Four days till Slopfest and things have changed a little this year. In the past Slopfest has been played with many fields (eight last year) and they have only four this year. On top of that the tournament has been split up into Mixed and Open. There are teams coming from southern California this year and this should be interesting. Will this be a preview of what is to come at Cal States? Maybe. Maybe, this is what Cal States should do; split into two different divisions: Mixed and Open--But that is a different topic all together.
Looking at the pools right now if they are not to change than there are clear favorites in both divisions.
For the Open division there is Alameda. Dark meat owns the bay area so I don't see any reason for them not to destroy the competition. Another reason is that some of the teams that would usually battle them for the championship are not playing in the open divison. Redwood is playing in the mixed division and so is Castro Valley. If anyone were to frighten the children of ACLC Darkmeat it would be both those teams but they have elected to play in Mixed so Darkmeat should roll through there competition. Now why is darkmeat playing open? There women's team is playing in the Standford Qualifier. Will Alameda ever be beaten? Probably not. Why should anyone bet against them when there girls play in college tournaments and there boys also play in college tournaments. In the Santa Barbara Qualifier both CV and ACLC both went 2-2 against some college A teams. Now granted they weren't very good college A teams but they were college all the same. It's scary to think that one team is in Open and one is in Mixed. Guess who the favorite is in the mixed division?
The obvious choice is CV Redhand in the Mixed division. Word has come out that one team would like to change divisions. I hope it's Redhand wanting to change into Open because they aren't known for there big numbers when it comes to ladies. But there males will be able to dominate any teams males enough to dominate through Pool play. Taylor Lahey's (i don't think i spelled his last name right), of YR, UC Davis Dog, and former Jr. Worlds Champion, brother Patrick Lahey is the captain of redhand and the word on the field is that this kid may become better than his brother. Supposedly he has the potential to be faster and a better thrower than Taylor. The though of that makes me quiver. I just hope he doesn't make the mistake and go to UC Davis, like his brother.
With the teams coming from southern california who knows how well they are going to be but from watching enough HS ultimate I can tell that there are some sleeper teams. Watch out for Granada in the Open division. Yes I understand that I am a little bias. But there key players will all be on the field now, now that they are playing open. They have some amazing handlers and a few great cutters. BJ cutting under is a threat from anywhere on the field. I'd like to see anyone keep up with him. Nick and David are a duo that can move the disc really well and if Davis gets the guts to actually put it. His gorgeous deep throws will make opponents cry. Do I expect them to win...No, but they will turn some heads. Another team on the path of greatness is Miramonte (mixed). You can't ever blink when the rich kids from orinda/moraga are on the field. They are patient with the disc and run for days. Sadly, they might get low numbers which means that they are going to die in the later games and on sunday. If they are with low numbers watch for them to be on the upset alert on sunday. They may be caught off guard and with dead legs.
Finals games prediciton:
In the open division it has to be Alameda vs Berkeley. Berkeley and Alameda have strong handling skills but I think they don't have the deep threat that Alameda has. The kid in pink shorts will run all over you and sadly that will probably happen. Score: 13-8.
For the most important Mixed division we have Redhand (CV) against the lovely spirited team of Redwood (marin). Redhand's men will handle Redwood to death. The only chance that Redwood has is if Redwood's women's play never lets there own men touch the disc. Yes they have really good men but I think that the women on Redwood are the best part of the team. Score: 13-9. That's right this score maybe closer than expected.
This should be a great weekend for HS ultimate and an update and results piece will be coming soon.
Keep on huckin,
G-off
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Saturday, February 14, 2009
A Defensive Mindset: The Mark
THE SET UP
The Pull is ripped down, five feet inside the goal, and moved up with two easy passes. The lack of wind and quick snapping wrists move the disc. Now fifteen yards further than previously pulled down the defense zone's in on the handlers and cutters. Pressure to the backhand side forces the flick.
Poaching, the left handler's (Defenses left) defender stands no more than 12 feet from the disc and in clear view of disc holder. The holder views the poach, his brain raddled with frustration, I know i can make the bender around him... get the hell out of my way! His head turns, throw it to my teammate and make them pay...move the disc...NOW!
The poached player is wide open and recieves the disc. He looks up field, and his cutters are sprinting toward him, sadly with no ability to get it though--the defense has played it well. The new mark (the poacher) is now within ten feet.
"1"
Three feet...
"2"
On mark...
"3"
Your mine!
MARK SET
"Strike!"
The dump runs up line but does not prevail as the mark stops any upline throw and returns his focus on the new dump, knowing that this may be his only lifeline.
