What an unreal experiences. It's pretty crazy to think back to my freshman year. And, although I wasn't the best HS ultimate player, I had experience, but was cut from the A-team. I worked my way through the ranks of the B-team and finally got to play at Nationals. The hard work paid off.
I don't really know what to say after the fact. I'm not going to recap because it would just take way too long. There's a lot of guys I could thank, so I'm going to try that:
Wes - coach last year and gave me some good words/advice before this weekend
Rob and Banyas - giving me a chance to play a high level tournament last summer (CUT), which paved the way for a big confidence boost heading into the fall
Weasel, Josh and Vatz - coaching this past year and giving me the opportunity to find my role on this team
Nick - coached me on Impulse, then got to coach with him last summer. In my opinion, he's the smartest ultimate person I know and gets a lot of respect from me.
My teammates (brothers) - for getting to play with them, learn with them, have fun with them and win with them
Brody - sticking with the team, following the team, giving advice at nationals and taking great pictures
TallE - right there after every point at nationals, handing out water on the line
Henry - helping with financial costs and giving the biggest support for Pitt ultimate I've ever seen
The other alumni
The B team
I know I'm probably missing some people. And I'll update that list if/when I think of more.
It was just a great experience and fun to earn a spot not only on the team, but - for the most part - a starter as well.
Now there's a lot for me to think about. I graduated, but I'm having a hard time finding a job. An internship I thought I would get went to the other guy because he had a master's degree and I only had a bachelor's. Times are tough and the possibility of grad school looks more appealing each day.
But for now, I just need to unwind, rest and recover. I'm pretty beat.
Showing posts with label Ramblings. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ramblings. Show all posts
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Our defining moment
A couple days after Regionals, Ari and I met up with Nick at Peter's. We start talking about the obvious. How bummed we were to lose to Cornell, again, but that we're still excited because the program is making its sixth consecutive trip to Nationals. And for Ari and myself, our first trip to Nationals. We talked a little about strategy and what makes this year such a unique team, and an exciting one at that.
But then Nick asked us what we thought our defining moment was of the season. In a flash, visions of 8's and Eastern's came to mind. I also thought that our finish at Stanford Invite was really impressive. I'm sure Ari had similar thoughts, but we couldn't pinpoint a certain moment in our season. We've had some success and we've had some lows, but nothing that defines this team, right now, here in 2010.
So, neither of us really answered the question and Nick gave us a reason for our semi-silence. It's because our greatest moment is yet to come. Anything that's happened in the past is over. Whether it's warmup tournaments or the college series, that time has passed. Now we're at the highest stage of collegiate ultimate.
That - in Madison, Wisconsin, in 7 days - is where our defining moment will be made.
But then Nick asked us what we thought our defining moment was of the season. In a flash, visions of 8's and Eastern's came to mind. I also thought that our finish at Stanford Invite was really impressive. I'm sure Ari had similar thoughts, but we couldn't pinpoint a certain moment in our season. We've had some success and we've had some lows, but nothing that defines this team, right now, here in 2010.
So, neither of us really answered the question and Nick gave us a reason for our semi-silence. It's because our greatest moment is yet to come. Anything that's happened in the past is over. Whether it's warmup tournaments or the college series, that time has passed. Now we're at the highest stage of collegiate ultimate.
That - in Madison, Wisconsin, in 7 days - is where our defining moment will be made.
Saturday, March 13, 2010
The Stanford Invite: Followup
I've always enjoyed playing defense. I like it because it's like getting to play two points in one. Your main objective is to essentially destroy an offense and the rub it their face by scoring on them. It's a great feeling to know that you're (the defense) the reason why a team is losing, why they can't win and why they won't come back. You control the game and the tempo. It's how we're running things on the team right now and it's so important.
The team thrives on the defense. This isn't to say anything against our offense because they're the 7 most skilled and best ultimate players on the our team, but our defense is what fuels Pitt ultimate. We want nothing more than to start a game on D and absolutely crush any hope our opponent has by getting the first break. It gets the D pumped up and the O as well so they can come on the field and score if need be. If we get a few breaks early, it takes the pressure off our O (and our D, really). Defense is such a huge momentum shift, a game changer.
