Intro: This semester was defined by people stepping up into new roles. This ranges from captains knowing what works and doesn't work in terms of intra-team communication to a freshman becoming a handler. While reflecting on the past few ultimate months I realized team turmoil was inevitable and guaranteed because of these new roles. I wish we didn't have and had so much tension and hate on the team, but at this point it is something we all need to accept. People do not change for others, they only change for themselves. All we can do is treat others how we would like to be treated and hopefully the hotheaded on our team will soon mirror and match our positive attitudes. In a way I am imploring the sophomore class to be a model of respect within the class and to others.
I too stepped into a new role this semester, handler. I fucked up a lot early on and I fucked up a lot later on. Fucked up in terms of unforced errors on the field. Drops, bad throws and unnecessary hucks. I do hope to become a weapon in offense and defense but at the same time not take unnecessary risks. AC and Fickles have told me both things in different situations which implies to me that I need to find a happy Buddhist medium in my play. This is what I strive for next semester, conservative yet dangerous. Like Cheney! Lolololololol.
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Offense:
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Throwing
Backhand: Hucks hucks hucks hucks hucks. It's apparent that I can throw great deep shots when I am in the zone, but what about when I am cognizant of the throwing motion? Usually I fail when that is the case. Something to work on. How to improve? Throw more often outside of practice.
Flick: Hucks hucks hucks hucks hucks. 1 for 5 work. It will be more like 9 for 10 by the end of the season. How to get there? Throw more often outside of practice
Hammers: Is a fast and bullet-y hammer ok to throw? A hammer will be hard to catch regardless...maybe not a good line of reasoning. If not ok to throw, how does one practice better hammers?
Cutting
Handling so much took away from improving my cutting. It didn't get worse but I hesitate to say it got any better. How to improve this situation? Get better at handling then think about cutting.
Handling
Dump cuts were shitty...shallow predictable cuts.
Miscues on throws, risky spur of the moment short throws. Gotta holster baby.
Habit of dumping at 3 as a main handler. From cutting. Need to hold for at least two more stall counts.
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Defense:
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Downfield
Staying on your mans hip really works, thank you Kyle.
I realized I have the quickness to stay with my man on his hip, so why not do it.
Handler
Seems like it has gotten worse for some reason. I think it is due to body and foot positioning. Body angled towards the man and push where you want them to go. On the balls of the feet.
Mark
Broken tons. After CUFF I took the time to admit it's my job to cut off only half the field, not the whole thing. It is now pretty solid. Simiar to Bobby I need to work on cutting off the breakside then closing in on a swing. Did it twice in practice, essentially instinct now, hopefully.
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Overall:
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How I improved last year was all due to my humility and thirst for knowledge. I need to remind myself that I do not know everything about ultimate. I need to remind myself to ask tons of questions concerning how to play. These two things will vastly improve my game next semester. Deliberate and periodical practice of basic ultimate mechanics will also help. Gotta go back to square one my friends, with the coming of every new season.
This blog will be a great way for our class to express our ideas, suggestions, and perhaps frustrations with the game that we play in the years to come, as we strive to improve ourselves and others on the team.
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Bobby Fall Eval
Thanks to Niji pestering me (thanks dude) i finally got around to this, you all should too, only takes about 15 minutes and i think its a pretty good way to think back and recap the semester in ultimate
Offense:
Throwing:
Backhand: Improved my backhand A LOT, granted it was really terrible so this was something that I really needed to do, kinda random but watching Cody throw really helped me cause I pretty much just tried to mimic his throwing motion in a couple ways and it worked out for me
Flick: I think my hucks have kinda gotten a lil worse which is disappointing, I probably need to rework my flicks a bit cause im definitely turning over my wrist so real bladey throws and I can’t throw into wind at all
Overall: id like a chance to handle a little bit both to improve my in game throwing and cause id like the chance to do it
Cutting: I think I have improved A LOT in this category, mostly cause I was pretty shitty to start the year, still need a lot of improvements going forward. Need to especially work on cutting deep more often, for some reason I rarely do it but I started doing it more near the end of the year and it definitely opened up a lot of opportunities for me on offense. While I was out with my concussion I watched people cut and realized 2 things: 1) it is ridiculously easy to cut if you are sold on where you want to go cause playing defense its pretty hard to cover someone when they know what they want to do and you don’t know where they are gonna go (see this in Tristan all the time, going into the cut you can see that he knows where he wants to go even if you don’t know where, ends up working pretty well for him I think) 2) patience is a virtue, you don’t need to get the disc all the time to be a successful cutter and you don’t need to be cutting all the time to help the team get score, one thing that I learned was that sometimes it’s best to recognize that someone else wants to cut one way and make a cut where you know you won’t get the disc just to pull your man away from the area
Defense:
Down-field: Pretty good, didn’t really improve as much as I would have liked, I think I tend to be a little bit poachy I think at times, need to listen to Kyle Minner’s advice to stay closer to my man, I want to start working on recognizing the field better, as well as trying understanding where the thrower wants to put it and going to that spot instead of just following my man there
Dump D: pretty good, mostly I have worked on preventing strike throws so I kinda position myself to make it impossible I think I might be letting swings/dumps off a little too easy, something to work on there
Mark: Still pretty shitty but definite improvement from last year, need to work more on cutting off the swing throw if possible, mostly just try to be more active, stay low and balanced, and maybe start to work in some foot blocks?
Overall: Get in shape for the spring, don’t drink as much, probly try to stay a lil less cocky (not intentional, just real excited to play, but some people have mentioned it soooo I’ll pay more attention to that, I guess kinda weird cause I don’t think I was cocky last year) mostly just need to set a better example for the freshman of not being a douche, and most importantly, to me at least, DON’T HURT MY HEAD AGAIN
Offense:
Throwing:
Backhand: Improved my backhand A LOT, granted it was really terrible so this was something that I really needed to do, kinda random but watching Cody throw really helped me cause I pretty much just tried to mimic his throwing motion in a couple ways and it worked out for me
Flick: I think my hucks have kinda gotten a lil worse which is disappointing, I probably need to rework my flicks a bit cause im definitely turning over my wrist so real bladey throws and I can’t throw into wind at all
Overall: id like a chance to handle a little bit both to improve my in game throwing and cause id like the chance to do it
Cutting: I think I have improved A LOT in this category, mostly cause I was pretty shitty to start the year, still need a lot of improvements going forward. Need to especially work on cutting deep more often, for some reason I rarely do it but I started doing it more near the end of the year and it definitely opened up a lot of opportunities for me on offense. While I was out with my concussion I watched people cut and realized 2 things: 1) it is ridiculously easy to cut if you are sold on where you want to go cause playing defense its pretty hard to cover someone when they know what they want to do and you don’t know where they are gonna go (see this in Tristan all the time, going into the cut you can see that he knows where he wants to go even if you don’t know where, ends up working pretty well for him I think) 2) patience is a virtue, you don’t need to get the disc all the time to be a successful cutter and you don’t need to be cutting all the time to help the team get score, one thing that I learned was that sometimes it’s best to recognize that someone else wants to cut one way and make a cut where you know you won’t get the disc just to pull your man away from the area
Defense:
Down-field: Pretty good, didn’t really improve as much as I would have liked, I think I tend to be a little bit poachy I think at times, need to listen to Kyle Minner’s advice to stay closer to my man, I want to start working on recognizing the field better, as well as trying understanding where the thrower wants to put it and going to that spot instead of just following my man there
Dump D: pretty good, mostly I have worked on preventing strike throws so I kinda position myself to make it impossible I think I might be letting swings/dumps off a little too easy, something to work on there
Mark: Still pretty shitty but definite improvement from last year, need to work more on cutting off the swing throw if possible, mostly just try to be more active, stay low and balanced, and maybe start to work in some foot blocks?
Overall: Get in shape for the spring, don’t drink as much, probly try to stay a lil less cocky (not intentional, just real excited to play, but some people have mentioned it soooo I’ll pay more attention to that, I guess kinda weird cause I don’t think I was cocky last year) mostly just need to set a better example for the freshman of not being a douche, and most importantly, to me at least, DON’T HURT MY HEAD AGAIN
Thursday, November 25, 2010
W.Y.O.E.
Hey kiddoes,
It's Niji, and it's about that time of year that captains start thinking about writing evals for each of you naggers. I think this would be a great time for you to preemptively write your own evals; This way, you can compare what you think you've improved/in what areas you need more work with and what your captains think you're better at/need to get better at without their opinions clouding your self-judgment (yet). Also, just as a fun exercise, you might want to write other sophcore members' evals. Too many opinions might be confusing, but finding a common thread among different evals might help you find what you might want to make a priority.
Looking forward to seeing your self-and-other-people's evals,
Niji
Sean: CUFF
Hiya.
A frustrating tourney for me. I had the expectation that I would get more playing time and be an integral part of either the offense or defense. This was not the case.
Pros:
When I played, I felt I played well. Even though I did have a few unforced turnovers, I thought my improvements and accomplishments on the field far outweighed them. Here are things I remember,
+backhand huck for a score
+pretty solid D. was a ton of fun to play right on my mans hip. a result of this style of play produced more opportunities for D's.
+when I got an opportunity to play I did my part. on only a few times did I let the team down/get scored on.
Cons:
Let not playing get into my head. On my one drop of the weekend I had not played for a few points previously. I made a simple dump cut and dropped the disc cold turkey. Totally my fault.
