Wildwood Revelations- Bobby
I was thinking about writing a post about Wildwood cause it was such a sweet tournament and was definitely a lot of fun, but I really don't wanna talk about all the fuck ups I had (there were a lot) and overall i think I played pretty shitty for the most part, but there were a few good things that I gained from it which I realized today during my summer league game.
First thing is that I realized that I have become a little bit impatient/I am trying way too hard for big throws and cuts, instead of being more team oriented. This is really really shitty and i think one of the reasons that I feel i had such a crappy tournament. However, going into summer league today I was thinking about this and adjusted my play accordingly and I feel that I had a pretty awesome game. Worked more on looking off throws that were unlikely to be completed and focused more on working the disc more (still forced a couple things as I was getting tired but playing a little bit more chili definitely made me play better.) Though I didn't score as much or get as many assists as I normally do, i felt that I was instrumental to many of our scores, which i feel is just as good. I have determined to play defense in more of a role that myles took last year as opposed to the way Aric did in the sense that Myles was a great cutter all year but rarely took a huge risk and in general made really smart decisions to limit turns. Not to bash Aric's play style, but the amount of stupid turns i had at wildwood helped me to decide that i dont necessarily want to be as aggressive with hucks yet until i become more sure of my decisions and ability. I know I have the ability to throw pretty good flick hucks and i will still practice it among other things and may use them in the right situation, but I have decided to try to limit my usage of this and play a lot smarter. In general I want to work on focusing more on defense and contributing positively in smaller ways on offense.
Another thing that I found that is extremely important is the role of adrenaline in a game, as I had a hard time walking due to a cut on my toe but when I got into the game I found that I could run pretty easily. Also, in the last game of the day on saturday, I kind of got "on fire" a little bit, scoring or assisting i think 5 of our points in a row after just missing a layout d, but I was also a bit flat at other times during the games (dehydration also a big problem with this for me this weekend). I think for a team to do really well they have to rely on the boost that adrenaline can give you by striving to keep it pumping by keeping the team in the game and excited.
The conditions of the tournament were a bit difficult, as running in sand and throwing in strong wind are not easy at all, however they are really good for improving your game. Practicing throwing in the wind is the shit, after getting that down regular throws are ridiculously easy. Also, after cutting and running in sand, using cleats on grass makes everything so much easier and im pretty damn sure it has made me more fit. maybe we should have beach training days in williamsburg?
One thing i definitely appreciated from wildwood as opposed to summer league is the way that our team was much more enjoyable to play with than my summer league team which has a couple of real big douches on it. Made me realize the importance of team chemistry that I'm glad we have to a good degree but that we should continue to improve.
Thoughts on the A team players who were there:
i think fabio came in great shape to play and seemed to be kicking ass all over the field, bidding and skying real high. His throws could still use work i think but im looking forward to his play next year, and i need to get in a bit better shape too i think.
Sean your throws are damn tight now, maybe you need to be a little bit more chili with some of them, but it was not fully serious frisbee/the wind sucked balls. also great cutting
Fleming was awesome as usual not much more to say there
Kyle needs to not fuck up his shoulder
EDIT: due to being retardedly harsh on myself/ranting and forgetting stuff
Sharing is caring. Share this article now!
Quote from the Huddle:
"For those young veterans (say, second- and third- year players coming into their first returning fall but not yet in charge) what should they be focusing on? Where can they improve the most?
Well, first of all, I think it is important that those individuals understand that they do not need to be a captain or a senior to be a leader. All captains should be leaders, but not all leaders are captains. A player can lead on the field in many, many ways. When I have a second or third year player, typically, I ask them to start rounding out their game. In the beginning, I tried to help them find what they were really good at, and be really good at that for the good of the team. Now, in this intermediate phase, I ask them to dig deeper and find another skill they could contribute to the team and work on that particular skill."
Now is this time for us to round out our skills. I don't know what that means for you Bobby, but I know what I need to improve on this upcoming season. First, defense. Second, bidding. Third, fitness. At this point I am confident in saying these are improving.
As for adrenaline I find that it picks up for me near the end of games. I am unsure if this is a good thing or not because it would be nice if I was able to be fired up immediately. As a team getting fired up early in a game is something we should work on.
Thoughts on fellow A Teamers:
Kyle: Ditto
Fabio: Improved physicality and awareness. Throws havent improved as much as I hoped. Mark has improved.
Bobby: Wish I played on more points with you. Defense was great as usual, except that back D lol. I think you should try to mess with throwing angles more, reaching out on throws more. But like you said, was not serious frisbee/wind conditions.