This was shown in our games at Stanford. When we won, especially against teams like CUT and Wisco, our defense was energized and fired up. And our losses, like Cal, our defense wasn't.
For me, I played pretty much every D point last weekend, save one here and there because we wanted some height on the field for a zone. It was exhausting, but I thought I was playing well. But then I started looking back on the tournament and I realized that I had like one layout D. That got to me because, and Henry Thorne has told me since I was in high school, I thought I was more of a playmaker on D. But I didn't do any of that last weekend. I was no Eddie, who had just some unreal layout Ds, or Colin, who had some great skies.
But I started thinking some more and I realized that, despite playing nearly every D point, I didn't have any showtime Ds because that's not my style anymore. I don't know when it happened, but I can remember starting to change my approach on D during Wilmington 8s. I started guarding more handlers. I started learning more of how a handler works, the thrown and run, and began working on stopping that. This tournament was the first one that really felt like my workouts and strength and conditioning paid off (I'm working out about 5 days a week, including practice). I think that helped me on D, guarding handlers and going step for step with them. I also really worked on my marking and felt like I was very prepared at knowing when to kill a dump throw or force a turnover.
I got beat up line only once or twice, including for a goal against Colorado in semifinals that really pissed me off, but I played fairly strong and consistent throughout the tournament. I might not make the highlight reel, but if I can shut down my handler, cause a turnover or a bad huck, I'll take that any day.
Centex in 7.
The team thrives on the defense. This isn't to say anything against our offense because they're the 7 most skilled and best ultimate players on the our team, but our defense is what fuels Pitt ultimate. We want nothing more than to start a game on D and absolutely crush any hope our opponent has by getting the first break. It gets the D pumped up and the O as well so they can come on the field and score if need be. If we get a few breaks early, it takes the pressure off our O (and our D, really). Defense is such a huge momentum shift, a game changer.
This was shown in our games at Stanford. When we won, especially against teams like CUT and Wisco, our defense was energized and fired up. And our losses, like Cal, our defense wasn't.
For me, I played pretty much every D point last weekend, save one here and there because we wanted some height on the field for a zone. It was exhausting, but I thought I was playing well. But then I started looking back on the tournament and I realized that I had like one layout D. That got to me because, and Henry Thorne has told me since I was in high school, I thought I was more of a playmaker on D. But I didn't do any of that last weekend. I was no Eddie, who had just some unreal layout Ds, or Colin, who had some great skies.
But I started thinking some more and I realized that, despite playing nearly every D point, I didn't have any showtime Ds because that's not my style anymore. I don't know when it happened, but I can remember starting to change my approach on D during Wilmington 8s. I started guarding more handlers. I started learning more of how a handler works, the thrown and run, and began working on stopping that. This tournament was the first one that really felt like my workouts and strength and conditioning paid off (I'm working out about 5 days a week, including practice). I think that helped me on D, guarding handlers and going step for step with them. I also really worked on my marking and felt like I was very prepared at knowing when to kill a dump throw or force a turnover.
I got beat up line only once or twice, including for a goal against Colorado in semifinals that really pissed me off, but I played fairly strong and consistent throughout the tournament. I might not make the highlight reel, but if I can shut down my handler, cause a turnover or a bad huck, I'll take that any day.
Centex in 7.
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Queen City Tune Up 2010
So that happened. Tough weekend. Still trying to piece together how we could've finished 9th. 9th. Let that sink in. We were seeded 1st. We finished 9th. Jeeze.
Eddie put together a few thoughts on how we struggled:
And I think all of this comes down one central reason for our problems this weekend.
The last thing to happen to us as a team was a little thing called Wilmington 8s. It was our premier tournament of the fall season and we won it. We beat everybody there. We went 8-0. We beat Florida. We beat Cornell - twice. Whether we said so aloud or not, we thought we were the best. We were the team to beat.
QCTU? Where's the competition? We've got that.
