Spring 2015 USA Ultimate Magazine by USA Ultimate

ULTIMATE PLAYERS ASSOCIATION ULTIMATE PLAYERS USA ASSOCIATION ULTIMATE 4730 MesaDrive, Dr., Suite I-200C 5825 Table Delmonico 4730 Suite Table 350 Mesa Dr., Suite I-200C Boulder, 80305CO ColoradoCO Springs, Boulder, 80919CO 80305

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COLLEGE SERIES GUM CLINIC BEACH WORLDS OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF USA ULTIMATE SPRING 2015

CONTENTS FIRST THROW:

FEATURES:

#HEFORSHE: New Eyes

A Letter to Our Members

5 By the Numbers: Beach Ultimate 7 Beach Worlds in Photos 11

GUM Builds Role Models at Seattle Clinic

COLUMNS: 44 Finding a “New” Home in Colorado Springs

D-I MEN’S The New Center of Mass: The Rise of Zoodisc

Callahan Watch

46 Above the Competition 48 Nutrition Matters 50 Coaches’ Playbook 52 Injury Timeout

54 The Spirit Circle 56 What’s the Call? 58 Local League Spotlight

D-I WOMEN’S Embracing the Underdog

59 News & Notes

25 Callahan Watch

D-III MEN’S Big Fat Bomb

D-III WOMEN’S Why I Play

PROFILE: Alicia White

ON THE COVER: Qxhna Titcomb lays out on the beaches of Dubai while competing with the U.S. Women’s National Team at the 2015 World Championships of Beach Ultimate. Photo: Get Horizontal

U S A U LT I M AT E

SEEN & HEARD

2015 COLLEGE CHAMPIONSHIPS QUALIFIERS USA ULTIMATE 5825 Delmonico Drive, Suite 350 Colorado Springs, CO 80919 719-219-8322 www.usaultimate.org info@usaultimate.org

MEN’S DIVISION I

MEN’S DIVISION III

AUBURN CALIFORNIA-SANTA BARBARA CENTRAL FLORIDA CINCINNATI COLORADO CORNELL FLORIDA STATE GEORGIA ILLINOIS MARYLAND MASSACHUSETTS MINNESOTA NORTH CAROLINA NORTH CAROLINA-WILMINGTON OREGON PITTSBURGH TEXAS TEXAS A&M WESTERN WASHINGTON WISCONSIN

BOWDOIN BRANDEIS BRYANT CARLETON COLLEGE-GOP CLAREMONT DAVIDSON ELON FRANCISCAN GEORGIA COLLEGE JOHN BROWN LEWIS & CLARK MIDDLEBURY NORTH PARK ST. OLAF SUNY-GENESEO TRUMAN STATE

WOMEN’S DIVISION I

WOMEN’S DIVISION III

BRITISH COLUMBIA CARLETON COLLEGE CENTRAL FLORIDA COLORADO DARTMOUTH FLORIDA STATE KANSAS MIDDLEBURY NOTRE DAME OHIO STATE OREGON PITTSBURGH PRINCETON STANFORD TEXAS UCLA VICTORIA VIRGINIA WASHINGTON WHITMAN

SPRING 2015

BOWDOIN CARLETON COLLEGE-ECLIPSE CLAREMONT GEORGIA COLLEGE GRINNELL HAMILTON LEHIGH LUTHER PUGET SOUND RICE ST. BENEDICT ST. OLAF TRUMAN STATE VALPARAISO WAKE FOREST WILLIAMS

USA ULTIMATE BOARD OF DIRECTORS Mike Payne – President DeAnna Ball – Vice President Brian Garcia – Treasurer Josh Seamon – Secretary Val Belmonte Kathy Hendrickson Mary-Clare Brennan Stephen Hubbard Michael Eck Kevin Minderhout Ness Fajardo Henry Thorne USA ULTIMATE STAFF Dr. Tom Crawford – Chief Executive Officer Administration & Finance Julia Lee – Director Ethan Taylor-Pierce Competition & Athlete Programs Will Deaver – Managing Director Ty Krajec Byron Hicks Connor Maloney Sarah Powers David Raflo Ernest Toney Marketing & Communications Andy Lee – Director Matthew Bourland Stacey Waldrup Membership & Sport Development Melanie Byrd – Director Ryan Gorman Josh Murphy Becca Simeone USA Ultimate is a non-profit organization and serves as the national governing body for the sport of ultimate in the United States. Founded in 1979 as the Ultimate Players Association (UPA), USA Ultimate is one of the first flying disc sport organizations in the world and the largest, with 50,000 members and a national volunteer network. USA ULTIMATE USA Ultimate is the official publication of USA Ultimate, published quarterly. All ideas expressed in USA Ultimate are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of USA Ultimate, the national governing body. USA Ultimate assumes no responsibility for the return of unsolicited manuscripts or photographs. Editor-in-Chief Stacey Waldrup Advertising Complete rates and specifications are available online at www.usaultimate.org/sponsors. Change of Address USA Ultimate is not forwarded by the post office. To update your address, please contact USA Ultimate. For a complete list of contacts, visit www.usaultimate.org. Mission Statement To advance the sport of ultimate in the United States by enhancing and promoting Character, Community and Competition.

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LETTER TO OUR MEMBERS

Two Experiences, Two Definite Conclusions Dr. Tom Crawford

USA Ultimate Chief Executive Officer

ecently, I had two very interesting and very different experiences that I believe capture both the amazing opportunities and tough challenges our sport is facing. The first was an east-coast experience in New York City, and the second was a Pacific Northwest experience in Seattle, both great cities with great cultures! I’ll start with New York City. In early March, I was invited to attend a Sports Leadership Conference attended mostly by CEOs, CMOs and CFOs of major sports organizations, major media companies and some of the biggest brands in sports. The list of attendees included executives from the NBA, NFL, NHL, U.S. Olympic Committee, MLS, PGA and more, as well as major brands such as NIKE, PUMA, Adidas, Under Armour, Rolex, Microsoft, Yahoo, Google, Apple, etc. It also included many of my peers from other national governing bodies of sport. There were some very interesting presentations, including a futurist from Intel and a show-stealing talk by Jean Claude Biver, the chairman of Hublot – a luxury watch brand I had honestly never heard of, but one that is a major sports sponsor in other parts of the world, with athletes such Usain Bolt, Dwayne Wade, Kobe Bryant and many more on its list of clients. There were some very interesting takeaways on building our brand in the competitive world of sports with a big emphasis on “be unique…be different.”

The conference was well organized, with general sessions – often interactive panels – followed by networking sessions for discussion of the content and interacting with fellow attendees. What did I experience at this event? We are still an almost completely anonymous sport in this world. I had to explain ultimate to 90 percent of the folks I met and networked with over the course of two days. It’s interesting to step outside of the ultimate community and into the world of big-time sports and entertainment and realize we have a long, long way to go to achieve our vision of being a well-known and respected sport. When you live within our community and eat, sleep and breathe our sport every week, it’s easy to lose sight of how we are perceived and where we sit relative to other sports. Excepting the other national governing bodies’ CEOs present, I had to explain myself and our sport to virtually everyone I met. It was somewhat disconcerting that, on several occasions, the small groups I was interacting with gathered around small networking tables initially thought I was joking…and then apologized and listened with some interest about our growth and trajectory. Most asked if I really believed we could compete in the crowded world of sports; my answer was, of course, an emphatic yes! But it’s going to take some time and the strategic build-out of a national infrastructure to truly scale our sport. That became very clear, especially when talking with representatives of lacrosse and soccer.

U S A U LT I M AT E

LETTER TO OUR MEMBERS

A week later, I attended the SHAPE conference in Seattle with USA Ultimate youth and education department staff members Mike Lovinguth and Sarah Powers where we had a booth set up alongside several hundred other organizations. The SHAPE conference is the annual industry gathering of thousands of physical educators, coaches and health teachers, as well as major university programs focusing in these areas. It is at this annual conference that we develop long-term relationships with teachers and coaches from all over the U.S.

• T here is a real boom coming of kids who want to play ultimate instead of other sports. • We have to compete with many traditional sports and new, emerging sports for the children’s and families’ attention. I left feeling a great sense of excitement about our future, while also feeling wary about being very under prepared for this coming boom of interested youth. Why? Because of the number of times we struggled to help a teacher connect

partners. If you are an entrepreneur or just someone who’d love to work in the sport of ultimate, please email Josh Murphy ( josh@ hq.usaultimate.org) to be added to a list of potential partners for us in the delivery of quality youth programs in the next few years. So after two very different experiences, I came away with two pretty definitive conclusions. We still have a long way to go to build our reputation and brand in the world of sports, but we have succeeded in getting ultimate on the minds of many young players. Now they are going to start

Talk about a completely different experience from my time in NYC. At the SHAPE conference, everyone knows ultimate and loves coming by our booth. We share free curriculums and updates to old curriculums as well as introduce new products like our organizational membership and new Learn to Play Kits, while rebuilding and adding to our large database of teachers and coaches. The general reaction when teachers pass our booth is a big smile and the words, “Oh, I love ultimate!” Those words are heard again and again. And why do they love it? Because their kids love it! Our takeaway messages from attendees at the SHAPE conference were: • We love introducing your sport. • Our kids love playing it once they learn to throw and catch.

interested kids to a real youth ultimate program (not a clinic) in their area. This is not a problem in Seattle, but with a few exceptions, in almost all other locations around the U.S., real learning, training and playing opportunities for young kids is just not a reality yet. We can’t afford to miss this window of exposure and growth. All this demonstrates why we are very focused right now on building out a national infrastructure of Chapters and Affiliates that will have the capacity to offer real quality youth programming. Stay tuned, as we will soon be reaching out to recruit entrepreneurial partners to work with USA Ultimate to capitalize on this opportunity. Our goal will be to build an entire national framework of programs and playing opportunities with lots of significant small business opportunities for our

searching for ways to play, and we have to be ready to help them. In order to compete successfully in the crowded world of sports, we have to continue to build our brand and image. And we have to move quickly to build out a national infrastructure that is focused largely on youth programming that can handle the growing interest young players are developing. We have a challenging and exciting future!

SPRING 2015

Learn to Play kits were a huge hit at USA Ultimate’s booth at the 2015 SHAPE conference in Seattle. Photos: Mike Lovinguth

BY THE NUMBERS BEACH ULTIMATE FIELD

10 PLAYERS

1986

ON THE FIELD AT ONE TIME

YEAR FIRST BEACH ULTIMATE TOURNAMENT IS HELD IN TEXAS 75M LONG X 25M WIDE

2015 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS OF

BEACH ULTIMATE

2015 USA ULTIMATE BEACH

CHAMPIONSHIPS

U.S. MEDALS WON

HOME STATES OF TEAMS

NATIONS

109 1,100

COMPETING ATHLETES

COMPETING

TEAMS

REPRESENTED

COMPETING TEAMS

ATHLETES REPRESENTING THE U.S.A.

380 GAMES PLAYED

BLOCKS OF BEACH TO BE USED

2,529 MOST AIR MILES

TO BE TRAVELLED BY A TEAM, SAN FRANCISCO TO VIRGINIA BEACH

fiveultimate.com SPRING 2015

team@fiveultimate.com 206.456.3017

2610 Western Ave. Seattle WA 98121 ... you know, if you want to send us a post card or something.

IN pho toS

Beach Worlds

More than 100 American athletes across seven U.S. National Teams competed at the 2015 World Championships of Beach Ultimate in Dubai, U.A.E., in March. The U.S. delegation came home with nine medals: six gold, one bronze and two spirit awards.

CLOCKWISE FROM ABOVE: Alan Kolick leaves sand in his wake while laying out to save possession for the U.S. Menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Natonal Team on day three of competition in Dubai. Photo: Get Horizontal Claire Chastain of the U.S. Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s National Team looks upfield during their day two match up against Canada. Photo: Get Horizontal Jack Marsh of the U.S. Men's National Team gets up against the home team from the United Arab Emirates on day two of WCBU. Photo: Get Horizontal

U S A U LT I M AT E

k IN PHO TOS

Beach Worlds

MEDAL COUNT: 6 Gold, 1 Bronze and 2 Spirit Medals were amassed by our national teams in Dubai. CLOCKWISE FROM ABOVE: In what became an at-times testy semifinal, Tyler DeGirolamo made this grab, which could have been the game-winning goal, but a call brought the throw back. Photo: Get Horizontal Rohre Titcomb and the U.S. Women’s National Team defeated Canada 11-6 in the semifinals at the World Championships of Beach Ultimate. Photo: Get Horizontal On the tournament’s windiest day, Claire Desmond and the U.S Mixed National Team fell to Team Canada 5-6 in the semifinal round. Photo: Get Horizontal Dominique Fontenette and the U.S. Women’s Masters National Team was one of the most untouchable teams at WCBU, finishing the week with a goal differential of 95-14. Photo: Get Horizontal

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CLOCKWISE FROM ABOVE: Above and 3 o’clock: The U.S. mixed team’s semifinal loss to Team Canada was hotly contested, but the Canadians got a break late in the game and prevailed. The U.S. rebounded to take home bronze with an 11-5 win over Portugal. Photo: Get Horizontal The U.S. Women’s National Team defeated an athletic Team Russia 9-8 in the finals to win gold at 2015 WCBU. Photo: Get Horizontal Tyler Kinley lays out on the mark in the U.S. Men’s National Team’s semifinal game against the Philippines. Photo: Get Horizontal

Above: Kimberly Beach and the U.S. Mixed Masters National Team won gold 9-5 over Team Canada, avenging a secondplace finish at the 2011 World Championships of Beach Ultimate. Photo: Get Horizontal

k IN PHO TOS

Beach Worlds

CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: Greg Husak of the U.S. Men’s Masters team throws around his mark from Team Canada in the championship finals. The U.S. won gold 13-8. Photo: Get Horizontal The U.S. Men’s National Team celebrates their 13-4 pre-quarterfinal win over Ireland on day four at WCBU. Photo: Get Horizontal In one of the most athletic and highly anticipated games of the tournament, Jared Inselmann managed to stand out for the U.S. Men’s National Team with this grab against the Philippines. Photo: Get Horizontal Anna Nazarov led the U.S. Women’s National Team with 16 assists. She also tallied six goals at WCBU. Photo: Get Horizontal Brittany Winner and the U.S. Women’s Masters Team made it look easy throughout the tournament; they won this game against Great Britain 13-1. Their closest game was a 9-4 win over Canada. Photo: Get Horizontal

SPRING 2015

Matt Krei of the U.S. Grand Masters National Team works against Germany. The U.S. won 13-9, the team's closest game of the tournament until the championship final. Photo: Get Horizontal

GUM Builds Role Models at Seattle Clinic By: Emily Bowden Photos: Jim Gallagher

On March 1, USA Ultimate’s Girls’ Ultimate Movement (GUM) held a Learn to Play clinic in Seattle for girls ages seven to 13. Using a unique organizational structure and extremely passionate volunteers, the clinic was very successful and emphasized the importance of creating role models for young girls and getting youth players invested in their local ultimate communities. When USA Ultimate’s Girls’ Ultimate Movement came into being a year and a half ago, the organizers – a nationwide group of passionate volunteers working with USA Ultimate staff – brainstormed and ranked their top goals and action items for the program. Creating role models and more opportunities for girls to play became big priorities. The GUM Clinic Challenge became a way to do both, while providing everyone around the country who wanted to get involved a tangible way to contribute. GUM is actively challenging club teams across the U.S. to run ultimate clinics for girls in their area. Washington, D.C. Scandal and Baltimore Backhanded ran such in a clinic in D.C. in the fall, and in March, Seattle’s U-16 Youth Club Championships team, Uprising, ran a clinic for local girls with support from Seattle women’s club team Underground. The GUM Challenge is designed to promote the growth of youth girls’ ultimate. The youth players of today will affect the development of the entire community later on, so it is very important to get girls involved and interested at a young age, thereby ensuring that the community will continue to develop in the future with passionate and talented players of both genders.

