about this. Its easy to get excited by new ideas and prospects and to put in a bit of effort when things are all potentially going to work out. Hit the first bumps in the road though and people’s will slowly start to give in to their doubts and give up. Just as with many other things in the world, Ultimate has developed due to the efforts of those that will persist even when the going gets tough. Its all well and easy when you want to participate within a structure that exists and works. Its easy putting things to use, but developing them takes effort beyond the measures most people are willing to put in. There’s nothing wrong with this. Most people just want to have a hobby and enjoy it, stress free. However, I have issues with the people that will be quick to complain about how things could or should be better and don’t put in the work to make it so. We live in an age of critics. The internet has made that all the easier. Most people just don’t think the effort pays off when you are a small group, or worse, a single individual, trying to build something from nothing.

I’m here to say that while I can understand the sentiment, I know that its exactly by fighting it that new teams are shaped, new leagues get formed and great players have a chance to develop. I challenge everyone reading this who love this sport to reach out in 2011 and do their personal best to, if they feel something should be better about it, find a way to improve or further it around you: how you play it, where you play it, the number of players in your region, the level of the game, the commitment of teams – whatever it may be, go out there and make it better! Find a new player and be patient with him; take some time to help him out. Take pictures, film games and post them on-line, help find sponsors for teams, whatever you believe will help and is within your grasp to accomplish. Every little bit goes a long way. And don’t be discouraged when things don’t go your way. Expectations are something that we create based on our wishes and desires. The real world is hard on those. But, if you work through it, you’ll find a way to adapt and get things done. Ultimate can be better because of you. Don’t shy away from this.

This past July was the first time I went to a Worlds tournament, attending WUCC2010 in Prague. In fact it was, except for the random player to come by São Paulo and play with us, my first real contact playing in an international Ultimate environment. I had only seen videos or read about the sport around the world for just about a year, and only on and off. I had been playing it for many years, but only because I was taught how by former colleagues, but I was not aware, as I am now, of the plethora of material available on-line for a fan like myself. I don’t feel, however, that its because I missed out finding this material, but rather that in the last couple of years Ultimate has made its presence felt on the web. Videos, blogs, pictures, national associations websites, tournament finders, magazines (such as the Huddle) – the were formed in great volumes recently. Videos are available from UltiVillage and vendors in other countries, as well as on YouTube. Add to that books like Essential Ultimate, Ultimate: Techniques and Tactics, and Ultimate: The First Four Decades – and their authors: people of value and relevance in the community, that help get the sport out there. Tony, author of Ultimate: The Greatest Sport Ever Invented by Man, was a fun narrator for the WUCC2010 games in Prague during the on-line broadcasting, and very nice about helping me with some of my personal projects. 2010 was the year I dived head first into all of this and I’m still finding great new material and tools to work with.

Worlds was a singular experience all on its own. I will tell you right now, whether you can make it on a team that’s going to play or not, find your way to some worlds tournament, or at least a tournament outside your own country when you have a chance. The experience will blow you away! Personally, I feel I got lucky, because I had the pleasure of meeting many excellent people while in Prague. I made new friends with which I still talk to, keeping at least semi-regular contact with. I met some of the significant characters of the sport scene, whether they were famous players from different countries, representatives from national associations or from WFDF, or people from related businesses (I’m looking at you friends from Five Ultimate and UltiVillage). And that’s just the beginning of it all. I met people who love this sport so much and can teach many things you might never have thought about, share ideas on how to improve the sport in your team and community and, often enough, offer to help you out with your own projects. They’ve seen it done, now they want to see you be successful too. Going to these tournaments is a great way to meet them, show them who you are, what you are interested in, and start opening doors to achieving those goals too. And if you get the chance to play – boy oh boy – are you in for a treat! Nothing compares with the variation of game styles, player temperaments and cheers you’ll get to see from teams. It’s one big party and one big family. Okay, so not everything is beautiful: there will be spirit problems, there will be issues with venues, and you might even see that some administrative problems you thought you had are nothing compared to those other people suffer from. But hey, the good outweighs the bad by a long shot! And guess what: for Club Championships, even if you don’t manage to be on the top-x teams from your country after all those heavy competitions, well, why not try and join a team from an Ultimate developing country who still needs players? They could probably benefit from having your skills and will appreciate you being there! Its an opportunity to help out by sharing what you know and maybe learn a thing or two as well. And what each of you take home later will improve all of you, surely. We had some of that on my team this year. Doug, Beth and Matt: thanks for the lessons taught.

What do I hope for 2011?

I hope the Huddle is happy in its new home at USA Ultimate. And that new sites and on-line magazines like SkyD keep featuring great articles. It’d be great if national associations grew all over the world and communicated with each other, that videos and images of the sport in their country were made available to the world via websites, and that new tournaments (can anyone say PanAm!) took place around the globe. I hope WFDF keeps bringing in new ideas for world development, that Africa gets the attention it needs, and that South America does too. I hope more initiatives and projects like Ultimate Peace spring into existence. I wish that more companies, not just in the US or Europe, come about with great gear and equipment for our sport – we deserve our right to our own style and coolness factor. I hope Ultimate gets the space it deserves on national television. Take a look at the WUCC games and tell me this stuff doesn’t just feel right for home cheering! (The videos are HUGE, so it may take a while to load – you have been warned.) I hope we pave the road to becoming in Olympic sport.