-a few dumb throws.
-didnt cheer enough for the team. an active sideline is essential to team spirit/performance.
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So, all I can do about this janx is keep working at it. Keep working at getting better. Giving up now because I dont get to play as much as I would like to would be....lame.
A frustrating tourney for me. I had the expectation that I would get more playing time and be an integral part of either the offense or defense. This was not the case.
Pros:
When I played, I felt I played well. Even though I did have a few unforced turnovers, I thought my improvements and accomplishments on the field far outweighed them. Here are things I remember,
+backhand huck for a score
+pretty solid D. was a ton of fun to play right on my mans hip. a result of this style of play produced more opportunities for D's.
+when I got an opportunity to play I did my part. on only a few times did I let the team down/get scored on.
Cons:
Let not playing get into my head. On my one drop of the weekend I had not played for a few points previously. I made a simple dump cut and dropped the disc cold turkey. Totally my fault.
-a few dumb throws.
-didnt cheer enough for the team. an active sideline is essential to team spirit/performance.
--------
So, all I can do about this janx is keep working at it. Keep working at getting better. Giving up now because I dont get to play as much as I would like to would be....lame.
Monday, November 8, 2010
Sean: CAAs
Fell asleep yesterday at 6ish, woke up at 12 then went back to bed around 1. I don't feel sore....which is indicative of a good sleep OR (ORRRR) not enough playing time. I think we all know which one is the main contributor hahaha.
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I'm disappointed by our standing in the tourney, 4th place. 3rd was ECU, 2nd Towson and 1st JMU. And honestly I am disappointed by our performance. We can do better. We can do better.
I've been talking to Cody about how his high school team compares to his new college team, our team. He said the one thing that held them back at tourneys was the inability to practice with tournament intensity. We then both agreed that Darkhorse has the same problem. Granted, the team has gotten better about unforced turnovers and decision-making but we still have a long way to go, as evidenced by our record over the weekend. How do you guys think we can better incorporate tournament intensity to our practices? I have a few ideas myself:
1. Less scrimmaging (less means more....as in we would have no excuse to give it our all with less scrimmaging time)
2. More O-line, D-line (so our O-line gets more chemistry and our D-line gets more chemistry/practice against our best offensive players)
3. Weeks of practice centered around a specific skill w/ brand new drills (marks, deep game, zone, breaks, dump throwing/cutting etc.)
4. Throwing session before practices, half an hour before. (This is mainly for freshmen but everyone always needs practice throwing. One can never not get better at something.)
5. Need to ask our upperclassmen what helped them win. More advice from experienced players couldnt hurt.
------
Things our team needs to improve upon:
1. Converting on D
2. Deep game
3. Unforced turnovers
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Personal performance
- short break throws too bullet-y and high
- dump cuts, waiting for the handler to be ready, not starting when I think they should be ready
- getting broken (worst moment of my tourney was getting broken....FUUUUUUCK)
- the mark for good handlers, step off a little just like Acie said. The Huddle says slowly close in on the mark, dont start with a condom.
- bidding. down not up...fuck..
- timing my jumps...i am awful at this...how can i get better...at least it's not as bad as last year...sigh
- two unforced error throws, both to MTD. We need to communicate better I serpose.
+ 3/5 on hucks, which tells me two things. I was able to holster more than in practice, which was a goal of mine. It also tells me that my long throws are improving.
+ As a cutter almost always got open.
+ Good break throws
+ The 2nd coming of Minner gave the team some good advice during our bout with JMU: play your man's hip on D. Now that I am in shape enough and quick enough, this form of D wasnt too hard for me and allowed me to shut down cutters on occasion. Also had the opportunity to bid on some in-cuts.
+ Didn't drop once this weekend, I think. Call me out if I'm wrong please.
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Sophcore Performances
Bobbles
+ solid pulls, room for improvement. team needs a consistent puller for games to come. I believe its you. step up
+ nice bids
+ though it wasnt always readily apparent, you shut your man down a lot. next step is creating situations for the turn
- concussion
Tris
+ good cuts
+ open deep
- need to anticipate the cuts a defender wishes to make. because you are a smart cutter, you should already know where he wants to go. anticipate, don't react.
- i am 90% sure of why you are having trouble with your dump throws: body language. Kind of look like a freshmen with the disc in your hands which causes the mark to get all up in your shit. Your flick grip needs to mature to the point where you arent relying on your offhand to support the disc. Also, the disc need to be held further away from your body which forces the mark to give disc space. You tend to hold the disc parallel and close to your chest, a sign of a novice.
Nick
+ back in your D groove. really seems like you want it
+ nice huck
+ tight bids
Fabio
+ stepped up on O. only one drop the whole tourney.
+ great D, bids
- still showcasing your intentions when throwing too much, but never ran into an unforced error (well one, but that doesnt count)
Kyle
+ great D
- gotta work on making your throws more orthodox, standardized.
As a class, I believe we deserve more playing time.
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Overall, I want to win more. I want more. Actually,: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FOdWxf1tRmI
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I'm disappointed by our standing in the tourney, 4th place. 3rd was ECU, 2nd Towson and 1st JMU. And honestly I am disappointed by our performance. We can do better. We can do better.
I've been talking to Cody about how his high school team compares to his new college team, our team. He said the one thing that held them back at tourneys was the inability to practice with tournament intensity. We then both agreed that Darkhorse has the same problem. Granted, the team has gotten better about unforced turnovers and decision-making but we still have a long way to go, as evidenced by our record over the weekend. How do you guys think we can better incorporate tournament intensity to our practices? I have a few ideas myself:
1. Less scrimmaging (less means more....as in we would have no excuse to give it our all with less scrimmaging time)
2. More O-line, D-line (so our O-line gets more chemistry and our D-line gets more chemistry/practice against our best offensive players)
3. Weeks of practice centered around a specific skill w/ brand new drills (marks, deep game, zone, breaks, dump throwing/cutting etc.)
4. Throwing session before practices, half an hour before. (This is mainly for freshmen but everyone always needs practice throwing. One can never not get better at something.)
5. Need to ask our upperclassmen what helped them win. More advice from experienced players couldnt hurt.
------
Things our team needs to improve upon:
1. Converting on D
2. Deep game
3. Unforced turnovers
------
Personal performance
- short break throws too bullet-y and high
- dump cuts, waiting for the handler to be ready, not starting when I think they should be ready
- getting broken (worst moment of my tourney was getting broken....FUUUUUUCK)
- the mark for good handlers, step off a little just like Acie said. The Huddle says slowly close in on the mark, dont start with a condom.
- bidding. down not up...fuck..
- timing my jumps...i am awful at this...how can i get better...at least it's not as bad as last year...sigh
- two unforced error throws, both to MTD. We need to communicate better I serpose.
+ 3/5 on hucks, which tells me two things. I was able to holster more than in practice, which was a goal of mine. It also tells me that my long throws are improving.
+ As a cutter almost always got open.
+ Good break throws
+ The 2nd coming of Minner gave the team some good advice during our bout with JMU: play your man's hip on D. Now that I am in shape enough and quick enough, this form of D wasnt too hard for me and allowed me to shut down cutters on occasion. Also had the opportunity to bid on some in-cuts.
+ Didn't drop once this weekend, I think. Call me out if I'm wrong please.
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Sophcore Performances
Bobbles
+ solid pulls, room for improvement. team needs a consistent puller for games to come. I believe its you. step up
+ nice bids
+ though it wasnt always readily apparent, you shut your man down a lot. next step is creating situations for the turn
- concussion
Tris
+ good cuts
+ open deep
- need to anticipate the cuts a defender wishes to make. because you are a smart cutter, you should already know where he wants to go. anticipate, don't react.
- i am 90% sure of why you are having trouble with your dump throws: body language. Kind of look like a freshmen with the disc in your hands which causes the mark to get all up in your shit. Your flick grip needs to mature to the point where you arent relying on your offhand to support the disc. Also, the disc need to be held further away from your body which forces the mark to give disc space. You tend to hold the disc parallel and close to your chest, a sign of a novice.
Nick
+ back in your D groove. really seems like you want it
+ nice huck
+ tight bids
Fabio
+ stepped up on O. only one drop the whole tourney.
+ great D, bids
- still showcasing your intentions when throwing too much, but never ran into an unforced error (well one, but that doesnt count)
Kyle
+ great D
- gotta work on making your throws more orthodox, standardized.
As a class, I believe we deserve more playing time.
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Overall, I want to win more. I want more. Actually,: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FOdWxf1tRmI
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Nick: Wrap Up of CAAs
Yo dooders,
Just wanted to take a little time here to talk about my experiences and observations from this weekend. For the most part I agree with what Tristan had to say about losing to teams that are just about as good as us. I feel like we all feel the same way here and it doesn't need rubbing in, but I've noticed that we tend to beat ourselves far too often.
At the same time, I'd have to disagree with you, Tristan, on your thoughts about the O-line getting tired. Obviously I could be wrong, but I feel like most of the time when our o-line fucked up it was just because of mental errors or...let's call it a lack of flow, not really a fatigue thing. I do think that some guys should get more reps on the line to keep it fresh, but I think having a solid, constant unit as our o-line will lead to more success. We've seen them run a train down the field, we know what they're capable of, and those are the guys I like to see out there on offense. Of course they could be more in shape, but I think they did a great job for this being our first real tourney and all.