The structure of this clinic was unique, even for GUM: It was the first example of a group of youth players running a clinic for other, younger youth players. The Underground women supported the Uprising girls, but allowed them to take the lead in running drills and explaining the game to the participants, many of whom had never played ultimate before.

U S A U LT I M AT E

To kick off the clinic, the Uprising players introduced themselves and completed the phrase “I love ultimate because…,” explaining what they love most about playing. The stories introduced the girls to the idea that ultimate is more than just a sport people play; it’s an active community and a way of life. Ren Caldwell of Ren Fitness worked with the Uprising players to identify warm-up exercises for the GUM Clinic that covered all crucial muscle groups and helped empower all 93 girls to feel strong. Caldwell worked with Uprising weekly during the 2014 season to help them establish healthy strength and conditioning practices. This relationship and holistic approach to ultimate has carried over to how the Uprising players approach all ultimate playing opportunities. The Uprising players planned ahead on how to best introduce the rules to girls of varying ages, deciding to divide the group into two teams – Team Nemo and Team Dory – based on their age and experience level. The Uprising girls had to be succinct in explaining the rules, providing enough information for the drills to make sense and the girls to get a basic understanding of the game, but not so much that they were bogged down in technicalities. Community in ultimate and creating strong female role models for younger girls who are just getting involved in the sport are central pieces of GUM’s mission. Both were strong focuses during the Seattle clinic as well. Encouraging growth in the number of female leaders and coaches who give back to the ultimate community can, if successful, create a self-perpetuating system that will continue to further the development of women’s ultimate. GUM is working to create an atmosphere where girls can look up to and admire female athletes. Unlike many other sports, however, there is not as significant a gap between the top players in the sport and those just starting out. The Uprising girls talked about players they looked up to when

SPRING 2015

they were first starting out and described how they appreciated the desire of top players to give back to the community that has given them so much. Their involvement creates a very positive way for first-time players to start out as well, as they are able to see players they admire who are excited and passionate about giving back to the community. Jazmine Canez, USA Ultimate’s Washington Girls’ State Youth Coordinator, and Alyssa Kelly, the USA Ultimate West Regional Youth Director, both agreed on the importance of building role models for young girls and the significant responsibility club players have a to act as role models for young women. As current Underground players, both women provided support to the clinic and were excited to step into those roles. Canez noted that as she was growing up in Arizona, youth ultimate options were unavailable and recognized the impact a mentor could have had on her as a younger

player. The need to build youth ultimate around the country creates a push for people from areas lacking in youth opportunities to give back and get involved in their communities, helping to spread GUM’s mentorship programs even further. Girls, in particular, have to deal with a lack of self-esteem and confidence in sports, and having an older, more experienced player to look up to can be incredibly helpful. Kelly had two female coaches in college and described the significant impact they had on her and how they have kept her playing after graduating. As women currently playing high-level club ultimate, both feel a large responsibility to invest in youth and help build the next generation of ultimate players. They believe in the importance of spreading the concept of mentorship throughout the national community. The Seattle clinic also highlighted the importance of Spirit of the Game. Participants were encouraged to not linger

13 on mistakes and to keep spirit high when someone else made a mistake by cheering and clapping for them. Underground and Uprising players also made sure to remind the girls to highfive their opponents, demonstrating a commitment to spirit that is important to instill in players at a young age. The spirit and encouragement help girls feel good about themselves and shows them what sets ultimate apart from many other sports. At the end of the day, all the participants and coaches came together for a big dance party and had the opportunity to get club players to sign autographs, helping to cement them as athletes and mentors the youth players can admire. The idea of ultimate mentors is one GUM thinks is critically important to building the sport throughout the divisions and also empowering young girls and instilling confidence. The clinic was also a unique experience in that it was the first run by women in two different age divisions.

Collaboration is a very powerful tool in building relationships between women at all age and skill levels. The idea of creating connectedness across age divisions is one GUM wants to pursue throughout their programming. They plan to expand upon this system down the road by introducing the GUM Ambassador program, where one player from various club and college teams is chosen to become an ambassador who will connect to and communicate with the community as a whole. Overall, the GUM clinic in Seattle was a tremendous success, with 92 girls learning to play and being exposed to everything ultimate has to offer. But as Heather Ann Brauer, the clinic’s organizer and USA Ultimate’s National Girls’ Outreach Director, said, “Anything sustainable must be consistent.” For this style of programming to take off, teams must remain passionate about spreading the game and committed to growing the game from youth upward.

The Facts 92 Girls in Attendance

64 Cones

6 to 13

30 Pennies

Nemo & Dory

25 J stars

14 Uprising Clinic Leaders

3 Hours

Ages Groups

13 Underground Clinic Leaders

Strength and Conditioning Leader

40 Ultrastars Tagline

632 Autographs Signed 3 New Cheers High Fives

Thousands

Just keep frizzin’ U S A U LT I M AT E

MEN’S D-I

THE NEW CENTER OF SPRING 2015

15 THE LAST TIME ZOODISC, THE UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS’ MEN’S ULTIMATE TEAM, WON THE USA ULTIMATE COLLEGE CHAMPIONSHIP, THE YEAR WAS 1986 – THE SAME YEAR THE NEW YORK METS LAST WON THE WORLD SERIES. THE SOVIET UNION WAS

z MASS

STILL IN EXISTENCE, AND A GALLON OF GAS COST $1.22. THEY’RE BACK.

U S A U LT I M AT E

Words by Sean Myers

he 1986 Zoodisc team defeated Stanford, 21-18, in St. Louis, to take the title. It was the culmination of several years of dominating play and a satisfying victory after being trounced 21-12 in the 1985 finals at the hands of the University of Pennsylvania and after losing in the semifinals at the inaugural 1984 College Championship. The catch that secured the final point and sealed the victory over Stanford in 1986 was the capstone of a UMass team that dominated the college landscape for years and had achieved a dynasty-like status. Like all capstones, however, the game-ending score in 1986 also marked the beginning of a decline. Zoodisc did not qualify for the 1987 College Championship, tied for last place in the 1988 edition and never made it back. Until 2014.

One of Zoodiscâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s many talented underclassmen, sophomore Ben Sadok is one of the team's main handlers. Photo: Christina Schmidt/Ultiphotos

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“I think we have unlimited potential.” -Tiina Booth, Massachusetts Zoodisc coach

Massachusetts Zoodisc huddles up at the Queen City Tune Up in Charlotte, N.C. (RIGHT) Freshman Brett Gramman has made a big impact already for Zoodisc. Photos: Christina Schmidt/Ultiphotos

While the 2014 team finished tied for 13th at the College Championships, Zoodisc’s final placement was deceptively low for how strongly they played. Not only did they substantially break seed, coming into the 20-team tournament seeded 19th, but their performance included doublegame-point losses to both 10th-seeded Florida State and 15th-ranked Tufts, a 16-14 loss to third-ranked Texas, and an authoritative 15-5 win over Texas A&M in the placement bracket. Even their two-point loss to Texas TUFF glosses over just how tight the game was at the end: The teams were tied at 14 in the soft cap when Texas scored to force a game-point situation. UMass was even in their end zone offensive set when what would have been the tying score fell to the ground inside Texas’ end zone. For many teams that make their first national championship appearance

in 26 years, it would be a culmination of a multi-year struggle, and the following season would be a battle of repeating the achievement while trying to prevent the regression that everyone expects to happen. For UMass, though, the success of their 2014 campaign seems to only be the beginning of a new era for the once-legendary program. Consider this: UMass rostered 24 players for the 2014 College Championships. Eight of them were freshmen. Jeff Babbitt, the team’s contribution to the New England All-Region First Team, was a sophomore and would go on to gain valuable high-level experience over the summer playing for Boston men’s club team Ironside. Zoodisc was only going to get better, and everyone knew it. The only questions were how much better they would get and how quickly it would happen. The team’s performance at February’s Queen City Tune

Up seemed to indicate that the answers to those questions were “much better,” and “soon.” Despite being placed in the last pool in a snake allocation format, often arguably the most difficult pool, fifth-seeded Zoodisc went unchallenged in pool play at Queen City, drubbing their opponents by an average of nine points. Their day included a 13-4 domination of the tournament’s four seed, Georgia, in a game that many thought would be one of the best the tournament had to offer in pool play. Relying on a disciplined 1-3-3 zone defense that made the most of the windy conditions, Zoodisc forced turnover after turnover and were not seriously challenged until the finals. Their defense even conquered Queen City’s one seed, North Carolina Darkside, to the tune of 12-7 in the semifinals. After dethroning the repeat champions of the Queen City Tune U S A U LT I M AT E

While many would use UMass’ performance at Centex to show that this team is not the best in the college game, there isn’t much doubt that UMass is a surging tide that has not yet crested. Team captain Jeff Babbitt is still only a junior and is already being mentioned in Player of the Year discussions. But Babbitt is only one player on the team Coach Booth, who has been involved in the sport since 1980, has called, “by far the deepest I have ever coached.” Freshman Brett Gramann, a practice player for elite club team Austin Doublewide, who also played on the sliver-medal-winning

Junior Jeff Babbitt is one of Zoodisc’s biggest threats. Photo: Christina Schmidt/Ultiphotos

though, Zoodisc appeared to take their collective foot off the gas pedal, particularly mentally, and succumbed to a surging University of North Carolina-Wilmington in the finals, 15-12. While the final game might have been a disappointment for many on the team, UMass co-coaches Tiina Booth and Evan Johnson were more focused on the team’s development than on the final standings. “It was good at Queen City to see how much people who put in the work over the winter improved,” Booth said. “There was a real difference in those who had committed to lifting and other kinds of conditioning.” UMass’ strong play at the Queen City Tune Up vaulted them to the top of USA Ultimate’s college rankings. Many were surprised by their sudden jump to the top of the college game and predicted that Zoodisc would soon fall several spots. Following UMass’ performance at Centex, which saw them earn a 2-2 record in pool play and the eighth spot in the final standings, those critics seemed justified. However, just as after Queen City, Tiina Booth was more interested in the lessons the team would take with them into the future.

SPRING 2015

“I’m not worried about our performance at all,” she stated simply. “While it’s certainly not fun to lose games, we learned a lot from each loss.” UMass had been plagued with injuries to starting players all weekend and were struggling to get back the feel of playing outside after an especially long New England winter had confined them to playing on indoor basketball courts. The spring-like weather in Austin, Texas, finally gave Zoodisc an opportunity to play the game in cleats, and the injuries that made it difficult for them to compete also allowed UMass to go deep into their bench and give quality playing time to lots of new players. “I told many of our players that this was a step-up tournament,” Booth said. “We were missing three or four of our starters, so that gave everyone else an opportunity to play, and the ones who really wanted it, stepped up.” Two of the players who most impressed during the tournament were sophomore Alec Zabrecky, who made solid contributions to the team, and freshman Pat Barron, who got meaningful playing time in Zoodisc’s last game of the tournament, even scoring UMass’ first three points against Texas.

United States U-19 boys’ team at the World Junior Ultimate Championships in Lecco, Italy, last summer, is a starting handler on Zoodisc’s defensive line. Jeff Dreyfus is also a standout player who held his own against top, club-level talent when UMass played North Carolina at Queen City Tune Up. Co-captain Ben Tseytlin, though often overshadowed, consistently plays at a high level on both sides of the disc, and Max Perham is a defensive anchor. Sophomore Ben Sadok is the team’s main handler. And, while he will miss much of Zoodisc’s regular season with a shoulder injury, Conor Kline developed into one of the team’s top cutters at Queen City. He is also only a sophomore. Zoodisc’s fall from the top spot in the college rankings following their performance at Centex will likely only be temporary. Their return to the top of the college game now seems less a matter of if, and much more a matter of when. When asked when she thought the team would reach its peak, Coach Booth stopped for a moment. “I don’t really think about that. It’s hard to tell. I think we have unlimited potential.” Later, she added to her response. “I think we’re still at the bottom of where we can be.”

CALLAHAN WATCH Each year, college ultimate players across the nation vote on the player who best embodies the spirit of the Callahan Award; among those attributes are exceptional athleticism, outstanding leadership and dedication to the sport. The 2015 Callahan Award winners in the men’s and women’s divisions will be announced at the College Championships in Milwaukee, Wis., this May.

JEFF BABBITT

Massachusetts

Here are a few of the players being talked about as potential winners in the men’s division this year. Photo: Christina Schmidt/Ultiphotos

MATT BENNETT Texas A&M

Photo: CBMT Creative

XAVIER MAXSTADT North Carolina– Wilmington

Photo: CBMT Creative

STANLEY PETERSON Colorado

Photo: CBMT Creative

CHRIS LAROCQUE

Florida State

Photo: William Brotman/Ultiphotos

JON NETHERCUTT

North Carolina

Photo: CBMT Creative

MAX THORNE

Pittsburgh

Photo: CBMT Creative U S A U LT I M AT E

WOMENâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S D-I How can a school of 2,000 students like Colorado College compete on the D-I national stage?

G N I C A R B EM SPRING 2015

. G O D R E D N U E TH We embrace the underdog. How the unlikely Colorado College continues to not only compete but succeed in D-I women’s ultimate. Words by Emily Woolridge – Coach of Colorado College’s Lysistrata’s Tools U S A U LT I M AT E

Jessica Badgeley outreaches her defender at the Stanford Invite. Photo: Rodney Chen/Ultiphotos

Junior Chloe Rowse passes up field during pool play at the Presidents’ Day Invite. Photo: Greg Pettus/Ultiphotos

olorado College is a small school nestled in the heart of Colorado Springs. It covers about eight square blocks and has a student body of 2,026 students. Obviously, by the numbers, it is a Division III school. And yet, we compete in Division I. Other than the juggernaut that is Carleton College Syzygy, who has competed at all but two College Championships since they first qualified in 1988, it is rare for Division III teams to appear at Nationals. Syzygy is still the only D-III team to have won the College Championships – that happened in 2000. I am proud to say that Lysistrata has qualified for the D-I College Championships twice in the seven years I have been their coach, 2011 and 2014.

SPRING 2015

As a D-III school trying to play with the D-I big dogs, Colorado College faces some significant challenges. Our nearest competition, the University of Colorado in Boulder, has a student body of more than 30,000, 15 times that of Colorado College. There are just so many fewer athletes to choose from. In addition to a small school size, Colorado College has no graduate school, and at nearly $55,000 a year, tuition is way too expensive for most students to even think about a fifth year. And this in a division full of teams with fifth-year seniors and graduate students. How can a school like Colorado College compete? I will tell you what we do. We embrace the underdog. What do I mean? I mean that every year we expect to be ranked low, to not be on anyone’s radar. We expect to have to fight to get into tournaments.

