Winter 2012 USA Ultimate Magazine by USA Ultimate

ULTIMATE PLAYERS USA ASSOCIATION ULTIMATE 4730 Table Mesa Dr., 4730 Suite Table I-200C Mesa Dr., Suite I-200C Boulder, CO 80305 Boulder, CO 80305

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O FFICIAL MAGAZINE O F USA ULTIMATE — WINTER 2 0 1 2

USA

ULTIMATE

WHAT’S INSIDE

NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS

2012 YEAR IN REVIEW

BAY AREA ULTIMATE

This is no time To dream small.

FIVEULTIMATE Our mission is to serve the growth of ultimate. That’s why we sponsor Ultimate Peace, the Coaching Development Program and Team USA. It’s the reason for our Youth Team Discount, College Sponsorship program and partnership with Major League Ultimate. We are determined to push our sport to be both bigger and better. Let’s make it happen.

VOLU M E X X X III ISSU E FOU R

WINTER ISSUE

lub Championship 6 COpen Coverage

lub Championship 22 CMixed Coverage Counter-clockwise From Above: Kevin Richardson of Doublewide gets up against Ironside in the Open semifinals PHOTO: KEVIN LECLAIRE/ULTIPHOTOS A three handed catch by Surly brings new meaning to the phrase “Go To!” en route to their Championship. PHOTO: KEVIN LECLAIRE/ ULTIPHOTOS Maggie Ruden breaks up a pass intended for Hana Kawai PHOTO: PETE GUION/ULTIPHOTOS Blackbird’s Daniel Gillick lays out for a catch – a highlight that made ESPN’s SportsCenter PHOTO: CHRISTINA SCHMIDT/ ULTIPHOTOS

lub Championship 14 CWomen’s Coverage

lub Championship 40 CMaster’s Coverage

ON THE COVER

MISSION STATEMENT

San Francisco Fury earned its seventh consecutive national title, besting Seattle Riot 15-9 PHOTO: ALEX FRASER/ULTIPHOTOS

To advance the sport of Ultimate in the United States by enhancing and promoting Character, Community, and Competition.

W I N T E R 2 0 12

Table of Contents 4 A Letter to Our Members: Looking back on another exciting year in the Ultimate Decade 2012 USA Ultimate Club Championships Coverage 6 Doubling Down: Austin Doublewide breaks through for a national title in Sarasota 14 The Fury Philosophy: San Francisco Fury wins its seventh straight championship 22 Back in Black: San Francisco Blackbird defends its title 30 Redemption: Minneapolis Surly bounces back to end the season on a high note 38 C 2 – Meet Lauren Casey and Martin Cochran, winners of the Kathy Pufahl and Peter Farricker Spirit Awards

40 Talent Pool: With more than 200 players on seven teams in Sarasota, what makes the Bay Area the top Ultimate community in the nation?

USA ULTIMATE 4730 Table Mesa Dr. Suite I-200C Boulder, CO 80305 303.447.3472 www.usaultimate.org info@usaultimate.org USA ULTIMATE BOARD OF DIRECTORS Mike Payne – President Gwen Ambler – Vice President Kathy Hendrickson – Treasurer Sandy Park – Secretary Audrius Barzdukas Mandy Eckhoff Mike Kinsella Matt Farrell Greg Downey John Terry Ben Slade Colin McIntyre USA ULTIMATE STAFF Matthew Bourland – New Media Manager Melanie Byrd – Director of Membership & Sport Development Dr. Tom Crawford – Chief Executive Officer Will Deaver – Managing Director of Competition & Athlete Programs Julia Echterhoff – Administration & Finance Manager Byron Hicks – Athlete & Competition Programs Manager Andy Lee – Director of Marketing & Communications Michael Lovinguth – Education & Youth Programs Manager Richard Dana – Athlete & Competition Programs Manager Baker Pratt – Education & Youth Programs Manager Anna Schott – Membership & Sport Development Manager David Raflo – Events Manager David Mares – Membership Development Manager 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 more than 40,000 members and a national volunteer network.

44 Injury Timeout 46 What’s the Call 47 News & Notes

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 Andy Lee 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.

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D V

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W I N T E R 2 0 12

A LETTER TO OUR MEMBERS By: Dr. Tom Crawford, USA Ultimate Chief Executive Officer

2012 – Another Exciting Year in the Ultimate Decade! Every year at this time I find myself reflecting back on the year and how we’ve done as a sport and organization. Once again we’ve been fortunate and blessed to have a great year! A few highlights: With a ton of help and input from you, the Ultimate community, and guided by a strong and thoughtful task force, we have a bold and compelling strategic plan to guide our priorities and resource allocation for the next six years. We encourage you to learn about our plans here: www.usaultimate. org/thefuture.aspx.

strong growth in our College Division with more athletes competing than ever before and growing almost 8%, with the Women’s division parity leading to an incredibly exciting series and championship. Our Youth Division also experienced continued growth with more teams than ever in the Youth Club Championships and the division growing more than 8% (and any day now more than 10,000 youth members!)

An important part of this plan is the new Triple Crown Tour, designed to bring more meaning We successfully launched a and structure to our top division. This plan very important new strategic was designed to respond to years of input initiative, the Affiliate Program, from the club division teams and athletes, as well as help us achieve other goals in the new strategic plan. While we recognize and respect that this represents some changes, we are confident it reflects the input we have received from the vast majority of club teams and athletes, and we are excited about its potential. You can learn about the Triple Crown Tour here: www.usaultimate.org/ triplecrowntour.

We managed,

under great duress due to the massive and destructive Colorado wildfires, to launch an important new event, The U.S. Open Championships and Convention, which represents the first leg of our Triple Crown. Reviews were very positive, and those attending the conference component of the event described it as the most informative and eye-opening educational experience they have ever experienced in our sport. This is an important annual gathering of the entire community, and everyone is invited to attend and participate!

We continue record setting growth! Membership at USA Ultimate this year was the highest we have ever experienced in our long history, with growth at 5% overall and sanctioned events growing more than 15%. We also experienced 4

designed to provide focused and direct support and resources to local Ultimate leagues and associations to help them thrive and grow. We hope to aggressively expand this program in the coming years in order to build the national sports infrastructure we need to accelerate our growth and build a sustainable economy around our sport.

Our marketing and communications efforts continued to advance, landing our first Fortune 500 partner, CORT Furniture, which added some great fun and value to the College Championships, including $5000 in cash to each Championship program! We were selected by You Tube to become a premium channel partner, and successfully launched this powerful platform at the Club Championships. As a result of this and other activities, including broadcasting some fun historical footage, our YouTube channel had over a half million views, was watched for more than 3.5 million minutes, and we had more than 1000% growth in subscribers! We also developed a high level relationship with ESPN, and as a result had three highlights on the Sport Center Top 10 from the Championships, and have ongoing discussions with sports networks about the bright future of Ultimate and the Triple Crown Tour. We also continued to grow our social network/

media activities, increasing our Facebook, Twitter and Google + interactivity by 35%, 78% and over 400% respectively. And we went ‘electronic’ with our magazine and are now looking at ways to continue to improve the publication and increase it’s interactivity.

We continued our solid international performance this year, bringing home gold and silver at the World Junior Ultimate championships, and two golds and a silver at the World Championships. And, we already have a top-notch coaching staff in place in preparation for the World Games and U23 Championships in 2013.

While not as visible as some of the other developments, we also put in place solid foundational policies and practices in the area of finance and administration that will help us achieve goal number six of our strategic plan, creating a stable, high achieving and excellent organization long into the future. These include a formal operating reserves policy with an investment committee to oversee its management, changing banks to receive new operating partner benefits, and creating a new financial dashboard so the staff and board can quickly and easily track our monthly operations. These accomplishments represent just a small peak at all the work the amazing team here at USA Ultimate got done this year. I am super proud to be part of the team, and the team is really dedicated and proud to be serving all of you and the sport they love and cherish.

Happy Holidays to all and let’s make 2013 another record breaking year in the Ultimate Decade!

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Doubling Down

AUSTIN DOUBLEWIDE HIT THE JACKPOT AFTER BETTING ON AN ENTIRELY NEW APPROACH TO THE 2012 SEASON.

OPEN By: Gene Buonaccorsi

“We knew it was going to take a full team to win a championship,” said Doublewide Captain Jeff Loskorn, when asked about his team’s approach to the 2012 Club season. “The strategy of riding our big players the last few years worked against most teams, but not against the top few. A change in our overall team mentality needed to occur. It would take every person contributing for us to break through.” A disappointing 15-10 semifinal loss to Revolver at last year’s Club Championships was the catalyst for Doublewide’s new state of mind. After improving from 11th in 2008 to fifth in 2009 the Austin based team stalled out in the semifinals two years in a row. Their roster was stacked with veterans and over the course of the 2011 season both Brodie Smith and Kurt Gibson established themselves as among the most versatile players in the Club division. Yet something was missing. In order to break into the finals, Doublewide would need a different strategy. In 2012, the team prepared for that reality. “From the beginning of the year, we focused our strategies on how to beat the top teams,” Loskorn says. “That’s not to say we overlooked everyone else, but we felt confident that if we created a team that could beat the top teams, we could handle anyone.” In the past Doublewide would cruise by lower level teams before struggling against top squads. This year’s iteration of the team spent the entire season preparing for the highest level of competition. Though they struggled with a limited roster at the inaugural U.S. Open Championships, their potential began to show itself at the Emerald City Classic. On Sunday morning against Sockeye they displayed precision offense in a shootout that ended on universe point. Close games against Revolver and Machine proved that they were back on track after a slow start. Throughout the summer Doublewide’s practices focused on building chemistry and mimicking their future competitors. Loskorn characterized their weekend practices as “minicamps” during which offensive and defensive lines would face off. The offensive line -- Loskorn, Max Cook, Kiran Thomas and Will Driscoll among others -- consisted primarily of in-town players who added extra weekday practices. Come weekend time they would test their mettle against the other half of the squad. Again, they concentrated their energy towards the teams that they expected to meet in the Championship bracket. “We watched more film than ever before. The offense would mimic Revolver or Ironside so the D line could practice playing against it and vice versa,” Loskorn remembers. The W I N T E R 2 0 12