"4"
Four and no throw up line or to his dump? So far so good. I take a glance over my shoulder to see where his new friend is and he's exactly where I left him: behind me.
"No Inside!"
I throw my left hand infront of the thrower just to show him I'm still here. You didn't think you would catch me off guard did you? I'm lucky, he did catch me off guard but my upfield defenders are holding there cutters down so I can get the count higher.
"5"
I wonder when they are going to cut? Watch his eyes... he'll tell you where he's going.
"6"
He turns his attention to his dumps. His eyes search and figure out where his dumps are going. Where are you throwing? I look back to see where his dump is and he starts running back. My body turns to be in between them. My right arm rises and extends out.
"7"
My voice becomes louder as the count becomes higher. My heart starts to pound harder. I realize a stall or bad throw may be possible. Don't foul him...step back...make sure you don't get broken.
" No dump! No dump!"
I circle the dump making sure that the throw doesn't get off.
"8"
My heart beats faster and my eyes race. My head searches as fast as possible to see if it can find anyone that he may be able to throw to. I swing my arms making sure he doesn't throw over my head or around me. Get in his head. Your almost there...you almost have the stall!
"9"
When having a stall nine who thinks about anything but: Don't foul...Don't fast count (even though you know your going to)... you almost have em.
He turns to look up the field. You have done your job and he has one last option--huck it.
His eyes don't even make contact with upfield, since he knows i have him. His arm winds up...and...
"TEN!"
"STALL!!!"
Yes, I got him. My mark worked. No dump or upline throws. I got into his head and there was nothing he could do. I did my job...
"CONTEST!"
Shit!
The Pull is ripped down, five feet inside the goal, and moved up with two easy passes. The lack of wind and quick snapping wrists move the disc. Now fifteen yards further than previously pulled down the defense zone's in on the handlers and cutters. Pressure to the backhand side forces the flick.
Poaching, the left handler's (Defenses left) defender stands no more than 12 feet from the disc and in clear view of disc holder. The holder views the poach, his brain raddled with frustration, I know i can make the bender around him... get the hell out of my way! His head turns, throw it to my teammate and make them pay...move the disc...NOW!
The poached player is wide open and recieves the disc. He looks up field, and his cutters are sprinting toward him, sadly with no ability to get it though--the defense has played it well. The new mark (the poacher) is now within ten feet.
"1"
Three feet...
"2"
On mark...
"3"
Your mine!
MARK SET
"Strike!"
The dump runs up line but does not prevail as the mark stops any upline throw and returns his focus on the new dump, knowing that this may be his only lifeline.
"4"
Four and no throw up line or to his dump? So far so good. I take a glance over my shoulder to see where his new friend is and he's exactly where I left him: behind me.
"No Inside!"
I throw my left hand infront of the thrower just to show him I'm still here. You didn't think you would catch me off guard did you? I'm lucky, he did catch me off guard but my upfield defenders are holding there cutters down so I can get the count higher.
"5"
I wonder when they are going to cut? Watch his eyes... he'll tell you where he's going.
"6"
He turns his attention to his dumps. His eyes search and figure out where his dumps are going. Where are you throwing? I look back to see where his dump is and he starts running back. My body turns to be in between them. My right arm rises and extends out.
"7"
My voice becomes louder as the count becomes higher. My heart starts to pound harder. I realize a stall or bad throw may be possible. Don't foul him...step back...make sure you don't get broken.
" No dump! No dump!"
I circle the dump making sure that the throw doesn't get off.
"8"
My heart beats faster and my eyes race. My head searches as fast as possible to see if it can find anyone that he may be able to throw to. I swing my arms making sure he doesn't throw over my head or around me. Get in his head. Your almost there...you almost have the stall!
"9"
When having a stall nine who thinks about anything but: Don't foul...Don't fast count (even though you know your going to)... you almost have em.
He turns to look up the field. You have done your job and he has one last option--huck it.
His eyes don't even make contact with upfield, since he knows i have him. His arm winds up...and...
"TEN!"
"STALL!!!"
Yes, I got him. My mark worked. No dump or upline throws. I got into his head and there was nothing he could do. I did my job...
"CONTEST!"
Shit!
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
HS: Co-ed vs. Open/womens play
Allan Thoe, Director of Youth Development and High School States (CA), released, about two weeks ago, an official statement that the California State tournament will be changed from Co-ed to Open and Womens. For two weeks our local yahoo group became RSD with bickering and debating about the change.
I am very new to the Youth scene in the bay area so it kind of came as a shock when a majority of people were not in favor of the change. The arguements seemed to be pretty heated and I think we all are losing sight of what is most important: what is best for the kids.
