stanfordqualifier07

First game

Blog

After a ridiculously rough start this morning, we arrived at the fields and played our first game.

For some reason, the college kids thought First St. was the same as First Ave. and not until I pointed out we were still in Hillard and not in Stevinson yet, did they believe me and continue east. Two U-turns and three country roads later, and we arrived less than 25 minutes before our first game. Zoiks!

Warm up jog, throwing, dynamic warmup and flip instructions later, the captains flipped and we were on the line.

The team did really well. Their opponent was a team that had been playing together three years. Given our team had been playing together about five months, they played fantastically. They moved the disc down the field to within 10 yards of the endzone probably a dozen times in fifteen points, and had maybe 8 or 9 defensive blocks. They were foot blocked twice, which wasn't so hot, but they'll learn to pivot and fake better.

The final score was 13-1, with the single point being scored on a pick call the opponent, Cal Poly SLO, called back to grant us the score.

This game will probably be the easiest today, as it was against the fourth seed in the pool. Tomorrow should be much better, as the bottom three teams play round robin. Have to see if I can make it back for the half day.

Overheard on the field

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Two girls walking by:

"Where's Santa Clara located?"

"Santa Clara."

Elsewhere:

Thrower on the field who just caused a turn over:

"Gah! I need to punch myself!"

Back in college

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The tournament the college team I'm coaching was heading to this weekend moved from Stanford to Modesto, pretty much at the last minute. I had arranged to drive some of the team to Stanford on Saturday morning, but had my Friday night planned for cleaning the house before George and his family arrived tomorrow.

So much for that plan. They'll arrive to see my house is its usual disarray. Darn it.

I drove to Santa Clara and was slightly late, arriving at 8:55 instead of 8:45. I should have realized this wasn't a problem: the team was on ultimate time. We left the Frisbee house, where many of the men's team players live, around 9:20, arriving at the hotel around 10:50 at night. Now, normally arriving so late isn't an issue, afterall, we practice until 11 at night. Today, though, I was tired from the 6:00 am wakeup and 7:00 am workout.

My car, with Sarah, Julie, Mackenzie and Kaitlin, arrived to find we were in the remote room, a double smoking-permitted room. I had asked at hte front desk when we arrived if any rooms were availalbe, and was told the only room they had was a single bed smoking. Since I was going to be in a smoking room anyway, with the stench of previous smoking tennants, I figured my own bed would be preferable to the floor.

Maybe I should have just kicked one of the players out of bed.

When I went to see about that previoiusly available smoking room, I mentioned I'd prefer a non-smoking room if anyone had cancelled. Somehow, I managed to arrive five minutes after someone had cancelled. $52 dollars later, and I had a room with three extra bed spaces. I went to where I thought the men's team was staying and knocked on the door.

The door flew open, and a waggling tongue, "ahhhhHhhh!" greeted me. When the eyes on the face owning the tongue opened, the player immediately stood up, looking a little embarrassed, "Oh, sorry."

"No problem. Anyone in here want a bedspace? I'm two doors down. The only requirement is that you need to let me sleep."

Fifteen minutes later, the room was asleep.