And you know what? We were probably right about that. We were among the top teams. We didn't say anything on RSD, but that didn't stop people and other teams hyping us up. We might not have said anything, but we read it. We knew it was out there. We saw the Coaches and Captains 25 poll and saw the first place votes. We saw us in the top 5, the top 3.
We saw people hate on us because we were good, not because of how we play. Jealousy hit other teams and overconfidence hit the Pitt team.
In all of that, we traveled to North Carolina expecting to win it all. And not that a team should never expect to win it because you want that winning mentality. We never really took a team seriously. We were excited, we were pumped and we were ready to roll over teams. But we never thought any of them would give us a challenge.
And whenever a team did that...we didn't know what to do. We weren't mentally prepared as Eddie put it. We weren't mentally tough as Josh has said.
Look at the Michigan State game. We didn't know what was happening. We tried to make a big play every time to get us back into the game, instead of working hard, grinding and scoring the Pitt way.
It sucks that we are where we are right now, but we put ourselves in this position. We became a team over the weekend, even in losing, and we'll work as a team. We'll put this behind us and look to the future.
Eyes on the prize, one tournament at a time. Getting ready for Stanford.
Eddie put together a few thoughts on how we struggled:
1.) We are younger than I expected.I'd agree with this, it's just unfortunate that we didn't realize this until this weekend. Even then, not until the Delaware game on Sunday.
2.) Our roster losses have been more impactful than I expected.
3.) Our defense is soft.
4.) Our mental game is soft.
5.) Our offense is soft.
And I think all of this comes down one central reason for our problems this weekend.
The last thing to happen to us as a team was a little thing called Wilmington 8s. It was our premier tournament of the fall season and we won it. We beat everybody there. We went 8-0. We beat Florida. We beat Cornell - twice. Whether we said so aloud or not, we thought we were the best. We were the team to beat.
QCTU? Where's the competition? We've got that.
And you know what? We were probably right about that. We were among the top teams. We didn't say anything on RSD, but that didn't stop people and other teams hyping us up. We might not have said anything, but we read it. We knew it was out there. We saw the Coaches and Captains 25 poll and saw the first place votes. We saw us in the top 5, the top 3.
We saw people hate on us because we were good, not because of how we play. Jealousy hit other teams and overconfidence hit the Pitt team.
In all of that, we traveled to North Carolina expecting to win it all. And not that a team should never expect to win it because you want that winning mentality. We never really took a team seriously. We were excited, we were pumped and we were ready to roll over teams. But we never thought any of them would give us a challenge.
And whenever a team did that...we didn't know what to do. We weren't mentally prepared as Eddie put it. We weren't mentally tough as Josh has said.
Look at the Michigan State game. We didn't know what was happening. We tried to make a big play every time to get us back into the game, instead of working hard, grinding and scoring the Pitt way.
It sucks that we are where we are right now, but we put ourselves in this position. We became a team over the weekend, even in losing, and we'll work as a team. We'll put this behind us and look to the future.
Eyes on the prize, one tournament at a time. Getting ready for Stanford.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Remembering why we're here
Last night, after a pretty intense practice that saw quite a few guys fail to finish the last sets of our 300-yard suicides (to the 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50 and back each time) for one reason or another (I'm not getting into that), Josh brought the team together and told us one thing:
What happened last night set off quite a few talks from players on the team (there's a BBoard post based off what Josh said and Eddie talked a little about it as well).
Josh wants us to be the best conditioned team this year at nationals, that's a goal that's been said time over time with the A-team. And while I'm sure they've tried their hardest at accomplishing that goal, this team is different.
Josh knows it. Geoff knows it. We all know it.
Which is why we also need to be the most mentally tough team. We can't afford to take our mind off what we want because we need to be focused to get there. Whether it's practice, track workouts, scrimmages or tournaments, we all need to be mentally tough enough to handle any situation that we're given.
This is turning into a rambling, but I just wanted to say what I thought and get this out there because it's true. Gotta stay focused.