As this message goes on I start to forget what For and Against are even standing for. This topic just became Prop 8. NO ON 8!!! For means Open and Women's Div. Against means Co-ed
The FOR:
Open and Women's is what is played in college. If the high schools could get together and play this they would be more prepared for college.
It is known that HS women's ultimate in the bay area is lacking, in fact, until this year there was only one official team (Alameda Sweet Meat). This year Granada HS has divised a girls team. So now the division is two women's teams strong. Understandable that this is not a division but it is a start. The fight over for or against is more for the girls than anyone else. Yet all of the voices being heard are from men coaches. The reason women's and open should be the standard is that most schools only have 2 girls and it's not fair to teams that have a lot of women (ACLC and GHS) when they have to either sit them or play them against men who, not to be sexist, are taller and most of the time faster. Also teams end up not throwing to there women. It becomes a six man domination and the two girls (O and D) are left just to run and celebrate because they are never touching the disc. Oregon and Washington are in the advanced stage of ultimate and the Bay Area should take a hard look at what they are doing. They are producing high level Ultimate players men and women at an alarming rate.
http://www.upa.org/juniors/2008nationalteam#boys
Here you can find all of those players that are gold medal winners. Not one is from the bay area. Now is that because we don't have the talent? Or is that because the bay area still wants to live in the past? If Nor Cal ultimate wants to continue to keep there children's potential down than that is wrong and us as coaches need to think what our children want and need.
Women's Ultimate needs to grow and it is our job as coaches to go find the girls and tell our boys to bring out girls. I put all of the blame of a lackluster girls division on the coaches. We can change it though and the start is by having a girls division. I think once the girls start playing with other girls they will find that it is alot more fun when they have a chance to ACTUALLY play. They get to throw and catch goals, throw up field, and not just dump to a guy.
And since this world is sexist let's get it out on the table. Some of the boys think that their girls do nothing or bring there team down. If this is the case let the boys play with the boys and girls play with the girls. The speed of ultimate is different for both sexes so let them play to what they are at.
El Againsto:
Co-ed has spirit yes we do Co-ed has spirit how bout you? That is the biggest good arguement about having ultimate being Co-ed. When you are in college spirit seems to lose itself. Yes there are those goober teams that all they have is spirit but when you get on a Stanford or Carelton you lose your spirit. Kids are taught in T-ball or Pee Wee football about spirit. When you get to your first practice everyone is encouraged and cheered and then by high school all of that has gone away. Well high school Ultimate is like T-ball in the fact that that is where ultimate starts for a lot of kids. Middle schools are picking it up slowly but usually people don't learn about ultimate until HS PE or if your school has a team, you don't get really into it until later in your hs career or college. We should have the kids learn spirit. Spirit is what makes ultimate the best sport played.
Also, the other reason is that there are no women in the bay area so you can not have more than four or five teams. If this does happen than all of those women are going to join together from four or five schools to make one. Which may not be that fun when you have no idea who the people you are playing with are.
Fin
There are no right answers to this question because all have valid points. The upa has spoke about this and they lean towards having single sex divisions. The problem really is that coaches need to find more women to play and get them out. Stop blaming other people or other reasons. It's because some of the coaches are lazy and take what they can get instead of going out and finding players.
It will be interesting to see where this actually goes and if the changes are upheald.
Keep on huckin'
I am very new to the Youth scene in the bay area so it kind of came as a shock when a majority of people were not in favor of the change. The arguements seemed to be pretty heated and I think we all are losing sight of what is most important: what is best for the kids.
As this message goes on I start to forget what For and Against are even standing for. This topic just became Prop 8. NO ON 8!!! For means Open and Women's Div. Against means Co-ed
The FOR:
Open and Women's is what is played in college. If the high schools could get together and play this they would be more prepared for college.
It is known that HS women's ultimate in the bay area is lacking, in fact, until this year there was only one official team (Alameda Sweet Meat). This year Granada HS has divised a girls team. So now the division is two women's teams strong. Understandable that this is not a division but it is a start. The fight over for or against is more for the girls than anyone else. Yet all of the voices being heard are from men coaches. The reason women's and open should be the standard is that most schools only have 2 girls and it's not fair to teams that have a lot of women (ACLC and GHS) when they have to either sit them or play them against men who, not to be sexist, are taller and most of the time faster. Also teams end up not throwing to there women. It becomes a six man domination and the two girls (O and D) are left just to run and celebrate because they are never touching the disc. Oregon and Washington are in the advanced stage of ultimate and the Bay Area should take a hard look at what they are doing. They are producing high level Ultimate players men and women at an alarming rate.
http://www.upa.org/juniors/2008nationalteam#boys
Here you can find all of those players that are gold medal winners. Not one is from the bay area. Now is that because we don't have the talent? Or is that because the bay area still wants to live in the past? If Nor Cal ultimate wants to continue to keep there children's potential down than that is wrong and us as coaches need to think what our children want and need.