Left: Doublewide’s Cole Sullivan reaches for the disc in the open final vs. Revolver PHOTO: JEFF BELL/ULTIPHOTOS Above: Tim Gehret of Doublewide wrestles the disc away from Bart Watson and Patrick Baylis PHOTO: ALEX FRASER/ULTIPHOTOS

defense played an integral part in the development of the offense, challenging them every step of the way. As Loskorn puts it, “We wanted to beat each other, but only because we knew it would motivate everyone to be better.” As the summer came to an end Doublewide headed to the Labor Day Tournament for their last look at the competition 7

before the USA Ultimate Championship series. Despite being seeded fourth in their pool they took control, beating Revolver and Chain Lightning before falling on universe point to Rhino. Their 4-1 record put them in a semifinal matchup against Johnny Bravo – a surging team that had defeated Doublewide at the U.S. Open earlier in the season. Again Bravo would come out on top, but Doublewide’s growth at Labor Day can’t be understated. The team had begun to show brilliance. From a captain’s perspective, Loskorn was extremely happy with their development. “Our goal was never to win. It was to improve as a team and put ourselves in position to peak at Nationals. We got exactly what we wanted from Labor Day – we came closer to playing as a team and we saw where we needed to improve.” As the Series began it was clear that the vision of improvement was coming to fruition. The Doublewide team that swept Texas Sectionals and South Central Regionals was a different beast than that which struggled at the U.S. Open. The offensive line’s efficiency flourished by distributing touches and adapting to opposing defenses. Heading into the Club Championships Doublewide knew what they would have to overcome. It became clear early on that the team’s success would rely heavily on their D line’s ability to go on runs. In pool play Doublewide strung together breaks and took control against PoNY and Truck Stop. In their victory over Johnny Bravo, Doublewide displayed their ability to manage the conditions through stifling zone defense and a patient and precise offense.

Top Left: Doublewide’s Dalton Smith lays out for the D PHOTO: JEFF BELL/ULTIPHOTOS Bottom Left: Max Cook makes a play on the disc PHOTO: CHRISTINA SCHMIDT/ULTIPHOTOS

OPEN 8

According to Loskorn their breakthrough came during the quarterfinals against GOAT. “Most teams, including us up to this point, turned one dimensional in those conditions – huck and play D. We finally decided to run our normal offense going downwind, which changed the game,” said Loskorn. In their ensuing semifinal matchup against Ironside, Doublewide again was the more efficient team in the wind, using their deep looks to open up big under cuts, “Boston seemed to plan for us to continue to throw jump balls downwind. That allowed the offense to get 20 to 30 yard passes up the field without much pressure.” The result was a 14-12 victory – revenge for Ironside’s two-point semifinal win in 2011. Just like that, Doublewide was in the championship game for the first time in team history. Despite the fact that they had lost to Revolver 15-3 just two days earlier, Loskorn was very clear about the

Top Center and Right: Max Cook makes the catch, then celebrates his layout score PHOTOS: BRANDON WU/ULTIPHOTOS Bottom Left: Kevin Richardson elevates over Robbie Cahill in the endzone PHOTO: CHRISTINA SCHMIDT/ULTIPHOTOS Bottom Right: Bart Watson snags the disc as Robbie Cahill and Ashlin Joye look on PHOTO: KYLE MCBARD/ULTIPHOTOS

W I N T E R 2 0 12

team’s positive attitude going into Sunday. “Technically, we were underdogs in semis and finals and maybe people saw us as that, but we did not think of ourselves as underdogs. Our team truly bought into the notion that we were going to win a championship. In our minds, we were supposed to win.” The game started with a bang, as 19-year old defender Dalton Smith notched a layout D for Doublewide, leading to a quick break. From there both teams showed an ability to work the disc upwind for breaks, trading defensive scores early on. As the half progressed, though, Doublewide took the upper hand. Revolver’s Robbie Cahill had trouble with Kevin Richardson’s aggressive mark and Doublewide’s downfield defense made life very difficult for cutters Ashlin Joye and Beau Kittredge. Once they got the turn, Doublewide’s Kurt Gibson and Tim Gehret were effective working against the wind. “At halftime, we echoed the mentality that if we stick to our game, we will continue to be successful,” Loskorn recalled. “We were ready for them to make a run. All great teams rise to the occasion, and we expected it from Revolver.” Sure enough, in the second half, Doublewide met their biggest challenge of the tournament. With the score 11-7, Revolver went on a four-point run on the heels of big defensive plays by Mark Sherwood and Mac Taylor. It seemed that Revolver’s defensive offense was clicking on a higher level and Doublewide was on their heels. A mere four points later, Rory Orloff reeled in the game-winning pass from Cole Sullivan. With their backs to the ropes and experienced opponents threatening to take the lead, Doublewide took fate into their own hands and ran off a four-point run of their own. It started with a huge layout grab on a trailing huck by Andrew Walch, followed by a Kevin Richardson foot block. Kurt Gibson and Brodie Smith connected for the upwind break, and in a matter of seconds Doublewide was rolling again. This time, there would be no comeback. While the youth of the team speaks strongly to their future, the championship victory is a testament to Doublewide’s years of building. Loskorn, who is in his sixth year with the team, says “All of us dedicated ourselves to this season, but many of us have been dedicated to this team for years. It is an amazing feeling to see that kind of improvement and that those years of hard work finally paid off.” Now that they have their first national title under their belts, the sky is the limit for Doublewide. “Winning a championship is great for Doublewide, as well as the Austin Ultimate community,” Loskorn posits. “We hope it can further spread the game in Texas as well as continue to improve the level of play across the country.” Above: Revolver’s Jordan Jeffery relies on his height advantage to come down with the disc PHOTO: ALEX FRASER/ULTIPHOTOS Opposite Page Upper Left: Doublewide’s Andrew Walch goes up and over two Revolver opponents to make the grab PHOTO: JEFF BELL/ULTIPHOTOS Upper Right: Doublewide celebrates its national title PHOTO: JEFF BELL/ULTIPHOTOS Bottom: Doublewide’s Jeff Loskorn lays out for the D in the championship match PHOTO CHRISTINA SCHMIDT/ULTIPHOTOS

OPEN

W I N T E R 2 0 12

Open Championship Game Statistics Doublewide - 15 JERSEY #

NAME

GOALS

ASSISTS

Scott Berens

Tim Gehret

Jerrod Wolfe

Max Cook

Jeff Loskorn

David Melancon

Kurt Gibson

Matt Bierschenk

Arthur Corbitt

Steven Darroh

Trey LaMastres

Andrew Walch

Dalton Smith

Cole Sullivan

Daniel Poindexter

Kiran Thomas

Jacob Anderson

Michael Natenberg

Kevin Richardson

Brodie Smith

Stephen Presley

Will Driscoll

Rory Orloff

Chris Gibson

Ryan Bigley

Valley Renshaw

TOTALS

Revolver - 11 JERSEY #

NAME

ASSISTS

Adam Simon

Tom James

Jon Levy

Taylor Cascino

Josh Wiseman

Russell Wynne

Patrick Baylis

Cassidy Rasmussen

Robbie Cahill

Zach Travis

Nick Chapman

Jon Hester

Mark Sherwood

Joel Schlachet

Devon Anderson

Eric Greenwood

Ryo Kawaoka

Nick Schlag

Jordan Jeffery

Ashlin Joye

Martin Cochran

Bart Watson

Sam Kanner

Taylor Lahey

Mac Taylor

Beau Kittredge TOTALS

GOALS

Final Standings 1 – Doublewide 2 – Revolver 3T – Ironside 3T – Ring of Fire 5 – Machine 6 – GOAT 7T – Chain Lightning 7T – Sockeye 9 – Madison Club 10 – Rhino 11 – Furious George 12 – Johnny Bravo 13T – Sub Zero 13T – Truck Stop 15 – Boost Mobile 16 – PoNY

Team Spirit Standings 4.75 – Machine 4.71 – Boost Mobile 4.71 – Chain Lightning 4.71 – Sub Zero 4.43 – GOAT 4.43 – Revolver 4.43 – Ring of Fire 4.33 – Sockeye 4.29 – Madison Club 4.25 – Rhino 4.14 – Ironside 3.88 – Johnny Bravo 3.83 – Doublewide 3.57 – PoNY 3.50 – Truck Stop 3.29 – Furious George W I N T E R 2 0 12

Individual Spirit Awards Boost Mobile – Henry Adams Chain Lightning – Jason Simpson Doublewide – Steven Darroh Furious George – Bobo Eyrich GOAT – Scotty Nicholls Ironside – Russell Wallack Johnny Bravo – Jack Mcshane Machine – Michael Shiel Madison – Nate Thibedeau PoNY – Jody Avirgan Revolver – Martin Cochran Rhino – Ben Lohre Ring of Fire – Thomas Ward Sockeye – Aly Lenon Sub Zero – Sean Breaux Truckstop – Dave Cranston

OPEN

Opposite Top: Revolver’s Russel Wynne lays out for the D PHOTO: BRANDON WU/ULTIPHOTOS Opposite Bottom: Rhino’s Seth Wiggins catches the disc PHOTO: WILLIAM BROTMAN/ULTIPHOTOS This Page Left: Ring of Fire’s Christian Johnson skies his opponent PHOTO: BRANDON WU/ULTIPHOTOS Right: Brett Matzuka of Ring of Fire and Robbie Cahill of Revolver go for the disc PHOTO: KEVIN LECLAIRE/ULTIPHOTOS

WOMEN’S By Devon Ericksen

The Fury Philosophy DESPITE A 7-8 HALFTIME DEFICIT, FURY RELIED HEAVILY ON ITS MENTAL TOUGHNESS AND INTANGIBLES TO DEFEAT RIOT AND CLAIM ITS SEVENTH CONSECUTIVE NATIONAL TITLE