WE EXPECT TO HAVE TO PROVE OURSELVES EVERY STEP OF THE WAY. WE LIKE IT THAT WAY. IT MAKES US STRONGER. We expect to have to prove ourselves every step of the way. We like it that way. It makes us stronger. Truthfully, we deserve the moniker. While other teams are spending the fall learning new roles and new chemistry, we are teaching eight of our 11 freshmen, who have no previous ultimate experience, the rules of the game and how to throw a flick. We are running drills where as many discs hit the ground as are caught. At that time of the year, there are high school teams that could beat us. When we went to the Presidents’ Day Invitational this year, our first tournament of the season, the captains told me they were all so nervous they thought they might puke. We had no idea how we were going to fare. They were scared that we would lose every game and never get invited back. We didn’t lose every game. But we didn’t put in a Nationals-caliber performance either. At Stanford Invite the next month, on

Saturday we took UCLA to double-game point and then proceeded to handily lose our next game to California-Davis. On Sunday, we were hot and cold again, losing our ninth-place bracket game against Whitman on double-game point, then dropping to the 13th-place bracket and losing to Southern California by three points after trailing the whole game. Did we leave Presidents’ Day and Stanford demoralized? No, because we embrace the underdog. Losing games early in the season is part of being a D-III team in a D-I world. We know we have to work harder than every other team because we are the underdog. We often peak later in the Championship Series because we always start from a little further behind. So instead of getting down on ourselves, we push a little bit harder. I analyze our weaknesses and design new drills to work on those weaknesses. How can I help my team get their timing right? What

can I do to make them throw continuation passes? The team pushes a little bit harder during practices, workouts and lifting sessions. They get in a few extra throwing sessions every week. We look to the next tournament; maybe it will be our breakout tournament this year. The thing about being the underdog is you never know when that breakthrough is going to come, if it is going to come. The projections say no. No one is talking about the all-stars at Colorado College. No one is saying we are the team to beat. And yet… During my seven years coaching college ultimate, the landscape has changed; it has gotten unquestionably more competitive. It used to be that a team could get by on the backs of two or three superstars who never left the game. It used to be that cutters had limited throwing ability, and if you could shut down the handlers, you could shut down a team. That is not the case

Maggie Bailey throws through UCLA’s defense to Patty Weicht during pool play at the 2015 Stanford Invite. Photo: Rodney Chen/Ultiphotos

U S A U LT I M AT E

Coach Emily Woolridge helps her team relax their nerves on Saturday at the 2015 Presidents’ Day Invite. Photo: Greg Pettus/Ultiphotos anymore. On the top teams, there is not a member who can’t throw an accurate flick. Most of the players – handlers and cutters alike – can huck the disc. It used to be that a good zone could slow a team down. Now good teams power through a zone and hope you play it again. Team defenses have to get more creative. And you can’t afford not to play some sort of team defense because, with every player on the team a confident cutter and thrower, the top teams are incredibly efficient against man-to-man defenses. So it falls to us, the underdogs, who are always a step behind with our lack of experience and our players who are still developing throws, to take our knocks and power through them. To learn from each experience how to elevate our game, how to tweak our defense and how to fine-tune our offense. It is up to us to work even harder after each loss in hopes that maybe, just maybe, we can make it to the big show. I only hope, as the landscape of ultimate continues to get more competitive, Colorado College can continue to surprise opponents. Every year I get nervous as I try to develop new strategies that highlight the skills of our current roster and minimize our inexperience. But I know you are out there rooting for us because, after all, everyone

SPRING 2015

loves to root for the underdog. We are the underdogs, but I know we aren’t the only ones. I know there are many of you out there who struggle against the odds. Who don’t have enough players to go to tournaments. Who have trouble getting the numbers you need to scrimmage at practice. Who suddenly have all your seniors decide not to play. Who have to practice at 11 at night because that is the only time you can get fields. Who get no financial help from your school. I know there are so many other teams out there who are always starting one step behind the long-established big programs as you struggle to get your college team up and running. So I tell you, fellow little guys, even though the odds are against you, embrace the underdog.

1 2

MEGAN COUSINS

Colorado

Here are a few of the players being talked about as potential winners in the women’s division this year. Photo: CBMT Creative

MIRA DONALDSON British Columbia

Photo: CBMT Creative

BETHANY KAYLOR Oregon

Photo: CBMT Creative

QXHNA TITCOMB Tufts

Photo: C hristina Schmidt/ Ultiphotos

ALIKA JOHNSTON

Virginia

Photo: CBMT Creative

LISA PITCAITHLEY

California– Santa Barbara

Photo: CBMT Creative

MONISHA WHITE

Stanford

Photo: CBMT Creative U S A U LT I M AT E

MEN’S D-III

BIG FAT

BOMB

ELON UNIVERSITY HAS BEEN NOTHING SHORT OF POWERFUL IN MEN'S DIVISION III ULTIMATE. ALL THAT’S LEFT IS TO SEE THIS POWDER KEG EXPLODE.

MEN’S D-III

Words by Sean Myers

he tension and drama inherent in competitive college sports, including ultimate, are not just limited to the top programs and schools. While big, elite teams like Pittsburgh, Colorado, Oregon and Massachusetts compete against each other at the Division I level, teams from smaller schools bring the same level of intensity and passion to the field. This is Division III ultimate. The stage might be smaller, but the struggle to improve, the achievement of victory and the heartbreak of defeat remain the same. The story of Elon University’s men’s team, Big Fat Bomb, and their 2014 season is a perfect example. Having solid teams like Wake Forest and Richmond as conference rivals meant that Elon typically found themselves a dark-horse contender heading into the regional championship. That began to change in 2012, when Elon found themselves with a young, energetic squad. After performing well in their conference championship, taking second place after losing only to eventual D-III College Championships contender Wake Forest, Elon’s lack of discipline and big-game experience left them winless in six games in the regional tournament. In 2013, Big Fat Bomb again took second place in their conference, again behind Wake Forest, but showed marked improvement at the regional level, making it to the finals. However, the region only had one bid to the D-III College Championships. To get it, Elon would have to beat, of course, Wake Forest. The result was the same as it had been so often before, and Elon again followed the D-III Championships from North Carolina. It was more than clear, however, that Elon was on the rise, and with many of their players from the 2012 season returning in 2013, Elon was only a few

John Sisson and the rest of Elon’s experienced senior class hope to finally claim a national championship this year. Photo: Nick Lindeke/Ultiphotos

Coach Matthew Rushing talks to his players at the 2014 D-III College Championships. Photo: Nick Lindeke/Ultiphotos

missing pieces from taking their game to the next level. Those pieces fell into place when the team added several incoming freshmen with high school playing experience and when the team’s coach, Matthew Rushing, was able to fully commit his time to the team. “We believe that he is one of the most underestimated and unrecognized coaches in the country,” Elon captain Alexander Taylor said, “but we are biased.” The 2014 season saw Elon with what Coach Rushing described as “the critical mass of juniors and seniors one typically sees on elite college teams.” Big Fat Bomb, at the apex of their abilities, gained valuable tournament experience playing against other top teams at College Terminus and used the experience to dominate at regionals, winning their first five games by a combined score of 78-34, before falling in the finals, their sixth game, to Richmond in a tight match. However, strong play during the regular season from other regional competition, particularly Richmond, North

Then a sophomore, Paul Kantlehner tallied five goals at the 2014 D-III College Championships and is back for more this year. Photo: Nick Lindeke/Ultiphotos

Carolina-Asheville and Davidson, earned the Atlantic Coast Region two bids to the D-III College Championships. Despite their loss to Richmond, Elon had punched their first ticket to Nationals. In pool play on Saturday at the Division III College Championships in Westerville, Ohio, Elon’s offensive line did not get broken, earning them strong wins over Bryant and Kenyon, as well as an upset of third-seeded Claremont, 15-6, to guarantee Big Fat Bomb a spot in the quarterfinals. Coach Rushing recalls the moment the Claremont game ended, when Elon finished their pool undefeated: “I turned to one of my players and said, ‘I don’t want to jinx us, but we’re on, and I don’t see us being stopped.’” In the quarterfinal game, Elon squared off against Richmond once again and, this time, emerged with a 15-13 victory. “After we made Nationals, we were looking just to make quarters,” said Taylor. “After quarters, we were playing with house money, and we just kept using our system.”

The semifinals found Elon, a newcomer to the D-III Championships, facing the D-III powerhouse Carleton College Gods of Plastic. The game was tight, heading into halftime, but Elon pulled down four straight points out of half to give themselves a 10-8 advantage. It was a lead they would never relinquish, riding it into the finals against the formidable Bentley Icehouse. Just like in their game against Carleton, Elon stormed out of halftime and found themselves with an 11-7 lead over top-ranked and undefeated Bentley. It seemed almost too good to be true. It was. Icehouse threw on their “kill line,” scored eight of the game’s last 10 points and ripped Elon’s happilyever-after ending from their storybook season. Bentley replaced it with a chapter of their own, one of a team that reached deep into their energy reserves, overcame drastic odds and a massive deficit in a championship game with a comeback of epic proportions to emerge victorious with a final break point to make the final score 15-13.

In just three seasons, Elon went from 0-6 at regionals to the national championship game.

MEN’S D-III

Tension and drama are not limited to Division I college sports. Hundreds of teams compete each year to become USA Ultimate Division III champions. Photo: Nick Lindeke/Ultiphotos

Elon’s Cinderella story – of the team that grew together, improved together and won it all – was shattered. “It was surreal,” Coach Rushing recalled. “At one point, we’re four scores away from being national champions, and the next, we’re receiving on game point down 14-13.” There was no other way to put it: “The loss in the championship game last year hurt,” Rushing admitted, even with months of hindsight. “I know it hurt the seniors who had grandiose ideas of winning it all,” he added, “but it by no means killed our spirit. “In the end, we were grateful for how far we had made it because, in just three seasons, Elon went from 0-6 at regionals to the national championship game; the seniors who were leaving had led Elon to prominence through their dedication to the team and their humility toward the game.” And there would always be another season and another chance at repeating their success. Large roster turnover from the 2014 season presented a problem for Big Fat Bomb this year, but they’ve countered it by focusing on developing younger players to acclimate them to the demands of high-level play as soon as possible and improving team conditioning, so players can stay on

SPRING 2015

the field longer and still contribute at their highest level. Elon’s outstanding success of the past year, however, led captain Alexander Taylor to believe that any changes to the team’s strategy would be a negative. Taylor described the team as “a very strategic and crafty team, given our zones, pull plays and system, but we are calm and friendly on the field.” The playing style and attitude Taylor describes show themselves in Elon’s unorthodox 2-2-2-1 zone which requires a lot of team discipline. During the 2014 season, even Elon’s offensive line would use the zone after a turnover, something Coach Rushing thinks led to the team being so wildly successful in stopping breaks, particularly during the D-III Championships when Elon went through their entire pool without being broken a single time. While the loss of Elon’s seniors stings, Rushing thinks the team’s greatest strength heading into 2015 is their experience. “A majority of our team has now played at Nationals, and everyone who was at Nationals last year played in the national championship game,” he said. While before the team might have been ‘top heavy’ – with lots of experienced and talented

upperclassmen – this year’s team has more experienced sophomores and juniors than Elon has ever been able to put on a field.” Nevertheless, Rushing knows it will take time to define roles on the team for the younger players to fill. “Defining roles is a long process,” he said. “I do not expect us to have everything set until we reach the postseason.” “A lot of familiar faces are gone,” he admitted, “but more than enough experience has returned to keep the Nationals dream a reality.”

WOMEN’S D-III

It is ofte n a cha llenge fo and ma r Divisio tch up n III sch against pools. P ools, lik Division hoto: Ro e Occid I schoo dney Ch ental, to ls with en/Ulitp try much la hotos a rger tale t the 20 nt 15 Stan ford Inv ite

Words by Katie Gittings

MYRIAD CHALLENGES ARE CONSTANTS FOR MANY D-III ULTIMATE TEAMS, BUT THE CHALLENGES DON’T MAKE IT ANY LESS WORTH IT.

My decision to play college ultimate was the happy result of what could be described, more or less, as a whim...

t the suggestion of a friend, I came to the Gettysburg College Ferocious Chickpeas during the competitive season in the coldest month of year. After two hours, I left my first practice with a bleeding lip and a deeper appreciation for both the mental and physical challenges of playing ultimate. I learned on day one never to look away from the disc while it’s in motion, particularly if you’re the intended recipient, but it wasn’t until much later in my college ultimate career that I began to grasp some of the more intricate, and often overlooked, difficulties of ultimate and, in particular, of being a D-III ultimate player. During the competitive season, these challenges only built on one another. The notoriously rainy Gettysburg, Pa., spring often prevented our team from practicing, deciding instead to preserve the intramural fields. The decision of whether or not to practice was ours, but of the school’s six fields, we only had access to one. By practicing in wet weather, we ran the risk of creating a field of potholes for later practices and any upcoming tournaments, thus limiting our resources during a time when most teams drill the hardest. On the rare spring days that erased weeks’ worth of mud-slicked practices from our minds, we often had to accommodate the cross country team running through our end zone, in spite of the fact that they had their own specially designed course. Despite these challenges, however, our team was more fortunate than some. We may have had the worst field on campus – running on it in cleats in August felt a lot like walking on cement in high heels – but barring our scuffles with the cross country team, it was ours during the completely reasonable practice hours of 4pm to 6pm, Monday through Friday. It may not sound

SPRING 2015

like much to some, but it’s a great deal more than many teams have to work with. All too often, field space for ultimate teams, particularly those in the lower divisions, is limited to weekends or odd hours just a couple days a week, as their scheduling needs are often overlooked or pushed aside to accommodate more mainstream teams. As a result of limited funding, which had to be split between the men’s and women’s teams, neither team could really afford to rent hotel rooms, which limited the number and location of tournaments we could attend and, on rare occasion, the number of players we could take. Instead, we couch-surfed, floor-surfed and took over nearly every available surface at the homes of generous parents, who sometimes lived as much as an hour and a half from the tournament location. Even the tournaments themselves faced organizational challenges and setbacks less frequent in Division I. Long hours could be spent sitting around because one team or another dropped at the last second, often from a sheer lack of manpower. That very thing happened at Pennsylvania D-III Conferences last April. On that particular Saturday, our team was on the road around 6:15am, on our way to a 9am game when our captain’s phone emitted a pleasant, high-pitched ding! of doom. The email was an apology from one of the teams in our conference who had been forced to drop at the last second or face playing the weekend savage. They knew that, in doing so, they were complicating the conference coordinator’s job and the schedule for the other teams. But this problem is hardly unique to that team. D-III teams simply struggle to generate the number of players necessary to truly succeed at tournaments. Our home tournament in the spring of 2014 provides a perfect example: Although we initially had bids from six teams, when Saturday morning arrived, only Franklin & Marshall made the short trek to Gettysburg.