Well, I definitely hope to participate in more tournaments outside of Brazil and learn more from those who are better than me. I want to visit the US and get coach certified. I want to develop Ultimate in Brazil in ways never done before – especially by making the college and junior scenes happen for real! Right now, the only college team in São Paulo is the one I helped develop. The only teams that compete in a tournament are in São Paulo. Only one youth team exists, also in Sâo Paulo. And they all play in the same tournament. Everyone enjoys it, but I hope that in 2011 we can have a college tournament, even if its a small hat tournament. If I can have 50 college players by June and 100 by the end of the year, I’ll say we’ve had a huge win. Its not going to be easy, but that’s number one on my list. I need to find ways to get more discs, proper port-a-fields, and maybe get a couple of foreign coaches come here to help train us. I want to be become a better player, a stronger player, and experience Ultimate at higher levels, playing on teams with people with moves I have seen yet.

I hope to write for the Huddle on occasion, whenever possible in the issues, but hopefully often in the features, dealing with sport development and Ultimate across the world. I want to hear and participate in Ultimate development as often as I’m capable of. I’m not sure yet just how much I can do, but that wont keep me from trying. I hope to have start own blog (in the meantime, if anyone wants to email me, feel free) as well, and share my thoughts about all things Ultimate. I want to meet more players like myself and get more people excited like I am.

The year is just beginning, lets see what comes along the way.
Logan Pendragon

Back in London, clapham are recovering from the week’s long slog, preparing for Tour 3 in Cardiff, Wales on the coming weekend.  Worlds is over, and like elsewhere the domestic season continues.  The week in Prague was a mixed one for us.  Our objective was a quarter final, and from there who knows. We fell short however losing first to a superior Buzz Bullet team, and then later the same day a very close game against Calgary’s Invictus. The Buzz game was frustrating in as much as they forced us into playing a game we did not want to play. Mis-judgements, throw aways, coupled with an impressive long game by the Buzz left us out of sorts.  We recovered well in our off game and were up for the Invictus game. Exact score lines are shady, we more or less traded until half, which they took 6-7 on an enforced time cap due to the heavy rain the day before – a bit annoying – enforcing a 40 minute time cap? whatever though. Second half we came out strong initially going up a break or two, but they quickly caught back with a few contentious calls and poor decisions. With 10-12 down in a game to 13, we brought it level before falling on the last chance.  On score they deserved the win. They gutted out a few more passes, a few more gritty points. A bitter loss.

I’m not sure why it hurt so much? Disappointment in not winning for sure, not fulfulling potential maybe, not realising expectation, or just falling short. All feelings felt. The loss made us question our trainings, question our approach, and ask what might we have done different? Though some detail could have been better, individual decisions and such, what seems to stand out strongest is experience.  The experience of the game to go, the game to go to quarters, to go onto something larger and more important.

What leaves us with Prague is a raw sort of feeling that we won’t get the opportunity for another 4 years to compete at this level, and even then, the competition might be somewhere where American teams might not travel in full pledge like in 2006, Perth.  It begs the question: how are we going to narrow this gap of experience between the top and the rest?  At the opening ceremony the president of wfdf spoke proudly of development grants they have created. I sat there thinking development grants? hmm.  what could that mean?  To grow the sport in under developed countries? to promote peace in the middle east?  i am fully supportive of projects which use sport to bring people together to resolve whatever the issue, but frankly I came to Worlds to seek the highest level of competition possible. To pit my team against the best and see how good we are. 

Last week we realised we still have a bit to learn. But what, we get to wait four years for the honours of trying our tactics again?  It seems rediculous, and unfair. Surely WFDF needs to be supporting the sport in developed countries and what they need to be doing is coming up with a tournament format which increases the level of competition, worldwide.   No?  With our current squad we went to ECC last year and this year to the Texas showdown.  In past years, the club has traveled to Chesapeake and the Boston Invite. They have been great opportunities for young players to pit themselves against America’s finest and learn they can compete with the elite. Teams in the four cities we have visited have been more than hospitable to us.  They have welcomed us, supported us with in kind tournament costs, and provided us with great experiences.

What we want to know is how can we compete year on year in a competition that is of world wide quality?  Is there not a clever way of allowing teams to join US nationals?  one european, one austral-asian, one south american?  Nationals has wild cards places and and strengths bids do they not? After Perth four years ago I asked the UPA whether they might consider such a proposal. They responded saying that they do their part in participating in WFDf sponsored tournaments and World Nations, that they would only consider countries that border the US ie Canada and Mexico.  Though i do appreciate US Nationals is about teams from their geographical location, is there really not a place for widening participation?  A radical reassesment of borders and a society where participation and access to opportunity is leveled? I get Nationals is about nations.  I am half american myself and playing at college nationals was an amazingly american experience to have.  thats not in doubt.  I guess what I am trying to suggest is that US nationals could be about something larger and has potential to act on a larger scale to increase inclusion.  For really, how else is the gap to be narrowed? Ideally we’d all be like the buzz, but they are sponsored by the Bunka Shutter and sadly they don’t have a monopoly on shutter making companies the world over.