Now to the personals, yo.
Sean: I know which huck T-boner referred to, and it was tiiiighhhht. Other than that, really solid weekend. I know you were bummed that you got bumped from the 0-line for no apparent reason, but you still played a major role out on the field as a d-handler. Keep it up and you'll catch the captains' eyes. Also, work on dem bids mon.
Fabskies: GREAT fucking weekend dude. I've noticed in practices this year that you would always burn the shit out of me when I tried to mark you, and apparently the captains noticed as well and put you on o-line. The timing of your cuts is superb, and you've become an all-around solid ass player man. Keep workin' on your throws though, obviously I'm no expert with this stuff but you seem to telegraph your intentions a lot, which leads to the mark blocking off the throw you're looking for.
Bobert: Nice work on Saturday champ. I gotta say I love how little you value your body and personal well being. At the same time, take care of yourself man, you're no good to us injured on the sideline.
Tris: You played a hell of a tournament dude. Believe it or not you are definitely one of the team's emotional leaders and we thrive on your energy and emotion. You made good cuts, took care of the disk for the most part, and overall got the job done. I'd say your only downfall is silly mistakes you make, like drops and such. There's not much to do about that shit though, just keep your cool and shorten up your memory a bit; don't dwell on your mistakes and play with confidence.
Kyle: You really stepped it up this weekend man. The captains gave you a fare share of playtime and you definitely made the most of it, expect lots more PT to come your way in the future. The only advice I have for you is to work on becoming a better handler. I've heard from Fickletits and LBM that they want you to start to fill that role on the team, which is why they'd call you back to handle a lot after a D turn. I'm confident that you can become a good handler, you just have to know how to practice the right things to get there.
Myself: Pretty disappointing weekend but I still had a great fucking time out there. Saturday I noticed that since I was getting so frustrated with my play time that I wouldn't even focus on the game when I got on the field. Saturday I played 7 points, got scored on three times, got one D, and had one turn. Not cool. Regardless, I had a little chat with Fickley Saturday night and told him that no matter how many points I get on Sunday, he can expect great things from me. I thought I'd get a lot of PT on Sunday but it only ended up being about 12 points, which I definitely feel like I made the most of. I only got scored on once (that near lay out D I had in the end zone towards the end of the ECU game), had three scores (Sean, let's hit up that Iso shit alllllll day baby), and one turn. Sorry to ramble, but I have a lot on my mind about my weekend. Long story short I learned a lot about staying positive and will make positive contributions to this team no matter how much PT I get in the future.
Sorry this took so long, but I haven't posted in a while so I thought it was straight.
PS) Go deep son! You know I've got that backhand put to hit you up in the endzone!
Thanks for a great weekend boys, I love you all.
Hargrievances.
Tristan: Tournament CAA's in WILLIAMSBURG
Yo, what up!?!
My work load is no longer overwhelming so I can contribute!
I think the tournament went okay for us. We had our moments, but certainly lacked concentration in others. I've noticed something: we tend to lose our even match-ups. I think JMU and ECU and even Towson are no better than us. Our team tends to come out for one half and completely butcher the other. I think our O-line has trouble converting when it gets tired. The same players seem to play, which is fine because they're the most consistent on the team. BUT I think those players in particular need to work on getting in tournament shape. I don't think this applies to Sophcore, but it was just an observation. Also, we had a lotta drops and breaks (as Fickley told us).
Personals--
Bobby: Great first day. You are playing really well. Key defensive player.
Fabio: You had some sick bids this weekend. You're also extremely consistent and a well fitting O-line player. Keep it up dude.
Sean: You had that SaaaWEET huck that I can't get out of my head. I'd say work on your dump/strike cuts. I know we sort of had a miscommunication at one point. Layouts too. Keep working on those.
Kyle: You had a couple of really nice D points. Your layouts are baller. Try and stay tighter on your man. Keep at his hip.
Nick: Dude, I'm sorry this weekend didn't work out for you. It sucks that you have class on tuesday/thursdays. You should work extra hard on wednesdays and sundays. You should also throw around with us more. Your bids are sick as always.
Me: This weekend I fucked up a few dump throws, which perplexed me. I'm usually pretty good at hitting the dump. I think I broke contact with my dump a few times with that. Defensively, I thought I played pretty well. I'm going to work on my man-to-man mark more. That needs work. I'd like to improve my layouts on D. I think my mark in zone was particularly strong this weekend. Also, I thought I got open pretty well when we had the disc.
Overall, I thought we did well this weekend. I had fun. I was a bit disappointed that we didn't win ANY of our challenging games. We need to work on consistency.
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Sean: Tuesday Practice 10/27
I have a proposal for Sophcore. Let's keep track of our mistakes and successes in a concrete and visible way. We can do this through a success/suck point differential! Yay!
Success/Suck Differential Rules
+1, a score
+1, an assist
+1, a callahan
+1, a D
------
-1, scored on
-1, turnover (forced or unforced)
My differential for today was: +3. Pretty good right? (insanely good for me haha, good practice) Ho-yeah!!
+3 scores
+1 assist
+1 D
------
- 1 Turn, on a throw
- 1 scored on
For the past four practices I have compiled my Success/Suck Differential (SSD). I am now at +5 I think. Yay!
Now do this yourself.
--------------------------------------
Onto today's practice. Looking at my SSD, I did ok.
+beat people deep quite a bit
+got a D, played good D
+ cut out of the Ho ok
- flick huck was awful. need to take my time on the windup just half a second more.
- got beat deep force side in the endzone. stay on my man, and anticipate freshmen will do retarded stuff with the disc.
- Cody plays great D. Played me well out of the Ho and on Dump D. Im excited to see him turn into a beast the next few years. As for me, commit to a cut earlier.
Tristan
+ Getting open deep
+ Taking on those deep looks/throws well
- Your flick release terminates into your nipple. Not good form. It should release downwards.
- Having trouble timing your jumps for a disc
Nick
+ Beat a bitch deep
- Got beat deep
Bobby
+ Can't think of anything really.
Fabio
+ Can't think of much either.
Kyle
+ Dump cuts improving
- Cutting out of a Ho. Starting on the wing/rail/1 or 4, never stop moving. Doesn't have to be a sprint, but it has to at least be a jog. After movement is established, setup the cut in the middle of the field, where there is the most space.
That's it for now. Buh-bye!
Success/Suck Differential Rules
+1, a score
+1, an assist
+1, a callahan
+1, a D
------
-1, scored on
-1, turnover (forced or unforced)
My differential for today was: +3. Pretty good right? (insanely good for me haha, good practice) Ho-yeah!!
+3 scores
+1 assist
+1 D
------
- 1 Turn, on a throw
- 1 scored on
For the past four practices I have compiled my Success/Suck Differential (SSD). I am now at +5 I think. Yay!
Now do this yourself.
--------------------------------------
Onto today's practice. Looking at my SSD, I did ok.
+beat people deep quite a bit
+got a D, played good D
+ cut out of the Ho ok
- flick huck was awful. need to take my time on the windup just half a second more.
- got beat deep force side in the endzone. stay on my man, and anticipate freshmen will do retarded stuff with the disc.
- Cody plays great D. Played me well out of the Ho and on Dump D. Im excited to see him turn into a beast the next few years. As for me, commit to a cut earlier.
Tristan
+ Getting open deep
+ Taking on those deep looks/throws well
- Your flick release terminates into your nipple. Not good form. It should release downwards.
- Having trouble timing your jumps for a disc
Nick
+ Beat a bitch deep
- Got beat deep
Bobby
+ Can't think of anything really.
Fabio
+ Can't think of much either.
Kyle
+ Dump cuts improving
- Cutting out of a Ho. Starting on the wing/rail/1 or 4, never stop moving. Doesn't have to be a sprint, but it has to at least be a jog. After movement is established, setup the cut in the middle of the field, where there is the most space.
That's it for now. Buh-bye!
Sean: Alumni Game
Here's what I remember from the Alumni game:
1. Kyle Minner's kewl pulls
2. Brad and Danny, dudesdewingdudes (http://dudesdewingdudes.com/)
3. Freshmen getting beat deep a lot. The whole team too maybe.
4. Wartha Mashington. Covered her a few times, terrified she would beat me deep. Never did, phew.
5. Aric calling an......interesting?.... foul on Alan....lol
6. Scored on Kyle...kinda cool hehe
I remembered a lot, considering my state.
If any d0gs/Alums out there have any comments to make, please do.
1. Kyle Minner's kewl pulls
2. Brad and Danny, dudesdewingdudes (http://dudesdewingdudes.com/)
3. Freshmen getting beat deep a lot. The whole team too maybe.
4. Wartha Mashington. Covered her a few times, terrified she would beat me deep. Never did, phew.
5. Aric calling an......interesting?.... foul on Alan....lol
6. Scored on Kyle...kinda cool hehe
I remembered a lot, considering my state.
If any d0gs/Alums out there have any comments to make, please do.
Fabio: Lately...
Sorry I haven't posted in a while guys...I'm not a big fan of blogs....
ANYWAY, I'm really liking what I've read these past couple weeks, keep up the posts, and thank you Niji for the comments....
Just a laundry list of things from recent practices I would like to improve on:
-Feeling better (being sick SUUUUCKS)
-Playing tighter on my man when playing downfield D - I'm becoming afraid of letting my man go deep so sometimes I let him stay a couple steps in but then can't recover when the cutter makes an in cut (The plus side is that I haven't gotten beat deep in a few weeks). Suggestions?
