So, tryout season in NorCal has come and gone and I didn't make the team I was trying to make (Revolver). The week after that happened I hurt my knee at work randomly, and for a number of reasons I was really close to not playing competitive ultimate this summer. Luckily, James Yeager of UCSC came along with the perfect opportunity.
Yeager realized that the best way to try and get the Slugs back to nationals next year was to have everyone play club together this summer. He also realized that simply turning your college team into a club team isn't amazingly effective, so he recruited me as a co-captain for this as yet to named* summer team. We invited all of this year's Slug A players onto the team, then, using our ultimate nerdy-ness and connections, Yeager and I started recruiting and trying to fill out the roster. Well, we eventually settled on having tryouts, and have been doing so for the past couple of weekends. As of now, we're really stoked on the potential our team has (I'll release a roster once we have a team name, it'll be on the Score Reporter).
So, after starting this team so late, we were stuck without a bid to CalStates, but we came up with an awesome alternative. We held tryouts in the form of a double practice on Saturday, then had tryouts in terms of heckling practice on Sunday. Because we weren't actually playing in the tournament, we were able to go huge at the tourney party Saturday night and bond as a team the next day.
On Saturday, Shy and I arranged to pick up with some LA homies for the first game Sunday morning so I could get in some hungover co-ed play in prep for Potlatch. We got to play against the team Shy left to play with Yeager and I for the summer, LA Metro. It was a lot of fun seeing as Shy and I had a bunch of friends on both teams. Basically we ran around the field doing give and goes until one of us jacked it to an open receiver (if felt like the good ol' days). 808 was supposed to pick up with us, but he overslept, what a bummer. I'll just have to wait until Discos and e-bay to play with Bobby.
That's what I got from the personal side for now. I'll try and get back to spreading rumors about the top teams soon.
*I was originally pushing for us to be the Yeager Bombs, but James has insisted on spelling it with a J, so we'll hold a team vote to settle on a name (hopefully it won't be Justice League**).
**Too Soon?
Showing posts with label Tryouts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tryouts. Show all posts
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Monday, April 7, 2008
DUI Recap
This past weekend I played in my first ever tryout tournament. I think I'm moving into the veteran ranks of trying out soon. I played with half of Revolver (we were called Bulldog). Anyway, game by game . . .
Game 1: S-M-A-U-G Smaug! Smaug! (UCLA)
We got to play my old SoCal friends first game. They've got sectionals next weekend and are looking to peak at the right time. The game went about as I expected, UClA made some execution errors, and we didn't. Still, there were some things I didn't expect, notably UCLA hucking a lot, and those hucks not coming to or from Seraph. I think they'll tighten the rotation a bit next weekend and lean more heavily on Seraph/Sultan/Devinci. Final score 15-7 ish.
Game 2: YR
They came out fired up, we came out without much chemistry on O. Not a big surprise for a team with only 7 returners, at least 4 of whom played D last year. We scored on O first, then they scored 5 strait before we finally scored on O again. Well, getting our D on the field was a good decision. We wound up taking half 8-6 to on a 7-1 run. Early in the second half we were able to reap the benefits of them having such a tight O rotation and continue take and build to a 12-8 lead. And a 15-9 final. I think this game speaks volumes towards teams giving the D line a shot on O after maybe two consecutive breaks.
Game 3: Condors
Um, I think they broke us three straight times before we got on the board. That's right, in typical Bulldog fashion we were down 3-1 before the D got on the field. Well, also in typical Bulldog fashion we took half 8-6 (awesome). We wound up winning 15-11 ish. Wow, that was my first time beating any team called The Condors. That was a big moment for me. I played all right, but got beat deep once or twice (I also got the D on a deep shot).
The game against the Condors concluded our day and Revolver headed over (two blocks over) to The Graduate for greasy food and final 4 b-ball. Well, I could only stay for like 30 min before having to jet to B-town for a dinner party (so good). Anyway, the night was fun, but I didn't quite have the time I usually do in Berkeley, but only because I had to get up at 8:20 to make it to the fields by 10:00.
The next morning was easy and headache-less (rare for Sundays when I wake up in Berkeley) and I was able to make it to the fields 3rd out of everyone on my team.
Game 4 (Quarters): J-men
Um, it was lame and boring. Luckily, this was the game I played worse in (two drops, the only two turns I had with Bulldog).