So Prague is over. Lovely to see old friends and meet new ones.  Great to have a go.  Great to act like idiots with the team.  We will carry on, we will fight for our tenth national champioship, and to reclaim our european title, and next year we will return to the states, stronger and hungrier than ever.  We hope to see you there.

CU

It was once remarked to me that if you don’t win a tournament, it feels better to finish 3rd than 2nd because you get to go home on a win.

When I first heard that years ago as a rookie it didn’t make sense – why would you want prefer to finish lower? But over the years I have become more atuned to wanting to end a tournament on a positive note, whether it be winning the last game, having a really fun match-up or even some sweet heckling in the final. The last thing you do together as a team can affect the impression you have of the whole event.

Redbacks didn’t have the week we wanted to. While we certainly gave many teams a run and had some narrow losses, we threw ourselves out of many games and we were down the bottom end of the bracket playing off for 45th place against LOL from Hungary. The score was 15-7 and the game was as good as over. I was on the line for the O point and Pete, one of our receivers, quietly said to me, “I’m gonna go. Let’s do it.”

A little backstory: There had been very little talk of personal stats during the week until our captain caught a goal on Day 5, proudly declaring he was “on the scoreboard.” To this point I was the last active player on 0. I play as an O handler and had been playing an ultra-conservative tournament, preferring to be reliable rather than huck it at will. Only one turn for the week but yet, zero assists and zero goals.

So back to the game, the pull comes in and the disc gets to me, around 50 metres from goal. The zone isn’t quite set and I can see Pete drifting deep. I wind up and let a picture perfect high floating huck go. Pete, as cool as ever, gets position and height over the two defenders and comes down with the disc… four metres short of the endzone. We then turned the disc and conceded the goal. With my head down, I headed towards the sideline.

My team however, had sensed the chance for one last small victory for the tournament – get Simon a stat. A timeout was called and a play was set up. Some of you may know it as the Reverse Moses. The pull comes in; one pass to Neil who jacks it in Pete’s direction. He pulls it down easily just shy of the endzone and calls another timeout. This time we set up a Moses endzone play, with me as the third cutter. Disc checked in… first cut… second cut… I take off and get in front of my marker. Pete puts the disc straight at my chest and I clap the disc between my hands. Cue my over-the-top celebration as my teammates storm the field in elation – we had set ourselves one final goal and we had done it.

Up to that point in the week, some of us were getting pretty down on the fact that we were dropping further and further down the table. LOL got the last point pretty easily to seal 45th spot, but at least we got to end our tournament on a high. I just hope that the 132 teams and the thousands of players that didn’t win a championship this week got their personal victory for the tournament and can go home with a smile on their face.

Thank you Prague, thank you Redbacks and thank you everyone else for an amazing week.

A really disappointing day today for us. We lost to the Woodchicas (Germany) in a pre-quarters game that was never close and then lost to Backhoe in the 9th place bracket. Our offense (and defensive offense) have really been struggling and it has showed the past couple of days. We play Storm and then either Leeds or Zephyr tomorrow. We’ve already adopted one of Leeds’ cheers as our own and we’ll be focusing on getting experience for the fall series and enjoying our last day with some of our teammates who will be retiring. And hey, we’re still in Prague.

This is a post partly borrowed from my personal blog with up to the minute info.

I spent a few minutes yesterday skyping family back in the U.S. And the cafe I borrowed computer time from has shopkeepers speaking Arabic, of course I was typing on a Czech keyboard, speaking English on skype, and trying out phrases in Russian, French, German, and more all day long with opponents, fans, new friends, and strangers.

Thats a little taste of the internationalism of the tournament and this city. Chain teammates, non Chain friends, ultimate fans, teams and supporters from all over the world have descended on Prague in an impressive show of love for the game, spirit for the growth of the sport, and of course some good old fashioned competition.

After three days of competition, Chain had only played four games. But in the next two we played five… the variance is mainly due to rainouts on Tuesday. I was really looking forward to trading night last night and it didnt disappoint. Hundreds of folks were showing stuff off and bartering for coveted jerseys and accessories.

Disappointments so far have been the laundry situation and the time allowed for sightseeing and partying… Because Im leaving right after the tourney, last week was for the non ultimate stuff. Now, naturally Im most looking forward to the semifinals tomorrow against Sockeye or Ironside.

Not sure the photos will work, but Ive tried to attach an image of the Chain worlds jersey and a depiction of the scene after Doublewides 20 minute discussion with Sweden about a catch and spike on the goal line.