Guest Post 1: Saucy Nancy 2011, A Rookie's Perspective

Jojo Petersen, Rookie on Saucy

The first of a series of Post-Season Guest Posts comes from Saucy Nancy's very own Jojo Petersen. Jojo is a freshman at the University of Iowa. She is a bit more quiet and reserved than many of the players on our team, but she has just as much heart as the rest of us. As she describes, Jojo came to Iowa with no knowledge of the sport of ultimate.  In the fall, Jojo and I had an opportunity to get to know each other as I sat with her in the University of Iowa Hospital emergency room as a result of a bad ankle injury sustained during practice at Hubbard Park. For many rookies, that sort of experience might deter someone from sticking with the sport, but not Jojo. Instead, she attended practices in her crazy cast, and eagerly learned everything she could while there. With much hard work and dedication, she has developed to a contributer on the field with her speedy cuts, ability to get open deep, and defensive energy. She always has a smile on her face and can make any one on our team smile. I can't wait to watch her continue to grow as a player and person. With a heart of gold, she has a bright future ahead of her. Okay, enough of my rambling, here's Jojo and her experience being a new player on Saucy 2011.

 

As a freshman coming to college, knowing no one, I knew I had to find something to meet knew people. I found a flyer for Ultimate Frisbee in the entry of Slater Hall and thought it was worth a try. I emailed one of the captains and started going to practices shortly after. It was a lot different than I expected. They ran drills and there were so many terms, I didn’t know if I could handle it, but after the first tournament I was hooked.

 

The energy of Saucy Nancy is incredible. It’s an indescribable feeling being part of a team so close and goal oriented. The entire season our main goal was to make it to Nationals. Winning against Wisconsin the Sunday morning of Regionals and gaining that spot at Nationals seemed completely unreal. I still don’t think it has completely set in. I think the best part of that victory was looking at each of the older girls faces. I could tell how important it was and felt proud to be part of it.

 

Each member of the team contributed to the team’s success, whether it was on the field or keeping the energy up on the sidelines. I still have a lot to learn about the game and look forward to improving with Saucy Nancy, my ultimate family.