And part of that mental toughness will come with working hard at and away from practice, as evidence by Geoff's frustration and short talk with the guys who were on the sidelines of the sprints. We're working our asses off to get well-conditioned, which will pay even bigger dividends whenever we remember that. That's part of being mentally tough.
Don't forget why we're doing what we're doing.It's important that we don't get so caught up in working hard, getting stuck in a routine, that we forgot what we decided our team goal was a few months back. It doesn't even need to be said because anybody who's anybody reading this knows what we want this season.
What happened last night set off quite a few talks from players on the team (there's a BBoard post based off what Josh said and Eddie talked a little about it as well).
Josh wants us to be the best conditioned team this year at nationals, that's a goal that's been said time over time with the A-team. And while I'm sure they've tried their hardest at accomplishing that goal, this team is different.
Josh knows it. Geoff knows it. We all know it.
Which is why we also need to be the most mentally tough team. We can't afford to take our mind off what we want because we need to be focused to get there. Whether it's practice, track workouts, scrimmages or tournaments, we all need to be mentally tough enough to handle any situation that we're given.
This is turning into a rambling, but I just wanted to say what I thought and get this out there because it's true. Gotta stay focused.
And part of that mental toughness will come with working hard at and away from practice, as evidence by Geoff's frustration and short talk with the guys who were on the sidelines of the sprints. We're working our asses off to get well-conditioned, which will pay even bigger dividends whenever we remember that. That's part of being mentally tough.
Monday, October 26, 2009
Two weeks till Wilmington, if you're healthy
I made the A-team. That's good news.
That said, there are about 25 guys on the roster. Two of the guys aren't here this semester. But for some reason, we still only have 14 able guys to practice and scrimmage. It's been like this for almost three weeks now and I'm sure it's starting to irritate some players.
We're two weeks from one of the best tournaments of the fall, Wilmington 8s, and we have 8 or 9 guys standing around on the sidelines while the rest of us practice and improve our game. The problem I have with this isn't injuries. If you are seriously injured, then you go see an orthopedic doctor, get a diagnosis and heal it. That's how injuries work. And there are guys on the team that are in that situation and doing everything they can to get back out on the field.
The problem is with guys who self-diagnose or just go to Student Health and get some half-assed response and don't do anything from there.
The captains and coaches have brought up this point multiple times, especially recently, and it's a shame that it is happening. There is a difference between playing through pain and playing with an injury. In the latter, you get it checked out and do rehab and whatnot. Play through pain? Come on. The best players do that all of the time. I'm sore every once in a while and am always bruising myself or straining a muscle during practices and games. It happens. You get over it and play through it.
I'm not calling anybody out - because for all I know nobody is actually being lazy about their problem - but there is definitely a small divide happening on the team right now and some people would like to have at least one sub during our scrimmages.
I'm sure it will get better though. After all, if you don't practice, you don't play. Simple as that. If you have a serious injury, it must be a miracle for you to get healthy for a tournament if you couldn't practice the week before. You don't get better in two days.
That said, there are about 25 guys on the roster. Two of the guys aren't here this semester. But for some reason, we still only have 14 able guys to practice and scrimmage. It's been like this for almost three weeks now and I'm sure it's starting to irritate some players.
We're two weeks from one of the best tournaments of the fall, Wilmington 8s, and we have 8 or 9 guys standing around on the sidelines while the rest of us practice and improve our game. The problem I have with this isn't injuries. If you are seriously injured, then you go see an orthopedic doctor, get a diagnosis and heal it. That's how injuries work. And there are guys on the team that are in that situation and doing everything they can to get back out on the field.
The problem is with guys who self-diagnose or just go to Student Health and get some half-assed response and don't do anything from there.
The captains and coaches have brought up this point multiple times, especially recently, and it's a shame that it is happening. There is a difference between playing through pain and playing with an injury. In the latter, you get it checked out and do rehab and whatnot. Play through pain? Come on. The best players do that all of the time. I'm sore every once in a while and am always bruising myself or straining a muscle during practices and games. It happens. You get over it and play through it.