-More wrist action on my throws, especially my flick - Like Sean said, during warmups and drills I can pretty much make the throws, but the scrimmage rolls around and my flick becomes very arm-y. I guess all I can about that is to think minimal body movement and play all that I can in scrimmages so I get the game-situation experience. Thoughts?
-Having the courage to lay out more - I have some opportunities in scrimmages to lay out on D, but rarely take them...I guess I just need to make myself do it/still be drunk for Sunday morning practice to lay out whenever.
Keep it real,
Fabio
ANYWAY, I'm really liking what I've read these past couple weeks, keep up the posts, and thank you Niji for the comments....
Just a laundry list of things from recent practices I would like to improve on:
-Feeling better (being sick SUUUUCKS)
-Playing tighter on my man when playing downfield D - I'm becoming afraid of letting my man go deep so sometimes I let him stay a couple steps in but then can't recover when the cutter makes an in cut (The plus side is that I haven't gotten beat deep in a few weeks). Suggestions?
-More wrist action on my throws, especially my flick - Like Sean said, during warmups and drills I can pretty much make the throws, but the scrimmage rolls around and my flick becomes very arm-y. I guess all I can about that is to think minimal body movement and play all that I can in scrimmages so I get the game-situation experience. Thoughts?
-Having the courage to lay out more - I have some opportunities in scrimmages to lay out on D, but rarely take them...I guess I just need to make myself do it/still be drunk for Sunday morning practice to lay out whenever.
Keep it real,
Fabio
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Tristan: Tues Oct. 19
I'll keep this relatively short, considering I have a significant amount of work ahead of me tonight.
Overall, I think the team played really well today. I think the catching drills worked REALLY well today because it translated during the scrimmage. I think I counted a total of 3 drops the entire practice... it's an improvement.
As a team, we fucked up HUGE on hucks... they were not looking good today. I think on Friday, we'll be working on our deep throws, so that should help. But more importantly, as a class especially, we need to stay chilly and work the disc. Our best deep opportunities came when the disc was naturally flowing (usually off of a swing). Our screws ups came when we tried to rush things. Everyone is guilty of this, so let's all think about it and call each other out on it (nicely of course) if we see someone making hasty decisions.
Overall, good, fun practice on Busch!
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Sean: Thursday Practice, 10/14
Sucks we were on frat field, oh well. Luckily, it allowed the team to practice hucking.
Me, Myself, I:
Threw my fair share of hucks. 60/40 success i think? Still need to work on my flick, but they are improving.
My D was pretty good, never got beat deep. Got a D or two. Need to bid into in cuts though, couldve had two today.
My handler cuts were on par, but positioning was CF'd sometimes. What should I do as X in the Ho after I dump to the side? Ankoor said go dump or strike quickly? Unsure.
I am now confident in saying I have my confidence back. Don't remember where I heard it from, but the following has really helped me stay out of my head: "The most elite athletes in the world do not allow mistakes to linger in their heads for more than a few seconds."
Bobby:
GREAT bid today. Highest and most horizontal yet.
Work on flattening out your flick hucks.
Be more aggressive on handler positioning and cuts. I believe this takes a lot of mistakes to get right. Buckle down.
Stop dropping on short throws. Uncharacteristic thing for you.
Fabio
This goes out to me too. As handlers, we need to communicate more. This is in zone O, off a pull etc.
Releases looked quicker? What do you think?
When practicing throwing, for the next two weeks or so, try to throw short only. You throw them great outside of scrimmage, but during you tend to lean back into them, causing the disc to pop up. Be cognizant.
Nick
Looks like you're getting back into shape. Woot.
Box the bitch out.
Great hands.
Where them bid D's at? And tight bid into the endzone today, thought you had it.
Kyle
Good positioning as a dump, setting up behind the handler when he is in the middle of the field. Maybe try to setup the cut a little further away.
Stop getting beat deep. What's up with that?
Nice bid D today. On Fickles right?
Tris
I know you had a tough day today, sorry dude.
I dont think your backhand huck is ready for scrimmage yet, though your flick might be/work on the release.
Getting open deep a lot, yay.
------------------
To the class in general: Let's deflate our egos for a second (actually, for the next few years). We need to stop talking shit on the field. We are nowhere near good enough to do that, and if we were (which we aren't if that's not clear) it doesnt help anyone or anything. We are friends on the field. Granted, sometimes we need to call out teammates. Constructive criticism is key here. Try a compliment sandwich! (Compliment to Criticism to Compliment) That way, everyone feels great! Yay! Set the example for the rest of the team, especially the freshmen. God knows the juniors have trouble with it.
Me, Myself, I:
Threw my fair share of hucks. 60/40 success i think? Still need to work on my flick, but they are improving.
My D was pretty good, never got beat deep. Got a D or two. Need to bid into in cuts though, couldve had two today.
My handler cuts were on par, but positioning was CF'd sometimes. What should I do as X in the Ho after I dump to the side? Ankoor said go dump or strike quickly? Unsure.
I am now confident in saying I have my confidence back. Don't remember where I heard it from, but the following has really helped me stay out of my head: "The most elite athletes in the world do not allow mistakes to linger in their heads for more than a few seconds."
Bobby:
GREAT bid today. Highest and most horizontal yet.
Work on flattening out your flick hucks.
Be more aggressive on handler positioning and cuts. I believe this takes a lot of mistakes to get right. Buckle down.
Stop dropping on short throws. Uncharacteristic thing for you.
Fabio
This goes out to me too. As handlers, we need to communicate more. This is in zone O, off a pull etc.
Releases looked quicker? What do you think?
When practicing throwing, for the next two weeks or so, try to throw short only. You throw them great outside of scrimmage, but during you tend to lean back into them, causing the disc to pop up. Be cognizant.
Nick
Looks like you're getting back into shape. Woot.
Box the bitch out.
Great hands.
Where them bid D's at? And tight bid into the endzone today, thought you had it.
Kyle
Good positioning as a dump, setting up behind the handler when he is in the middle of the field. Maybe try to setup the cut a little further away.
Stop getting beat deep. What's up with that?
Nice bid D today. On Fickles right?
Tris
I know you had a tough day today, sorry dude.
I dont think your backhand huck is ready for scrimmage yet, though your flick might be/work on the release.
Getting open deep a lot, yay.
------------------
To the class in general: Let's deflate our egos for a second (actually, for the next few years). We need to stop talking shit on the field. We are nowhere near good enough to do that, and if we were (which we aren't if that's not clear) it doesnt help anyone or anything. We are friends on the field. Granted, sometimes we need to call out teammates. Constructive criticism is key here. Try a compliment sandwich! (Compliment to Criticism to Compliment) That way, everyone feels great! Yay! Set the example for the rest of the team, especially the freshmen. God knows the juniors have trouble with it.
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Bobby: summary of last few weeks
first of all, sorry i havent posted in a while, pretty weak haha, been being stupid! Anyway, im gonna keep this short and just post a few things that i think everyone needs to work on.
Me- i need to get in better shape, I am in way worse shape than i was in last year, pretty lame i have to say, i feel just a step slower which is killing me i think, also more decisive on cuts i suppose, tell me in the comments how much i suck please
Fabio- you need to quicken your releases a lot, your throws are improving and your play otherwise is good, but one thing i noticed at club sectionals is that you telegraph your throws a lil/ you don't get rid of it quick enough thats why you got point blocked/ had your throws d'ed on dumps a few times, especially against the better teams like wendigo who is probably of the caliber of some of the better college teams that we wanna beat this year
Tristan- as ive said your offense this year is awesome great improvements man, you need to work on defense tho a lil, my suggestion would be to try to stay a little bit lower (if your knees allow it/im not sure how busted up they are right now, but maybe you should take a break for a lil, tryn rest em up, not really sure) and i guess keep your hips squared to your man, not that it doesnt happen to everyone, but ive noticed you get turned around on D a couple times in practice
Kyle- great bidding, your d is getting better, need to work on some other stuff probly, throwing especially/maybe rework some your trows a lil your form kinda sucks ahahah, hit us up for trowing more when your on campus, also stop bitching about W&M girls srsly
Sean- throws definitely looking good, but you do need to be a little bit more consistent on your hucks probably if you wanna handle a lil better, make sure your delivery is smooth and that your mechanics are always the same every throw, thats where you get most of your power (you have really good form on your good hucks, noticed this cause your pulls are sometimes real fucked up cause you run into them and occasionally lose your mechanics) also stop only throwing IO backhand hucks, they are easier to point block (i think) and D cause they float so much/come closer to the stack... also hit the gym for better flick hucks... btw dont ever mention nipple hair again and i wont either
Nick- COME TO PRACTICE MORE BITCH!!! ahahah but seriously, your D is really solid, i guess youll probably have to work on cutting and throwing more on the side, seriously hit us up for throwing more if you have the time/we'll get you if we are, you live close to the IM fields right? also make sure to stay in shape on the side, so you can play tons of points in a row, we'll need your defense come spring
also lets have a class meeting again soon, and lets make sure we get neil in on more shit too, he'll be a big part of our class and i think itd be good if we got him more involved with that shit
Me- i need to get in better shape, I am in way worse shape than i was in last year, pretty lame i have to say, i feel just a step slower which is killing me i think, also more decisive on cuts i suppose, tell me in the comments how much i suck please
Fabio- you need to quicken your releases a lot, your throws are improving and your play otherwise is good, but one thing i noticed at club sectionals is that you telegraph your throws a lil/ you don't get rid of it quick enough thats why you got point blocked/ had your throws d'ed on dumps a few times, especially against the better teams like wendigo who is probably of the caliber of some of the better college teams that we wanna beat this year
Tristan- as ive said your offense this year is awesome great improvements man, you need to work on defense tho a lil, my suggestion would be to try to stay a little bit lower (if your knees allow it/im not sure how busted up they are right now, but maybe you should take a break for a lil, tryn rest em up, not really sure) and i guess keep your hips squared to your man, not that it doesnt happen to everyone, but ive noticed you get turned around on D a couple times in practice
Kyle- great bidding, your d is getting better, need to work on some other stuff probly, throwing especially/maybe rework some your trows a lil your form kinda sucks ahahah, hit us up for trowing more when your on campus, also stop bitching about W&M girls srsly
Sean- throws definitely looking good, but you do need to be a little bit more consistent on your hucks probably if you wanna handle a lil better, make sure your delivery is smooth and that your mechanics are always the same every throw, thats where you get most of your power (you have really good form on your good hucks, noticed this cause your pulls are sometimes real fucked up cause you run into them and occasionally lose your mechanics) also stop only throwing IO backhand hucks, they are easier to point block (i think) and D cause they float so much/come closer to the stack... also hit the gym for better flick hucks... btw dont ever mention nipple hair again and i wont either
Nick- COME TO PRACTICE MORE BITCH!!! ahahah but seriously, your D is really solid, i guess youll probably have to work on cutting and throwing more on the side, seriously hit us up for throwing more if you have the time/we'll get you if we are, you live close to the IM fields right? also make sure to stay in shape on the side, so you can play tons of points in a row, we'll need your defense come spring
also lets have a class meeting again soon, and lets make sure we get neil in on more shit too, he'll be a big part of our class and i think itd be good if we got him more involved with that shit
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Tristan: Tues Oct. 5th
Tues:
-The team in general (including myself) made waaay too many drops. We need to sharpen that up.