What was supposed to be a sanctioned D-III tournament very quickly became a scrimmage and post-game barbeque. Some of our most intimidating opponents were D-I schools, who usually just outnumbered us, often in terms of both players and resources. In 2014, 3,283 female players competed in Division I on 175 teams, compared to 1,263 players on 73 teams in Division III. In that same year, the average roster size in the women’s division at the D-I College Championships was 20 players, compared to 18 at the D-III College Championships. While these numbers are certainly not the astounding discrepancy I had anticipated given my experience, there can be no doubting the resources D-I teams have that D-III teams often do not. From coaches stalking the sidelines, to schools with three times the enrollment and teams three times the size of ours, to websites dedicated to recruitment, D-I schools seem to have an advantage or two that our little team did not. Perhaps the most frustrating of these myriad impediments, however, was the fact that although the women’s team was ranked significantly higher than the men’s team, their tournaments often seemed to take precedence over ours. This brings us to one of the most recent hot topics in the world of ultimate, namely the frustrations female players face and their frequent disproportion when compared to the obstacles faced by men’s teams. For a sport that places such a great deal of emphasis on equality, the duality is almost ironic. The men’s and women’s teams at Gettysburg were close, resulting in a lot of mixed practices. As friends often do, our dynamic was a mixture of teasing and casual disrespect that can only come from a place of love. And yet, a gender bias lingered beneath the goodnatured surface. The women’s team took great pains to preserve the fields for the men’s tournaments and assigned women to

WOMEN’S D-III cone their fields early in the morning and act as TDs throughout the day; actions which were rarely reciprocated. It could be argued that this was simply the result of the women’s team’s superior organization, a painfully obvious fact of life at Gettysburg. However, there were subtle signs that, at least in part, this discrepancy sprang from an underlying gender bias. If, for example, both teams were preparing for a tournament in the same week and the women’s team practices suffered in terms of attendance, we were often forced to cancel as the men’s team didn’t want the women who did turn up to practice with them. Intentional or not, this sent the message that our tournaments were somehow less important than their own and that we would complicate rather than benefit their practices. So why, in the face of such frustrations, do we keep playing? The answer is simple. In spite of late afternoons spent in freezing mud, with the Gettysburg wind tunnel ripping discs from their flight path and tossing them far beyond our reach, in spite of our small women’s team’s endless parade of savage practices and the constant battle for equal recognition and opportunities as the men’s team, the rewards of playing D-III ultimate proved to be some of the greatest of my college career. Playing ultimate taught me the scope of my own physical limits. As an active person and gym enthusiast, I never anticipated upon joining the team how challenging chasing a disc around a field could be. But 15 minutes into a single point in the blazing heat playing in the cup, often all I could think of was the unforeseeable end to the game. How many savage games can this girl play in a single day? It turns out, that answer is somewhere around four.

After innumerable laps run, tumbles taken and bottles of water consumed, ultimate taught me that no matter how spent you think you are, you can always find some small shred of strength within yourself to fight for the win. It taught me to reach a little farther than you think you can, to dig a little deeper than you think you want to and, when all hope seems to be lost, to throw yourself headfirst at the obstacles in your path. In most cases, you’ll probably miss your target, but the risk is so worth it. At the outset of my ultimate career at Gettysburg, I admit to looking at my teammates in absolute wonder at the depth of their love for the game, while secretly swearing to myself I would never become quite so obsessed. By the close of my last tournament, I realized that rarely had I been so mistaken. Completely by accident, I stumbled upon a lifelong passion for a sport that, for the majority of my life, I didn’t know existed. During our team’s final lap around the field, knowing that I would never be in this moment with these girls again, a few tears escaped my eyes, thankfully unnoticed. I had made memories with my team that will last a lifetime, and their friendship benefited me in ways I cannot even begin to explain.

“During our team’s final lap around the field, knowing I would never be in this moment with these girls again, a few tears escaped my eyes.”

Even at the highest levels, it is the unique relationships, respect and camaraderie that make D-III ultimate truly special. Photos: CBMT Creative U S A U LT I M AT E

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#HEFORSHE

New Eyes

By: Andrew Lovseth – Coach, Seattle Riot

hat’s the worst part about coaching Riot? —The crying. —The crying? —Not crying generally. It’s cool if people cry…just crying at inopportune moments.

That’s part of a conversation between Hana Kawai and myself from sometime in July of last year. We were each half-kidding, but in reality, my sentiments likely reflect some of my own discomfort

with certain emotional expressions. Ironically, come October after we lost to Fury in the semifinals at Nationals, I would be the one who was crying. But not because we lost. Coaching a group of women who are strong and compassionate and determined has made an impact on how I see things. How could it not? It’s like having 20 younger sisters (and a few older ones). With new eyes I can see my own biases and blind spots, and I can also appreciate new perspectives and new values.

Seattle Riot began a strong season with a win at the 2014 U.S. Open. Photo: CBMT Creative U S A U LT I M AT E

#HEFORSHE Rachel Bradshaw celebrates after catching Riot’s worldchampionship-winning goal in Lecco, Italy in August 2014. Photo: Jeff Bell/Ultiphotos

What it means to cry — and when it’s appropriate — is just one of many. A lot of words are ascribed to women’s ultimate from time to time. Some of them not very nice. From my perch, there are three words, though, that are now inextricably bound to the women’s game: strength, professionalism and excellence.

STRENGTH When I came to Riot in the middle of 2013, there were three players out for the season with ACL tears: Alyssa Weatherford, Sarah Davis and Rohre Titcomb. Then in 2014, it was Callie Mah. And in 2015, it’s Sarah Griffith. All of these injuries were heartbreaking, and all of them had long roads to recovery. Nothing defines toughness and grit more than the way each of these players tackled their rehab. From postsurgery recovery to physical therapy to strengthening and conditioning, each was dedicated to getting strong, so they could get back on the field.

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If you walked a Riot sideline over the past few seasons, you would invariably see a tennis-shoe-clad player doing single-leg squats or hops or any number of footwork patterns. Between points, during timeouts, at halftime — they were doing their rehab. There was a relentless effort to their rehab. All five of these players have redefined the word strength for me. Their resiliency is inspiring.

PROFESSIONALISM A typical club season runs from April to October. During that time, a player can expect to attend 40 practices, 30 track workouts and seven tournaments. They can expect to log 15,000 air miles, 2,000 miles on the highway and endless hours in traffic getting to and from practice. A player can expect to properly balance their diet for peak performance with a selection of carbohydrates, proteins and vegetables. A player can expect to be on time, follow instructions and always be improving. A player can expect to be prepared for their

first offensive point of the season and to catch the world championship winning goal. If that doesn’t describe a professional athlete, I don’t know what does.

EXCELLENCE What we value and what we call great matters. For most of us, when we watch ultimate, we generally call someone great when they achieve some superhuman feat. We’re awed by the immense athleticism of Jimmy Mickle, we marvel at Dylan Tunnell’s forehand hucks, and we’re amazed by the speed and quickness of Josh Markette. But often these labels and our analysis of excellence are only superficial, and can exclude by comparison. We must allow for a broader definition of excellence that accounts for skill, teamwork and passion. I see greatness in Fury’s tactical adeptness and in Brute Squad’s deep attack and Scandal’s poaching defenses. I see the heart of a champion in Opi Payne (and amazing layout blocks), I see the strength of a lion in Sarah Griffith (and the broken ankles

of defenders in her wake), and I see the spirit of a warrior in Cree Howard (and huge catches in the air). It often doesn’t look like what we see every night on SportsCenter or in the movies, but that doesn’t mean ESPN or Hollywood has a monopoly on what’s great. There is excellence all around in the women’s game – you just have to allow yourself to see it. Sad but true facts about sports in America: Football and baseball are for men, and women’s basketball and soccer are

culture declined to consider over a century ago. It’s also an idea without precedent; we have no blueprint for what it could look like. So we must continue to support programs like the Girls’ Ultimate Movement (GUM) that devote resources to our daughters playing ultimate, and we must continue to vocally advocate for equitable treatment and opportunity for women’s ultimate wherever we can. Do we want the dreams of a young girl playing ultimate to be any different than the dreams of a young boy?

treated like second-class endeavors. Year after year our culture validates these facts by devoting an overwhelming amount of time, attention and money to men’s sports. Leagues like the WNBA and NWSL are lost in the shadows of our collective consciousness. Ultimate, on the other hand, has the chance to be an equal opportunity sport. It’s an idea that the nation’s major sports and our

October was actually the second time I cried during the 2014 season. The first was at Worlds in August, but it wasn’t when we won the finals. That was great, but no tears were shed then. It was after our quarterfinal game against UNO from Japan two days earlier.

” IT’S AN IDEA WITHOUT PRECEDENT; WE HAVE NO BLUEPRINT FOR WHAT IT COULD LOOK LIKE.” It was a hot, emotional Thursday in Italy. A close game throughout, we gave up a break at 15-15 and would need to hold on offense and break on double-game point to advance. On offense we were steady: Rohre Titcomb hit Sarah Griffith on a beautiful backhand huck. During the final point, Angelica Boyden got an amazing layout block to give us the disc, and then our offense patiently worked it in, and we won 17-16.

Coach Andy Lovseth talks to his athletes at the 2014 U.S. Open Championships in Blaine, Minn. Photo: CBMT Creative

U S A U LT I M AT E

#HEFORSHE

“IT WAS A HOT, EMOTIONAL THURSDAY IN ITALY... I FOUND MYSELF OVERWHELMED.”

SPRING 2015

After the game ended, I found myself overwhelmed. While the teams met in a spirit circle, I wandered off into the trees and had a moment where I broke down. We were so close to defeat. The outcome felt so far outside of my control, and to this day, reflecting on that fact is still a bit unsteadying. Beyond the incredible score line and the unpredictable nature of events, the sense that gutted me most was that Molly McKeon’s aspirations and Charlie Mercer’s hard work and Alyssa Weatherford’s tenacity all hung by a thread. Sometimes there are things worth crying for. For me, it’s the journey, it’s the hours you put into

growing and getting stronger, and it’s the people with whom you share your passion. For us all, we need to decide how much we want to try to understand and respect the things each of us cries for.

Seattle Riot’s team huddle before their championship game against Boston Brute Squad at the 2014 U.S. Open. Photo: CBMT Creative

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U S A U LT I M AT E

PROFILE: ALICIA W Remember Her When She Goes By: Jonathan Neeley

This photo of Alicia White originally graced the cover of the winter 2010 issue of USA Ultimate magazine when Fury won their fifth straight championship. Photo: Scott Roeder

THE RÉSUMÉ OF ALICIA WHITE SPRING 2015

he first thing you need to know about Alicia White is that she is going to be in the Hall of Fame. Thirteen total club seasons, seven championships. Five with San Francisco Fury, from 2006 through 2010, two with Washington, D.C., Scandal. She was on Fury when the team won in 2011 too, but had to miss Nationals for med school tests – so really, just 12 club seasons if you want to count that way. She also won Worlds in 2008, World Games in 2009 and World Clubs in 2010. She won a college championship in 2002 as well. And none of them included her just kind of being along for the ride. Matty Tsang, the architect of the Fury run that totaled seven championships says she’s one of the two best defenders he’s ever coached, and flatly, that it’s not hype to call White one of the best players of this generation. He’ll add that she played the point, a crucial position in the

13 CLUB SEASONS

zone that Fury hung their hat on early in their run, and that when coaching he’d often point to her and simply tell teammates to emulate. Gwen Ambler will name a bunch of living legends and then matter of factly say that White was easily the best defender among them. Then she’ll talk about how White was one of Fury’s initiating cutters on offense during the title stretch. Scandal coach Alex Ghesquiere, who coached Scandal to their 2013 and 2014 titles, says White is one of the best women to ever play. White is stepping away from club ultimate this year, moving to Denver to start her medical residency. She won’t go so far as to say she’s done for good, but at 33, she says her body aches, and she’s ready for something new. The game’s going to miss her.

7 CLUB CHAMPIONSHIPS

1 COLLEGE CHAMPIONSHIP

2008 2009 2010 WORLD CHAMPION WORLD GAMES CHAMPION WORLD CLUB CHAMPION

WHITE

As a sophomore, White was the best player on the California-San Diego Psychos team that won the 2002 College Championships; eyebrows around the division went up when she wasn’t nominated for the Callahan Award that year. Tsang, then the coach of the University of California, called her Big Bird because she kept her blonde curls up in a softball-style ponytail. (White played soccer and earned a black belt in karate growing up, but she made softball her main sport in middle school and got scholarship offers at small D-I schools).

” SHE WANTED TO HELP THE TEAM TAKE THE ROUTES SHE KNEW LED TO SUCCESS AND AVOID THE MISTAKES SHE KNEW TO LOOK OUT FOR.” She joined San Francisco Fury in 2004. She had plenty to contribute but also a lot to learn from a pack of what she describes as strong, powerful women – legends like Nicole “Sprout” Beck and Jennifer Donnelly, whose names ring out the same way “Alex Snyder” and “Sarah Griffith” will whenever

41 they’re a decade removed from their last Nationals. With Fury, White transitioned from being a player who was eager to soak up all she could so she could improve her own game to one who wanted to plug whatever hole she could for the team, prop her teammates up and pass knowledge on. She went from student to teacher. When White moved to Washington, D.C., in 2012, Scandal got a full-on superstar in her prime. Years of reaching the top and over and over again along with her athletic gifts – quick, strong, willing to put her body on the line for the disc and tall for the women’s game – comprised one side of the mountain; a knowledge of what needed to be done to win and a confidence that she’d do it made up the other. Scandal was already a good team – young, explosive and dangerous. They barely missed the semifinals at National in 2011, and they had good reason to trust the systems they had in place. There was a balance to be struck between the perspective White could offer and the trust she had to earn. But from the start, White knew she wanted to help the team take the routes she knew led to success and avoid the mistakes she knew to look out

for. And Scandal knew when White joined the roster, she brought all the history, all the lessons and all the titles with her. When a player who has seen as much as White tells you something, whether it’s about how to position yourself on defense or that you can beat any team out there, it’s hard to put it down. There’s a point in the 2014 National Championship final between Scandal and Fury where Alicia White does everything right. You can watch it on YouTube.

“ WHITE WAS THE REASON SCANDAL BOILED.” Fury, up 7-6, pulls to start. As Scandal plays offense, you see White sprint to push downfield to make space around the disc; she keeps her eyes up, often filling for a handler needing a dump or driving downfield then coming under for an open swing; she runs without full-out sprinting all the time, instead surveying and moving where she needs to when she needs to, which often means at varying paces. Finally, after Scandal turns the disc over and gets it back, White comes back as the handler’s last option for the fourth time in the point, White in the midst of a huddle with Washington D.C. Scandal during the 2013 Pro Flight Finale. Photo: CBMT Creative

U S A U LT I M AT E

PROFILE: ALICIA W

zips the disc to a teammate and again gets downfield. A few throws later, after all this motion, there she is, watching, watching, watching...then streaking deep as Octavia Payne, a feared hucker in her own right, gets power position. The deep cut was really just a formality. The whole thing was a set up, and not because she mapped it out step for step. She read the situation and put forth the effort to relentlessly go where she was needed. Both teams were simmering on that point. And while each discrete motion could look trivial on its own, White doing them was the reason Scandal boiled.

“ HER BIGGEST STRENGTH IS THAT IT’S HARD TO PICK HER BIGGEST STRENGTH.” Before the 2014 season started, Martin Aguilera wrote an article for Ultiworld called “How Scandal Dominated 2013.” White’s name was all over it, which makes sense because her defense is textbook. One on one, she’s constantly finding her way into the path her girl wants to take and establishing a strong, sturdy stance that leaves her ready to sprint wherever she needs to go next. Moving past whoever she’s guarding, there’s supreme vision in how she eases up on a dump cut here, opting instead to stay in the thrower’s break lane just a hair longer, or leaves the stack to cut off an upline throw there. She rotates her hips to see the play. She points and communicates with teammates. She pulls the layout trigger without thinking twice.

