Will Cook For Beer: For the love of Ultimate

Ultimate frisbee is a game that has been cast as a hippie, pot smoking, hemp wearing event. Now some of that may be true, but it is also an incredible game filled with incredibly driven and talented people, most of which I have no doubt could have succeeded in any other sport. It's also the game I love. Why do I love it?

Because people are willing to drive 3.5 hours on a bus (or 1.5 hours in a van) to get to a tournament.

Because we sleep on couch cushions set on the floor, in houses with no bathroom, just to be able to play.

Because its the only sport where you not only can drink heavily before, during, and in between tournaments, but where its expected.

Because there is no feeling that can top a full length bid to catch a score. Or a foot block. Or throwing a full field huck. Or bidding out for a D. Or winning a game on universe point. The list of plays goes on.

Nothing though can top the camaraderie felt between the players of this game though. I don't think there is any other sport that you can consistently go to meet a new team, and expect to come away with not just one, but many lifelong friends. Its a close knit group, and for good reason.

This weekend I went through a veritable who's who of Irish ultimate. It's an experience I won't soon forget. I want to talk about personal success in the games we played, even the success of our team, but its all dwarfed by the relationships that I built with people over the course of one semester, when we might only see each other for a couple of hours every week. And not even the members of my team, that I am so lucky as to see so often, but the members of other teams as well. Its a cool thing in Irish ultimate that introducing yourself to the person you are marking is such a custom. It adds a personal level to the game, and makes a person more than a number on an opponents squad.

I met two players from other teams that made a significant impression on me, and the two were quite different.

Cian, from Trinity college in Dublin, was a athletic leaper of a cutter, quick, and clearly a huge talent for the Irish game. It was incredible to match up against another teams best option, and try my best to negate him. I think we did a fair job of running each other around this weekend in the two games, as I would guess we marked each other for about 35 of the 40 points our teams played against each other all weekend. I can honestly say that I was the most exhausted after those two games than at any other point in the tourney, and he is to blame for that. I practically collapsed on him after those games, and even though we were opponents, he was super positive about our chances against other teams. He is the one on the left in the picture below, and yes, he did catch a score against me in this picture.

Shimbo is a player from UCD, short, stocky and irritable. A frustratingly talented defensive player, and a very capable D-line handler, he is a player that I hope to model my game around in the future. I actually met him at Siege of Limerick a few weeks ago, but I barely recalled it. He however remembered my face, and made a point of saying hello when we met in the stack. I was completely taken aback that he managed to remember some random American, when our teams didn't even play each other at Siege. The number one thing you remember about Shimbo is his intensity. You can see it in the picture below, and it translates to his game. Tenacious beyond belief, it was a huge pain being marked by Shimbo.

If there is one thing from Irish Ultimate that I to bring back to the states, its that small community feel. Irish Ultimate may not be as sizeable as the UPA or the greater ultimate community in the states, but it certainly makes up for it in skill, passion, and commitment. I know that I will never know entire ultimate community of the states, but there is no reason I can't start with the teams that we see at every tournament, the Portland Ultimate community, even the NW in general, and start to network, and hopefully make the game a little bit better. It says a lot that our team referred to Trinity College as the "Reed" of Irish Ultimate, and I found the whole of them to be very friendly and welcoming. It was a privilege to be a part of the Irish Ultimate community, even if only for a few months, and I regret the fact that some of the people I met I will probably never see again.

But at the same time, there are people that I will see again, and those are the NUI Galway Panteras. Being able to play with you guys over the past few months was incredible and certainly made me a better ultimate player. If I never see those guys again, something in my life has gone totally wrong.

To Wally: Thanks for letting me talk to the team like I was the captain, letting me coach the zone, and generally step all over your toes trying to lead the team. You are a great player, a great leader, and seem to have made this team what it is today.

To Paddy: You are one tall motherfucker, and you are hell to try to huck against. I will enjoy the day when I don't have to worry about your deep play in practice. You are also one hell of a hilarious dude.

To Luke: I told you this after the tournament, but you are one hell of a passionate, dedicated dude. There is always room in a team for a player with your drive and intensity. Get fit, get healthy, and keep up with the ultimate.

To Eoghan: You are almost exactly the player I was a year ago. Keep playing hard, and that alone will take you places. Learn to control your flick, and you'll go even further.

To Chuckles: Probably the player on the team I know best. Keep playing when you get back to Wisconsin. Play for the Pimpdags for a year. It will be worth it. I hope to see you at a tournament so I can Eagle the shit out of you. Or at least come visit Oregon.

To Liam: You are a hilarious motherfucking ginger. Run hard, use your height, and learn your flick. And keep driving the shaggin' wagon.

To Conor: You scare me more than any other player on the team. Watching you play, I can see you playing for Linfield and marking up against me. Play for them, they could use a guy like you. Hell we could use a guy like you. You should transfer.

I guess this brings the Ultimate season to a close. Thanks for the season Panteras. I hope to see you all with the Ex-Pat team at Trouble in Vegas.

I'll close with a few pictures from our game against Trinity.