I'm not calling anybody out - because for all I know nobody is actually being lazy about their problem - but there is definitely a small divide happening on the team right now and some people would like to have at least one sub during our scrimmages.
I'm sure it will get better though. After all, if you don't practice, you don't play. Simple as that. If you have a serious injury, it must be a miracle for you to get healthy for a tournament if you couldn't practice the week before. You don't get better in two days.
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Summer update
Wow. One month, no post.
Basically, I've been really busy lately with coaching, volunteer service trips and family vacation. But just because I've been all over the place doesn't mean I haven't been working hard.
I just finished week five of Air Alert and, wow, it's turning into a good workout. I can really feel my legs getting strong - not only when I jump but whenever I run and sprint, too. This could be one of the best leg workout programs I've done. I'm a big fan of it - for now. I still have 10 more weeks to go. I start week six on Tuesday. Going to be tough.
Unfortunately because of my travels lately, I couldn't make the last two tournaments for Forge (No Surf and Boston Invite). The problem? They were additional tryout tournaments. And although I already talked about tryout tournament mentality, it was almost necessary for me to make these tournaments if I wanted a roster spot on Forge. It's a shame I couldn't make the tournaments, but the final decision still hasn't been made. Hopefully I know soon.
As for other playing options...I will either see if I can get in on playing Steel Reserve, which is Pittsburgh's second open team, or see if I can play with Swagger U, a primarily all-Pitt club team. Not sure what's going to happen, but I'll update this when I know.
I'll have a post on coaching soon and hopefully another one or two by the middle of this month. Things will start to slow back down for me after the 14th, so I can begin posting more again.
Basically, I've been really busy lately with coaching, volunteer service trips and family vacation. But just because I've been all over the place doesn't mean I haven't been working hard.
I just finished week five of Air Alert and, wow, it's turning into a good workout. I can really feel my legs getting strong - not only when I jump but whenever I run and sprint, too. This could be one of the best leg workout programs I've done. I'm a big fan of it - for now. I still have 10 more weeks to go. I start week six on Tuesday. Going to be tough.
Unfortunately because of my travels lately, I couldn't make the last two tournaments for Forge (No Surf and Boston Invite). The problem? They were additional tryout tournaments. And although I already talked about tryout tournament mentality, it was almost necessary for me to make these tournaments if I wanted a roster spot on Forge. It's a shame I couldn't make the tournaments, but the final decision still hasn't been made. Hopefully I know soon.
As for other playing options...I will either see if I can get in on playing Steel Reserve, which is Pittsburgh's second open team, or see if I can play with Swagger U, a primarily all-Pitt club team. Not sure what's going to happen, but I'll update this when I know.
I'll have a post on coaching soon and hopefully another one or two by the middle of this month. Things will start to slow back down for me after the 14th, so I can begin posting more again.
Monday, June 8, 2009
CUT Recap and the Tryout Tournament Metality
Ended up going to CUT with only 27 guys because of last minute drops. Regardless, Forge struggled throughout the tournament to gain any momentum and win games. We ended up going 0-4 on Saturday and lost our only game - against Pike - on Sunday. Needless to say, it was rough.
Going to a tournament, and a tryout tournament at that, with so many players can be very difficult mentally on the players. I would say that most guys, myself included, didn't hurt a lot on Saturday night and that's because of the way the lines were run. And this is in no way a knock on the way the people calling lines, but imagine trying to gain momentum and stay in the tournament mental mode if you only play 1 or 2 points in a row and then sit for 5 or 6 points. It's very hard to stay focused and play with any rhythm or chemistry. But that happens at tryout tournaments.
Which leads me to how I approached and looked at CUT (but any tryout tournament, really). For me, trying out for a team and playing a tryout tournament is broken into two categories:
1. Preparation
2. Execution
That might sound cliche and broad, but it's pretty simple. Heading into this weekend, I prepared and told myself that I wasn't going to get a lot of playing time. In the end, I probably got about as much playing time as anybody else trying out and not "already on the team" but heading into the weekend, I didn't expect that. So without know how much I was going to play, I knew that this tournament was going to take desire, dedication and perfection. I knew that every point I was on (O, and especially on D) was going to need as much desire to get that disc. That meant sprinting when cutting and clearing, laying out when I needed to on D, making sure my throws 100% and to not go beyond my limits. That's how looked at this weekend. I mentally prepared myself for limited playing time, but knew that I needed to be perfect when on the field.