This year, San Francisco Fury took home its seventh to recover quickly from mistakes, and often repeat the mantra consecutive Club Championship title, the team’s ninth overall, “respond perfectly to imperfection”. The phrase, according to to cap off an undefeated season. Fury has truly achieved player Kristie Bowen, “represents how on Fury we commit to Ultimate greatness, and if this year is any reflection of the always supporting each other and responding as well as we next, they seem poised to break Lady Godiva’s record of most can to non-ideal situations.” championship wins in USA Ultimate history. Coming together Talent, however, is still necessary, and Fury is never in short to create this continued success is a recipe made up of mental supply. The Bay Area is fertile ground for talented players, and toughness, incredible talent, world-class coaching, and a final Fury’s success has drawn many stars of women’s Ultimate to ingredient that’s somewhere between magic and luck. its roster. Fury is also known for attracting some of the best Many teams are full of great talent and led by excellent coaches. college players. Year after year, it’s no surprise to see the big But what Fury brings to women’s Ultimate is a whole new names from College Nationals wearing Fury jerseys in Sarasota level of refinement of the mental aspect of the game, which five months later. California’s Claire Desmond and Sonoma some feel is the most challenging part of Ultimate. Fury’s State’s Maggie Ruden were Fury’s two college players to Coach Matty Tsang firmly believes in the power of the mental double dip this year, and both played outstanding all weekend. game. “Talent is absolutely necessary and absolutely overrated. Left: Fury’s Manisha Daryani catches the disc over Bailey Zahniser of Riot You need talent to win, but that is just the starting point”, he PHOTO: JEFF BELL/ULTIPHOTOS argues. “The mental approach and team dynamics enable Right: Fury’s Julia Sherwood makes a grab in the championship final you to realize the potential on your team.” A team must be PHOTO: PETE GUION/ULTIPHOTOS mentally prepared when their opponent takes away their first Opposite: Fury’s Kristie Bowen makes a sliding catch and second options, and ready to focus on the simple tasks at PHOTO: PETE GUION/ULTIPHOTOS hand, not letting thoughts of mistakes or anxiety distract them. Tsang points out that “Mentally strong teams recover in a point, good teams in a half. Poor teams can sometimes be taken out of a day or a whole tournament by a couple bad mistakes.” Fury draws their inspiration from the Japanese women on how

Ruden’s huge layout D near the end of the Championship game was a big moment that helped win an upwind break for Fury, and two points later, the game. The second ingredient in Fury’s recipe of domination is easy to understand. Matty Tsang is the Dumbledore of Ultimate. This coaching mastermind has helped Fury win Nationals every year since he started leading the team in 2006. He seems to understand perfectly the strengths and weaknesses of opponents, and is well known for finding the right words at the right time to motivate his players. His coaching finesse was put on display as Fury entered halftime of this year’s Club Championship finals down 8-7 to Riot after a tough and windy first half. Fury was on serve to tie the game, and Tsang calmly reminded his team that their game plan was actually working well. The simple execution errors that hurt them early in the game had been cleaned up by the time half rolled around, and all the team had to do was make a few strategic changes. On offense, he asked them to be more aggressive with away cuts in order to open up more space underneath. On defense, he asked the team to follow Kaela Jorgenson’s example, who in the first half had made a defensive adjustment that Tsang felt would help the whole team shut down Riot’s deep game. This relaxed and simple leadership style– providing reminders what is working on the field, making small adjustments to the things that are not, and praising individual accomplishments – helped Fury make a seven-point run out of half that would lead to the Championship. Trying to define the last ingredient of the Fury recipe is like trying to pin down a cloud. Captains Lakshmi Narayan and Nancy Sun prefer telling stories about what unites and inspires their team, from the bonding experience of navigating Japanese subway systems at Worlds to the impact of an inspirational TED Talk on their team’s body language. Fury seems to have a way of incorporating anything and everything into their team culture, from spontaneous cheers that stick around (every player has their own personalized cheer, ready to be pulled out after big plays) to powerful body language (why do they keep raising their hands above their heads?) to superstitions that work (ever walk down the sideline to find an entire team’s bags neatly lined up? Chances are it was Fury on its way to a championship).

WOMEN’S

Opposite Top: Anna Nazarov comes down with the disc for Fury PHOTO: KYLE MCBARD/ULTIPHOTOS // Opposite Bottom Left: Julia Sherwood makes another grab PHOTO: CHRISTINA SCHMIDT/ULTIPHOTOS // Opposite Right: Nazarov throws downfield PHOTO: KYLE MCBARD/ULTIPHOTOS // Top: Maggie Ruden lays out for the disc PHOTO: KEVIN LECLAIRE/ULTIPHOTOS // Bottom: Julia Sherwood and Shannon McDowell of Riot reach for the disc PHOTO: CHRISTINA SCHMIDT/ULTIPHOTOS

W I N T E R 2 0 12

WOMEN’S

But what’s behind all the fun is a set of core values that define this unflappable team. Trust, positivity, and accountability are what shape the Fury experience. Narayan reflects that “Sometimes it feels like a challenge to balance positivity and accountability, but the longer I spend on the team, the more I realize that our trust in each other allows us to continuously improve, together, and know that when push comes to shove each

of us is going to do what it takes to reach our common goal.” The trust that your team will give everything on the field, the positivity that leads to a Team Spirit Award and a Kathy Pufahl Spirit Award winner, and the accountability that your teammates will push themselves to be better players are the values that win championships. That, and a little bit of superstition.

Top Left: 7 on 7: Kaela Jorgenson and Calise Cardenas playing in the championship game // Top Right: Julia Sherwood PHOTO: ALEX FRASER/ULTIPHOTOS // Bottom: Coach Matty Tsang and his Fury team huddle up in Sarasota PHOTO: ALEX FRASER/ULTIPHOTOS

same play, four angles

W I N T E R 2 0 12

Riot’s Calise Cardenas lays out for the disc with Fury’s Nancy Sun in pursuit, as taken from four different angles PHOTOS CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: ALEX FRASER, PETE GUION, WILLIAM BROTMAN, KYLE MCBARD/ULTIPHOTOS

WOMEN’S Right: Ozone’s Chelsea Murphy prepares to make a catch PHOTO: KEVIN LECLAIRE/ULTIPHOTOS Opposite Top: Scandal’s Opie Payne catches the disc over Kelly Johnson of Nemesis PHOTO: BEANDON WU/ULTIPHOTOS Opposite Bottom: Molly Roy of Scandal makes a grab despite tenacious D by Riot’s Shannon McDowell PHOTO: BRANDON WU/ULTIPHOTOS

Riot - 9

Fury - 15 JERSEY #

NAME

ASSISTS

JERSEY #

NAME

GOALS

ASSISTS

Nicky Bloom

Bailey Zahniser

Castle Sinicrope

Alyssa Weatherford

Alex Snyder

Gwen Ambler

Emily Damon

Rohre Titcomb

Alicia Dantzker

Kate Kingery

Kaela Jorgenson

Sarah Griffith

Nancy Sun

Calise Cardenas

Genevieve Laroche

Rachel Bradshaw

Lauren Casey

Shannon McDowell

Kristie Bowen

Hannah Kreilkamp

Cree Howard

Shannon O'Malley

Liz Penny

Callie Mah

Alden Fletcher

Heidi-Marie Wiggins

Julia Sherwood

Hana Kawai

Claire Sharman

Katy Craley

Ness Fajardo

Dominique Fontenette

Anna Nazarov

Fiona McKibben

Yelena Gorlin

Elle Burstein

Darragh Clancy

Caitlin Cordell

Maggie Ruden

Kirstin Gruver

Claire Desmond

Angelica Boyden

Lakshmi Narayan

Kathryn Lawson

Manisha Daryani

Nora Carr

Carolyn Finney

Jillian Goodreau

Sarah Davis

TOTALS

GOALS

Women’s Championship Game Statistics Final Standings 1 – Fury 2 – Riot 3T – Scandal 3T – Showdown 5 – Molly Brown 6 – Nemesis 7 – Capitals 8 – Ozone 9 – Traffic 10 – Nightlock 11 – Heist 12 – Brute Squad 13 – Phoenix 14 – Hot Metal 15 – Underground 16 – Schwa

Team Spirit Standings 4.86 4.43 4.29 4.29 4.29 4.14 4.13 4.00 4.00 4.00 4.00 3.86 3.71 3.50 3.38 3.29

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Fury Schwa Heist Hot Metal Molly Brown Riot Brute Squad Capitals Phoenix Showdown Underground Nightlock Scandal Traffic Nemesis Ozone

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Individual Spirit Awards Brute Squad – Jackie Boothe Capitals – Kate Jardine Fury – Lauren Casey Heist – Emily Langland Hot Metal – Susan Thomas Molly Brown – Sally Lambert Nemesis – Emily Hadel Nightlock – Abby VanMuijen Ozone – Kirsten Shell Phoenix – Alicia Lagasca Riot – Hanna Kawai Scandal – Katie Shepley Schwa – Bre Austin Showdown – Tina Woodings Traffic – Candace Chan Underground – Petra Kowlaski

MIXED By: Maya Ziv

Back in Black

SAN FRANCISCO’S BLACKBIRD DOMINATES CROSSTOWN RIVALS POLAR BEARS IN AN ALL BAY-AREA MIXED FINAL A second year and another medal for Bay Area Blackbird. Just like in 2011, this year saw an unpromising start to the Blackbird season, but by the end of October, the team had rallied to become more unstoppable than ever. Unusually, Blackbird’s season started off at the World Championships in Sakai, Japan as Captain Jamie Nuwer stated that the team’s goals in 2012 were centered around winning gold at both Worlds and the National Championships. But Team USA ended up taking fourth in Japan. In reference to falling short of one of the squad’s primary goals, Nuwer said “The problem with our Worlds preparation was that we didn’t have any highly competitive tournaments to prepare ourselves.” With a lack of frequent practices, games against the top teams were critical for Blackbird’s run up to Nationals in order to avoid a similar fate in Sarasota. Tournament weekends were treated as intense two day workouts with the goal of improving and preparing for a chance at a repeat title. Captain Brian Garcia stated that, “At worlds we learned that we play our best when we don’t put so much pressure on ourselves. We’re not that team. We’ve gotten back to what we were doing and thinking last year.” The team carried this mentality all the way to another gold medal, though they had to surpass some obstacles along the way. At the Emerald City Classic in August, Blackbird faced off against the Polar Bears for the first time since trading blows in Sarasota a season before. This time their cross town rivals took the victory by a commanding score of 14-9. Blackbird continued to struggle throughout ECC, falling to the Mental Toss Flycoons and newcomers Great Northern Ultimate. It was clear that the defending champions had a tough road ahead and with the number of bids for the Southwest unknown, a return trip to Sarasota was uncertain. Opposite: Andrew Hagen makes a grab over Kevin Cocks and Alexa Kirkland PHOTO: CHRISTINA SCHMIDT/ULTIPHOTOS