-ALSO, Iso defense needs to be clarified! Way tooo many mistakes going on. The OUT needs to cover the out. The IN covers the Iso in! And the Second defender in stack needs to cover the second in. Big issues there, especially when SS Iso was run.
-Poach (sp?) D:
Our team was having major issues with this. First of all, Fickley is trying to make sure we all stick to fundamental (hard-man) defense unless a poach play is called. I'm guilty of this a little (haha I learned from Niji), but we need to have a team consistency, otherwise the good teams will tear us apart.
Our offense suffered when the other team poached though, so we need to learn how to deal with that. The problems occurred mostly when the handlers were on the sideline. Cutters need to clear out fast, recognize the poach, and yell. However, even when cutters did everything right, handlers would fail to recognize. Therefore, handlers should look for the dump-swing if trapped on the sideline. Too many turnovers occurred yesterday with poaches.
-I REALLY want to win CAA's, so let's step this up! How sweet would it be to win our first tourney with our friends watching? Answer: really sweet.
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Tristan: Sunday Practice Oct 3, 2010
Parents weekend. Acie's parents - lovely.
Imma make this short.
Personal pros:
Played good handler D and made pretty decent cuts
Personal cons:
Dropped the disk once (tisk tisk) ... and once more on a bid
Also, I DEF should have layed out through Max... I need to work on that BAD
-Bobby layed out on an in-cut and almost dropped it. Dumb.
-Sean looked really good cutting in Ho
-Where had Nick been?
-Also, where has Neil been?
-I didn't see Fabio play very much, but he's been doing really well lately.
-I didn't see Kyle too much either on Sunday
People beside Sean, Niji, and me need to post/comment more...
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Sean: Club Sectionals
What an odd tourney. I played the worst I ever have, yet walk away from it with good feeling.
For a few games, rather for most of the tournament, it seemed that whenever I touched the disc, I turned it. During the Natty Bros game I think I touched it four times for four turns. Rather. Odd. For any competent frisbee player. This kind of error can be attributed to either a broken hand or head. I choose the latter. I guess I let the "pressure" get to me? Eh. Lost track of the team while finding countless ways to beat myself up. But once I found the team, I was playing just fine. Find the team, forget yourself, play great! Darkhorse X was behind 7-8 at the half, and we came back screaming 7-2 (14-10 X) to finish the game in a fervent manner. Fervent because I along with all of X started to emotionally invest themselves in the game. Emotionally invest meaning we screamed our asses off whenever good shit happened, demoralizing our opponents. But the screaming didn't just deflate the enemy, it pumped us up too. I got back to old form, catching w/o thinking, breaking IO low release flick. I even got to new form, bidding all over the place (albeit to no avail).
Personal Cons
- Let my "head" get to me
Personal Pros
- Was able to recover by the end of the tourney
I won't let my noodle get to me ever again. Only allowed to make that mistake once.
-------
Since the only other sophomore on the team was Tristan, imma only critique his janx.
Pros
- way to get open all over the place with truck. you are building a handler/receiver rapport with Andrew
- way to trust your instinct, from what you told me. you lamented that you didn't throw upfield more, but if its not there, why throw it? always...ALWAYS...go for the open shot, even if its a dump. I think you followed that rule closely this tournament.
- nice hammer, sorry I dropped it...tihtees
Cons
- need more spin/touch on your throws. this comes from practicing your throws super short range while concentrating on throwing the disc as slow as possible with as much spin as possible. side effect: hucks get a ton better.
- cutting in the vert was selfish at times, as in you cut from the stack wherever you wanted. granted there were a bunch of frozen frosh, but dont get in the habit. or do and we will adjust overtime to your style of play haha.
For a few games, rather for most of the tournament, it seemed that whenever I touched the disc, I turned it. During the Natty Bros game I think I touched it four times for four turns. Rather. Odd. For any competent frisbee player. This kind of error can be attributed to either a broken hand or head. I choose the latter. I guess I let the "pressure" get to me? Eh. Lost track of the team while finding countless ways to beat myself up. But once I found the team, I was playing just fine. Find the team, forget yourself, play great! Darkhorse X was behind 7-8 at the half, and we came back screaming 7-2 (14-10 X) to finish the game in a fervent manner. Fervent because I along with all of X started to emotionally invest themselves in the game. Emotionally invest meaning we screamed our asses off whenever good shit happened, demoralizing our opponents. But the screaming didn't just deflate the enemy, it pumped us up too. I got back to old form, catching w/o thinking, breaking IO low release flick. I even got to new form, bidding all over the place (albeit to no avail).
Personal Cons
- Let my "head" get to me
Personal Pros
- Was able to recover by the end of the tourney
I won't let my noodle get to me ever again. Only allowed to make that mistake once.
-------
Since the only other sophomore on the team was Tristan, imma only critique his janx.
Pros
- way to get open all over the place with truck. you are building a handler/receiver rapport with Andrew
- way to trust your instinct, from what you told me. you lamented that you didn't throw upfield more, but if its not there, why throw it? always...ALWAYS...go for the open shot, even if its a dump. I think you followed that rule closely this tournament.
- nice hammer, sorry I dropped it...tihtees
Cons
- need more spin/touch on your throws. this comes from practicing your throws super short range while concentrating on throwing the disc as slow as possible with as much spin as possible. side effect: hucks get a ton better.
- cutting in the vert was selfish at times, as in you cut from the stack wherever you wanted. granted there were a bunch of frozen frosh, but dont get in the habit. or do and we will adjust overtime to your style of play haha.
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Sean: ...
Personal
Cons:
Defense is weak. Getting beat deep. Their cuts are sleek, while i am meek. Teet.
But yeah I need to suck less at D. Anyone got some tips for me?
Cycling out correctly with Horizontal Handling, dumping where need be.
Flick hucks.
My cleats. The insoles are riding up, as i am sure you have heard from my bitching.
Pros:
Throws are looking ok. Got some breaks going for me now.
My cutting is ok.
EVERYFUCKINGONEELSE:
Nick
Throws look pretty good, even though you said you didn't play much over the summer.
Pro Tip: come to practice
I want you to play more. I want to play with you...?
Tristan
Cutting looks beautiful.
You have some bad throwing habits. Weird releases. Granted your low releases are better than before, but they have room to improve. I understand your fear of hurtin your knees, so no biggie. Mebs try to find a way around it?
I didn't watch you play too much D. I'll keep an eye out. Though I feel like im not good enough to critique it. Meh.
Fabio
Throws are getting a ton better, but have a ways to go. Quicken releases and stop "yanking" it i.e. allow your wrist to do its job, dont heave your arm into it.
Cutting looks good, try different kinds of fakes. You seem to favor the standstill then sudden cut. Try setting up cuts over a few seconds, get your man much more out of position.
Bobby
D is tight.
Use your backhand more often, it needs the practice. In other words: Turf-town population: you.
Your cutting is fine, not shitty like you keep saying. Instead of cutting based off of your teammates, try to find where there is open space developing, potentially where a handler can put it.
Kyle
TIGHT D bid today, even though you didnt get it. Wish i could do that...
Get on the line more you bitch. I can't think of much to say b/c it seems like you dont play a lot. And if you are playing a lot, do crazier shit. Fuck, turn it more, make more mistakes, put yourself out there.