And as the tournament started out, I was right about limited playing time. I played three points in our first game against Ironside (13-6 loss), and despite not touching the disc once in the game (played all D points) I never let my guy get beat in. I didn't get any D's, but my guy was looked off on any incuts. It was solid play on my part, but I (and the rest of the team) wanted the win. As the day went on, I saw more and more playing time (upwards of 9, 10 or 11 points per game). Whether that is a result of my previous play or not, I don't know (but I can hope it is). As somebody trying out, it's important to keep track of your play so you know where you can improve and what your strengths are. In the end (and after a lot more playing time, especially in later rounds of the tournament) I threw away one disc, completed two hucks, turned in a layout D and improved my cutting and and fakes. Overall, I felt I played consistent. I didn't play spectacular or have layout catches for scores, but I didn't turn the disc over and I gave it my all every time I was on the field. I executed my plan to the best of my ability and had a good tournament.
What happens next with Forge, though, is up to the captains making the team. The next round of cuts will probably be over the course of the next week or so. I'll update when I know more.
Going to a tournament, and a tryout tournament at that, with so many players can be very difficult mentally on the players. I would say that most guys, myself included, didn't hurt a lot on Saturday night and that's because of the way the lines were run. And this is in no way a knock on the way the people calling lines, but imagine trying to gain momentum and stay in the tournament mental mode if you only play 1 or 2 points in a row and then sit for 5 or 6 points. It's very hard to stay focused and play with any rhythm or chemistry. But that happens at tryout tournaments.
Which leads me to how I approached and looked at CUT (but any tryout tournament, really). For me, trying out for a team and playing a tryout tournament is broken into two categories:
1. Preparation
2. Execution
That might sound cliche and broad, but it's pretty simple. Heading into this weekend, I prepared and told myself that I wasn't going to get a lot of playing time. In the end, I probably got about as much playing time as anybody else trying out and not "already on the team" but heading into the weekend, I didn't expect that. So without know how much I was going to play, I knew that this tournament was going to take desire, dedication and perfection. I knew that every point I was on (O, and especially on D) was going to need as much desire to get that disc. That meant sprinting when cutting and clearing, laying out when I needed to on D, making sure my throws 100% and to not go beyond my limits. That's how looked at this weekend. I mentally prepared myself for limited playing time, but knew that I needed to be perfect when on the field.
And as the tournament started out, I was right about limited playing time. I played three points in our first game against Ironside (13-6 loss), and despite not touching the disc once in the game (played all D points) I never let my guy get beat in. I didn't get any D's, but my guy was looked off on any incuts. It was solid play on my part, but I (and the rest of the team) wanted the win. As the day went on, I saw more and more playing time (upwards of 9, 10 or 11 points per game). Whether that is a result of my previous play or not, I don't know (but I can hope it is). As somebody trying out, it's important to keep track of your play so you know where you can improve and what your strengths are. In the end (and after a lot more playing time, especially in later rounds of the tournament) I threw away one disc, completed two hucks, turned in a layout D and improved my cutting and and fakes. Overall, I felt I played consistent. I didn't play spectacular or have layout catches for scores, but I didn't turn the disc over and I gave it my all every time I was on the field. I executed my plan to the best of my ability and had a good tournament.
What happens next with Forge, though, is up to the captains making the team. The next round of cuts will probably be over the course of the next week or so. I'll update when I know more.
Saturday, May 2, 2009
Forge tryouts started
First day of Forge tryouts today. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Yeah, six hours with an hour break around 1. It was a long day, but I definitely knew that going into the day. Hell, I wouldn't be trying out if I didn't think I could make it.
And speaking of making Forge, there's a saying I've heard a couple times that I don't quite understand. It goes something like this:
"I don't think I'll make the team, but I'm just going to tryouts to get better."
