My husband, Kris, played ultimate in college. As a result, he has some great ultimate stories from that time in his career. Since we've been on the same team for the longest time, and share many common stories, those college stories are more entertaining in as much as I wasn't there to experience them, and his story-telling style is wonderfully humourous.
One of the stories he tells is of a teammate's friend who came out to a practice. Kris' college was close to an NCAA Division 1 school, and had many talented athletes in its programs, many attending college on an athletic scholarship. Kris' teammate's friend was one such athlete: a Division 1 college football player on an athletic scholarship; a cornerback, to be precise.
Kris' teammate who had invited his football scholarship friend out to the practice was well known on the team as a player who could huck the disc. He and his friend were on the same team at this practice, mostly to help the football player get a feel for the game, have guidance and the like.
After a few points, maybe half a dozen or so, Kris' teammate does his best Babe Ruth impersonation, and points to the endzone, where he wants his friend to go. His friend starts running deep, his football training and fitness in high gear.
Now, the rest of the team isn't full of beginners. This team was a team with UPA College Championships experience on it. They knew how to play. They knew what to do on defense. And they knew when to bust deep when they saw the gesture. At the same time the football friend started cutting deep, the deepest defender, who had ten yards on the guy, turned to bust deep, too.
The football player caught the disc in the endzone, ten yards deep on that previously deepest player. He caught the disc easily.
The discrepancy in general athleticism between top ultimate players and top athletes in other sports is well known. This story about Kris' teammate's friend, a football player on an athletic scholarship being able to outrun easily and handily a top ultimate player, is not an uncommon story.
So, what do you say to the large percentage of athletes who play ultimate who don't have that training, natural athleticism and genetic gift that makes them so impressive in sports?
"What? Besides, 'sucks to be you?'" my friends often ask. Yes, besides that.
This series of articles is exactly what I would say to the other non-gifted ultimate players.
This series of articles were first presented in shorter form at the 2007 Ultimate Coaches and Players Conference in Boston. For more information about the conference, please visit the UCPC website at http://www.buda.org/ucpc/.
Comments
ultimate athletes
I think that frisbee has long held the stigma of not being able to keep up with top tier athletes. However, and not to start any arguments, I definately think that the climate of frisbee is changing and we're seeing many more division 1 caliber athletes playing this beatiful game...Example callahan winner Zip. turned down soccer scolarship so he could play frisbee. As ultimate spreads I think the natural progression is that we will see more and more top athletes turning away from more traditional team sports to this one, and thus driving up the caliber of play. But the great thing about flatball, is that athletes of all abilities can find a way to accel, some of the best handlers I have seen are a far cry from a D-1 corner, however I doubt that even the corner could be tought to throw as well as they do. There's something for everyone in frisbee, and it's a community that I'm thankful to be a part of.
looking to pick up for lei out
Are there any teams out there looking for a guy who's played for 30 years (yes, that's right, 30!) and who is aching to play in one of my favorite tourney's -- lei out.
If 5 is Open A, and 1 is a rookie, I'm right around a 3.5.
Thanks in advance,
David aka Bump
davidmichaelw@mac.com
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