MIXED Above: Elijah Kerns gets in position to make a grab PHOTO: KEVIN LECLAIRE/ULTIPHOTOS Left: Corey Lee of Blackbird and Scott Roeder of Polar Bears make a play for the disc PHOTO: KEVIN LECLAIRE/ULTIPHOTOS

Opposite: Daniel Gillick rises above to make the catch PHOTO: KEVIN LECLAIRE/ULTIPHOTOS

With only one more sanctioned tournament before the Championship Series, Blackbird had to do the Southwest proud at Labor Day in Davis, California. Though they would exit early in quarterfinals, the Bay Area crew was able to get a firsthand look at their regional competition, which paid dividends just a few weeks later. As part of one of the strongest regions in mixed Ultimate, Blackbird faced off against some of the top teams in the country at Nor Cal Sectionals and Southwest Regionals. With a fourth-place

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finish at both of these tournaments, the incumbent squad returned to Florida seeded 11th overall. But it wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t just the low seeding they had to overcome. The team also had to face the loss of some teammates from the year before. Unlike other teams, Blackbird uses their full roster every game, so the loss of even a few people changes the team dynamic. Without Anna Nazarov, Whit Clark, Olivier Humblet, Peri Kurshan, Leila Jirari and Korin Lee, Blackbird was missing some of their biggest scorers

Polar Bears vs. Blackbird showcased Bay Area talent in the championship final for the second year in a row PHOTO: KYLE MCBARD/ULTIPHOTOS

from the previous year. Adding to their issues, Jamie Nuwer, Chris Eggers and Tyler Grant were all injured heading into Sarasota. Grant actually played through his injuries at the Championships, but saw much less of the field than he otherwise would have. To fill some of these holes, Blackbird augmented their roster with some powerful athletes. Karen Brimacombe, Sally Mimms, Jen Schmerling, Jen Burney, Susan Catchelder, Charles Denby, Andrew Hagen and Eli Janin all made big plays for Blackbird throughout the weekend. Though they faltered during the regular season, Nuwer credits the

experience of the Blackbird roster as a strong reason for why the team does so well on the national stage: “Blackbird selects players who are seasoned veterans and know what it takes to be their best when it counts.” It’s no surprise then that Blackbird was the second oldest team at the Club Championships, with an average age of 30. Perhaps it was the new team members that helped Blackbird perform better at the 2012 Club Championships than the year before. Though they would lose in the first round of Pool C action, this would be the only blemish on Blackbird’s Club Championship performance as they

would win out on the way to a second consecutive title. On the path to the finals, Blackbird would run into the Polar Bears in Power Pools. In a close and exciting match, both teams held tight until the former pulled away for a 15-12 win. Little did these squads know at the time that they were warming up for a rematch in the finals. Though sidelined, Nuwer fulfilled her captain duties, playing a large role in strategizing for the team throughout the tournament. Unlike in 2011, the wind was a huge factor during the entire weekend. This changed Nuwer’s plan of attack for the finals game against the Polar Bears. Two Octobers ago, Blackbird ran a significant portion of their offense through handler movement and bodied up with player-to-player coverage on defense. “This year because of the wind, we put a huge emphasis on hucking the disc downfield for field position. Fortunately we had some tall and athletic receivers who caught the less-than-ideal hucks and retained possession so we were able to score upwinders.” On defense, Blackbird adjusted for the wind well, running more zone and straight up marks to minimize the Polar Bears’ chance to play the deep game effectively. The finals game went Blackbird’s way early. The weather made the game dependent on the direction of play, but Blackbird’s excellent throws upwind allowed them to grab a 4-0 lead before Polar Bears could respond. By the time the Polar Bears cleaned up their game and reduced their turnovers, it was too late. Blackbird held strong and maintained their multiple break lead before sealing the deal at 15-9 and walking away with their second title in a row.

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MIXED

Blackbird celebrates their second consecutive national championship PHOTO: JEFF BELL/ULTIPHOTOS

Mixed Championship Game Statistics Blackbird - 15 JERSEY #

NAME

ASSISTS

Eli Janin

Brian Garcia

Susan Batchelder

Carol Chen

Andrew Hagen

Tommy Hendrickson

Karen Brimacombe

Dan Hodges

June Srisethnil

Jason Zhang

Nat Kinsky

Corey Lee

Jamie Nuwer

Tyler Grant

Jen Burney

Jen Schmerling

Amanda Leahy

Charles Denby

Adam Scow

Nick Slovan

Sally Mimms

Daniel Gillick

Korin Lee

Sheeva Zarechian

Christopher Eggers

TOTALS

GOALS

Final Standings 1 – Blackbird 2 – Polar Bears 3T – Drag’n Thrust 3T – Mischief 5 – Cosa Nostra 6 – Odyssee 7T – Chad Larson Experience 7T – The Ghosts

9 – Bucket 10 – Slow White 11 – American BBQ 12 – 7 Figures 13 – Overhaul 14 – AMP 15 – Wild Card 16 – Mental Toss Flycoons

Polar Bears - 9 JERSEY #

NAME

GOALS

ASSISTS

Scott Roeder

Cullen Coyne

Clay Miller

Simon Higgins

Monique Tafoya

Kevin Cocks

Greg Marliave

Federico Chialvo

Elijah Kerns

AJ Shankar

Natasha Won

Alexa Kirkland

Matty Sung

Shannon Matzinger

Daniel Naruo

Lisa Pitcaithley

Tamiko Younge

Lucas Dallmann

Yvette Fisher

Josh Wardle

Paige Kercher

Palak Shah

Benjamin Hubbard

Adam Raty

An-Chi Tsou

TOTALS

MIXED Team Spirit Standings 4.50 4.29 4.25 4.14 4.00 3.88 3.86 3.86 3.83 3.83 3.75 3.57 3.43 3.43 3.38 3.29

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Mental Toss Flycoons Wild Card American BBQ Polar Bears The Ghosts Slow White AMP Odyssee Bucket Chad Larson Experience Mischief Drag’n Thrust 7 Figures Overhaul Cosa Nostra Blackbird

Individual Spirit Awards

Top: Casey Terp of the Ghosts makes a grab PHOTO: BRANDON WU/ULTIPHOTOS Bottom: AJ Shankar outreaches Jeff Graham for the disc PHOTO: BRANDON WU/ULTIPHOTOS

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7 Figures – Caitlin Rugg American BBQ – Kevin Manss AMP – Billy Olli Blackbird – Susan Batchelder Bucket – Molly Snipes Cosa Nostra – Varun Pattani Drag N Thrust – Christie Dosch Mental Toss Flycoons – Sarah Megyesi Mischief – Hilary Vance Odyssee – Julie Blais Overhaul – Jesse Ellwood Polar Bears – Aj Shankar Slow White – Chris Waite The Chad Larson Experience– Nick Turco The Ghosts – Kree Graham Wild Card - Kristen Stasinowsky 29

Redemption MINNESOTA’S SURLY AVENGED A DISAPPOINTING WORLDS TRIP TO JAPAN WITH ITS THIRD NATIONAL TITLE

MASTERS By Matty Spillum

As the rest of the Ultimate world jostled for most of the roster that had travelled to Japan still positions in next season’s Triple Crown Tour, the wanted redemption. “Getting your (butts) handed Masters division prepared to ride off into the to you on the international stage really changes Sarasota sunset. With the Masters division being the perspective on the game,” said Chandler. integrated into the Grandmasters and Women’s “At Regionals, Rupe (Brian Rupert) called Masters Championships in the summer beginning Surly’s win the ‘most under-celebrated Regional in 2013, this would be the last Masters final held at Championship ever.’” the Club Championships. And the finals matchup The road back to championship Ultimate was between Surly and Boneyard was a marquee tilt difficult for Surly after Worlds. Facing the loss of a befitting the occasion. Boneyard sought to erase few key players after Japan, the situation got worse the sting of 2010’s loss to Surly in the finals, as well with injuries, especially to Offensive Captain Phil as the disappointment of last season’s quarterfinal Bowen. Turnover is always an issue for a Masters loss to Wheelchair. Surly, on the other hand, team, of course, but for Surly, the pipeline of big wanted to get the “Worlds monkey off our backs,” name pickups seemed to run dry as the roster was as John Chandler put it (Team USA missed out being built. “The challenge we faced this time out on the podium in Japan last summer). While was to bring along new players while maintaining the subsequent Grandmasters Championship the overall attitude of how we play,” said Chandler. smoothed the egos of the team’s elder contingent,

Below: Mick Ribault lays out for the disc PHOTO: KEVIN LECLAIRE/ULTIPHOTOS Opposite: Mark Enright of Surly tries to break up a pass to Boneyard’s Troy Revell PHOTO: PETE GUION/ULTIPHOTOS

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Early on in Sarasota, integrating the new faces posed challenges to Surly, and with Thursday’s third round pool play loss to Boneyard, it would have been understandable for the leashes and bench to shorten considerably. “As a rookie on Surly, you come in and feel like you have an enormous responsibility to be ready, focused and still have a good attitude,” said second-year player Sky Davey. “As a team, though, we really care about each other; we never got down on each other, and that brings up our personal level of responsibility, because we care about doing the little things.”

