Post-Sectionals Regionals '09

It had been over a month since the nationally ranked #19 Air Squids had lost a game as we entered the finals of the 2009 Southwest Regional Tournament. 13 straight wins in our section and region had won us a bid to nationals and a game against the #4 Colorado Mamabird. They changed that. After a demoralizing 15-2 loss we sat around thinking about how this season had come along and I started thinking about a decision I had made over seven months ago.

In September, I was a young kid on my way to a prestigious University. Full of pride and eager to start a new part of my life, I drove down from Northern California with my parents. A pressing issue on my mind was what sport I would play when I did get here. I had spent five years playing lacrosse, from 8th grade through high school, and it had become a major part of my life. A few years ago, I wouldn't have thought of considering anything else, but my senior year of high school changed things. I was introduced to the world of ultimate. With a former Black Tide player as my coach, I learned of the game, tournaments, and the college teams that played in relative obscurity year round. Towards the end of that year I was shown the documentary "I Bleed Black". It was made for Santa Barbara's frisbee team in 2001 when they made a national title run. I remembered one scene when Tide played UCSD at Pres Day. The Squids beat them by running their infamous zone defense. It left a nostalgic impression on me that would determine an amazingly large part of my future.

So as I drove down to school in late September, I had a conflict to resolve. Whether to stick with the sport that I had come to love (lacrosse), and the douchey players that are part of its culture, or branch out and join my close friend Owen (Threeve) playing for a club frisbee team known as the Air Squids that had been on my mind since watching the documentary. The lacrosse team made my decision far easier than I expected. When I went to the club fair on ridge walk looking for sports clubs, the lacrosse team was nowhere to be found. Threeve and I talked to some frisbee players, they told us about a pick-up game later that day. We went and had a blast. Lacrosse had stumbled and ultimate frisbee had been right there to take over. I started attending practice and continued to have a good time with the team.

Three weeks into school, the lacrosse team threw a surprise at me...they existed! A freshman in ERC who was going out for the team sent me a facebook message telling me in a very polite way to come and check out them out. The message went something like this:

"Hey dude, we are having a meeting for anyone who is interested in joining the lacrosse team this Thursday. I know you play because you had lacrosse in your facebook interests, so get off your ass and come to the meeting. It will be a fucking sweet time so get the fuck out here!"

The warmness and kindness of his message motivated me to go out to a practice. Unfortunately that only gave them another strike. When I went to practice, there were 11 players, two of which were guys from my res hall who had never played the game before. After talking to the coaches, neither of which seemed to have much experience, lacrosse was out of the picture and I set my mind to frisbee. It has turned out to be one of the best decisions I ever made.

Aside from the fact that the frisbee team is going to Nationals while the lacrosse team finished their season three weeks ago with a five and five record. And aside from the fact that I traveled to NorCal twice, Texas, Santa Barbara, and Colorado, while the lacrosse team only went to Las Vegas. Ultimate was the right decision because of all the amazing people I have met. My best friends are frisbee players, and I consider every member of the A-team somebody I can rely on for whatever I may need from advice, to tutoring, to a good time. We'll see ya in Ohio.