Your throws improved a lot over the summer. They are more accurate and can fly a lot farther. You got rid of a lot of gratuitous motions in your release, but some remnants of your old throwing style are apparent.
Cons:
Defense is weak. Getting beat deep. Their cuts are sleek, while i am meek. Teet.
But yeah I need to suck less at D. Anyone got some tips for me?
Cycling out correctly with Horizontal Handling, dumping where need be.
Flick hucks.
My cleats. The insoles are riding up, as i am sure you have heard from my bitching.
Pros:
Throws are looking ok. Got some breaks going for me now.
My cutting is ok.
EVERYFUCKINGONEELSE:
Nick
Throws look pretty good, even though you said you didn't play much over the summer.
Pro Tip: come to practice
I want you to play more. I want to play with you...?
Tristan
Cutting looks beautiful.
You have some bad throwing habits. Weird releases. Granted your low releases are better than before, but they have room to improve. I understand your fear of hurtin your knees, so no biggie. Mebs try to find a way around it?
I didn't watch you play too much D. I'll keep an eye out. Though I feel like im not good enough to critique it. Meh.
Fabio
Throws are getting a ton better, but have a ways to go. Quicken releases and stop "yanking" it i.e. allow your wrist to do its job, dont heave your arm into it.
Cutting looks good, try different kinds of fakes. You seem to favor the standstill then sudden cut. Try setting up cuts over a few seconds, get your man much more out of position.
Bobby
D is tight.
Use your backhand more often, it needs the practice. In other words: Turf-town population: you.
Your cutting is fine, not shitty like you keep saying. Instead of cutting based off of your teammates, try to find where there is open space developing, potentially where a handler can put it.
Kyle
TIGHT D bid today, even though you didnt get it. Wish i could do that...
Get on the line more you bitch. I can't think of much to say b/c it seems like you dont play a lot. And if you are playing a lot, do crazier shit. Fuck, turn it more, make more mistakes, put yourself out there.
Your throws improved a lot over the summer. They are more accurate and can fly a lot farther. You got rid of a lot of gratuitous motions in your release, but some remnants of your old throwing style are apparent.
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Tristan: Wrapping up the week
Hey there duderz,
I've been remiss in my blogging this past week, so Imma say a few things. As to what Nick said earlier, we should definitely mention things we notice in each other. This blog is about constructive criticism. That being said, you watch you the most on the field. I certainly know what my strengths and weaknesses are. Mentioning what each of us needs to work on, helps the rest of us notice the next day at practice. An example of this- Sean, who read one of my blog, gave me pointers today on my flick form. We threw after practice and I'm going to consciously think about what he said. Write things you notice about other players, but make sure you put down what you need to personally work on. It helps you think about your own individual improvement.
MMMkay. Monday conditioning was a brutal 4 miles. Billy and I wrecked it. woot woot. I'm going to go to the Friday condish and throw with people tomorrow. Stoked.
Tues:
I had a noice layout bid. They're looking good! Don't remember much else. Oh yeah, taught the nubs ho... booorring. but necessary.
Wednesday night lights. Well well well we meet again. I showed up 5 minutes late and had to run suicides. Womp. I think it fucked my performance because I was exhausted. This happens every time I have to run before practice. I think the suicide should be after practice. I'll stop griping. I did not play well at all. Taught the nubs Iso... boooring. Oh well.
Today (Thurs) I played much better. Made a few stupid mistakes, but I was feeling good overall. Fickley told me I played well, so that's something. I marked up on Sean most of practice. Sean, dude, watch those fouls. Keep your arms down. Bobby (almost) bid through me... nice try Bobby. Bobby, can you give me pointers on laying out on D... I don't have to proper mindset.
The team (because of the nubs) is having a lot of trouble with timing cuts. We HAVE to be vocal about timing. When you're on the sideline, talk to them!!! Tell them to watch one of the more experienced cutters. The nubs need to understand the importance of WHEN to change direction. Also, poach D is killing them. The lane is constantly clogged. We need to explain, guys.
Neil... is a fucking beast. He's going to be waaay better than Chad. He's SOO fast. Also the kid understands how to play receiver D, so he's got baller positioning.
Throws will come to the noobs as long as they practice. We need to encourage it.
RIP Pat. I hope to see you around BROSEF. Nick, goddamn, I miss you as well dawg.
Sorry for the rant.
Peace,
Tris
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Fabio: Revelation from Tuesday Practice
I kind of already talked to Sean about this, but I felt that everyone should know.
I feel one big problem we had last year especially with new players and non-handlers was not looking off the strike throw as much. I feel a good portion of our turns, at least from what I can remember, was forcing the lower percentage strike throw. We need to realize that the front of the stack SHOULD be making a dump cut once the dump goes strike. This will get the disk to the opposite side of the field and will set up a deeper break side throw.. For this to happen effectively, however, the front of the stack needs to constantly be aware of where the disk is at and needs to time his cut accordingly (as soon as the handler looks off strike) to receive the disk.
Bottom Line: If the timing is not right/you are not comfortable making the strike throw, holster it and look for the around coming from the front of the stack. Changes in horizontal position, I feel, are SO effective in setting up upfield throws for massive yardage gains.
I feel one big problem we had last year especially with new players and non-handlers was not looking off the strike throw as much. I feel a good portion of our turns, at least from what I can remember, was forcing the lower percentage strike throw. We need to realize that the front of the stack SHOULD be making a dump cut once the dump goes strike. This will get the disk to the opposite side of the field and will set up a deeper break side throw.. For this to happen effectively, however, the front of the stack needs to constantly be aware of where the disk is at and needs to time his cut accordingly (as soon as the handler looks off strike) to receive the disk.
Bottom Line: If the timing is not right/you are not comfortable making the strike throw, holster it and look for the around coming from the front of the stack. Changes in horizontal position, I feel, are SO effective in setting up upfield throws for massive yardage gains.
Nick: Checking In
Sup doggers,
Sorry I haven't been to active on the blog as of yet. I was super pumped when I heard about the idea but somehow it sort of slipped to the back of my mind once we were actually supposed to start using it.
Doubtful anyone will read this before tonight's practice, but I'm still feeling a bit under the weather and will sit out for (hopefully) one more practice and then be good to go tomorrow. It's killing me not being able to play right now, I want to get to know the nubs so badly, let alone get back in playing shape.
Anyway, or is it anyways, I can never remember, I've read over all the posts you guys have put up here and I've seen some good shit. I do have one suggestion, though. I think instead of saying how we felt about our own performances, it could be more productive if our posts are intended more so to provide constructive criticism to each other. That being said, I think no matter which direction we take this puppy in, it can only be a good thing.
See you dudes tonight,
ZL
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Sean: Tuesday Practice
Bummed I didn't get to go on the run on monday. Womp.
Hurt my groin for some reason. It'll be better tomorrow.
Pretty happy about my O today. I *think* that I personally scored 5-6 out of 8 points I played today. Pretty good.
My deep cutting was great, especially in Ho. Burned Vereb on some cuts. Good times lololololzerbeam. Kinda bummed out I am better with O than D. I was gettin beat easy by Fleming and Byah...which was weird lol. Fickley asked me after the point I covered Byah if I was ok. Womp.
My flick huck was mediocre at best. In other words, it took a trip to blade town. Miles still got a hold of it, but I could have placed it better.
Freshmen lookin real good dude!!! I am excited to continue teaching em the lurvely game of Ultimate. It's gonna be a good year.
Hurt my groin for some reason. It'll be better tomorrow.
Pretty happy about my O today. I *think* that I personally scored 5-6 out of 8 points I played today. Pretty good.
My deep cutting was great, especially in Ho. Burned Vereb on some cuts. Good times lololololzerbeam. Kinda bummed out I am better with O than D. I was gettin beat easy by Fleming and Byah...which was weird lol. Fickley asked me after the point I covered Byah if I was ok. Womp.
My flick huck was mediocre at best. In other words, it took a trip to blade town. Miles still got a hold of it, but I could have placed it better.
Freshmen lookin real good dude!!! I am excited to continue teaching em the lurvely game of Ultimate. It's gonna be a good year.
Sunday, September 5, 2010
Bobby- Sunday Practice 9/5
Today I learned that playing drunk is AWESOME!!!! drink a lot on saturday night and you will be able to bid whenever but your throws will BLOW!!!
Alright, seriously though, pretty cool practice, freshmen looked reaaally good, damn we are gonna be so dirty next year if not this year, they are so fucking athletic and pretty damn good throws overall so far.
Cutting I was getting open pretty easily thanks to the strategy that i mentioned in an earlier post, my timing was a little bit off and so I was early on a few of them and people couldn't throw it to me early enough. Also i need to cut more i think i have a tendency to kinda let the rest of the team cut, if i want to contribute more on offense i'll have to change my mindset a lil.
My D was pretty solid i think, one huge mistake I made was fucking up the force on the mark, that shit is unacceptable. Also I realized that on the mark i have a predisposition to try to stop the force side throw a little too much leaving me really open to break swings, kinda weird that i never noticed it till now.
I had some really fucking high bids today (i think), and im just starting to feel it now. I suppose bids take a pretty big toll on your body, they are a lot of fun though, and good to show the freshman how to be a crazy ass.
2 guys that will basically be in our class(graduating with us), Miles 2.0(ox?) and Neil are gonna be dirty, that kid Joey seems to be good. damn I'm pumped!
its all about the swag
Alright, seriously though, pretty cool practice, freshmen looked reaaally good, damn we are gonna be so dirty next year if not this year, they are so fucking athletic and pretty damn good throws overall so far.
