Back in the Saddle Again

So coaching has begun, and once again, Ultimate is *almost* foremost in my mind. I've got plenty of things to do & am able to buckle down at work, but often my 15 minute breaks wax long when I am looking up offensive strategy, reading Ultimate blogs, looking at Ultimate pics....you probably play Ultimate if you're reading this, so you understand completely.

So, it took a couple weeks of practice to get back into the swing of things. Practices have been okay so far, with very few standing out. I think the girls have been learning a few new things and solidifying some old skills. We've started split stack & last weekend was our first time running it. We didn't actually utilize all its benefits, but we did an okay job at it. There are some aspects of it that are very counterintuitive after having played vert for so long. (Look to the middle, look to the middle, look to the middle) I wish we could get outside; I think it would add to our intensity, especially during scrimmmages. We've had some pretty good sprints & stairs at the end of practice & people are working hard, but that fire to always win, even in drills isn't always there for everyone. For some, especially those not having played team sports, this can be hard to achieve, but visualize, visualize, visualize! Your match up is no longer your teammate, but your opponent. The harder you push her, the better she'll be come tournaments. The more you try your utmost to win, the more it will be ingrained in you that that is your only option. Team intensity grows and feeds off of itself. That D that you "would have gotten in a game" or the pick "you would have called at a tournament"? They are the same situation; practice for situations only works if you do what you are supposed to do in the "real" situation; that is, throwing against a lazy mark is not the same as the crazy mark. Not just scrimmages, but drills as well. Work to make it game like.

MG Recap:

No one got there early due to bad weather driving mishaps on Thursday night before even making it to Iowa City. So, everyone was coming off of an all night drive. Fields were not at Burbank, so people had to mill around, figure that out, then get back in the car and drive to the fields. Tesax B was first round. Due to poor planning on the guys part, probably b/c no captain was with them, I had to drive guys to their fields 15 minutes away (after all the hullaballoo at Burbank & starting to one set of fields then going to the other, only to have to go BACK to the first place we were headed- we pulled into Burbank at 7:58, just 3 minutes before my ETA of 8:01). So, I made it to the women's first game vs. Texas B when I think it was about 4-0. I think we won 13-0 or 13-1. Texas B couldn't put more than a couple throws together, but I was impressed by how encouraging they were to each other. Games got more exciting after this...

Sat. Game 2: Vanderbilt (who is from Nashville, TN)
This was our first challange. This team mostly ran through three gals, the one of which was really good & had a sweet layout D against 'Stine. They hucked on us a LOT. We had a few endzone drops. Their coach seems rather uptight and overserious. Ah, I can't remember too many details from this game...we played hard. Ended up losing 10-12. Gibbs will probably have more details. Oh, shite, I think this is the game that 'Stine had like a 5' high D bid...wish I had a pic.

Sat. Game 3: Wisc-Milwaukee
So, this was a combo team of UW-Mil & UW-Eu Claire, plus I think some other pick ups. They moved the disc quickly & the drive looked like it was starting to wear on us. I think we gave up part way through. They did a lot of give gos we weren't able to stop. We didn't have quite enough experience to match them; I am pretty sure they had some non-college gals. We lost pretty badly, not able to move the disc very well on their competent poaching and speedy defenders. 3-9 or something?

Sat. Game 4: UNT
We still looked really tired. Play was sloppy all around, and we traded points for awhile, but ended up pulling ahead to win 13-8 or so. There was no point in me saying much b/c the gals were pretty gassed, both physically and mentally.

Sun. Game 1: WUWU
WUWU beat a partial team at sectionals last fall. They ran the disc through about 3 gals, whom we were usually able to shut down. They did a good job of pushing the disc on a pull, but overall had very inconsistent throws. We came out a little slow (and a couple a little intoxicated), but soon got up to speed and were working things pretty well. Roll to a win.

Sun. Game 2: U of Indiana
They looked kind of bad ass & gave me some worries watchign their warm-ups. They had a very tall girl that was often a main cutter. She could also throw well, was crafty, and used her body to her advantage in positioning. This team had some very nicely put hucks, and most of their scores were off of long throws (lots of 2nd throw hucks). Meghan started playing like a beast in this game and continued it for the rest of the day. Victory is ours by a kind of close margin, I think. It hink this was the game where the first half we never had more than 2 turns a point (pretty good for first time outside & lots of first year players). Then we had some marathoners 2nd half. Sheesh. Lots of drops and forced throws, a point with only one handler.

