Offhanded Scoober

Honestly, this past weekend has been the best weekend I've had in a while. I had the honor of playing with Kuru, and I did my part to play up to every expectation. As a testament to this, every inch of my body is sore and even my soul hurts. Why? Cuz I played my heart out, duhhh.

For the past year or so since I had graduated, I was afraid of slowly stagnating and perhaps even get worse: This weekend has proved otherwise: I played the best ultimate I have ever played, by far. Sure it was windy, and sure I had to bomb is deep all the time to give our team the best chance we had, but I played extremely well. I wish you kids coulda seen me. :) With some of the strongest winds I've played in (other than that one tournament junior year when we were broken something like 7 times in a row after clinching game point on a callahan) I still was breaking people left and right. I was superbly honored to have so many players come up to me and remark about my great puts. As one Jeju player put it, (to paraphrase) "my buddy was almost in tears because he was playing his best defense on you and still couldn't stop you." I really felt unstoppable. I never got point blocked, and I never felt like any mark stopped something I wanted to throw. I was great to get that feeling back. I ran like a maniac, barely sitting out any points. More importantly than my offense, this was the first time that I felt my defense really was turned up a notch. While I wasn't laying out left and right, I was playing a great players and I felt I was holding my own. Anyway, enough about me...

Yet, I have to give it up to my teammates, who were catering to me. It's not always the most fun to have a dominant handler and to not even really get a good look up field. Hell, I know I wouldn't enjoy that role. But they trusted me, and I have nothing but the utmost respect for everything they have done this past weekend. Some of you have even gone so far to say that we could not have done it without me, but let's be real: I couldn't have done it without any of you guys.

There's Wilson, who was playing like a champ all weekend and so few turnovers. You were a solid reset handler who was always there for me.

There's Shag, with awesome defense all day, everyday. Your speed is incredible, and you used it. Your run-thru D in the last game against Jeju was ridiculous, and you even sacrificed your body to get it. I can't wait until you click even more and start laying out, because you will be even more of a D-machine.

Andre, geezUS, you've come a long way. You were my go-to deep look all day. I can't think of a single time that you were not open deep when I was looking for you. Keep on improving; I'm so excited to see the player you will become.

Hitomi, you were open all the time! I know the wind was tough for you to handle, but once you get that down, you will be deadly on the field.

June, you were always making the right cuts, at the right times and your presence on the field made our offense click.

Rob, there are many great things I can say about your playing, but the culmination of all of that is that sick. fucking. grab. JEEZ. That was huge. Hell, we even TOLD the other team exactly what we were going to do. Amazing.

Ellie, you were the quiet force behind our team, always holding it down whether on man, zone, or offense. I can't remember you ever getting beat deep, nor do I ever remember you having trouble getting open. I remember when we first met several years ago, when you were still figuring how to throw a flick. Now you stepped up to running as the third handler if needed be without a second thought. Improvement much?

Yuhki, it was an absolute pleasure running with you this weekend. I am so glad to hear you are playing with Vege, and it shows. I feel like we think about ultimate in very similar ways, and it really showed on the field. We just kept clicking better and better as each point went on, and the one play I was excited about was when I made in the Jeju game, where you were already throwing it (backhand, upwind) before I turned the page to go strike. That connection is what I strive for, always.

Jen, though it was our first time playing together, I think we got a lot of connections in between us. I loved that you trusted me to throw it to you darkside, and you were just beasting everyone left and right. Run through D's, skying dudes, and you brushed it all off as if it were nothing. Beast mode.

Adam, you were the rock in our offense. You were there every single time I needed you to be there. You were my first, second, third, and last option. Everything we talked about before the tournament came to use and I can't wait to run people into the ground with you again. We already talked a ton about everything, I don't feel the need to retype it all here. What it boils down to? A true bro, for life. Makin' mos, mos def.

And last but not least, Doug. You are the whole reason all of this happened. You were a superb captain this past weekend. You held it down on and off the field. You've come a looooooong way since I first met you. In fact, I can't believe its been almost 4 years since I first met you when we went bowling... That summer with Eric and throwing in Yoyogi at dusk. Back when we were relative newcomers and fringe characters to Iku ultimate. A world of things have happened since then, but I can say one thing: I am glad to have met you. I can't wait for the adventures we will have next.