Top Left: Boneyard’s Brian Lang gets position on his defender PHOTO: WILLIAM BROTMAN/ULTIPHOTOS Bottom Left: Mick Ribault of Boneyard and Dave Boardman of Surly both go up for the disc PHOTO: BRANDON WU/ ULTIPHOTOS Top Middle: Surly’s Adam Goff looks the disc into his hands in the championship game PHOTO: BRANDON WU/ULTIPHOTOS

MASTERS 32

a lot of the vets were getting emotionally long in the tooth. Seeing Championships through a guy like Alex Fraser’s eyes, a guy who hasn’t been here before and is just soaking it in and enjoying it, is different than seeing it through my own eyes. That energy makes you want to do more.” As then-Tropical Storm Sandy’s winds shifted and strengthened during the semifinals, that ‘more’ was being demanded on every point. As Surly’s tight back and forth game against Johnny Encore progressed, a crucial late upwind score looked to be enough to seal the deal for Surly, until Encore responded to a Surly overthrow on game point with an upwinder of its own. “We were naturally disappointed that the O line missed that opportunity at 14-12, but we weren’t surprised,” said Chandler. “Johnny Encore is a great team, and we knew they were going to be with us the whole way. But we stayed positive, and let the rest of the game come to us.” That type of steadiness is the mark of a veteran championship program.

The team’s cohesiveness and dedication to their common vision means that Surly’s sidelines are rarely a locale for the kind of curmudgeonly internecine grumbling and frustrated hat throwing so commonly associated with Masters Ultimate. “Most of our players this season really understood that it is not a bad thing to be called a role player,” said Chandler. “It can be challenging for someone new to come into an existing lineup and make a seamless transition if that person has As the final began, however, it became a lot of expectations.” Surly rookies apparent that steadiness alone would Ben “Jammin” Cohen and Mike Berseth not suffice. Boneyard, flush with expressed similar themes. “Until I played confidence having beaten Surly earlier in with these guys, I didn’t fully realize how the tournament, roared out of the gate, great a team it was,” said Cohen. “It pouncing on a couple of uncharacteristic is never about any one guy out there; errors to gain a couple of critical upwind everyone buys in all the way.” Berseth breaks. “At the time,” recalled Chandler, concurred: “We always want to be a “it felt terrible. When Robbye Brooks got team that represents ourselves well. We free and ripped off the huge backhand to focus on the integrity of the team.” Ray Parrish, who is not really guardable Those attitudes have effects on the whole by any one guy in the division, it just team. As Chandler put it, “After Japan, seemed like these guys were eating

our lunch.” In many ways, the first half seemed like nothing so much as a reprise of Surly’s 2009 loss to Troubled Past in the final. “Just like Troubled Past,” said Chandler, “Boneyard had unstoppable receivers. They threw long to Plan A (Parrish) and Plan B (Kevin Kusy), and these were both very good plans.” Just before half, however, Boneyard called a timeout, which some on Surly took to be a sign. “All through the first half, I just never felt like we were comfortable on the field,” said Davey. “After we got down, Paco (Mark Enright) said that we were going to make a run. I had to believe that.” This belief was not universal at half, however. “Yeah, I gave another version of the ‘we’re gonna make a run’ speech,” recalled Chandler, “but at that point, down 8-5, I did not totally believe it.” This lack of faith seemed warranted when Boneyard scored the first point after half going upwind, but then Surly got an upwinder of its own. After the hold to take the next point, Chandler began to reexamine his halftime lack of faith: “If we give up that next point after our upwinder, it is over. After we brought it to 8-9, they had to be thinking ‘man, we had these guys on the ropes.’ But it was really just the evening out of the fortunes of the first half. During our run, they had maybe two or three drops in the endzone; if any one of those gets caught, and they have us down 11-9 with the wind on their side, it’s over.” As Surly celebrated their third consecutive Club Masters Championship, there was a W I N T E R 2 0 12

palpable sense that this one really meant something to the Minnesota-based team. Sure, championships are always special, and the ever-present “MFB” and “42” stickers keep the memories of departed team talisman Marty Bakko always in Surly’s hearts and minds. Still, this one seemed important. “I’d say it is right up there with 2010, for me,” said Chandler. “That year, we tied Keg Workers of America with our second win. We had so much firepower, and we put it all together. This year, we needed to get Japan out of our systems. Also, we felt a little underpowered by our standards. So, it was good to get a win that we could chalk up to the team as a whole, to the program itself.” As Masters prepares to leave the hallowed fields of Sarasota for a time and place to be determined, another sandalwood disc takes its place on the walls of the Surly Brewery, while the trophy returns to the spot on the bar it has occupied for most of the last three years. Next season, some of the Surly lads will return to defend the title, some will try to do the same in the Grandmasters division and some will fall away from the fold. One thing that can be counted on, however, is that whatever team takes the field under the Surly banner, they cannot be overlooked. As to the Triple Crown, Surly won’t need it; they have one of their own.

Top Center: Surly celebrates its second title in three years PHOTO: KEVIN LECLAIRE/ULTIPHOTOS Top Right: Sam Rosenthal is marked by Jeff Plentl PHOTO: KEVIN LECLAIRE/ULTIPHOTOS Bottom Right: Surly’s Dave Boardman rises above Mick Ribault PHOTO: KEVIN LECLAIRE/ULTIPHOTOS

Ben Cohen makes an incredible grab on the sideline PHOTO: BRANDON WU/ULTIPHOTOS

2012 MART Y B A K KO SPIRIT AWA R D WINNER

One of the most telling aspects of a person’s character is how he or she reacts to adversity. Over the course of a long Ultimate career, a player will get many opportunities to demonstrate that element of character, whether the adversity comes in ways mundane or mighty. Certainly, however, we can all hope not to have to face the kind of adversity that David Remucal, the 2012 Marty Bakko Spirit Award winner, was harshly introduced to at Southwest Open Sectionals: “In our game against Bravo, Jim Nolte and I both went after a D. We ended up crashing heads together pretty much head on laying out. I think. I don’t remember the accident so this is what I’ve gathered from folks who saw: The part of Jim’s head that hit mine was to the side of his eye, which is a little thicker than the part behind your eyebrow, so his head won. He had a pretty serious gash and concussion. My skull cracked and collapsed into my sinus, so I got some titanium plates in my head.” Given the severity of the injury, it was not a given that Remucal could even continue playing the sport he’d started as a freshman at Carleton in 1989. “Tennis had been my main sport in high school,” recalled Remucal, “but given my relative lack of accomplishment there, the Carleton tennis coach gently directed my attention away from trying out for the team. So I guess in a backwards way he was a pretty major influence on me, stopping my tennis arc and forcing me to look for another sport, which at Carleton is Ultimate as most folks have heard by now.”

JOHNNY ENCORE’S

DAVID REMUCAL PHOTO: KEVIN LECLAIRE/ULTIPHOTOS

Remucal continued to play Ultimate at CU Boulder, and then joined the newly forming Johnny Bravo, where he forged ties that continue strongly today. “I’ve played with a few of the guys, like John Leach, Wes Williams and Jason Brask for most of my Ultimate playing years,” said Remucal, “especially Curtis Manning, whom I also played with on the University of Colorado teams.” At the time, each of these teams were either just starting or at crucial transitions in their histories, and that feeling of bonding with teammates against

the odds is one thing that Remucal credits with pushing him to become the player he is. “On the field, I would say I was also influenced by the top players around the country; my role on my teams was often to take the most problematic offensive player on the other team and shut him down or get a turnover. It meant I got to match up against a lot of the best players in the country and there is nothing like doing that to inspire you to become a better defensive player!” Of course, all that was nearly rendered a footnote at this year’s Sectionals, but Remucal’s recovery has been progressing. “Given the fact that my skull, which happens to be pretty near my brain, collapsed,” he noted, “I could’ve had some pretty serious permanent complications. But so far, so good. The only down part of the recovery was that it kept me off the field until Nationals. Sarasota was the first time that I had really been able to get back out and play, and I felt bad that I wasn’t able to contribute to the team like I normally would have been able to. But really, to even be able to be playing again let alone play again so quickly is nothing to grumble about. I know I was incredibly lucky both in recovering and having a team that supported me so much in coming back.” While admitting to being surprised by the award, David Remucal demonstrated his humility in describing what the award should be for: “I expect the Marty Bakko to come to mean roughly the same as the Callahan award: it’s not just awarded to nicest, most fair person on the field, but the person that embodies the most competitive, accomplished, generous, honest, just and even magnanimous Masters player. Maybe it does already, but I really can’t picture myself as being someone that accomplished.” In honor of his perseverance and ability to face down adversity with courage and the kind of respectful competitive fire that Marty Bakko brought to the game of Ultimate, David Remucal is most certainly a worthy recipient of the 2012 Bakko Award.

Masters Championship Game Statistics Surly - 15 JERSEY #

NAME

Boneyard - 13 GOALS

ASSISTS

JERSEY #

GOALS

ASSISTS

Ricky Eikstadt

Sandy Hartwiger

Matt Wilken

Patrick McNally

Alex Fraser

Mick Ribault

Jim Mott

Christoph Boshoff

Todd Owens

Tim Lupo

Paul Anderson

Brian Sherry

Dave Steglich

Ray Parrish

Andrew Dikeman

Jason Barnes

Don Tom

Jimmy Mangum

Mark Enright

Jimmy Holtzman

Randy Gage

Brian Lang

Jeremy Alden

Terry Kramer

John Sandahl

Mark Strazzer

Mike Berseth

Grant Gardner

Seth Grossinger

Mike Denardis

Dave Boardman

Patrick Rabenold

Adam Goff

Robbye Brooks

Sam Rosenthal

Kris Bass

Russ Adams

Brian Gane

John Chandler

Kevin Kusy

Sky Davey

Jeff Plentl

Ben Cohen

Jon Proctor

Scotty Alsleben

Bobby Veit

Bryan Rupert

Mike Jolley

John Fenske

Nick Poore

Alan Hoyle

Roger Lassiter

Troy Revell

Motts Mueller

TOTALS

NAME

TOTALS

Thor Martin of Wasted Talent looks to unload the disc PHOTO: CHRISTINA SCHMIDT/ULTIPHOTOS

MASTERS Final Standings 1 – Surly 2 – Boneyard 3 – Johnny Encore 4 – Reckon 5T – GLUM 5T – No Country 7T – Burnside 7T – Tejas 9 – Chesapeaked 10 – Wasted Talent 11 – Figjam 12 – Crawl

Team Spirit Standings 5.00 4.86 4.71 4.57 4.57 4.57 4.43 4.38 4.33 4.33 4.00 3.43