Cutting I was getting open pretty easily thanks to the strategy that i mentioned in an earlier post, my timing was a little bit off and so I was early on a few of them and people couldn't throw it to me early enough. Also i need to cut more i think i have a tendency to kinda let the rest of the team cut, if i want to contribute more on offense i'll have to change my mindset a lil.
My D was pretty solid i think, one huge mistake I made was fucking up the force on the mark, that shit is unacceptable. Also I realized that on the mark i have a predisposition to try to stop the force side throw a little too much leaving me really open to break swings, kinda weird that i never noticed it till now.
I had some really fucking high bids today (i think), and im just starting to feel it now. I suppose bids take a pretty big toll on your body, they are a lot of fun though, and good to show the freshman how to be a crazy ass.
2 guys that will basically be in our class(graduating with us), Miles 2.0(ox?) and Neil are gonna be dirty, that kid Joey seems to be good. damn I'm pumped!
its all about the swag
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Fabio: First Real Practice
I pretty much agree with Sean...to add to that though, I'd say that Tommy Vereb played considerably well. He had a couple D's during the scrimmage. Nothing that really stands out in my mind from Matt, John, Joey, or Minner, which, like Sean said, means the freshmen knew their place and stayed the hell out of the way, haha.
As for my play, I played pretty well today during the scrimmage...I had no turns, a bookends, and solid upfield throws. I did let Kyle go deep and get a score though...damn.
As for my play, I played pretty well today during the scrimmage...I had no turns, a bookends, and solid upfield throws. I did let Kyle go deep and get a score though...damn.
Sean: First Real Practice
Thought the freshmen looked good. It seems hard to compare our class when we started to the freshmen class now. Because of this I will try not to compare our class to theirs.
Sean needs to learn to read. Playing since 5th grade...?
Neil looked great. He won't have throws for a time, but he will get open.
Cody looked smart. He got a score from yours truly.
Didn't notice anything else remarkable. This is good because this means they stayed the hell out of the way lol.
Need....more....practice....
Sean needs to learn to read. Playing since 5th grade...?
Neil looked great. He won't have throws for a time, but he will get open.
Cody looked smart. He got a score from yours truly.
Didn't notice anything else remarkable. This is good because this means they stayed the hell out of the way lol.
Need....more....practice....
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Sean: Final Tryouts
I am pretty unhappy with how tryouts went. Those who were on the fence deserved closer examination. Will, Miles, Townley and maroon Matt all were not that different in terms of ability. I think we took Will just because he is tall. Granted there is some sort of intimidation factor that comes with height but I am not sure he will be much of an athlete. What I am really getting to is this feeling of uncertainty and instability. I think the elimination process was not thought out well enough. Come to think of it it wasn't thought out at all. I do not blame this on the captains, I would place the blame on precedent. Anywho...
Final Roster of New Guys:
Tommy
Minner
Cody
John
Will
Matt
Miles
.....can't remember the others lol. Three more or two more...
Sean is going to be super pissed. Kinda wanna know how he reacts, how he is gonna handle this. I hope he goes out for B.
Don't feel good about the Justin decision. Shitty all around.
Regardless of bad feelings, I am excited for this year to get underway.
Final Roster of New Guys:
Tommy
Minner
Cody
John
Will
Matt
Miles
.....can't remember the others lol. Three more or two more...
Sean is going to be super pissed. Kinda wanna know how he reacts, how he is gonna handle this. I hope he goes out for B.
Don't feel good about the Justin decision. Shitty all around.
Regardless of bad feelings, I am excited for this year to get underway.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Tristan: Tryouts Day 2
Hey Guys,
I'll keep this one short. Tryouts went alright. The scrimmage looked awful, not like the ultimate we're used to. I suppose that's what we should expect from all these nubs. Still, I think we should have explained things a bit better. I hope tryouts go better tomorrow. Selections shouldn't be too hard, considering the fact that ALL the nubs (except for Cody and maybe a few others) know nothing about the sport. Athletic ability seems to be the big standout. That kid with the green shorts was SO fast. Dayum. Little Vereb had a nice score off of a huck. There are a few others who showed some promise. That first year Law guy looked, these two juniors (don't know their names and they wore nothing standout-ish), Connecticut Lacrosse/Syracuse shorts kid all looked dece.
I did nothing today, so I have nothing to add on self improvement... except maybe that I'm really good at explaining things to nubs in my opinion... thank you Niji.
Ruv, (I watched Team America like 30 minutes ago)
Tristan
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Sunday Morning
So I don't think I'll be able to come up with as much to write as you guys did, but fuck it. I thought I did moderately well today. I had a few layouts, including the layout on mickey. I also thought I covered flemming well on endzone defense. I really wanna lay out through that old scumbag. That being said, there are definitely things that i need to work on. I'm dying when were playing, and i wasnt even hungover so I dont have an excuse. Also, my cutting occasionally works, but i need to work on sprinting 100% and actually getting open. Also, when I do have the frisbee i made a few dumbass throws to people who werent open, so i need to work on patience with that jaun. Nice job on breaking me sean, i owe you a shot to the nuts for that you chode.
see you sloots tomorrow,
Kyle
Sean - Sunday Morning
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0cWzxJvgWc8
WE LOOKED GREAT.
My hucks were a little off today. Too floaty and badly angled.
Revelation: I can break bitches lyk crahzy. But not really. As a team, our marks are terrible. Something to work on.
Putting the disc to where it needs to go w/o the receiver making eye contact/catching him unawares is kewl. Did this w/ Pat today. Even though I put it a little too far it was still my most satisfying throw of the day. To me, throws like this show a high level of field awareness. Oh and my HR BHand to Pat for a score was kinda fun too.
Andrew stated that I made good decisions with the disc today. Huge compliment I think. Woot.
Things to work on:
Handler/Dump Communication
Huck angle
Actually bidding...sigh
Dump Cuts
Can't wait till Tuesday.
WE LOOKED GREAT.
My hucks were a little off today. Too floaty and badly angled.
Revelation: I can break bitches lyk crahzy. But not really. As a team, our marks are terrible. Something to work on.
Putting the disc to where it needs to go w/o the receiver making eye contact/catching him unawares is kewl. Did this w/ Pat today. Even though I put it a little too far it was still my most satisfying throw of the day. To me, throws like this show a high level of field awareness. Oh and my HR BHand to Pat for a score was kinda fun too.
Andrew stated that I made good decisions with the disc today. Huge compliment I think. Woot.
Things to work on:
Handler/Dump Communication
Huck angle
Actually bidding...sigh
Dump Cuts
Can't wait till Tuesday.
Fabio - First Sunday Practice
So considering that I was still drunk until halfway through practice, I think I played pretty well. I had a couple opportunities to bid during the dish and deep drill, but I felt like I probably would've vommed if I landed on my stomach.
My defense is still a tad poachy and I REALLY need to get out of that habit. I fortunately didn't let up any outcut completions and had some solid D's toward the end of our scrimmage. I had one turn during the scrimmage, and it was a high lefty backhand to the dump, but I can't say it was entirely my fault (sorry Sean). I need to make more fakes when I have the disk, but that will come with time. I also need to work on removing the delay in my flick, because it may become blockable against high caliber teams.
I felt that my cutting overall was pretty good but not great...I need to take harder steps in my fakes and need to work on nonverbal communication with the thrower. A couple times during the scrimmage I looked off opportunities for me to continue my cut over to the break side and receive the disk.
Overall, no silly mistakes on O or D, but definitely a lot of room for improvement. The things I need to work on will give me the motivation to work my ass off.
-Fabio
My defense is still a tad poachy and I REALLY need to get out of that habit. I fortunately didn't let up any outcut completions and had some solid D's toward the end of our scrimmage. I had one turn during the scrimmage, and it was a high lefty backhand to the dump, but I can't say it was entirely my fault (sorry Sean). I need to make more fakes when I have the disk, but that will come with time. I also need to work on removing the delay in my flick, because it may become blockable against high caliber teams.
I felt that my cutting overall was pretty good but not great...I need to take harder steps in my fakes and need to work on nonverbal communication with the thrower. A couple times during the scrimmage I looked off opportunities for me to continue my cut over to the break side and receive the disk.
Overall, no silly mistakes on O or D, but definitely a lot of room for improvement. The things I need to work on will give me the motivation to work my ass off.
-Fabio
Bobby: Sunday practice
Sweet so first legit practice of the year, as other peoples are saying, I think we looked pretty good, lot less turns and drops. We are obviously all a lil out of shape and the heat and late night activities aren't helping at all. Anyway, its great to be playing with you all again.
First off, I think other than me our cutting was pretty good, sean mentioned making sure that you are moving more before cutting. I realized I was standing flat (tired as balls) then just deciding to run one way or another. Took some advice, manned up and started jogging in the stack and making my fakes a little bit bigger. The result was that I could get open way more easily.
I d'ed up on Aric first couple points, and pretty much shut him down, pretty sure he actually didn't touch the disc, woo, then I got tired. Moral of the story is to stay in way better shape, kinda got lazy over the summer.
