Happy Thanksgiving, everyone.

I love ultimate. I love constantly evolving strategies, the spirit and the awesome people that I have met through playing the game. But, I no longer enjoy playing at levels below the elite. At one time I was a playground style player. I could excel in games where offense was disorganized, and flow was hard to come by. But this is no longer the case. I am now at my best when playing within a structured system, limiting turnovers and playing team defense.

When I play pickup or rec league games, I am either too casual for my teammates, or too exacting in my desires for the team. If I play loose and fun, my turnovers go up and my defense is poor (to my standards). If I take the game seriously, I am frustrated by all turnovers and by the fact that my shutdown D is useless when my teammates don't or are unable to play D at a similar level. I know that I should enjoy the game for what it is, but I am no longer able to.

It is perhaps an inappropriate but accurate analogy to say that disorganized ultimate was like a gateway drug, and once I moved on to the hard stuff (elite college/club), the original gateway games just don't seem to "do it" for me any more. Should I mourn this loss? Sometimes I do. Elite ultimate doesn't happen every day, and to play elite it is necessary to but a large amount of time into practice, workouts and tourney travel and so on. But I need that hardcore stuff to stimulate my ultimate nerves. I think that this is the main reason for my current obsession (or so Amanda labels it) with mountaineering and outdoor pursuits. I have always been interested in them, but my anticipation of the end of frisbee season and it's actual abrupt end almost a month earlier than last year coupled with my advance knowledge that I would miss nearly the whole of my team's most important tournament of the year, have led to a focus on the outdoor pursuits that has somewhat distracted my from the loss of elite ultimate.

Coaching is fulfilling in too different a way for it to be a substitute. It doesn't quite have the adrenaline rushes and the thrills of accomplishment. The highs aren't as high and the lows aren't as low. It doesn't have the physical nature that my still young body craves. I guess I've just realized that low grade ultimate doesn't give me the fix I need and I've been looking for other drugs to help me with my withdrawal symptoms during the offseason.


As a side note, I have to say that Scott Wiant is the best ultimate player I know that doesn't care to commit the time to be an elite player. I wish I could talk him into playing for real. He could have a Cruikshank-like impact on any club team (given a year or two figuring out the club game). Anyone else know someone who could be great at ulti, but doesn't care to but in the time?