– – – – – – – – – – – –

Crawl Johnny Encore Reckon Burnside Figjam Surly Wasted Talent No Country Chesapeaked Tejas GLUM Boneyard

Individual Spirit Awards

Clockwise from Top: Patrick Mackie of Tejas goes up for the disc PHOTO: KEVIN LECLAIRE/ ULTIPHOTOS Aaron Moredock of Reckon gets up between two Johnny Encore opponents PHOTO: PETE GUION/ULTIPHOTOS Tom Etchison of Tejas gets up for the disc PHOTO: CHRISTINA SCHMIDT/ULTIPHOTOS

Boneyard – Robbye Brooks Burnside – Gregg Andrick Chesapeaked – Anthony Iwaszko Crawl – Josiah Roberts Fig Jam – Paul Embregts GLUM – Brett Taylor Johnny Encore – Dave Remucal No Country – Bill Stewart Reckon – Alan Reeves Surly – Sky Davey Tejas – Brian Thompson Wasted Talent – Paul Callaway

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Pufahl Award INTERVIEW WITH LAUREN CASEY By: Devon Ericksen

How long have you been playing Ultimate, and where did you first learn the sport? What led you to play for Fury? I’ve been playing for 11 years (wow). I started playing at Stanford University. Fury was a natural fit for me since it was local, and many of my first Ultimate mentors played Fury (like Gwen Ambler, Robin Knowler, and Erin Percival). What do you do outside of playing Ultimate? How long have you lived in the Bay Area? I work for the Regional Climate Protection Authority in Sonoma County. I’ve lived in the Bay Area for 10 years, studying and working on climate and energy issues. I also recently had a two-year hiatus in Montana (my home state). Spirit of the Game is one of the many aspects of Ultimate that sets it apart from other sports. What does Spirit mean to you, and how do you carry that out on the field? I absolutely love to play a fiercely competitive game, but only if the quality of the game is preserved through respect. So I believe it’s paramount for me and my teammates to give our opponents the same opportunity that I desire: a fair, safe, and respectful game. That fosters a space for people to do amazing things and nothing brings me more joy than watching my teammates do amazing things! It also enhances the collective experience for both teams, and allows for friendship between opponents.

Lauren Casey PHOTO: JEFF BELL/ ULTIPHOTOS

SPIRIT AWARDS The Kathy Pufahl Spirit Award recognizes not only Kathy’s commitment to fair play on the field, but also her contributions to the sport of women’s Ultimate off the field. In what ways do you give back to the sport? I love coaching, and have tried to find as many opportunities to coach as I can. I coached Stanford for three seasons after I graduated and have helped plan and run women’s clinics in the bay area. I have also been fortunate enough to participate in and lead clinics on the road, in Arizona and Montana, in Japan, and in Colombia and Israel with Ultimate Peace (an absolutely amazing organization). Our sport has a legacy of self-motivation; we have historically had a significant deficiency of resources and players have had to teach themselves. As someone who has been fortunate to play for well-established programs (both in college and club) with a wealth of coaching resources, I feel a sense of responsibility and enjoyment in sharing the tools I’ve been given. Watching people discover new things they never thought they could do is pretty incredible too. If your teammates could describe you in one word, what would it be and why? I was really curious what they would say, so I asked. The most common response was “caring.” I love people, and I really love Fury, so I suppose that is manifested in my behavior towards my teammates. What are some of your favorite Ultimate memories? Superfly roll-outs. Being a vet in college for the first time. Kaimana no ka oi. Frisbee houses and office hours. Recruiting fairs and teaching new players. College Nationals. Summer league in Boston. Big Fish and Six Trained Monkeys. Drop Bear. Egg, no egg. Brass Monkey convergence and musical cheers. Making Fury. The Dream Cup. Ping pong in the Cruz. Vancouver. The comeback. Pizza parties and dumplings by Chef Matty. Naka. Cooperative blindfolded pillowfights. The big muckamuck. Tank tops. Prague. Alex’s favorite story (love/ hate). Ice baths. Los Reyes y Reinas del Disco. ULTIMATE PEACE. Japan. Subway dance party. Halloween hats. Fishbowl. Frjtz. Metaphors… I am so grateful for all of the people who made those experiences what they were. What do you love about Ultimate? The community.

Farricker Award Q&A WITH MARTIN COCHRAN By: Gene Buonaccorsi

When was the first time that you discovered the sport of Ultimate? My first memory of playing something resembling Ultimate was in fifth grade P.E. class. I’m not sure anyone knew how to throw or catch well, and we may have gone the entire hour without either team scoring a goal. Thinking of myself as extremely clever at the time, on one play I threw the disc as far I could throw (maybe 20 yards) and went and caught it myself to the annoyance of everyone. Tell us about your career path and how you came to play for Revolver. I started playing Ultimate competitively when I began graduate school at the University of Colorado in 2003. I wanted a hobby that would be a good distraction from my studies, although it quickly grew to something closer to an obsession that more detracted, rather than distracted, from my school work. While in Colorado I played for five years on Mamabird and two years on Johnny Bravo with some very talented and athletic players. Amazingly, I eventually graduated and took a job as a software engineer at Google in Mt. View, Calif. in the summer of 2008. It was then that I started playing with Revolver, although I had taken three weeks to hike the John Muir trail in July that summer and lost 25 pounds in the process, so it took a little while to get back into shape. What does winning the Farricker Award mean to you? It’s an incredible honor and definitely the biggest one of my career. One thing that our coach at Colorado, Catt Wilson, had us take pride in was playing competitively but not making bad calls. And I think from that base value I’ve tried to play the game fairly as do 99% of players out there, but it’s a huge honor to be recognized as having done that at the highest levels of the sport. There’s not a lot of glory in helping your teammates drop a bad foul call, but it really does have an impact on the game and the smarter players realize that it will come back to help them when their opponents match the elevated spirit. What specific aspects of the game draw you to be a competitor? It’s hard to say. I just love the game in a pure, almost childlike way. But I’m also very competitive in general, so I think the

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game naturally plays to parts of my character. I also like the team aspect of it - one player can’t dominate at the highest levels, so you need a really wellfunctioning team that works within a system. I like the challenge of building those kinds of teams and pitting ourselves against other great teams. What would you say is the defining moment of your career thus far? Winning the Farricker award is the easy answer here. When I look at the other players who have received the award, I’m humbled to be included in that list.

Martin Cochran PHOTO: JEFF BELL/ ULTIPHOTOS

Can you talk about an important experience with Ultimate outside of the elite club or college realm? I often play pick-up Ultimate at work, and because I work at the Google headquarters in Mountain View every now and then one of the founders will show up and play, which is pretty cool. It’s great coming back from a two-hour lunch break with the excuse of “Sergey wanted to play another game to 7.” Describe the feeling of representing the United States at this year’s World Games. It was a huge honor to don jerseys which read “USA” on the front, and the day I first saw them it really hit home that we were going to be representing the country on a big stage. As a team we knew it was going to be very challenging, and it was, but we also wanted to make a statement about how you can play fairly at the highest levels. We wanted to play Ultimate the “right” way, and I hope some of that came through. After the game with Australia where we *barely* won 17-16, one of the Australian player’s parents came up to me and remarked at our excellent spirit, so I took that as a good sign. What are your individual goals for the future? Team goals? Tough question, and one I don’t have a lot of clarity on right now, to be honest. Right now I’m just enjoying the offseason but trying to stay in good shape. I think the rest of Revolver is in a similar state. Every season has a different character, and I think the team is thinking about what they want that character to be for this upcoming season.

BY: MAYA ZIV

TALENT POOL

THE SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA IS A HOTBED FOR PREMIER ULTIMATE PROGRAMS ACROSS ALL COMPETITIVE DIVISIONS. HOW DOES THE CITY BY THE BAY KEEP CHURNING OUT TITLE AFTER TITLE?

ore than 200 players from the San Francisco Bay Area visited Sarasota, Florida in October to play Ultimate at the 2012 USA Ultimate Club Championships. Of the nine bids available to the Southwest Region this year, all but one were secured by teams from the Bay Area. Two of the teams, Revolver and Fury, boast some of the longest Championship winning streaks in

the history of organized Ultimate. This year, Fury secured their seventh straight Championship win, Blackbird secured their second in a row, and Revolver saw a fourth straight Championship game. In addition, each of these teams served as a de facto Team USA at the World Championship in Sakai, Japan this past summer. Blackbird finished fourth, Fury finished second and Revolver brought home the gold.

REVOLVER: THE WORLD’S BEST OPEN TEAM Revolver was established in 2006 by Nick Handler, Chris McManus, and Marc Weinberger with the goal of starting a Bay Area Ultimate program from scratch. USA Ultimate spoke with Handler about the sparks that started one of the most dominant Open teams in the world. “The fundamental principal behind the team’s formation was that culture and ethos could be a driving factor in not only in how much fun we had playing together, but how successful we were on the field,” Handler remembered. 40

Initially, Revolver’s roster didn’t boast the most talent in the Bay Area, but they were able to pull together a team full of young local talent and experienced players to embody the vision the founders had for the team. Since the start, the team talked quite a bit about their values – hard work, respect for teammates and opponents, and having fun – and tried its best to integrate them into everything the team did on and off the field. “We weren’t only interested in winning, but in winning the right way. Our team philosophy must have resonated with others in the Ultimate community, as we became very successful in

Above: San Francisco’s Fury PHOTO: KEVIN LECLAIRE/ULTIPHOTOS

Opposite: Eli Janin and Blackbird represent the best of Bay Area Mixed Ultimate PHOTO: KEVIN LECLAIRE/ULTIPHOTOS Above Left: American Barbecue was one of four Bay Area Mixed teams that qualified for Nationals PHOTO: KEVIN LECLAIRE/ULTIPHOTOS

recruiting veteran all-stars and rising talent from around the country.” Most importantly, changing personnel didn’t change the Revolver ethos, which has evolved into what Handler calls IHD - intensity, humility, discipline. “The leadership has always been careful to hold this ethos above all else no matter how talented the individual, and I believe this has been a key factor in the incredible success Revolver has had over the past four seasons.”

hard and became strong enough to unseat perennial nationals contenders like Santa Barbara Condors and San Diego Streetgang to make it to Sarasota in 2012.