Dish and huck drill was fun. Im a little suprised that some guys on the team that might handle a lil really didn't have that great hucks, i guess its early in the year so with practice they'll get better but we might lack a deep game a lil this year, bummer. Btw, niji... sean and I both tried the thing where our throws started off really IO, kinda worked in terms of being more floaty but not really tbh would just stay IO, Im gonna try working on it just throwing around for a lil till i figure it out. If any of you guys want to know what Im talking about either ask niji or sean or me.
I love flick hucks!
First off, I think other than me our cutting was pretty good, sean mentioned making sure that you are moving more before cutting. I realized I was standing flat (tired as balls) then just deciding to run one way or another. Took some advice, manned up and started jogging in the stack and making my fakes a little bit bigger. The result was that I could get open way more easily.
I d'ed up on Aric first couple points, and pretty much shut him down, pretty sure he actually didn't touch the disc, woo, then I got tired. Moral of the story is to stay in way better shape, kinda got lazy over the summer.
Dish and huck drill was fun. Im a little suprised that some guys on the team that might handle a lil really didn't have that great hucks, i guess its early in the year so with practice they'll get better but we might lack a deep game a lil this year, bummer. Btw, niji... sean and I both tried the thing where our throws started off really IO, kinda worked in terms of being more floaty but not really tbh would just stay IO, Im gonna try working on it just throwing around for a lil till i figure it out. If any of you guys want to know what Im talking about either ask niji or sean or me.
I love flick hucks!
Tristan: First Real Sunday Practice (8/29/10)
Yo yo yo,
I'm exhausted. Maybe I'm just out of shape. Maybe I didn't sleep enough last night. Maybe I'm just a big puss. Whatevs. It showed today.
Starting with personal performance. I thought I played terribly. I missed all sorts of catches and my defense was awful. My vertical this afternoon might have been around 2 inches. I was not happy. I need to concentrate and make smarter decisions with and without the disc. Drew got on me for not cutting enough to the brake side, so I'm going to work on that a bit more. I had a few nice flick puts down the line, which was cool. Also, I felt like I was cutting fairly well. I'll add that I'm really afraid of injury. Frat field has a ton of potholes. My knees are scaring me, so I'm going to buy some bands soon. Also, my cleats haven't broken in yet... feelin' those blisters coming.
The team, though short in numbers, played really well. The intensity was certainly high. Everyone can feel the excitement for the upcoming seasons. The team has a hunger that I hope will be satiated with championships. I want to beat JMU so badly. I saw some sweet bids (something I'd like to keep working on) from Kyle and Drew in particular. Sean had some sick brakes. Also Bobby (WTF?) broke Aric the Red with a flick huck up the line force side. It made no sense, but at the same time, it was REALLY dirty. Damnit, Bobby. Why didn't you just throw it backhand? Anyway, it was sweet. Also, I covered Pat today. Pat, you never stop running. I'm sooo tired. Overall, nice work guys.
Caf time. I dig the Gatorade dispensers. Also, chocky milk (chocolate milk) is delicious.
I love Spangler?
Peace, love, and harmony BRAH
Tristan
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Quick Review of First Day of Tryouts
I feel like I still need to get out of the mindset of Summer League (no stupid throws, look dump earlier, stop playing poached D) and return to tight D and conservative offense. Not only will I make less mistakes but I will also feel more satisfied with my playing.
I had no turns today during the scrimmage or the pickup game, but there were some missed opportunities for me to get the disk on offense, a missed opportunity to bid on a break throw to the ace (front of the stack, for those of you who don't know) on defense, and a bad beat deep that luckily resulted in a turn. I didn't have any opportunities to make any medium to long distance throws today, but I really hope to improve on not only hucks, but those accurate, high-percentage medium distance throws.
There are a handful of nubs that have played competitively in high school who already have decent throws and show good athleticism, which will make it difficult for those who have had little to no experience. I think some of the A-team players are already making unofficial decisions on who will make the team based on one day of tryouts, however, and I am not a fan of making these considerations. I think the pickup game we had was a good way to see some of the nubs play with A-team players, but we can't forget about players that show great potential who didn't play in the pickup game. We need to consider the players' tryout process in its entirety before assessing their overall ability.
-Fabio
Tryouts, things Tristan needs to work on
Hey Guys,
Okay, so I guess I'm going to attempt to briefly assess my play for today.
My flicks hucks were particularly weak today as well as my mark. Fickley took me aside and showed me how he wants me to mark. I bite too much on the mark, and I need to allow certain throws (force side), so I don't give up other, more dangerous, throws. On a more positive note, I thought my cutting was good. I think I've developed a knack for getting open. My awareness is improving.
Things I would like to improve on over the year:
-Throws in general:
-Flick dumps, I'd like to make them smoother
-Hucks
-Low releases (breaks as well, IO's)
-Defensive layouts
-I find it much harder to layout defensively.
-Handling
-Over lunch or something, will someone please explain to me positioning while handling? I feel like I don't have it completely mastered.
-The playbook, I need to memorize this. I think I lost my last copy.
-Oh! I also think the team needs to review different poach D's as well as different zones.
Peace Sopht Core,
Tristan
Sean: Writing a Post
This is to everyone writing on the blog. Write as much as you want, and how you want. This is for our own self-improvement.
Put your name in front of every post title, as I did above. And make sure you put some labels on your post. It's at the bottom of the typing box. These are ideas from doing Offhanded Scoober with Bobby and Niji over the summer. Makes it easier to keep crap in order.
Put your name in front of every post title, as I did above. And make sure you put some labels on your post. It's at the bottom of the typing box. These are ideas from doing Offhanded Scoober with Bobby and Niji over the summer. Makes it easier to keep crap in order.
Sean: Tryouts, Day 1
Little field space. Scrimmages on a narrow field. A bunch of people who don't know how to run a stack. A beautiful recipe for disaster.
Freshmen that stuck out, but mainly the only names i remember lol.
Sean: From Washington, the geographic heart of Ultimate at the moment. Sean has played since 5TH GRADE! That means he has a lot of experience, and potentially a lot of bad habits to rework. I am afraid he won't be able to take on advice well or adjust to our system as quickly as we would like him to, if we took him. For now, he is tighter than me on a few levels because he can bid better than I can haha.
John: He played the pickup after the tryout ended. Athletic/fast as fuck, very open to direction. Nice dude.
Cody: Played in high school. Solid throws, great knowledge of the game. I would like to how fast he can sprint.
Tommy: Vereb's little bro. His grin creeped the fuck out of me hahaha, looked just like Mike's. Looked very athletic and intelligent. Open to direction.
Kevin: Minner's little bro. Didn't look to great to be honest. That's due to unreasonable expectations, thinking him a third coming of Minner before he has had time to learn and earn it. As a team I think we need to look at his skills w/o any expectations. Oh and we need to stop inviting him to parties for the time being. No coddling. He doesn't even drink lol.
---------------
As for my play, I did ok. Eh.
Cons:
- Bad flick huck to Andy. Way too OI.
- My pulls. Started to overthink it. Le sigh.
- Got beat deep by Tristan. Rookie mistake on my part. Didn't keep the force.
- Need to pull out the poach. Bobby took an extended trip to poach town for some reason.
Pros:
- Good handler movement.
- Decent cuts.
- Stayed on my man for the most part. My new cleats feel LIKE BUTTAH (butter). Able to change direction efficiently.
---------------
As for our class, didn't see us play enough as to allow a judgement or critique. If I was forced to stay something I would talk about improving our throws. Making them more orthodox in technique is what we should have in mind.
Holler Holler Holler
Freshmen that stuck out, but mainly the only names i remember lol.
Sean: From Washington, the geographic heart of Ultimate at the moment. Sean has played since 5TH GRADE! That means he has a lot of experience, and potentially a lot of bad habits to rework. I am afraid he won't be able to take on advice well or adjust to our system as quickly as we would like him to, if we took him. For now, he is tighter than me on a few levels because he can bid better than I can haha.
John: He played the pickup after the tryout ended. Athletic/fast as fuck, very open to direction. Nice dude.
Cody: Played in high school. Solid throws, great knowledge of the game. I would like to how fast he can sprint.
Tommy: Vereb's little bro. His grin creeped the fuck out of me hahaha, looked just like Mike's. Looked very athletic and intelligent. Open to direction.
Kevin: Minner's little bro. Didn't look to great to be honest. That's due to unreasonable expectations, thinking him a third coming of Minner before he has had time to learn and earn it. As a team I think we need to look at his skills w/o any expectations. Oh and we need to stop inviting him to parties for the time being. No coddling. He doesn't even drink lol.
---------------
As for my play, I did ok. Eh.
Cons:
- Bad flick huck to Andy. Way too OI.
- My pulls. Started to overthink it. Le sigh.
- Got beat deep by Tristan. Rookie mistake on my part. Didn't keep the force.
- Need to pull out the poach. Bobby took an extended trip to poach town for some reason.
Pros:
- Good handler movement.
- Decent cuts.
- Stayed on my man for the most part. My new cleats feel LIKE BUTTAH (butter). Able to change direction efficiently.
---------------
As for our class, didn't see us play enough as to allow a judgement or critique. If I was forced to stay something I would talk about improving our throws. Making them more orthodox in technique is what we should have in mind.
Holler Holler Holler
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Totally Worth It
Trashed my Janoskis (see below). Totally worth it. Good year to come I think. Good year to come.
About the Blog
This blog will be a great way for our class to express our ideas, suggestions, and perhaps frustrations with the game that we play in the years to come, as we strive to improve ourselves and others on the team.
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