Some reflections


I've been playing this game for a while now. I probably think about it more than is good for me. One of my wishes or fantasies is going back in time and having a conversation with myself when I was a younger player. There is so much more that I know then I did when I started. In fact I learned more this past club season, then in any other season. There are a number of things I wish I could have told myself 6 or 7 years ago, but of course you can't turn back time. What this means in practice is that when I pull you aside and try to share a little nugget of wisdom, what I am really doing is trying to correct an error in myself that I see in you. I've made all the mistakes you have and I've made even worse ones is less desirable situations. When I pull you aside and try to tell you how to improve your game, it's not because I'm mad at you, it's really because I want to save you from some of the pain I've experienced.

This game, ultimate, is pretty simple. You try as hard as you can on the fields, and you support your teammates when your not on the field. In this day and age, the concept of team in sports is undervalued. We always see the playmakers get their clips on ESPN, but the truth of good teams is that they are dull, repetitive, and even a little boring. One of the reasons for this is that good teams play for themselves, and not for others. How much of a reward is having a good game yourself, if your team did not win? Being content with your play in a loss is cop out. That's a hard lesson that it too me a while to win. "I played well this weekend" is what you tell people so that they don't feel bad for you, it's nothing your should take consolation in. Another tough lesson that it took me far longer to learn than it should have is that being content with playing well against a good team and losing is a loser's attitude.

I know that this team is young, but it also is good. Every time I think back upon my college career, I wish I could have had this conversation with myself in my second and third years of college ultimate:

Geoff, you're trying way to hard to make stuff happen. You need to chill out. All you need to do on the field is complete all your throws. Don't force anything. Just take those throws that you're so confident in, that you don't have to think, it just happens. Stop hucking so much. You're not that good at it. All you need to do is play good defense. Work harder on your mark. When your cutting, stop fucking jogging. Just make 2 or 3 hard cuts, and chill in the stack if you're tired. Yeah, yeah, I know you've heard this before. But you think they're still more you need to do. It's not true. Hustle on D, be patient on O. You need to trust you teammates to do things right. No. Really. All you need to do is complete your passes, cut hard, and hustle on D. It really is that simple. Shit, it's even that simple when you're in your 4th and 5th year too.

This season is a special opportunity. I've played many seasons of ultimate, and this type of opportunity is rare. Embrace it. Enjoy it. And use it.

Posted: Thu - December 16, 2004 at 12:12 AM          

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