Game 5 (Semis): Spoonbender (Jam)
I spent this game trying to stay with Matt Bruss. It should have gone better, but I can't say it was a total failure. There was only one point where my man touched the disc multiple times, but Matt did score some goals on me. While I was guarding him Bruss was hucked to 5 times, 3 resulting in goals and two in turns. Unfortunately, we didn't convert any of our upwind chances on D, turing it over 5 yards out twice, and turning it after both of the timeouts the D called. Anyway, this was a game we could have won, and I'd like to be in this matchup again.
Magnum, the other Revolver split squad, also lost in the semis. So, instead of essentially scrimmaging, both teams called it quits to socialize instead. Well, Charles and I decided it'd be more useful to us as tryouts to play with YR in their last consolation game.
Game 6 (with YR): Smaug
Both teams were very tiered, one happened to play a game predicated on high percentage throws and disc movement while the other relied on big strikes. It was fun playing with YR and getting to be a primary cutter. I found that it was easier to take on a large role with these guys than with the revolver guys. Mostly, I didn't feel out classed in the throws department. Anyway, we won easily and I played well scoring a few goals and assisting on a couple. Still I had a turnover, that shouldn't happen. I had a good time playing with these guys.
All in all it was a fun weekend, the tryout season is in full swing. I can't wait until the season starts after Cal States.
Game 1: S-M-A-U-G Smaug! Smaug! (UCLA)
We got to play my old SoCal friends first game. They've got sectionals next weekend and are looking to peak at the right time. The game went about as I expected, UClA made some execution errors, and we didn't. Still, there were some things I didn't expect, notably UCLA hucking a lot, and those hucks not coming to or from Seraph. I think they'll tighten the rotation a bit next weekend and lean more heavily on Seraph/Sultan/Devinci. Final score 15-7 ish.
Game 2: YR
They came out fired up, we came out without much chemistry on O. Not a big surprise for a team with only 7 returners, at least 4 of whom played D last year. We scored on O first, then they scored 5 strait before we finally scored on O again. Well, getting our D on the field was a good decision. We wound up taking half 8-6 to on a 7-1 run. Early in the second half we were able to reap the benefits of them having such a tight O rotation and continue take and build to a 12-8 lead. And a 15-9 final. I think this game speaks volumes towards teams giving the D line a shot on O after maybe two consecutive breaks.
Game 3: Condors
Um, I think they broke us three straight times before we got on the board. That's right, in typical Bulldog fashion we were down 3-1 before the D got on the field. Well, also in typical Bulldog fashion we took half 8-6 (awesome). We wound up winning 15-11 ish. Wow, that was my first time beating any team called The Condors. That was a big moment for me. I played all right, but got beat deep once or twice (I also got the D on a deep shot).
The game against the Condors concluded our day and Revolver headed over (two blocks over) to The Graduate for greasy food and final 4 b-ball. Well, I could only stay for like 30 min before having to jet to B-town for a dinner party (so good). Anyway, the night was fun, but I didn't quite have the time I usually do in Berkeley, but only because I had to get up at 8:20 to make it to the fields by 10:00.
The next morning was easy and headache-less (rare for Sundays when I wake up in Berkeley) and I was able to make it to the fields 3rd out of everyone on my team.
Game 4 (Quarters): J-men
Um, it was lame and boring. Luckily, this was the game I played worse in (two drops, the only two turns I had with Bulldog).
Game 5 (Semis): Spoonbender (Jam)
I spent this game trying to stay with Matt Bruss. It should have gone better, but I can't say it was a total failure. There was only one point where my man touched the disc multiple times, but Matt did score some goals on me. While I was guarding him Bruss was hucked to 5 times, 3 resulting in goals and two in turns. Unfortunately, we didn't convert any of our upwind chances on D, turing it over 5 yards out twice, and turning it after both of the timeouts the D called. Anyway, this was a game we could have won, and I'd like to be in this matchup again.
Magnum, the other Revolver split squad, also lost in the semis. So, instead of essentially scrimmaging, both teams called it quits to socialize instead. Well, Charles and I decided it'd be more useful to us as tryouts to play with YR in their last consolation game.
Game 6 (with YR): Smaug
Both teams were very tiered, one happened to play a game predicated on high percentage throws and disc movement while the other relied on big strikes. It was fun playing with YR and getting to be a primary cutter. I found that it was easier to take on a large role with these guys than with the revolver guys. Mostly, I didn't feel out classed in the throws department. Anyway, we won easily and I played well scoring a few goals and assisting on a couple. Still I had a turnover, that shouldn't happen. I had a good time playing with these guys.
All in all it was a fun weekend, the tryout season is in full swing. I can't wait until the season starts after Cal States.
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