Sun. Game 3: Wisc-Mil, redux
So, we finished our previous game in plenty of time, but UW-M was capping their game against U of Iowa. I went over to get a start time, that's fine, they walk over and then rudeness. This girl on their team says, "Are you sure we play you? Because, you know, we've won all our games." "Uh, yeah, this is semifinals. We've won our games today. We just beat Indiana who (bracket-wise) was "supposed" to beat us." "Oh, well, I just wanted to make sure since we've already played you." Oh, man, that girl would have been TOAST if I had been playing! I would have matched up on her and freakin' scored over and over AND spiked the disc!!! I HATE disrespect! And this wasn't even one of their main players! Ah! I realize the score was in your favor yesterday, but, seriously, could you not think of a more diplomatic way to ask, if you were really unsure if you played us? I really, really, really wanted us to beat them, and they were down 4 ladies that had had to leave, one of them being the Flaming Moe player. So, we were pretty ready for this game, and stormed out to a 3-0 lead, moving the disc well. They had a taller girl that played very aggressively with a pretty nice FH, but if Gibbs was on her, she shut her down. We learned after the game she'd been playing for one year...UNBELIEVEABLE for her level of play. We played way better in the red zone than we had the day before. We missed a couple of long Ds I thought we should have had, but took half 7-6, with soft cap going on, game to 9. I think the last point of that half was Minner's suhweet layout save in eht endzone. We are receiving going down wind off the pull. I don't know how we turn it, but they score. I think we score one on a huck, but then they score, making it 8s with us receiving. We turn it quickly and they score for the win, 9-8, edging us out the the chance to play Wisconsisn in the finals. They lost to Wisocnsin 13-5 (from score reporter, which is not complete...teams, post your scores)

Overall, I was happy with the weekend. We lost 2 close games that I really thought we could have edged out. We were missing Tai, VJJ, Lauren, and Ying. We had MegHan Solo & 3 pick ups; I think overall the 4 "replacements" are at least as good as our 4 pick ups; Solo, of course, is a big factor, but Tai-baby plays with her heart on her sleeve and adds solidity and leadership as well. I am glad I went b/c I needed to see the O in action to know some of our focus areas (swinging and continue cuts). We've got other areas I'd like to work on as well, but practice attendance is becoming a minor problem. ONe or two people/practice is okay, but half the team, as last night, means I basically have to have the SAME practice as last night. We won't be outside for quite some time, and that also throws in a bit of a wrench, but I think we'd get more out of our indoor practice if people stepped it up in scrimmages, especially.

Players of the Tournament....
Offense: Melissa Gibbs, for keeping the disc alive so many times
Defense: oooo, this is tougher; Jasmine Draper gets it, with a Christine "Animal" Rosen and MegHan "Solo" Minner on her tail

We're supposed to have a new player tonight, as well as a 2nd week player & possibly one other newbie. I have high hopes for all 3 of these gals to become contributing members by series time.

Grinnell...in brief

So I don't know if very many of the Woman Scorned players have blogs so I feel obligated to metnion it here (those dozen people that check my blog may have an interest). Given that I had to TRY to finish the trailer work & attend a baptism, I only saw the final against Truman State, but heard some other tidbits as well.

When Jon & I arrived, ISUC was playing IHUC and having a lot of trouble breaking their zone. The defense looked pretty good: I saw some bigs lays & mighty effort. There were a few miscues on D, mostly from new players, but I think the future of ISUC looks bright. To any ISUC guys that read this: you can own any zone. Handlers, have confidence and keep the disc swinging. Poppers, move AGAINST the cup, or get ahead of them. Deeps, don't STAND by your defense- take them deep, bring them in, move from side to side! Switches are the best time to get open; if you keep moving, sooner or later either you will be double-covered, allowing your teammate to get open, or you will find a hole created by another teammate. If you receive the disc from one side of the field, try to continue it (like receiving a swing & looking continue). While in a person-to-person D you need to move down the field with the stack, the easiest way to get open after one throw through or around the cup is to cut IN towards that person- counter to the defensive movement. Okay, I could talk forever about zone strategy, but it can be difficult to implement, especially for people used to getting open through athleticism. Besides, you've got a good coach in Jakerz.

On Saturday, Scorned had outscored their 4 opponents 52-6, with the most points scored by one team being 3 by Iowa. The first 2 games on Sunday weren't much different, from what I heard. I was looking forward to the final b/c TSU has one current player for Rackages (or 2, I don't know if Noelle just wasn't there) & they have a similar team attitude: scrappy, fun, partilicious. They also qualified for Nationals last year, which is amazing given that they are a 3rd year team. Stu Jack is no longer coaching them, which I think will be a bit of a blow. He is a great strategist & teacher on top of being a terrific handler himself. They have a coach, but he seems less purposeful than Stu. Anyway, the game starts off with lots of turns (it IS fall college), but it looks like both teams are using their full lines, playing a lot of rookies. TSUnami has 3 or 4 standouts, Duh & Mona handling, a cutter I don't know but who cuts hard and soccery. Scorned doesn't take what the defense gives, but battles to get open, and usually does. There are nice plays from both teams, but Scorned starts to pull away. The second half looks cleaner, especially from Scorned & they are using a handler dominator to get the disc moving, which works well for them. Jaz has a sick grab against the good Truman cutter, Sarah has a couple nice rescues. Meghan Solo is of course getting Ds, especially after a few adjustments against the soccery cutter. Jenny Dobson is an absolute machine, cutting, cutting, cutting. I think she got frustrated with throws, but they'll come, especially with her amazing work ethic. Overall, the group looks like a great bunch of ladies to work with. Mikey is getting the basics under their belts, and I'll officially take over this spring.

Last night was a bit of a silly practice at times, but we got a lot done in the end. I think MIke gets annoyed in a brotherly way at the girls' lack of focus. I am sometimes not helpful b/c I am trying not to laugh (unsuccessfully), but I think have a speical knack for being silly one moment, then totally focused the next. The girls get the first part, but not the second. Seems like we've got plenty to work on, but plenty to work with. I am excited to be coaching again & have already started drawing up ideas for practices, discussions, and drills for next spring.