FURY: THE SEVEN-PEATERS The Bay Area is probably best known for being dominant in the Women’s Division, with San Francisco Fury boasting one of the longest running winning streaks at the Club Championships. In October 2012, Fury took home gold for the seventh time in a row.

The summer Revolver was founded, they secured a third bid out of the competitive Northwest, and finished fifth at the National Championships. After a loss in the gameto-go in 2007, Revolver returned to the national stage in 2008 and never looked back. In 2009, they made it to the finals game for the first time and won the Open division Team Spirit Award. They took home the gold in 2010 and 2011, and most recently took silver at the 2012 Club Championships. It’s a testament to the Revolver values that they took home the Farricker Spirit award two years in a row (Captain Robbie Cahill in 2009 and Bart Watson in 2010).

Anna Nazarov, a member of the 2012 Fury roster, points to access to talent as one of top reasons that the Bay Area becomes so strong in Ultimate – it’s an attractive place for college grads in all areas of professional life to come and live, even if just for a few years (for her day job, Nazarov is a Water Resources Engineer). Nazarov herself is a product of this phenomenon; she began her club career in Los Angeles, where she spent a summer playing club Women’s before moving up to Northern California. While her move was not made in the pursuit of dominant Ultimate, she has enjoyed playing in a competitive area for the past several years. Other top players from college programs like UC Berkeley, Stanford and Sonoma State also to move to San Francisco, and because of the years of success for teams in the Bay, older Club players are willing to move and commute in order to play with those teams.

Yet it’s not just Revolver dominating the Open division in the Bay. There has consistently been a second tier team that provides a competitive atmosphere for all those who don’t make the cut. Teams like Wolf and most recently, Boost Mobile, have been a good second option for San Francisco Open players. However, it wasn’t until this year when San Francisco moved to the Southwest region that those teams had a shot at the Big Show. Boost worked

One of those commuters is Alex Snyder, a seven-year member of Fury. She used to live in San Francisco, but recently moved to Madison, Wisconsin to work as a physical therapist. She also helps coach the college women’s team, the University of Wisconsin Bella Donna. Though she lives hundreds of miles away, and even though there was an option to play for a competitive team in Madison with Heist, she couldn’t leave Fury behind.

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“

Matty Tsang is most likely the number one reason we [Fury] have been so successful for the last seven years.

Left: Marisa Rafter of Nightlock makes a spectacular layout grab PHOTO: JEFF BELL/ ULTIPHOTOS Right: Kevin Cocks and the Polar Bears are an annual force in the Bay Area Mixed scene PHOTO: BRANDON WU/ULTIPHOTOS

– Alex Snyder

“Fury has always been an amazing and inspiring group of women to be a part of and I wasn’t ready to cut ties,” explained Snyder. “Plus it was a huge honor to represent the U.S. with Fury at Worlds this summer in Japan and I didn’t want to miss that opportunity.” This season she was able to attend all tournaments and one practice weekend a month. Snyder believes that so many good teams hail from the Bay because it is simply a great place to live, and the long term talent draws Ultimate players to move there. So as someone who moved away but still plays on a strong Bay Area team, what does Snyder credit Fury’s long-term success to? “Every year we really focus on starting fresh and not believing that anything that has happened in the past will get us anything in the future. Also, [Coach] Matty Tsang is most likely the number one reason we have been so successful for the last seven years. He is the key to our team and keeps us focused on our goals and makes sure we are all bought in. He is a phenomenal coach, leader, teacher and person and it has been a privilege to play for him over the years.” Like in the Open division, there are other Women’s teams that provide opportunities for players seeking a competitive atmosphere. This year, first-year team Nightlock took the second bid out of the Southwest region to attend the Championships in Florida. Nightlock finished tenth after coming in seeded 13th, defeating many of the country’s top tier teams like Traffic and Ozone. With multiple paths available to attend the top tournament in the country, it’s no surprise that people move to San Francisco. The ability to play with top coaches and other elite players encourages many players to put in the extensive time

and effort it takes to win seven golds in a row. Nazarov expressed that kind of hard work adds a special level of pride to a gold medal win. “Nothing can compare with pouring every piece of yourself into a whole season, starting with a super competitive and stressful tryout. It’s difficult to describe the feeling of accomplishment after taking part in a season with so much history behind it and so many existing traditions.”

BLACKBIRD: BACK TO BACK GOLDS This year the Mixed division truly exemplified the strength of the Bay Area. Of the five bids the Southwest earned to Sarasota, four teams from the Bay Area qualified: Polar Bears, Mischief, Blackbird, and American BBQ. Again, we spoke with Nazarov, who also won gold with the 2011 Mixed Club Champions, Blackbird. However, Nazarov joined Blackbird just before the USA Ultimate Club Series began so hadn’t spent the whole season with them. She did mention that Blackbird hadn’t practiced every weekend of the season, a stark contrast from the rigorous regular season she experienced with Fury. This year, Blackbird came away with the repeat win, and we spoke with Captain Jamie Nuwer about what it takes to create such a strong team in the Bay Area. Blackbird is in a relatively unique situation for a gold medalist, as they work hard to recruit experienced players because they know they won’t be able to practice as much as other teams. To Nuwer, the Bay Area is an ideal place to find the kind of talent that can perform at the highest level. “Blackbird selects players who are seasoned veterans and know what it takes to be their best when it counts. It certainly helps that our section

and region are full of awesome teams with a history of high achievement and competitiveness. Every tournament we go to is highly competitive.” Yet these experienced players didn’t appear in San Francisco from thin air; Nuwer credits top tier college programs with encouraging young players to participate in the local club scene.

LOCAL SUPPORT But it’s not just the strength of club teams that makes the Bay so special; the region has strong support for all types of Ultimate players. The Bay Area Disc Association, or BADA, organizes many different leagues and events for all levels of play. BADA was founded in 2008 by the leaders of the San Francisco Ultimate League, San Francisco Ultimate Club, Bay Area Youth Ultimate, East Bay Ultimate League and Marin Ultimate Summer League. The organization is comprised of 11 board members, only one of whom is a full-time hire (Valerio Iani) who was brought on specifically to help grow youth Ultimate in the Bay Area. Bay Area Disc has also been working to assist club teams in finding field space and has been hosting the Labor Day Mixed Championships for the last couple years. Their mission stated on the website is to, “Foster good sportsmanship by teaching and providing opportunities to play the amateur sport of Ultimate… throughout the San Francisco Bay Area.” We spoke with one of BADA’s board members Manisha Daryani (who, not surprisingly, is also a member of a top tier Bay Area team, Fury) about BADA’s role in developing Bay Area Ultimate. “Bay Area Disc is a young organization and while its focus has been primarily on youth, we are already seeing the dividends on the club level. For example, Simon Higgins and Lisa Pitcaithley, who played for Polar Bears this past season, also played at the Youth Club Championships through Bay Area Disc.” Though BADA’s main focus is supporting youth Ultimate programs, they also host numerous adult leagues at all levels throughout the year. These leagues not only draw many long-time locals and newcomers to the Bay, but Daryani believes it becomes a place where top Club teams can discover players they wouldn’t otherwise know were out there. Approximately 3,000 adults participate in the leagues and more than 1,000 youth participants. Daryani herself was brought onto the board to help cultivate a stronger relationship between the elite teams and Bay Area Disc, primarily in the form of locating guest coaches for leagues or clinics. “There are a lot of elite players eager to give back to the community but just don’t know how yet. Our goal is to be the pipeline for them – to connect them to the schools and youth leagues.” So how does playing on Fury help fuel Daryani’s passion for participating on the Bay Area Disc board? “Being on Fury has been an amazing experience, one I hope has inspired young players. But, our time with Fury has to end sometime so it’s great to be able to work with Bay Area Disc to cultivate that next step – figuring out how to give back to W I N T E R 2 0 12

Of the five bids the Southwest earned to Sarasota, four teams from the Bay Area qualified.

the sport and continue its growth.” People move to the Bay for work, to go to good schools, and to live in a fun area of the country. Yet what they find is an integrated and supportive Ultimate community. For example, Daryani shares that she was informed the Cal women’s team was able to organize a viewing party for the finals at Worlds. Daryani and her teammates received texts, emails and Facebook messages from people who went to the viewing party and said it was an amazing experience. The game was shown on a big projection screen with the whole bar, including some patrons who probably had no idea what Ultimate was before this event, chanting “U-S-A!” throughout the games. “That was so reassuring to hear especially because one of our goals for Worlds was to walk away with the knowledge that we’d represented the United States to the best of our abilities.”

Cassidy Rasmussen helped put Revolver in another Open division final PHOTO: KEVIN LECLAIRE/ ULTIPHOTOS

Year after year, the San Francisco Bay Area delivers dominant teams. Some of the best players give back to the community by coaching or participating in outreach programs. No matter what level of play, you can find a pickup game that will be fun and competitive. People travel from all parts of the country to play for these teams. Jamie Nuwer sums up Bay Area pride best. “Great coaches, great devoted players, great weather, great people. What can I say, I’ve never lived anywhere else.”

INJURY TIMEOUT By: Jamie Nuwer, MD Illustrated by Sierra Simmons

Concussions in Youth Athletes The recent increase in research and reporting about concussions has raised concerns about how to protect and treat youth athletes. “Youth” is defined as under 18 years-old for USA Ultimate and that definition will be used throughout this article. “Concussion” is defined for the purpose of this article as any brain symptoms after a sudden hit to the head or acceleration of the head. Concussion symptoms can include: loss of consciousness, memory loss, headache, vision changes (i.e. “seeing stars”), dizziness, feeling “out of it”, acting “weird”, irritability, unusual emotions, insomnia, etc. Any symptom related to the brain after a head injury could indicate a concussion. This article will focus on the following youth concussion topics: unique health concerns, legal issues and resources for information.

A player suspected of a concussion should be continuously supervised until all symptoms are gone or the player is evaluated by a healthcare provider as above. Furthermore, a youth athlete should never return to play within 24 hours of a concussion. For the reasons stated above, the government has started to pass laws about youth concussion. The federal government has not passed any youth concussion laws; the one attempt did not make it to the congress for debate. However, nearly every state has passed a youth concussion law or is in the process of passing one soon. To complicate the matter, the states vary widely in their laws. This presents a significant challenge to all national sports governing organizations, like USA Ultimate, to make national recommendations that abide by every state law. Nonetheless USA Ultimate has started working on a concussion policy with the goal of starting to implement it in 2013.