Make no mistake: on offense and defense, White has it all. She can throw, catch, cut, layout, sky, lock down and mark regardless of if she’s playing vert, ho, person, zone or junk. Her biggest strength, though, is that it’s very hard to pick her biggest strength. And when it comes to team play, she’s got the tools to do whatever the team – the game, really – asks of her. What makes her so good – the thing that answers the “what led that player to eight national championships?” question – is that she’s constantly unlocking and opening doors, so teammates can stroll through. White’s playing style pairs well with a word those who really know about her impact invariably use to describe her: underrated. It’s virtually a sure bet that when pundits this year talk about big names who are no longer on the scene, they’ll mention both Ambler and Tsang before they say anything about White. The point isn’t that both don’t deserve praise – Ambler has five titles of her own and is one of ultimate’s most decorated ambassadors, and Tsang was the architect of Fury’s seven consecutive championships. But Ambler still remembers how shocked she was upon moving to Seattle and hearing a Riot player be surprised to hear White mentioned as one of Fury’s best, and Tsang says he always wondered why more people didn’t make a big deal out of White joining Scandal when she did. For her latest coach’s part, when Ghesquiere and I emailed about White, he ended his comments with a note of how strange he thinks it is that more people don’t talk about her. And it’s true. If you pay attention,

White and her Scandal teammates celebrate their first national championship in Frisco, Texas in October 2013. Photo: CBMT Creative SPRING 2015

you know that while White isn’t exactly unknown, her name comes up less than her accomplishments would tell you it should. Interestingly, Alicia White is on her way out in a time when, were she just beginning, more people would know about her. Were today’s media to have existed 15 years go, there’d be ESPN clips of her laying out for scores (something she has a knack for) and Ultiworld and Skyd profiles celebrating her as a new breed of player (which she was). Instead of just the handful of Scandal games on USA Ultimate’s YouTube channel, there’d be seasons’ worth of Fury tape. We’d not only have a lot more chances to just press play and watch White move around the field as a perfect combination of grace and power and smarts, but we’d also have statistics that would let us talk about other dimensions of her greatness. That a career like White’s happened almost exclusively in an era where game footage and information about teams and players was still sparse is a reminder of how hard it is to quantify greatness in ultimate. You can know it when you see it – Beau Jumps Over a Guy, anyone? Winning a club championship more than half the seasons you play in a 13-year career, anyone? – but compared to other sports, there’s still very little data and still even relatively few chances to use the eye test. Our conversations are limited. For White, though, that’s actually perfect. Historically speaking, it paves the way for her to be exactly what she should be. A legend.

WHITE

A Front and center, Alicia White celebrates with her California-San Diego teammates after claiming the 2002 College Championship title. Photo: Jason Tabert

B White was also a part of the 2009 World Games team that took home gold from Kaohshing City, Chinese Taipei. Photo: USA Ultimate

C White catches her Scandal teammate,

Octavia â&#x20AC;&#x153;Opiâ&#x20AC;? Payne, at the 2012 National Championships in Sarasota, Fla. Scandal lost to Seattle Riot in the semifinals that year. Photo: Kevin Leclaire/Ultiphotos

D Alicia White beats Danielle Fortin of the Toronto Capitals to the disc during the National Championship finals in 2010. Photo: Kevin Leclaire/Ultiphotos

U S A U LT I M AT E

Finding a “New” Home in Colorado Springs By: Stacey Waldrup

The Ultimate Players Association left Colorado Springs in 2002 and returns in 2015 as USA Ultimate.

SPRING 2015

USA Ultimate Manager of Communications & Publications

n the more than 70 years since Thomas Wolfe’s You Can’t Go Home Again was published, the titular phrase has become familiar in the American lexicon and its merits argued time and again. Fittingly, given Wolfe’s academic history, it was even the prompt for my personal statement when I applied to the University of North Carolina. The novel’s sentiment was front and center in my life once again when USA Ultimate decided to move its national headquarters from Boulder, Colo., 100 miles south to Colorado Springs. I was not part of the then-Ultimate Players Association staff a dozen years ago – that’s just about when I was examining Thomas Wolfe for the first time while writing that personal statement – but that’s also when Colorado Springs became the organization’s first real home. After 13 years of being shipped from place to place and executive director to executive director in an ever-increasing number of boxes, Managing Director Cindy Fisher and the Ultimate Players Association leased the organization’s first independent office space in July 1992. Fisher took the pile of boxes off the hands of Executive Director Neil Dambra and drove it from Houston up to Colorado Springs, where it remained until 2002. Throughout most of that decade, the headquarters staff consisted of one person, sometimes one and a half, but around the turn of the 21st century, the size of the staff began to grow along with the sport itself. Current USA Ultimate Managing Director of Competition & Athlete Programs Will Deaver was hired in late 2000 as an assistant director. He and current Director of Membership & Sport Development Melanie Byrd, who was originally hired as an administrative assistant in early 2002, are the only current members of the USA Ultimate staff who were also around for the organization’s move away from Colorado Springs and up to Boulder in 2002. Given that the entire headquarters staff included five people at the time of the move, four of whom were actually around to

work in the Colorado Springs office, the retention rate is impressive. And now the organization has made the 100mile trip back south and returned home. But as Thomas Wolfe predicted, “You can’t go back home… to the old forms and systems of things which once seemed everlasting but which are changing all the time.” The Ultimate Players Association left Colorado Springs in 2002 and returns in 2015 as USA Ultimate. When those five staff members left, they took along with them 15,000 members. We return now with 18 full-time staff and nearly 50,000 members. Although many aspects of the sport are, in fact, the same, in the last 12 years, it has grown and matured. Ultimate is now a part of the Olympic Family, it is broadcast on ESPN, and more than five million people play the game each year in the United States alone. We even have a hall of fame now.

The Ultimate Players Association staff, shortly after moving headquarters to Boulder in 2002.

45 The national governing body’s operating budget grew from $538,000 in 2002 to $3.5 million for 2015. And perhaps most importantly, the organization is now actually a national governing body tasked with all the responsibilities inherent in that moniker. Championship events will continue to be a mainstay of USA Ultimate’s public persona, but everything from youth development to outreach programs and antidoping regulations to Safe Sport initiatives play huge roles in the lives of the people who pull into the parking lot at headquarters every day.

Times are changing, the sport is growing, and we’re taking Thomas Wolfe’s advice and finding a new home in Colorado Springs. With the move back to Colorado Springs comes new opportunities, particularly after USA Ultimate was officially named a recognized sport organization by the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) last summer. Already, networks are being created in the Springs, and ultimate and the amazing athletes who have chosen it as their sport are being exposed more regularly to the people who essentially run amateur sport in the United States. Scott Blackmun, the CEO of the U.S. Olympic Committee, was in attendance at a pre-board of directors meeting reception in January hosted by the El Pomar Foundation for the USA Ultimate Board of Directors and staff. USA Ultimate CEO Dr. Tom Crawford, USA Ultimate Board of Directors President Mike Payne and World Flying Disc Federation President Robert “Nob” Rauch met with the leaders of USA Swimming and USA Hockey earlier that day to talk about

ultimate and learn from two of the most successful national governing bodies in the game. At a clinic demonstration in January, 13 of the best ultimate players and coaches in Colorado, who coincidentally are also some of the best ultimate players and coaches in the nation, were able to spend two hours with the USOC’s Sport Performance team, teaching the people who teach Olympians how to play our sport at the U.S. Olympic Training Center right here in Colorado Springs. The 60 clinic participants took to ultimate with aplomb. The former college athletes in sports ranging from football to weightlifting to track and field and beyond were easy to spot, but numerous enough to be difficult to count. Levels of competitiveness and intensity varied, but everyone enjoyed the experience. While some of our sport’s most successful athletes and coaches – from Jimmy Mickle, Claire Chastain and Nhi Nguyen to Jim Schoettler, Mike Whitaker and Finlay Waugh, among others – taught them the basics of grips, wrist flicks and pancake catches, the participants’ smiles were bright, and their frequent laughs echoed off the gym’s walls. Those smiles and laughs, the look of pure joy we have all seen when teaching someone how to play ultimate – they are the reason our sport continues to grow and why those of us at USA Ultimate made the decision to do what we do. It’s why we decided to stick with it and make the move to the Springs. The job isn’t always easy, but the rewards can never be discounted.

“But why had he always felt so strongly the magnetic pull of home…if this little town, and the immortal hills around it, was not the only home he had on earth?” wrote Thomas Wolfe. “He did not know. All that he knew was that the years flow by like water, and that one day men come home again.” Times are changing, the sport is growing, and we’re taking Thomas Wolfe’s advice and finding a new home in Colorado Springs. In case you were wondering, I didn’t end up going to the University of North Carolina. Maybe it was the personal statement prompt. But I’m an Appalachian State Mountaineer through and through.

Ultimate Players Association staff in the new Boulder office, 2002.

Then administrative assistant and now Director of Membership and Sport Development Melanie Byrd gets some work done before desks arrived in the new office.

“You can’t go back home…to the old forms and systems of things which once seemed everlasting but which are changing all the time.”

U S A U LT I M AT E

Above the Competition TRAINING FOR SPEED By: Nick Simonelli

Morrill Performance

This article builds upon the foundation of linear speed mechanics discussed by Tim Morrill in the fall 2013 edition of Above the Competition published in the USA Ultimate magazine.

cceleration, and sprinting for that matter, is a skill. Your technical proficiency is a direct result of your ability to coordinate posture, arm action and leg action while generating a maximal amount of force in a short amount of time. The best way to avoid getting lost in all the moving parts when training for linear speed is to divide your training into two categories: technical training and speed and development training. Category one’s technical training aims at improving movement quality and neuromuscular coordinative ability. Category two’s speed power development focuses on pushing your physiological system away from a Prius and closer to a Ferrari. Speed and power development takes place on a continuum of specificity and overload. An example of specificity would be running sprints on the field with cleats, while overload would look more like hanging out with barbells and dumbbells in the weight room. Both are important, but unlike volume from technical training, speed and power development requires significant recovery between training sessions. In order to make the most out of all of your hard work, it is crucial that you plan recovery time as a part of training. In this article, more often than not, we are going to be talking about the 0-15 yard zone of a sprint because it is the most frequent and arguably the most important in ultimate. So how do we get faster? Let’s recap some details on the three important principles to sprinting technique.

SPRING 2015

POSTURE In order to achieve the most advantageous magnitude of force production during acceleration, athletes utilize a significant degree of forward lean. Forward lean is most significant when velocity is low and diminishes as velocity approaches top speed. The best sprinters are able to create and withstand large amounts of tension in their bodies, particularly in their posterior and stabilizing core muscles. Tension is crucial during all phases of acceleration but especially in the initial steps of a sprint as ground contact times are relatively long and large rotational forces will be at work on your body. Having a strong and stable posture will allow you to make the most out of each ground contact while a weak or problematic posture will cause you to dissipate force with each ground contact.

To progress in this drill, add a knee drive during the hold, so you create hip separation and ankle dorsiflexion while maintaining an acceleration stance. Effort: Maximum Duration: 10-30 seconds Recovery: 30-90 seconds

FIGURE 1: WALL DRILLS

Technical Application: Wall drills, acceleration hold Approach a wall or largely stable structure, and align your body so you can lean forward with outstretched arms to create an angle into the wall. Your goal is to maintain perfect head-to-heel posture with tension as you actively push directly into the wall. Note that creating tension by actively pulling your shoulder blades back and down, tacking your ribs down by contracting your core, and squeezing your glutes to stabilize the pelvis are keys parts of this exercise. Your body weight should be going into the floor through the ball of your foot, and your lean should allow just a slight air under your heels. Imagine you are a straight line from head to heel and correct yourself as soon as you realize you have lost tension.

FIGURE 2: WALL DRILLS WITH KNEE DRIVE

47 FIGURE 3: DEADLIFT

leg extension, and improving extension equals a faster runner. Often times, the best training exercises to aid your upper body in contributing to lower body force production are the ones that also address 360 degrees of stability in your trunk. For example, learning how to one-arm bench press correctly improves your ability to create tension in your glutes, lats, abdominals and spinal erectors while adding some strength to your system. Learning how to one-arm row from three points of contact will help you practice stabilizing your scapula and posterior chain while developing important pulling strength that aids on-field performance.

Technical Application: Partner arm action and linear marching High-Intensity Training Quality: Deadlift Training a movement like the deadlift will help you excel at the initial phase of a sprint when strength is critical. Within the first few strides of a sprint, your foot will be in contact with the ground for a relatively long time, and it is advantageous to have a strong forward lean. Increased leg and dorsal strength will not only improve how much force you can put into the ground, it will help you withstand the higher levels of stress that come with steeper body angles. If you visualize your trunk – the 360-degree cylinder from your shoulders to your hips – as an object, the goal here is to apply overload (the barbell) to the body in a structurally sound way. If we create a strong neutral spine, we can apply overload and receive positive training adaptations. However, if you allow the trunk to bend, dent, collapse or transform into something not representing a perfect cylinder, all while hanging out with the barbell, you might encounter injury, pain or even adverse adaptations. Experience here is critical, so be sure to start light and remember to constantly check in with yourself. If the movement doesn’t feel safe, strong and athletic, it probably isn’t. Example Volume: 5 reps x 3 sets Recovery: 3 minutes between sets and 48-72 hours between training sessions

ARM ACTION

Biologically linked to leg action, arm action often indicates the movement quality of the lower body. If you ever see someone run with asymmetrical/rotational arm action, it is most likely a compensation for a movement deficiency present elsewhere. The easiest way to address arm action is to focus on the cue Tim taught us in “driving the elbows back.” Driving the elbows back encourages knee drive/hip flexion, hip flexion encourages opposite

See Above the Competition in USA Ultimate magazine, fall 2013, available at usaultimate.org

High-Intensity Training Quality: Upper body push/pull with total body tension (one-arm dumbbell press/ one-arm dumbbell three-point row) Example Volume: 3 reps x 5 sets on each arm Recovery: 9 0 seconds between reps and 48-72 hours between training sessions

LEG ACTION

During the initial phase of acceleration, concentric force production is very important, but after just a few strides, as velocity increases, the torso begins to rise. We then enter a position that allows us to more favorably express important athletic qualities like elasticity and eccentric (muscle-lengthening) strength which really shine during top-end speed, jumping and deceleration. In either phase, we know it is advantageous to combine dorsiflexion at the ankle, flexion at the hip and controlled range of motion at the knee for maximal force production. The first thing to do to improve your leg action during sprinting is to make sure you have sufficient and symmetric range of motion. Do you have length in your hip flexors? Do you have symmetrical flexion at the ankles? Can you lift your knee up until your thigh is parallel to the ground without rounding out the low back? The body is a master at the art of compensation and will do incredible things to avoid pain, discomfort and fatigue. The best way to make noticeable improvement in symmetry/range of motion/ technique is to make sure you are actively following a holistic warm-up every day. If you have an issue, there is an answer. You can learn more about that through Morrill Performance Functional Performance

Training (FPT) modules 1-4. A continuation of this step is starting to begin to realize what your body is doing in space while you are participating in drills and practice.

Technical Application: Sprinters skip for initial acceleration, pop-float-skip for top speed To perform the pop-float-skip, stand tall and flex both feet towards your shin. Make sure your weight is on the ball off your foot and begin to “pop” off the ground, contacting the ground with both feet at the same time and maintaining dorsiflexion at the ankle. To “float,” start to alternate driving one knee up between ground contacts, but maintain two-footed ground contacts. To “skip,” achieve full knee drive between double-foot ground contacts and start to travel forward as you are airborne and cover ground, still maintaining two-footed ground contacts. If you practice keeping your weight during ground contacts on the ball of your foot, you will notice a strong plyometric effect and can begin to develop your proficiency at the stretch-shortening cycle which contributes to top-speed velocity and overall explosive activities.