It's not the last part of that sentence that frustrates me, it's the first. Regardless if you'll make the team, you should head into any tryout expecting to make the team. You should give it your all and show the captains/coaches that you deserve to be on the team. If you walk into a tryout and aren't 100% sure that you can make the team, then you won't be giving 100% when you're trying out. There's no way around that. If you don't think you can make a team, especially one as competitive as Forge, you will always have that in the back of your mind and won't be trying your hardest. I've seen it in a few players on different levels.
I've even done this before, back when I started out at Pitt as a freshman. And even as I continued to make cut after cut during the fall, I never thought I'd be make the A-team come spring. And sure enough, I wasn't giving 100% and didn't make the last cut.
Anyways, Forge tryouts were intense, but nobody said it would be easy. A lot of good drills that tested different aspects of the game with intrasquad scrimmages to three between every drill or so. I was definitely able to showcase a few of my skills (my speed in the beginning and my throws in the second half).
On the injury front, the groin problem showed back up. Very tough and painful to start accelerate. I was able to get some good step-outs on my throws, but I could definitely feel it.
Tomorrow: Intrasquad scrimmage at 12 p.m. and then scrimmage against Pitt-A at 2 p.m. We'll see how the groin feels and gauge how much I play on that.
And speaking of making Forge, there's a saying I've heard a couple times that I don't quite understand. It goes something like this:
"I don't think I'll make the team, but I'm just going to tryouts to get better."
It's not the last part of that sentence that frustrates me, it's the first. Regardless if you'll make the team, you should head into any tryout expecting to make the team. You should give it your all and show the captains/coaches that you deserve to be on the team. If you walk into a tryout and aren't 100% sure that you can make the team, then you won't be giving 100% when you're trying out. There's no way around that. If you don't think you can make a team, especially one as competitive as Forge, you will always have that in the back of your mind and won't be trying your hardest. I've seen it in a few players on different levels.
I've even done this before, back when I started out at Pitt as a freshman. And even as I continued to make cut after cut during the fall, I never thought I'd be make the A-team come spring. And sure enough, I wasn't giving 100% and didn't make the last cut.
Anyways, Forge tryouts were intense, but nobody said it would be easy. A lot of good drills that tested different aspects of the game with intrasquad scrimmages to three between every drill or so. I was definitely able to showcase a few of my skills (my speed in the beginning and my throws in the second half).
On the injury front, the groin problem showed back up. Very tough and painful to start accelerate. I was able to get some good step-outs on my throws, but I could definitely feel it.
Tomorrow: Intrasquad scrimmage at 12 p.m. and then scrimmage against Pitt-A at 2 p.m. We'll see how the groin feels and gauge how much I play on that.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Spring has Sprung
It's nice to be playing outside again. It frustrates me to no end to be stuck inside a stuffy place trying to practice Ultimate. Nonetheless, I've done a lot of work physically this year.
I started the year weighing in around 148 with the goal to finish the season close to 160, but with more muscle. I'm at 153 right now. We'll see if I get there.
Doing cardio, track workouts and lifting on a regular basis, I can already see myself improve on the field. I've also worked a lot on my throwing, which is something I felt I could always improve on. I now have a lot more confidence throwing, especially in the wind. I feel confident controlling the disc and working against a zone. It's nice to be feeling good playing offense.
I'm also pretty pumped about my defensive play. I can see that my hard work this offseason has paid off. I'm running a lot faster and beating guys to the disc.
Above all, though, it's just nice to have finally been able to balance my time between school, work and Ultimate. If you don't think it can be done, talk to me. I've figured it out.
I guess life is good now. I can breath easy heading into the Spring season.
Posts about the team and our past tournament to come.
Pittsburgh Strong.
I started the year weighing in around 148 with the goal to finish the season close to 160, but with more muscle. I'm at 153 right now. We'll see if I get there.
Doing cardio, track workouts and lifting on a regular basis, I can already see myself improve on the field. I've also worked a lot on my throwing, which is something I felt I could always improve on. I now have a lot more confidence throwing, especially in the wind. I feel confident controlling the disc and working against a zone. It's nice to be feeling good playing offense.
