UPA Coaching Corp

This past weekend I attended the UPA Coaching Corp clinic, held at Stanford, and it was an amazing experience. The people that attended this were intimidating. When signing up, I thought there would be a bunch of Ultimate ability lacking people in a room. Wrong! (I was the only one). All the women in this room were World and National Champions (Fury) and there coach (Matt Tsang). Also there was a men’s National player, Stanford A player, and a few other club players. I didn’t think so many were so interested in becoming coaches. It seemed that everyone in the room was there for the right ideas and I got a lot of tips to bring back to my team. If only I could get some of these players out to help us.

The cost of the clinic is $75 and you get this all back with all of the products that are included. The tips and knowledge you receive are worth the $75, but on top of that I received a pair of FIVE ultimate shorts, Discraft disc, Ultimate work out DVD, Ethics and performance manuels/books, and my favorite thing FIVE ultimate Disc Bag.

The only problem I had was at the end of it we did no physical teaching or drills. I was hoping that I would be taught some drills and exercises that maybe I didn’t think know. But after spending too much time inside we went outside for about 20 minutes of instruction and by instruction I mean we were taught how to do Plyo’s. If you attend one of these seminars make sure that your instructor sticks to the time limits for each discussion, because people start to talk too much and then you lose out on the most fun and interesting things like drills.

Overall, I had a great experience, the perks were sick and the lunch (treehouse) was delicious. I think that all coaches should go through at least the first clinic of ethics and exercise. This should be a must if you are a youth coach. There are many coaches that I know that should have there certificate because they need to hear some of the things that are said. I hope the UPA works on making all coaches certified.

Granada HS Ultimate: The beginning

The beginning: Granada Ultimate actually starts with Mike DeSouza, who now coaches at ACLA "Darkmeat," he before he started Dark Meat he was a brand new teacher at Granada and started the first team there. The team only lasted a short period of time because Mike eventually left.

The Second coming: Years later a high school Junior named Mario DeSouza decided to take the Ultimate class at Las Positas College and while there met a man who, always working kids, nagged mario to start an Ultimate team. Mario got some of his friends out to just throw and goof around. After a summer of nagging again Mario finally got all of his friends and some of there friends out to a "real" practice; and yes Mario is the nephew of Mike DeSouza. Oh an that man was I, Geoff "Black tide" Rexroth.

The first Practice: The charecters that came out to the first practice were not alike at all. There were atheletes mixed with pot heads, rocker kids practicing with sweet/innocent people (girls).
We played on the side of a side field at Max Baer park in Livermore, CA. We were practicing in 40ft by 60ft piece of grass that did not fit the 30+ kids that all came out. We did not have the ability to actually play a game until the sun was falling behind the houses and we scrimmaged for about 30 minutes. I watched for the entire practice, because I wanted to know where the kids were at when it came to talent level. At the end of that practice I realized that I had a lot on my plate, but I figured that would be the case. That night I went home with a project and I was excited to start on it.