High-Intensity Application: Max-effort sprint Run as fast as you can from a dead stop, and try to feel your body go from a steep forward lean to an upright posture over 30 yards. Strive to maintain “perfect cylinder” posture throughout. Example Volume: 10 reps x 1 set Recovery: Full rest between sets and 48 hours between training sessions.

SUMMARY

Sprinting is a complicated but vital skill for on-field performance in ultimate. The best way to improve your sprinting ability is to tackle the demands of posture, arm action and leg action through technical drills, high-intensity strength and power development and on-field application. Learn more by taking advantage of resources such as Morrill Performance’s FPT or by working with a strength and conditioning professional near you!

U S A U LT I M AT E

Nutrition Matters

TOP FIVE TIPS TO AVOID INFLAMMATION AND INCREASE PERFORMANCE By: Katy Harris

MSPH, CSCS, Owner, WellLife Consulting, LLC

ven though athletes can typically get away with not eating healthy and still maintain a healthy weight, we should all admit to ourselves that bad foods still harm the body and can decrease performance. If you typically eat healthy and every once in a while gorge on fruit snacks at a tournament, you are probably not going to suffer any harmful long-term consequences. But even during a tournament, the body will perform better when the foods we are consuming are working for us and not against us. Foods that are bad for you are bad because they require more processing than the calories are worth, overwhelming the body with stress hormones and free radicals which can damage cells, eventually inflaming the body (Kobylewski, 2010). Not only is it detrimental to your overall health, it can also lead to serious health consequences â&#x20AC;&#x201C; for example, having a heart attack during a marathon or compounding with other risk factors for cancer. Below are the top five things you should do to help decrease inflammation and increase performance which will also improve your overall health. See Table 1 for lists of the healthiest, mostly healthy, not very healthy, and foods to avoid in each nutrient group on a regular basis. Every athlete is different and has a variety of other health factors to consider, but diet is one thing we can largely control. The knowledge that exercise and training is inflammatory should translate to engaging in behaviors and eating foods that reduce inflammation which, in turn, will increase performance and overall health.

TIP 5: AVOID DYES Dyes are not always harmful, for example when they are derived from natural sources (e.g., beta-carotene, paprika, beet juice, turmeric), but many companies find cheaper, brighter and more stable sources by deriving them from petroleum (Harvard Health Publications, 2005). Dyes are added to many foods, everything from Gatorade to candy, cereals and fruit snacks. Although dyes are tested by the FDA for levels determined to be safe, there are many studies that show links between dyes and kidney, thyroid and bladder tumors; cancers in mice or rats; and ADHD in some children (Harvard Health Publications, 2005). Limit or avoid these dyes if possible.

SPRING 2015

TIP 4: AVOID SUGAR AND FAKE SWEETENERS Sugar spikes glucose levels in the blood and is highly inflammatory (Sly, n.d.). Sugar also feeds unhealthy bacteria in the gut, further contributing to inflammation (Strawbridge, 2012). A small amount of organic sugar on grapefruit every once in a while or honey in your tea is not necessarily harmful, but regular consumption of sugar in breads, cereals, dairy products, salad dressings, jellies, sweets, etc., can elevate your blood sugar level too much on a regular basis, leading to higher than normal levels of insulin release which can cause insulin resistance and, eventually, diabetes. Fake sweeteners are two to seven times sweeter than table sugar and can also interfere with the normal blood sugar response (Strawbridge, 2012). There are many healthier ways to get a sweet taste after a meal that are not full of sugar, such as dark chocolate, coconut ice cream and fruit with natural chocolate syrup. Desserts made with nut flour, eggs and smaller amounts of sugar are also good options. Look at your foodâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s label. If sugar is listed in the first three ingredients, that food should be avoided or eaten as little as possible. Over time, you will lessen your taste for sweet foods and naturally eat more of the foods you need like protein, fruits and veggies, and good fat.

TIP 3: AVOID PARTIALLY HYDROGENATED OILS Partially hydrogenated oils are highly processed oils that are added to foods like margarine, baked goods and potato chips to make them less perishable. They have an extra bond between molecules, making them very difficult to breakdown, both on the shelf and in the body. They sit in the fat cells of the body and increase LDL (bad) and decrease HDL (good) cholesterol, along with increasing inflammation. They are also associated with insulin resistance and obesity (Sly, n.d.). Foods fried in light-colored oils that are processed and unstable to begin with are high in free radicals and will contribute to an inflammatory response.

TIP 2: LIMIT DAIRY AND WHEAT Dairy and gluten may be included in your diet as a useful source of calories if desired, but they are best used as complements to a meal, not as the main course. Athletes should also be aware of the inflammatory properties in both the lactose (milk) and casein (cheese) in dairy (Sly, n.d.). Wheat proteins, including gluten, can

TABLE 1: HEALTHIEST, MOSTLY HEALTHY, NOT VERY HEALTHY, AND FOODS TO AVOID IN EACH NUTRIENT GROUP

CARBS

PROTEIN

HEALTHIEST OPTIONS

MOSTLY HEALTHY

NOT VERY HEALTHY

TRY TO AVOID

Fruits and veggies, excluding corn and white potato

Whole-grain bread

White or whole-wheat bread with added sugar

Foods fried in oil with no nutrients (e.g., Fast food)

Dense bread

Bran cereal

Sugary cereals

Granola with nuts

Beans, corn

Non-organic dairy

Hummus & pita

Organic dairy

White potatoes without skins

Beans & rice

White potatoes with skins

Organic, grass-fed beef

Lean beef, chicken, pork or game

Organic, cage-free chicken

Cage-free eggs

Caged chicken and eggs

Naturally-raised pork, game

Organic dairy

Farm-raised fish (e.g., Tilapia)

Organic, extra-virgin olive oil, nut oils, coconut oils, coconut milk

Nuts

Vegetable or canola oil

Dressing with added sugar

Olives, nuts, coconut

Butter (see dairy section below)

Jar salad dressings

Partially-hydrogenated oils

Avocado, guacamole

Saturated fat from naturally raised sources

Foods fried in coconut or high-heat oils

Foods fried in vegetable or olive oil

Organic cottage cheese

Unsalted butter

Yogurt with added sugar and no fat

Organic sour cream

2% Milk

1% Milk or skim milk

Avoid dairy for fully anti-inflammatory diet.

Organic, salted butter or ghee

Hard and soft cheeses

Organic, full-fat milk

Greek yogurt

Protein is essential to the diet and must never be avoided while training unless with guidance of a nutritionist.

Wild-caught fish, shellfish and seafood

GOOD FAT

Homemade salad dressings

DAIRY

Organic Greek yogurt

JUICES & LIQUIDS

Coconut water

Ginger ale

Diet sodas

Gatorade with no dyes

Naturally sweetened lemonade or tea

Non-diet sodas

Energy drinks with additives

Seltzer water

Formulated sports and energy drinks

Decaf coffee or tea Non-formulated energy drinks

Coffee Black, green or herbal tea 100% Juice

be inflammatory to the gut, as they mimic certain foreign substances and can cause inflammation (Strawbridge, 2012). Gluten is found in much higher concentrations now than in the past, leading to more frequent gluten allergies. As for dairy, most of us lose the ability to digest lactose after weaning, so it can be slightly inflammatory for everyone. Greek yogurt contains bacteria that have already digested the lactose for you, making it less inflammatory and easier to digest. Many dairy products also contain hormones and added sugars and have had the fat (the healthy part from an organic source) removed. Lactose-free milk, coconut milk and

REFERENCES:

Corn-fed beef

full-fat almond milk are good alternatives. Full-fat dairy sources from organic and grassfed cows – for example, cottage cheese, sour cream, cream cheese and butter – are also healthier choices.

TIP 1: EAT UP! The foods we should be eating more of to fight inflammation include fruits and vegetables, probiotics for the gut (available in pills or formulated dairy-like drinks), and more Omega 3 fatty acids, which are found in foods like olive oils, fish, shellfish, walnuts and avocados. The mono unsaturated fat

in olive oil turns into anti-inflammatory molecules that help prevent asthma and arthritis and protect the heart (Sly, n.d.). Spices like ginger, turmeric, rosemary and basil can be anti-inflammatory (Hoolihan, 2008). Ginger acts like an NSAID (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory – drugs like Aleve), suppressing inflammatory molecules, but with no side effects. Turmeric, the yellowcolored spice in curry, contains curcumin which blocks inflammatory chemicals in the body. Fruits and veggies specifically known for their anti-inflammatory properties include broccoli, pineapple and sweet potato (Sly, n.d.).

• Harvard Health Publications, Harvard Medical School (2005). What You Eat Can Cool or Cool Inflammation, a Key Driver of Heart Disease, Diabetes, and Other Chronic Conditions. Retrieved from http://www.health.harvard.edu/family_health_guide/

• Kobylewski, S., and Jacobson, M. E., PhD (2010). Food Dyes, A Rainbow of Risks. Center for Science in the Public Interest. Retrieved from http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/fooddyes-rainbow-of-risks.pdf

• Hoolihan, C., Streeck, R., MPH (2008). Exercise and the Inflammation Process. Retrieved from http://www.ideafit.com/fitness-library/

• Sly, B. (n.d.) An Athlete’s Guide to Inflammation: What to Eat and What to Avoid. Retrieved from http://breakingmuscle.com/nutrition/

• Katz, A.E., et al. 2005. Zyflamend, a unique herbal preparation with nonselective OCX inhibitory activity, induces apoptosis of prostate cancer cells that lack COX-2 expression. Nutrition and Cancer, 52 (2), 202–212.

• Strawbridge, H. (July 16, 2012). Harvard Health Blog. Artificial sweeteners: Sugar- free, but at what cost? [Web Log]. Retrieved from http://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/ • Weil, A., MD (n.d.). 4 Favorite Anti-inflammatory Foods. Retrieved from http://www. drweil.com/drw/u/PAG00361/anti-inflammatory-foodpyramid.html

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Presented by:

Coaches’ Playbook

x x

DEFINING YOUR TEAM

By: Christie Lawry

n the last edition of Coaches’ Playbook, we started the conversation about what kind of coaches we are – our strengths and weaknesses, the tools we have available and how to piece together a leadership structure that works for our own teams. This is the time of year where we are in full swing, and we need to make sure we are coaching the correct team. Uhh, what? Think about it: we need to make sure our goals, strategies and attitudes actually match the team we have in front of us. Are our goals too lofty? Too low? Are our strategies too complex? Too simple? Are we pushing too hard to travel far and often with a group of players who are just not going to fly across the country to play ultimate? I ask these questions every year. Sometimes I worry until I feel like I have an ulcer and then laugh at myself when I realize I am worrying for nothing. Some seasons, however, coaches have to make hard decisions, and sometimes those come at uncomfortable or inconvenient times. No matter how veteran a coach you are, your team is new every year, and you need to plan accordingly. Just as important as knowing what kind of coach you are, you also need to know your team and know what kind of team you want it to be.

WHO WAS YOUR TEAM? Understand what the team was in the past. Are you a new club, or is your program many years old? Did the team play in a league? Did they travel? Did they place at regionals? Was there a coach before you? A JV team?

Executive Director, Pittsburgh Ultimate

WHO IS ON YOUR TEAM NOW? How many returners do you have? Rookies? Does anyone play for other teams? How old are your athletes? Who is your core group of leaders? What’s the investment looking like? Are these players playing other sports, or have they quit everything else so they can play year-round? Do they have jobs? Do they have dependable transportation? Will funding be an issue? Are their guardians on board with the sport and team?

TURN THE PAGE Talk to your team leaders. Sometimes this is just your captains; maybe it’s all the returners – whoever is invested at the start of the season. Decide who needs to be in the conversation and then start it – early. Call a meeting. Evaluate the past. What happened last season? How did people feel about it? Gauge the response. Are your players smiling when talking about last year? Or grumbling? What parts of last season were good? Bad? Make your players realize that this year is different. Look around. Notice who’s missing, who’s new. Show them the roster from last year. Piece together a plan. Have last year’s agenda on hand if possible. Take a look at the list you just created (what was good/ bad) and move forward. Get the PLAYERS to start problem solving. What was an issue last year? Not enough money to travel? List some solutions: hold a team fundraising event, find sponsors, travel less, host a tournament. Decide what was great about last year. Had a good recruiting year? Love the uniforms? Found an awesome fundraiser? Lots of parents around? Keep the good stuff on the priority list, and remember the work it

took to make those things happen. Find new ideas that can get everyone excited for a new season. Purchase a video camera and teach rookies how to film. Create a team Twitter account, and start posting team selfies. Design a new logo, and order fun team warm-ups. You want them to be excited? YOU need to get excited.

COACH REFLECTION After the meeting, continue to think about how YOU can change your role/ approach in order to be your best self for your NEW team. Maybe you need to be stricter and make sure your practices are physically demanding. Maybe you need to incorporate drills that induce team bonding. Before you start changing your entire coaching style, decide where your boundaries lie. On what issues will you NOT compromise? Do you feel strongly that all players should see the field in important games? Do you definitely want practice attendance to affect play time? Once you have drawn these lines, then you can feel comfortable adjusting to match your current squad.

Focus on the team you have this season. Know your team and what kind of team you want it to be. Photo: CBMT Creative SPRING 2015

TALK TO THE WHOLE TEAM What does it mean to be a good teammate? A good team? Set the tone early for how your players will compose themselves on and off the field. Ask your players to imagine what a “good team” looks like in their minds. What does a “good team” look like when they win? What about when they slap hands after that big win? While they warm-up? When they call a time-out? What do they look like when they lose? And when they leave the field afterward? What do they look like during a bye? Or on the bus ride to a tournament? Answer these questions out loud as a group. Are you a good team? Do you want to be a good team? Push further. You need to make scenarios real before they happen out in the real world. Ask how a player wants to be when he is reacting to a team making “bad” calls or an observer ruling against the team. How do you want to come across to a tournament director or your family when an opponent is swearing or the opposing coach is being rude? Remind your players that actions reflect not only one person, but their teammates, coaches, school, league and even an entire state or country on certain stages. How can you be a better team? Does your group want to hold each other to these standards? Put together a player contract; you could even create one together. How can we be better individuals within the group? Get your players to make lists of their strengths and weaknesses. Have them each set their own goals. Players (anonymously, maybe) can list their teammates’ strengths and weaknesses, too, so each player can see how their teammates feel about their skills, knowledge and commitment to the squad.

FOLLOW THROUGH Send out minutes from your team meetings. Make a list of action items. Delegate those tasks. Check in every couple weeks to see where the players are with the list.

Focus on your whole team. Who do you have this year? How many rookies? How many returners? Be sure to coach this year's team. Photo: CBMT Creative Check in with yourself. Are you still catering to the plan? To your CURRENT team? Are your eyes still on realistic goals and plans? Are you losing players? Are your current players happy? Are YOU happy? Are you holding true to what matters to you? At this point, you really need to be true to yourself. Sometimes you aren’t meant to be coaching this particular team. Sticking with something that conflicts with your morals doesn’t make you a stronger person, and quitting doesn’t make you a terrible one. Again, tough decisions can come at inconvenient times.