I'm also pretty pumped about my defensive play. I can see that my hard work this offseason has paid off. I'm running a lot faster and beating guys to the disc.
Above all, though, it's just nice to have finally been able to balance my time between school, work and Ultimate. If you don't think it can be done, talk to me. I've figured it out.
I guess life is good now. I can breath easy heading into the Spring season.
Posts about the team and our past tournament to come.
Pittsburgh Strong.
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Back in Black (and Blue)
I had one of these back in my freshman year, but got rid of it after the season. I should have kept it, but whatever. I figured I should have one of these chronicle what's going on with Pittsburgh's B-team as we fight for a spot at Regionals in 2009.
It's my first time having any serious leadership on a team. I've never coached before and never did much captaining, but things are looking good so far. From what I can tell, some of the vets are already impressed with practice turnout compared to last year. We are routinely getting close to 20 guys, if not more, out every Tuesday and Thursday. And even when the weather takes a turn for the worse, they still show up.
That's dedication. That's what this team needs to go somewhere in the spring.
A lot of the reasoning behind the increased commitment has to be because how the team is now organized. We have to two solid captains in myself and Trevor, who are handling practices and taking control of O and D lines. Asher is the unsung hero by organizing the money, tournaments and the like. There is a core of 5 or 6 guys who are assuming secondary leadership roles by helping out the rookies and throwing in input during team huddles and outside of practice. It's a good flow we have going now. It's just another part of what's going to make this team good.
As for the rookies, what can I say? Every one of them has made every effort to come to practice and are making huge strides in their game. Those who were cut from the A-team are dominating and showing why they'll be back in the running next season. The rest of the rookies are progressing nicely. I can already pick out 4 or 5 guys who, if they continue to practice and get better, will put up a fight for the A-team next year.
A lot of the vets have improved and are going to be instrumental in how this team finishes. They've all gotten better and have that never-give-up attitude.
As whole, it's making my job tough to figure out who will be the starting seven come gametime. And believe me, that's a good problem. Assuming a few more people who were off this semester come back in the spring and another 1 or 2 get cut from the A-team, we're going to have a solid B-team with the possibility of having to cut people off from attending a tournament.
Anyways, 3 months into my junior year and captain of the B-team, I have to say that I'm pleased with where we are. Very pleased.
It's my first time having any serious leadership on a team. I've never coached before and never did much captaining, but things are looking good so far. From what I can tell, some of the vets are already impressed with practice turnout compared to last year. We are routinely getting close to 20 guys, if not more, out every Tuesday and Thursday. And even when the weather takes a turn for the worse, they still show up.
That's dedication. That's what this team needs to go somewhere in the spring.
A lot of the reasoning behind the increased commitment has to be because how the team is now organized. We have to two solid captains in myself and Trevor, who are handling practices and taking control of O and D lines. Asher is the unsung hero by organizing the money, tournaments and the like. There is a core of 5 or 6 guys who are assuming secondary leadership roles by helping out the rookies and throwing in input during team huddles and outside of practice. It's a good flow we have going now. It's just another part of what's going to make this team good.
As for the rookies, what can I say? Every one of them has made every effort to come to practice and are making huge strides in their game. Those who were cut from the A-team are dominating and showing why they'll be back in the running next season. The rest of the rookies are progressing nicely. I can already pick out 4 or 5 guys who, if they continue to practice and get better, will put up a fight for the A-team next year.
A lot of the vets have improved and are going to be instrumental in how this team finishes. They've all gotten better and have that never-give-up attitude.
As whole, it's making my job tough to figure out who will be the starting seven come gametime. And believe me, that's a good problem. Assuming a few more people who were off this semester come back in the spring and another 1 or 2 get cut from the A-team, we're going to have a solid B-team with the possibility of having to cut people off from attending a tournament.
Anyways, 3 months into my junior year and captain of the B-team, I have to say that I'm pleased with where we are. Very pleased.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