Women's Ultimate needs to grow and it is our job as coaches to go find the girls and tell our boys to bring out girls. I put all of the blame of a lackluster girls division on the coaches. We can change it though and the start is by having a girls division. I think once the girls start playing with other girls they will find that it is alot more fun when they have a chance to ACTUALLY play. They get to throw and catch goals, throw up field, and not just dump to a guy.
And since this world is sexist let's get it out on the table. Some of the boys think that their girls do nothing or bring there team down. If this is the case let the boys play with the boys and girls play with the girls. The speed of ultimate is different for both sexes so let them play to what they are at.
El Againsto:
Co-ed has spirit yes we do Co-ed has spirit how bout you? That is the biggest good arguement about having ultimate being Co-ed. When you are in college spirit seems to lose itself. Yes there are those goober teams that all they have is spirit but when you get on a Stanford or Carelton you lose your spirit. Kids are taught in T-ball or Pee Wee football about spirit. When you get to your first practice everyone is encouraged and cheered and then by high school all of that has gone away. Well high school Ultimate is like T-ball in the fact that that is where ultimate starts for a lot of kids. Middle schools are picking it up slowly but usually people don't learn about ultimate until HS PE or if your school has a team, you don't get really into it until later in your hs career or college. We should have the kids learn spirit. Spirit is what makes ultimate the best sport played.
Also, the other reason is that there are no women in the bay area so you can not have more than four or five teams. If this does happen than all of those women are going to join together from four or five schools to make one. Which may not be that fun when you have no idea who the people you are playing with are.
Fin
There are no right answers to this question because all have valid points. The upa has spoke about this and they lean towards having single sex divisions. The problem really is that coaches need to find more women to play and get them out. Stop blaming other people or other reasons. It's because some of the coaches are lazy and take what they can get instead of going out and finding players.
It will be interesting to see where this actually goes and if the changes are upheald.
Keep on huckin'
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Berkeley Winter Youth League: Coaches Review
Does anyone feel that two games in the span of two hours and no warm up time except for on a field that clearly states "closed" is worth being known as a league? The youth league is a great idea. If you don't know what the details are, here is a small list:
1. Two games (1 hour each)
2. Winners play winners, losers play losers
3. Teams are somewhat evenly matched
4. No space for error, because the fields are reserved before and after the two hours allowed
5. No finals, nothing to lead up to.
Sounds nice, correct? Well here is the problem driving all the way to west berkeley for only two hours worth of ultimate and then having to turn back is kind of lame. Especially you are ATC, or some other team that has to drive more than two hours to get to the fields.
I love the concept. I think that HS ultimate needs to start moving in a league format. College is hard to do because of the distance, but HS has the ability since most are within, at most, a two hour drive. What they are doing will revolutionize bay area youth ultimate. I think all of the coaches should come together and talk about starting it up as a league.
Fall should be warm up tourney's and then spring will be one day tournament style league so every game matters. But this is a whole different blog...coming soon.
I think that what Jordan is doing is great and I hope it leads to a new format of youth ultimate, but this one "league" is kind of falling short of hype and expectation.
Keep on huckin Yay Area.
Geoff
1. Two games (1 hour each)
2. Winners play winners, losers play losers
3. Teams are somewhat evenly matched
4. No space for error, because the fields are reserved before and after the two hours allowed
5. No finals, nothing to lead up to.
Sounds nice, correct? Well here is the problem driving all the way to west berkeley for only two hours worth of ultimate and then having to turn back is kind of lame. Especially you are ATC, or some other team that has to drive more than two hours to get to the fields.
I love the concept. I think that HS ultimate needs to start moving in a league format. College is hard to do because of the distance, but HS has the ability since most are within, at most, a two hour drive. What they are doing will revolutionize bay area youth ultimate. I think all of the coaches should come together and talk about starting it up as a league.
Fall should be warm up tourney's and then spring will be one day tournament style league so every game matters. But this is a whole different blog...coming soon.
I think that what Jordan is doing is great and I hope it leads to a new format of youth ultimate, but this one "league" is kind of falling short of hype and expectation.
Keep on huckin Yay Area.
Geoff
Monday, January 12, 2009
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.
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.
Sunday, January 11, 2009
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.
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.
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