MEET AGAIN Don’t be afraid to call another meeting. Nobody wants to talk about logistics every week, but it won’t hurt to get everyone together again, especially if plans change. Do you still like the original plan? Check notes from the last meeting. Reread your player contract and goals. Are they still on track? Have you completed tasks or reached goals? Adjust your current plan to satisfy the group. Going through these steps can take an emotional toll on a coach. Realize that you are not the coach FOR a team, but a coach OF a team.

Talk to your players, your other staff or even other coaches. Discuss your concerns. Express your excitement. Share these thoughts with the group. These are the moments that will remind you why you love to coach. Christie Lawry is a current club player and is in her fifth year of coaching the Hampton High School boys’ ultimate team in Pittsburgh, Pa. Christie is the Executive Director of Pittsburgh Ultimate and has been running leagues and tournaments since 2006. She has also coached high school and youth club girls’ teams and captained for multiple years at both the college and club levels. Christie hopes to assist and inspire both new and veteran coaches to better themselves as leaders, competitors and mentors. Something you want to see next time? Shoot us an email: letters_to_editor@usaultimate.org.

U S A U LT I M AT E

Injury Time Out BASIC WOUND CARE

By: Justine M. Crowley, DO

Cleaning and covering your abrasions significantly reduces your chances of getting an infection. Photo: CBMT Creative

s ultimate players, we are all accustomed to explaining how we got those nasty abrasions (turf burns, raspberries, grass burn, floor burn, etc.) on our arm or leg (and often don’t explain that we have one on our hip as well), but how many of us are taking the right precautions against infections in/from these abrasions? In this edition of Injury Timeout, I’m going to provide some basic wound care and first aid instructions and explain why it matters. I’ll also list some basic supplies to add to your ultimate bag or your team’s bag (or both). As always, this column is not a replacement for a medical evaluation or a good first aid course. Of course, no column about an injury would be complete without a recommendation of how to prevent said injury. If you are someone who is always laying out and ending up with raspberries or turf burn that takes all season to heal, invest in skin protection. Tall socks, a knee sleeve, an arm sleeve, compression shorts that go above your hip bones – any of these can help. If you start wearing protective sleeves, shorts, etc., make sure to wash them regularly. I know many superstitious athletes who don’t believe in washing their lucky socks or brace, but protective gear that isn’t washed could also cause a skin problem. Bacteria causes the smell in athletic gear. Why would you want your protective gear to be hosting a lot of bacteria if you are using it to prevent infection?

IMMEDIATE CARE OF BROKEN SKIN So you or your teammate just left the field with a wellearned nasty abrasion. What do you do? 1. Wash your hands with hand sanitizer. 2. Put on a pair of medical gloves. 3. If the abrasion is still bleeding, apply pressure with gauze for a time to allow bleeding to stop. SPRING 2015

4. Once the bleeding has stopped, use soap and water or saline wound wash to gently cleanse the abrasion. Then cover it with dry gauze.

How do I hold the gauze in place when tape doesn’t usually stick to a sweaty athlete’s leg? I use a self-adherent wrap called Coban. It doesn’t need any tape to hold it to the leg. Pre-wrap will also work – just put a piece of tape on the end to secure it. I make sure to cover all the exposed gauze. An elastic wrap can also be used to hold the dressing in place. I recommend using an elastic wrap if the abrasion is on the hip or flank area.

Why don’t I recommend bandaids? Because they don’t stick to sweaty athletes. If the abrasion or cut is on a finger, it can be covered with a bandaid, then wrapped with athletic tape. Pretty much everywhere else is best suited to gauze.

Why cover your well-earned abrasions when playing? Covering your abrasions protects you and the other players on the field. Any time there is a break in the skin, you are at risk for an infection; covering the abrasion reduces this risk. And anytime you are bleeding on the field, the other players out there with you could be at risk for picking up an infection from you. It is also required in USA Ultimate’s 11th Edition Rules (rule VI.C.7.c). Washing an abrasion, cut or wound becomes especially critical if you are playing on a synthetic field. Studies have shown that an antibiotic resistant bacteria called methicillin resistant staph aureus (MRSA) can live on turf fibers for an extended time – up to a month in the right circumstances. Washing your abrasion and getting it covered significantly reduces your chance of getting any infection, but especially an MRSA infection.

53 Why didn’t I recommend antibiotic ointment? First, different people are allergic to different things. Second, the more times you touch an abrasion, the greater the chance you could get an infection. Third, when an abrasion is healing, you need it to dry out, and antibiotic ointment keeps it moist. This is how I talk to my patients – and my teammates – about wound care. If you choose to use antibiotic ointment, try it on a small area of intact skin first to make sure your skin doesn’t have a reaction to it. If intact skin reacts to the ointment, broken skin will be that much worse. And always, always wash your hands before and after applying antibiotic ointment.

DAILY CARE Wash the abrasion daily with soap and water, then pat it dry. Keep it covered on an off the field as long as it is still oozing. Once it is dry, cover it only when playing or when you are at risk for re-opening it.

How do I tell if I have an infection? If your abrasion develops drainage that is foul smelling, thick or yellow (not clear like when you’ve scraped your knees), you should see a health care provider for further treatment. You may have an infection if: • the area becomes hot or red; • you develop pain in an abrasion that was just sore or not painful earlier; or • you develop a fever.

Go see a medical provider sooner rather than later – as soon as you have concern for infection or the next morning, NOT a week later. You will most likely be told to continue your wound care and, if you have an infection, be given a course of antibiotics. The most important thing you can do is to take all the pills in the way they were prescribed. Antibiotic resistance develops when patients stop taking their antibiotics when their symptoms improve, instead of when the prescription is finished. Do the world a favor – finish the prescription. You may also want to take a probiotic to help your stomach and digestive system while you are taking the antibiotic and for several days after you finish. Ask your provider about using warm, moist heat as well. If used properly, it can help speed the healing of skin infections.

Other supplies • Pre-wrap • Coban - can be found in some drug stores, ordered online or found in your local medical supply store • Athletic tape

REVIEW Clean your wounds as soon as you can, cover them and keep them clean. Taking these simple steps can help prevent infections. Remember, this column is meant to educate, not replace a thorough medical evaluation. See you on the fields.

WOUND CARE FIRST AID SUPPLIES Note: These supplies are just for wound (abrasion) care and do not replace a wellstocked first aid kit. These supplies can be purchased at any drug store: • W ound wash (saline spray) - usually comes in a can that looks like a can of mousse • Non-sterile gloves (latex free) • 4"x 4" sterile gauze • Elastic wrap • 2" athletic tape • Bandaids

The above article represents the opinion of Dr. Crowley. It does not represent the opinion of the Salem VA Medical Center, the Department of Veterans Affairs, or the United States Government.

Wearing tights or sleeves can help prevent abrasions if you are someone who frequently lays out. Photo: CBMT Creative

U S A U LT I M AT E

Spirit Circle WCBU 2015: SPIRIT OF THE GAME

By: Claire Chastain 2015 WCBU U.S. Women’s National Team

S “ IT’S ACTUALLY KIND OF NICE TO HAVE SOMEONE SOLELY DEDICATED TO THINKING ABOUT THE SPIRIT OF THE GAME.”

Caption top right photo: The U.S. Women’s National Team in a spirit circle with Team Canada at WCBU 2015 on the beaches of Dubai. Photo: Get Horizontal

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pirit was taken more seriously here than any tournament I’ve been to; there was a Spirit Director and each team had a designated Spirit Captain. Ours was Qxhna [Titcomb]. I don’t remember having either for U-23s [the World Under-23 Ultimate Championships] and certainly not at any U.S. tournaments, so I’m guessing this is new or something BULA instated. I didn’t quite know what kind of role the Spirit Captain would play going into the tournament. My initial thought was spirit gifts, team cheers and the like, but beyond that I wasn’t sure. I had forgotten about the WFDF spirit scoring system. I know we are starting to use it at Nationals and other major U.S. tournaments, but it’s typically an afterthought – something the captains did while we were getting food in our bodies and hydrating after games.1 Qxhna was tasked with rounding us up after the games and facilitating the scoring process. She did a great job from day one of explaining the scoring scale and reemphasizing each category, reminding us of the importance of scoring accurately and opening up the conversation for anyone to state their case. (Rules, Fouls, Fair Mindedness, Attitude and Communication are the five categories, scored on a 0-4 scale.) There was an interesting conversation about expectation bias after the last pool play game – were we scoring based on whether our expectations were exceeded/subceeded.2 I think that definitely played a big part. We were expecting a lot of physicality and abrasiveness in the Russia game, but weren’t met with it. In fact, their Spirit Captain consulted us after the game about how we scored them and how they could improve. It’s actually kind of nice to have someone solely dedicated to thinking about that, to alleviate some of the captains’ responsibilities. I dug it. It made us all more hyper-aware of how we were presenting ourselves to other teams

and representing everyone back home. We never had a collective conversation about winning the spirit award; it’s an uncontrollable to a degree – you can control your actions but not how they are interpreted or scored. I think it was a testament to that pool of women’s teams; sometimes being competitive isn’t widely viewed as synonymous with a high level of spirit. I thought we did a good job of playing our game throughout the week, no matter the team, and I’m glad that didn’t get lost in translation. I don’t think there were any instances where I’d rather have had an observer or game advisor on the field. Maybe for off-sides calls or something. We just didn’t need them, even in the close games.

Maybe my memory precedes me and we scored as a team, I’m really not sure.

Google just taught me there is no opposite of “exceed,” so I’m going to make up a word.

55 I was so dang giddy to find out we won the award, I think I tipsily squealed. Towards the end of the tournament, I’m not exactly sure how this transpired, but I think the Spirit Director encouraged us to interact with other teams more, introduce ourselves on the sidelines and field and such. I think Nora [Carr] had the idea to do an informal meet-and-greet before games, shake each other’s hands and introduce ourselves to a few of our opponents. We did it for the Canada semifinal, and it was actually a really interesting experience – I think it added that much more accountability to everyone playing. Before the game, you

WFDF uses and the explanation of the sheet. Often times, teams throw out scores solely based on attitude (which is one of the components), “Oh they were nice and fun, give them fours.” I know I’ve done this, and the WFDF explanation document specifically states, “Do not score a team because you felt the team was ‘nice’ or because they made a funny game in the circle.” I’m sure I would have different feelings on this if we were involved in games with questionable calls, especially if the outcome didn’t fall in our favor. This was absolutely the most spirited tournament I’ve played in, and not in the sense that it was fun and the

shake hands, and after, you meet in a spirit circle; it doesn’t leave much room to play with anything other than the utmost respect. Both added a level of connectedness with your opponents I hadn’t experienced before. Becoming more familiar with the scoring system gave me a new perspective on Spirit of the Game. I’d encourage everyone to take a look at the scoring sheets

atmosphere was exceptionally positive; we were playing at the highest level without any third-party officials and decided our desire to win a world championship would not come at the expense of the foundation of our sport. As did Russia. I’m proud of our gold, and proud of our Spirit Award. It makes the former that much better.

The U.S. Women's National Team took home two medals from Dubai: a gold medal and their division’s spirit award. Photo: Claire Chastain

This article was originally published on Claire Chastain’s online blog, chronicling her thoughts about her experience with the U.S. National Team at the 2015 World Championships of Beach Ultimate. Minor edits have been made to ensure clarity.

The U.S. Women’s National Team celebrates their double victory in Dubai. Photo: Get Horizontal

U S A U LT I M AT E

What’s the Call? TEACHING AND LEARNING THE RULES By: Colin McIntyre

Chair, Standing Rules Committee

Q: I am a third-year college player, and I am interested in learning the rules better and helping my teammates learn the rules better. What can I do? A: There are several rules resources available to you on the rules page of the USA Ultimate website. From the home page (usaultimate.org), click Programs ->Officiating & Rules->Rules). Here, you will find an FAQ section, an archived Standing Rules Committee blog about the 11th edition, descriptions of any experimental rules in effect and the Rules Committeemonitored USA Ultimate rules message board where players can receive reliable answers to their rules questions. In addition, the online 11th edition rules contain special features, including clarifying annotations, hyperlinks to cross-references and floating definitions of specific terms. I also have two important suggestions that apply to both learning and teaching the rules. The first suggestion is simple: use the rulebook and teach what the rulebook says. There is a risk in ultimate – as players rely on their resident “rules guru” for paraphrased rules wisdom – for rules misunderstandings to spread and morph, like one big game of “Telephone.” By relying on the rulebook, the original source, we can break that chain and reduce the likelihood of errors stemming from careless paraphrasing. Learning what the rulebook says also improves uniformity of rules knowledge across the sport and streamlines rules discussions. For example, it is easier to discuss what the Continuation Rule (XVI.C) says, rather than “what my friend Bobby, who is a really good player, says the rules are.” My second suggestion for people learning and teaching the rules is to tackle the rulebook topic by topic, rather than as a whole. I sometimes hear players boast that they have read the rulebook, cover to cover, a certain number of times. Instead, I suggest committing to learning about a specific topic at a time. Read the section addressing that topic, follow the cross-references and note the defined terms and then think through how those rules apply to different situations you see on the field. For example, a player learning about fouls by downfield defenders would want to read I.B, II.E, II.H, XVI.C.2&3, XVI.H, XVII and XIX.G, and consider those sections together while applying them to different situations. Simply reading those provisions separate from one another over the course of slogging through the rulebook cover to cover would be much less effective.

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PACE OF PLAY Q: My team’s games often end early due to a time cap, even in calm conditions. I would prefer to play the full game out, and I am often frustrated with how slowly the game moves. Is there anything in the rules that can help speed up play? A: For any team that prefers games that proceed quickly, a good place to start is to help one’s own team create an environment that minimizes the frequency and duration of delays in play. As a starting point, players have a responsibility to “avoid any delay when starting, restarting, or continuing play.” XIX.B. In addition, the rules contain a variety of time limits designed to help keep play moving. For example, after a score, the pulling team has 90 seconds to pull the disc, and the receiving team must line up and signal readiness within 70 seconds. VIII.C. After a turnover, once the disc comes to rest, the new thrower has 10 or 20 seconds to put the disc into play. XIII.A.3-4. And a team timeout lasts only 70 seconds

Keep an eye on the time. Avoid delays when starting, restarting or continuing play to keep the game moving. Photo: CBMT Creative

Observers can help keep games moving and expedite resolutions on the field, but the rules and Spirit of the Game place the responsibility to know the rules and resolve disputes as quickly as possible on the players. Photo: CBMT Creative

(with 20 additional seconds for the opponent to match up). VI.B.2. In an observed game, the observers track these limits and give warnings to the players. In an unobserved game, making an effort to keep your team in line with the limits can make a significant difference in pace of play. This may be a good first step toward helping your team complete games inside the time cap. In addition, it is worth thinking about what might be causing delays in your games. Abiding by the time limits mentioned above is a good start to speeding up the game for many teams. The winter 2014 edition of What’s the Call also described how to reduce the number of unnecessary calls in a game which also can slow down the pace of play. Finally, when calls are made, resolving those calls efficiently will help improve the pace of play. Efficient resolution, of course, goes beyond “don’t get into lengthy arguments,” and begins with the call itself. Making calls loudly and repeating them helps ensure that the rest of the players know what is going on and can reposition accordingly. It also cannot hurt for downfield players to proactively ask what has been called, if they are not sure. In terms of actually discussing and resolving the call, players are in complete control of the efficiency of this process. The World Flying Disc Federation’s (WFDF) provisions on Spirit of the Game capture some key components of efficient resolution of calls, placing responsibility on players to: • know the rules (WFDF 1.3.1), • e xplain their viewpoint clearly and briefly (WFDF 1.3.4), • a llow opponents a reasonable chance to speak (WFDF 1.3.5), and • resolve disputes as quickly as possible, using respectful language (WFDF 1.3.6).