Youth athletes are believed to be more vulnerable to brain injury due to their rapid brain growth and development. One health issue that has been reported almost exclusively in youth athletes is Second Impact Syndrome. This syndrome is a very rare problem Below are some general points that are included in that occurs when youth athletes experience two most state youth concussion laws. If you are a player, concussions in a short time period. Both concussions parent, coach, trainer, other health professional, USA can seem minor, yet for unsolved reasons, the second Ultimate-trained Observer or school administrator it concussion causes rapid brain swelling leading to is worth knowing your state youth concussion laws. brain injury and death. Fortunately Second Impact Liability and punishments for violating state youth Syndrome is very rare. However this syndrome and concussion laws vary by state. other research on youth concussion suggest youth athletes are at higher risk for brain injury than adults. IN MOST STATES: For that reason guidelines from medical and sports governing bodies advise treating youth athletes more • Schools are required to educate players, parents and coaches about concussions conservatively than adult athletes. • Players and parents must sign an annual consent forms to participate in school sports The international conference on concussions is held every four years. The most recent, in 2012, will • Coaches are required to remove from play any player release their recommendations in 2013. Most major suspected of having a concussion AND is required to international and American medical and sports notify the player’s parent or legal guardian organizations endorse and cite these guidelines. The 2008 (most recent) guidelines state any athlete • Players must be seen by a health professional skilled in concussion diagnosis and management before suspected of a concussion should immediately be returning to play. They must also have a note from removed from play. The player should not return to play the health professional clearing them to play until evaluated and cleared by a healthcare provider skilled in concussion diagnosis and management.

IN SOME STATES: • Sports officials (such as USA Ultimate-trained Observers), school administrators and school staff must also be educated about concussions • Sports officials and health professionals (including trainers) are required to remove from play any player suspected of having a concussion (as the coaches are above) • Players may not return to play within the same day or within 24 hours of having a concussion In summary if you are a youth player, parent, coach, trainer, other health professional, USA Ultimate-trained Observer or school administrator please educate yourself about this very important issue. Look up your state youth concussion law and make sure you’re following it. Below are some excellent resources for you to explore: cdc.gov/concussion – Everything you need to know in written, voice, and video format. Interactive learning and educational PDFs are available. Momsteam.com – Mom’s Team is a non-profit group that supports youth concussion legislation. The website has a useful section on state by state youth concussion laws.

Ncsl.org/issues-research/health/traumatic-braininjury-legislation.aspx – National Conference of State Legislation has a section summarizing state by state youth concussion laws. Your state government – has the most recent information about your state’s youth concussion laws.

Thank you to the USA Ultimate Medical Advisory Committee members including me, Justine Crowley DO and Chip Ogburn MD. Thank you to Mike Lovinguth from USA Ultimate joining our concussion committee and helping us address this important issue.

W H AT ’ S T H E C A L L By: Jon Bauman, Chair of the USA Ultimate Standing Rules Committee

As players of a self-officiated sport, it is our responsibility to know the rules. This column features answers to your rules questions and clarifies common misconceptions about the rules.

Rule XVI.A clearly states that, ‘An infraction may only be called by a player on the infracted team who recognizes that it has occurred…’. But what does it mean to recognize an infraction has occurred?

ANSWER

In order to call an infraction, a player must observe a specific prohibited behavior directly. For example, it would not be acceptable to call a travel based on observing break throw and the belief that the throw could not have been made without traveling. The player must observe the loss of pivot firsthand. However, direct evidence need not be strictly visual. If a player is impacted from behind and thereby prevented from making a play on a disc, a call of “foul” would be appropriate, even though the impact was felt rather than seen. However, if the collision was later determined to be with a teammate, or the disc deemed uncatchable, the call should be modified or retracted as appropriate.

Doesn’t a stall count last ten seconds? That’s what I learned, but since people don’t pause for a second between “stalling” and “one”, it seems like only nine. What’s right?

Rule XVI.A also states, ‘The player must immediately call “violation” or the name of the specific infraction loudly.’ What constitutes immediacy?

ANSWER

Since this is a game played by humans, there will always be some amount of delay between the occurrence of an infraction, the recognition by another player and the vocalization. The point of this rule is to make clear that it is not acceptable for a player to sit on a call until it becomes advantageous to make it. If a travel occurs at stall three, it is not permissible to wait until the completed huck at stall eight to call it. It must be called as soon as it is recognized or not at all. A player may choose to ignore certain instances of infractions and then call later ones (e.g., multiple fouls on the mark, or separate instances of traveling), but the call must be made as soon as possible following the recognition of the specific instance. 1. Make sure your downfield teammates and opponents are ready. 2. Announce where the stall count is resuming. 3. Make sure the opposing thrower/marker is ready. 4. C ount down “3-2-1” and offer the disc for a check (or touch the offered disc). 5. Loudly announce “disc in” or “in play” when the disc is touched. One final note: a player is occasionally unable to make a call on account of physical impact or lack of breath. In these cases, a reasonable amount of consideration should be exercised in the interpretation of “immediately.”

ANSWER

There was an intentional change between the 10th and 11th editions that removed the requirement for a one second pause between the utterance of “stalling” and the first number of the count (emphasis added): XIV.C.1.a (10th edition): All intervals between the beginning of one word and the beginning of the next are to be a minimum of one second. XIV.A.1.a (11th edition): The interval between the first utterance of each number in the stall count must be at least one second. So, the nine (+ ε) second stall count is correct and intentional. The change was made because many people counted this way anyway and it was easier to level the playing field than try to get all the people doing it wrong to change. A foul can sometimes be felt instead of seen PHOTO: JEFF BELL/ULTIPHOTOS

NEWS & NOTES THREE ELECTED TO BOARD OF DIRECTORS

TIME TO RENEW YOUR MEMBERSHIP!

Three representatives were elected to the 2013 USA Ultimate Board of Directors this fall following the annual election.

As the calendar turns to 2013, now is a great time to renew your USA Ultimate membership! Renew today to ensure that you continue receiving great benefits, including USA Ultimate magazine. Don’t forget, USA Ultimate also offers discounted multi-year memberships as well. Adult and College membership costs $50 annually, but members can save with a three-year membership ($135), or a five-year membership ($200), which gives you a full year free! USA Ultimate also offers deals on youth, coach and coach/player memberships too, so sign up today and save!

In the Mid-Atlantic region, incumbent Kathy Hendrickson (Pittsburgh, Pa.) ran unopposed and received 53 votes to retain her seat on the board. Stephen Hubbard (San Diego, Calif.) defeated Mary-Clare Brennan (Colorado Springs, Colo.) in the Southwest region, 142-51. Hubbard replaces outgoing representative Audrius Barzdukas. At-large candidate Henry Thorne (Pittsburgh, Pa.) was voted back onto the USA Ultimate Board of Directors after a one-year absence. Thorne received 285 votes ahead of opponents Grant Maynard (99) and Miller Yoho (56). USA Ultimate will announce an appointed position prior to the organization’s next Board of Directors meeting, currently scheduled for Jan. 12-13 in Denver.

Remember, your membership dues support the development of Ultimate programs, including coaching education, youth development, event sanctioning services and more. This could be your last issue of USA Ultimate magazine, so continue receiving your magazine – either online or in your mailbox – renew today. The next edition, due out in the spring of 2013 will be available to 2013 members only.

TEAM USA COACHES NAMED With two major international competitions on the calendar for 2013, USA Ultimate recently named its coaching staff for Team USA. The 2013 WFDF World Under 23 Championships next summer in Toronto will see three teams represent the United States. Mike Whitaker (Boulder, Colo.) will coach the women’s squad, Martin Aguilera (Atlanta, Ga.) will coach the mixed team and Bob Krier (Boulder, Colo.) will lead the open team. Kathy Hendrickson

Stephen Hubbard

Henry Thorne

The World Games, which will take place in Cali, Colombia next summer will be led by Alex Ghesquiere (Washington, D.C.) and Matty Tsang (Oakland, Calif.)

UPLA, NEUQUA VALLEY, CUDA AFFILIATE WITH CLASS OF 2012 HALL OF FAME FINALISTS USA ULTIMATE USA Ultimate announced the eight finalists for the Ultimate Hall of Local leagues in Austin, Texas, Neuqua Valley (Chicago) and Columbus, Ohio became the first official USA Ultimate-affiliated leagues and will receive additional resources and support from USA Ultimate designed to assist with the expansion and promotion of grassroots programs and serve local players.

Fame’s Class of 2012. This year, six Open and two Women’s division candidates will be considered for a maximum of five available slots. This year’s finalists include:

Kevin Cande – Static, New York, NY,

Among the benefits offered to USA Ultimate-affiliated leagues are various materials and programs that will assist with education, instruction and training initiatives, as well as several streams of financial support. Affiliated leagues receive access to USA Ultimate’s Learn to Play program, as well as curricula designed for physical education in a classroom setting, coaching education, and observer certification. USA Ultimate also assists its affiliated leagues with the facilitation of community recreation programs, youth camps and college program outreach.

Joey Giampino – Windy City, Big Ego

Financial resources are available to USA Ultimate-affiliated leagues in the form of grants, discounts, and rebate dollars, while leagues can also benefit from an insurance program covering events, players, directors and officers.

Dennis Warsen – New York, NY

Molly Goodwin – Godiva, Maine-iacs Nancy Leahy Glass – Nemesis Kaey Nakae – Condors Chris van Holmes – Windy City, Sockeye

Finlay Waugh – Rude Boys

For more information on USA Ultimate’s League Affiliate program, visit usaultimate.org W I N T E R 2 0 12

NEWS & NOTES COMING IN THE SPRING ISSUE, 2013 COLLEGE SERIES PREVIEW The college season is just around the corner as teams from around the nation set their sights on Madison and the 2013 USA Ultimate College Championships. PHOTOS:CMBT CREATIVE

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