Following these guidelines will help players resolve calls efficiently, and it will also go a long way toward reducing arguments, which are frequently caused by a lack of rules knowledge or a disrespectful interaction. I grew up playing tennis, and I am reminded by WFDF Rule 1.3.6 of some of the etiquette that is taught in tennis. Like ultimate, tennis is self-officiated at most levels, and if a player is unsure if a ball lands in or out, he or she must call the ball “in”; guessing at a call to the opponent’s detriment is not allowed. Tennis instructors reinforce this concept, and players are taught to address disagreements over line calls with a simple question: “Are you sure?” Asking that question acknowledges the disagreement and gives the opponent an opportunity to withdraw the call, without creating an argument. So as a tennis player, I never had to think about what I was going to say, or how to express if I thought an opponent was cheating; I just asked the question. I think a similar approach can help in ultimate, as a way to quickly resolve disputes while using respectful language. If both players are clear on the rules, a dispute of the facts will often result in a contested call, and further discussion can start and end with “Are you sure?” While this certainly should not be an automatic response to every contested call, if one really disagrees with an opponent’s assessment of the situation, it is a valuable tool for inviting the opponent to reconsider, without dragging out the discussion. However, if there is a disagreement over the rules themselves and the call cannot be resolved, I would encourage players to consult a rulebook early in the discussion; a discussion over who is more certain of the conflicting rules is less useful.

Use the rulebook and teach what the rulebook says, instead of relying on paraphrased interpretations.

The last step to end delay after a call is to restart play with a check. VIII.D. To consistently perform a check properly, without any confusion, I suggest the procedure below, and either the thrower or the marker can take charge in communicating to the downfield players: • Ask downfield teammates and opponents, “Is everyone ready?” • Announce where the stall count is resuming. • Make sure the opposing thrower/ marker is ready. • Count down “3-2-1” for downfield players to hear. • Thrower offers disc and marker touches offered disc. • Loudly announce “disc in” or “in play” when the disc is touched. Following this procedure helps avoid delays caused by false starts, and it demonstrates a commitment to fair play by making sure everybody is ready. From a competitive standpoint, this procedure is also favorable because it ensures that your downfield teammates are ready to play and know exactly when the disc is being checked in. If you have a rules question or topic you would like to see in a future What’s the Call? column, please e-mail src_chair@usaultimate.org.

U S A U LT I M AT E

LOCAL LEAGUE SPOTLIGHT

Maine Ultimate

Eighty-three kids participated in Maine Ultimate’s most recent Learn to Play clinic, held in February 2015. Photo: Maine Ultimate

By: Mike Leding

ltimate has been big in Maine since the 1980s. Red Tide, the local men’s team, was founded in the late 1980s and still competes today. The Portland Ultimate Summer League started in 1993 with four teams and has grown to include 32. A number of people who were around for the birth of ultimate in Maine, combined with a number of men and women who fell in love with the sport through Red Tide and the Portland Ultimate Summer League, came together in 2012 to form Maine Ultimate as a 501(c)(3). Since the birth of Maine Ultimate, the organization has spurred great growth in the state, particularly in the youth division. In 2014, Maine had 14 middle school teams from six schools and 36 high school teams from 16 schools. Those teams included roughly 625 youth players, an 18 percent increase in participation from the previous year. In 2014, Maine Ultimate joined USA Ultimate’s Affiliate Program to help legitimize and support the growth of the sport here in Maine. Maine is ranked 41st in the United States in population, and the geographic spread of that

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small population is a challenge in the state. The Affiliate Program has helped connect ultimate communities across Maine in a way we had never been able to accomplish before. Maine Ultimate was USA Ultimate’s largest affiliate in 2014, with more programs run and more players than any other affiliate in the country. We think this speaks volumes to the amount of work and coordination Maine Ultimate has been able to pull off across the state. Maine Ultimate has been extremely active over the last several months. In mid-December 2014, we had a Learn to Play event that attracted 63 boys and girls of middle- and high-school ages. We held another Learn to Play event in February 2015, with 83 boys and girls in attendance. We held two women’s nights, one each in December 2014 and January 2015, with 43 and 52 participants, respectively, ranging from grade-school-aged girls to adults. Maine Ultimate also hosted a homecoming hat tournament for 65 high school and college players on Jan. 13. We hosted four middle school/grade school pick-up nights during the winter with more than 60 youth players in attendance at each session as well as a number of indoor ultimate events that were well attended by local youth and club players.

“Maine Ultimate has a highly involved board,” said board member Nicole Welch. “It is great to work with such a motivated group of people. We all set high standards for what we want to see happen throughout the state, whether it be on the field, at a fundraiser or at a clinic. Everyone on the board comes from a different background, a different experience in ultimate. Bringing the ideas under one umbrella helps ensure that the opinions and thoughts of a variety of players, community members and coaches are heard and valued. Maine Ultimate being the largest affiliate means that we have the support of the community and the coaches we work with. Maine Ultimate can offer event after event, but if the area coaches and parents aren’t on board with what we are doing, then we would not be as successful.” The growth of ultimate in Maine over the last 15 years has been nothing short of awe inspiring. It shows that it only takes a few people who are truly passionate about something to turn it into something great. Ultimate is one of the fastest-growing team sports in the United States, and Maine Ultimate is fully on-board to help keep that growth going.

NEWS & NOTES

Spring 2015

U.S. NATIONAL TEAMS EARN SEVEN MEDALS AT THE 2015 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS OF BEACH ULTIMATE

The seven teams representing the U.S. in Dubai, U.A.E., came away with seven medals: six gold and one bronze. The U.S. finished the tournament atop the medal rankings, followed by Canada and Great Britain. Gold medals came in the open, women’s, mixed masters, open masters, women’s masters and grand masters divisions. The bronze medal came in the mixed division. More than 100 American athletes represented the United States and USA Ultimate in Dubai at the 2015 World Championships of Beach Ultimate (WCBU). The U.S. was one of only four nations to send seven teams, one each in the seven divisions being contested at this year’s WCBU. Canada, Germany and the United Kingdom were the other three nations to send seven teams. This year’s World Championships of Beach Ultimate featured more than 1,000 athletes from 71 teams representing 25 nations. Nearly 400 games were played on Jumeriah Beach over the course of the fiveday event. This year’s medal tally nearly matched the U.S. performance from WCBU 2011, where American teams also nearly swept the event, taking home six gold medals and a silver medal in the mixed masters division.

TWO NEW STAFF MEMBERS JOIN THE USA ULTIMATE TEAM

Two new teammates joined USA Ultimate’s Competition & Athlete Programs Department in late 2014 and early 2015. Connor Maloney assumed the role of Manager – Competition & Athlete Programs (Youth), and Sarah Powers took on the new role of Coordinator – Youth and Education Programs. Maloney oversees USA Ultimate’s youth division programs, specifically the organization’s high school and youth club competition structures, as well as other

programs throughout the year. He holds a degree in business administration from the University of Mary Washington. Professionally, he has spent time in various project management roles, including the last four years with Slait Consulting in Richmond, Va. He also spent a year working with Americorps and a year as a backcountry ranger in New Zealand’s Tongariro National Park. Maloney is a long-time member of the ultimate community. He began playing while in high school and started his school’s team. Since that time, he has competed with USA Ultimate’s U-19 National Team and participated in both the college and club series. Maloney has also been a prolific ultimate organizer, helping run youth clinics in the Richmond and Washington, D.C. areas, coaching youth and college teams and helping to organize Virginia’s first high school state championship events. Powers assists in the management of USA Ultimate’s youth and education programs. Her responsibilities include program registration, direction and management; marketing and communication; personnel and committee support; and other program-related duties and projects. She works closely with USA Ultimate’s Learn to Play initiative, Coaching Development Program, Observer Certification Program, rules and Spirit of the Game education, and other youth-related programs. Powers holds degrees in international studies and Spanish from Allegheny College in Meadville, Pa. Professionally, she has spent the last three years working for Ohio State University’s Department of Accounting & Management Information Systems as a program assistant and an office associate. She began playing ultimate at Allegheny College and continued to play while working abroad in Madrid. Upon returning to the United States, she became an active member of the Columbus Ultimate Disc Association (CUDA). She served as the volunteer coordinator for USA Ultimate’s 2014 Division III College Championships and has worked with CUDA as a media coordinator. She has also volunteered her time as a high school ultimate coach and worked alongside CUDA to institute a women’s ultimate clinic to increase the number of women participating in their leagues.

2015 MERCHANDISE PARTNERS NAMED Merchandise contracts have been awarded for USA Ultimate’s spring 2015 championship events, as well as the U.S. National Teams that will travel to the Under-23 World Ultimate Championships in London this July. This year’s partners will provide official championship merchandise, so participants, families and fans will have the opportunity to commemorate 2015’s championships with high-quality event apparel and souvenirs. VC Ultimate • Beach National Championships • Western High School Regional Championships Spin Ultimate • Central High School Regional Championships • Southern High School Regional Championships Five Ultimate • Division I College Championships • Division III College Championships • Youth Club Championships • Under-23 World Ultimate Championships Breakmark • Northeastern High School Regional Championships

USA ULTIMATE CONTACT INFORMATION The new USA Ultimate headquarters in Colorado Springs, Colo., is now fully operational. New USA Ultimate Contact information: 5825 Delmonico Drive, Suite 350 Colorado Springs, CO 80919 p. 719.219.8322 f. 719.219.1480

U S A U LT I M AT E

NEWS & NOTES USA ULTIMATE AFFILIATE RECOGNITION

As part of USA Ultimate’s Affiliate Recognition Program, each affiliate is offered the opportunity to recognize an individual league administrator as well as a key contributor. The following individuals were recognized by USA Ultimate Affiliates for their work in 2014.

Albany Ultimate Disc Association League Administrator: Cara Martin We’d like to recognize a woman who departed our community last year. Cara Martin moved to Maryland with her family after spending many years in Albany, where she served as a board member, player, coach and volunteer. She organized women-specific programming and led our organization to success by serving as treasurer. Cara kept us organized, structured and financially sound. She put us on a solid footing, and with that base, we are striving to move ahead.

Contributor: Mark Konieczny Mark Konieczny, a player from Saratoga Springs, approached us in 2013 about assisting in developing leagues in Saratoga. By working with Mark, we now have two successful leagues running in his city! spring and fall leagues are vibrant, fun-loving events that draw in new players to our organization.

Columbus Ultimate Disc Association League Administrator: Brian Kowalski Brian Kowalski, Summer League Commissioner, is a CUDA veteran who has served in multiple board positions in the past and has served as a summer league commissioner for many years now. When our board was experiencing transition, Brian and the other commissioners carried summer league to success. Thanks, Brian and our three other commissioners also (Lindsey Billingsley, Emily Mesiter, Brandi Sauter)!

Contributor: Mark Jaworski

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UPCOMING EVENTS

Mark Jaworski, CUDA Youth Coordinator, has one of the most complex and challenging jobs within CUDA, and it’s a job that is gaining momentum every year. The growth that we are experiencing is a direct derivative of Mark’s passion and energy, put forth as our youth program achieves new heights that we could only just imagine

a few years ago. Though still in its relative infancy, during Mark’s three-year tenure, we have nearly doubled the number of schools and tripled the number of kids participating. This is a truly remarkable achievement and an exciting promise for the future of youth ultimate in Columbus. Thanks, Mark!

Contributor: Nicole Welch

Connecticut Ultimate Club League Administrator: Trevor Charles

Minnesota Youth Ultimate League Administrator: Dave Klink

Trevor Charles does an excellent job with the high school league. He has integrity, good communication skills, and has contributed greatly to the growth and stability of the high school league.

Dave Klink has developed a lot for MNYU over the years.

Contributor: Ken Evitts Ken Evitts has served as an invaluable treasurer for 6+ years now. His skills and integrity are vital to our ability to run this organization.

DiscNY League Administrator: Aaron Bell Aaron Bell is the commissioner of the New York City high school ultimate league and has been expanding and developing it since he took the reins. Aaron also serves on the DiscNY Board as part of the executive committee, coach of the Heschel Team, and is the director of the Nike Ultimate Camp.

Contributor: Fi Cheng Fi Cheng served on the executive board, as DiscNY’s treasurer, and WUDi Board member. Even with all of her positions in the New York ultimate community, she still found time to help organize USA Ultimate club sectionals and a Pro-Elite event at the New York Invite in July. This was her last year with DiscNY, and we very much appreciated her work during her tenure with our organization.

Jacksonville Ultimate League League Administrator: Josh Shepard Josh Shepard – Simply put, he does it all!

Contributor: Josh Shepard Again, Josh Shepard coaches the local college team, helped develop our first high school league, and commissions the adult league

Maine Ultimate League Administrator: Nicole Welch

Nicole Welch ran our winter programs for high school, middle school, and girls only programs. Every Saturday she helped to host a clinic, tournament, or other ultimate event to grow the number of players in Maine.

Contributor: Missy Davey Missy Davey, our new secretary, has really helped with our organization.

Missoula Ultimate Federation League Administrator: Tom Perry Tom Perry has taken over as spring league coordinator and has done a great job growing the league and balancing the play between fun and competition, while promoting SOTG.

Contributor: Kevin Ryder Kevin Ryder has supported tremendous growth at the collegiate level, serves as liaison between MUF and college programs, and has started a very successful tournament in Missoula called the Big Sky Gun Show.

Neuqua Valley Ultimate League Administrator: Mike Stachewicz Mike Stachewicz helped us fix and structure all of our financial practices.

Contributor: Cullen Geppert Cullen Geppert helped the program grow in practice structure.

Ultimate Players League of Austin League Administrator: Patrick Christmas Patrick Christmas, who runs our leagues and has developed a team for support.

Contributor: Colleen Conrad Colleen Conrad, who runs our middle school youth league, as well as a youth camp at the University of Texas, along with organizing the Nike Youth Camp in Texas.

Nicole Welch ran our youth summer league with increased numbers of participants and very favorable responses from players and parents alike.

EVENT

DATE

LOCATION

EVENT

DATE

LOCATION

Beach National Championships

May 2-3

Virginia Beach, Va.

Elite-Select Challenge

July 11-12

Columbus, Ohio

Southern HS Championships

May 9-10

Winston-Salem, N.C.

U-23 World Championships

July 12-18

London, U.K.

Division III College Championships

May 16-17

Rockford, Ill.

Masters Championships

July 24-26

Aurora, Colo.

Central HS Championships

May 16-17

Ames, Iowa

Pro-Elite Challenge

Aug. 1-2

Aurora, Colo.

Northeastern HS Championships

May 16-17

South Portland, Maine

Youth Club Championships

Aug. 7-9

Blaine, Minn.

College Championships

May 22-25

Milwaukee, Wis.

Select Flight Invite

Aug. 15-16

Little Rock, Ark.

Western HS Championships

May 30-31

Corvallis, Ore.

Pro Flight Finale

Aug. 22-23

Blaine, Minn.

U.S. Open Championships

July 2-5

West Chester, Ohio

National Championships

Oct. 1-4

Frisco, Texas

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