North Texas Envy

I had the opportunity to speak with North Texas's women's team. Envy embodies everything that I have been focusing on lately in my reading on sports development and outreach. They have worked to go from barely there, chippy, and not really aware of the greater movements in the ultimate community to a team that is fully engaged in ultimate, giving back, and revamping their reputation.

I have followed their season closely, as a friend of mine from Iowa has moved down to coach the team. Cara Massey and Blake McGlaun  answer some questions, and shares some insight on her 2011-2012 season with Envy. (Disclaimer: This interview took place prior to the South Central regionals, for which Envy qualified.)

Robyn: Tell us about playing ultimate at North Texas? What is the "ultimate scene" like?

Cara and Blake: The ultimate scene here at North Texas is somewhat of a hidden gem in the sense that not many students or teachers know it exists. There is a certain community that is established within the North Texas Ultimate Club that extends much further than the playing field. Envy has developed a strong support system of people who love and care for one another.Envy's alumni are always interested in our growth and development and often join in on traveling to tournaments just to show their support along the sidelines. Both the men's and women's teams are also very supportive of one another. Several members of the men's team come out to Envy's practices on a regular basis to give a few tips here and there or just to watch Envy in action. We often get together for "game night" or have a "bake off" just to hang out with each other.

How did you (Blake and Cara) get into ultimate?

Cara: I first got into ultimate through Grapevine League the summer before I transferred to North Texas in 2010. I did not think much of the sport until my captain had encouraged me to attend the Summer Solstice tournament in Tulsa, OK. That was the first time I had met and played ultimate with Envy. I immediately fell in love with the team's welcoming vibe and energetic persona and thus, fell in love with ultimate.

Blake: When I came to college, I tried many organizations to see where I would fit in and have the most fun.  Ultimate Frisbee instantly stole my heart. The vets, at the time, were super welcoming and already cracking jokes the first day I met them. I was stoked to start playing frisbee and travel with Envy because I just had this feeling that there was going to be many adventures I would never forget. The environment of ultimate is like no other I've experienced; it's chill, lively, and a complete blast with all the crazy, unique people. I love ultimate and I never want to stop  playing. 

Additional:

What I really enjoy about ultimate is that it's based on 'The Spirit of the Game.' Before I've only played sports with a referee, and calling your own shots was refreshing because the calls depended on honesty between opponents. I see some teams take advantage of this rule and they lose my respect when they do, so with my team I  try to emphasize the spirit of the game as much as possible because I believe it's important to play fair.

What have your goals been over the season?

Cara and Blake: Over this past season, one of the main goals was to increase Envy's competitive nature. In the past, Envy has had the reputation of being a free-spirited and fun-loving team, but was never really looked at as a competitive threat. This year is different because although we are still free-spirited and love to have fun, we have the athleticism to show the ultimate world what Envy is really made of. Another goal was to develop new players so that they will be prepared to lead the team when the vets are gone. It was important to not only develop the rookies' skills, but to also show them that Envy abides by the "Spirit of the Game" and is more concerned with enjoying the sport of ultimate rather than gaining an unfair advantage over competitors. Our rookies have shown an unyielding passion for the sport that has been an awesome addition to Envy.

What is your team's practice attendance policy? Were there problems/difficulties in putting into place?

Cara and Blake: Our attendance policy gained a much more serious tone in January. We implemented the rule that if you miss practice, you are running sprints. None of the girls seemed to be bothered by the rule. In fact, many of the girls are enthusiastic when telling us they are doing their sprints or had just finished them. The rookies are always adamant about coming to practice; it is seldom when any of them miss.

What are your long-term goals past the season?

Cara and Blake: Long-term goals are more along the lines of creating a bigger name for Texas teams. We aspire to one day attract big names like Iowa and Wisconsin to tournaments like "Big D in Little d". We place a more personal focus on sustaining a positive name for Envy in the ultimate scene (through recruitment of incoming athletes and development of current team members).

What is your advice to other teams?

Cara and Blake: Advice to other teams would be to never let people's opinion of you or your teammates stop you from pushing yourself and your team to achieve its goals. Advice to any captains would be to always hold yourself to a higher standard than the rest of the team. In regards to practice, there is fine line between having fun at practice and working hard to become better. We believe that it's always important to practice like you would play in a competitive game setting. Also, there is a difference between calling a teammate out while at practice and giving constructive criticism in a positive way. The latter is much more beneficial for team moral.

Anything else you want to share?

Cara and Blake: One more thing we would like to share is the importance of giving back to the community. Our coach, Paul Utesch, has reached out to us from within our community and has helped us to believe in ourselves and to push ourselves like we never have before. Envy has never had a coach figure until now, and it has made all the difference in our playing. We think it is important for people who have the insight and the know how to share that knowledge with the community so that ultimate can continue to grow.

Guest Post #4: HFS

HFS. You may have seen these three letters written on our bodies at Nationals. You may have heard us yell them at the top of our lungs between points or before a game. You may see it tanned into our bodies after a tournament.

I think that all teams have a "go-to" cheer or team motto. I think it's important to think about it. Reflect on it throughout the season. What does it mean to you, and what does it mean to be part of the team?

In an attempt to clean up our act in preparation for Nationals, Saucy changed our go-to catch phrase from "Hot F***ing Sauce" to "HFS." Over the season, HFS has evolved. And well, each and every member of the team has come to have their own interpretation.

"To me, HFS means confidence in yourself, trust in your teammates, and love for the game. It means party cat and ghetto stomp cheers on the sidelines and giving everything while on the field. HFS is saucy love for each of my saucy sisters, always."
-Alyx Averkamp #12, Junior, Handler, Co-Captain


"Hot F**in Sauce. To me it means that we're Saucy Nancy.  Don't mess with us. Because we will F***in destroy you, and look hot while doing it."
-Victoria Castillo, Sophomore, Cutter

"HFS is being part of a team that not only wins tournaments and plays amazingly but also are best friends and would do anything for one another.  These girls have helped me become a better player and a better person, and I love them all!"
-Carolyn Sleeth #14, Junior, Handler


"HFS represents the heart and soul of Saucy Nancy. We may not always look the cleanest, but we most certainly work the hardest and have more desire than any other team out there. We're a scrappy group of passionate girls all working towards the same goal who love each other while doing it."
-Chelsea Russell #11, Senior, Cutter, Golden Girl


"When our team yells HFS we were giving ourselves, our skills, our time, or thoughts, and our hearts to each other. HFS is our promise to the team and our team mates that we, as an individual, will work hard and give every last effort to each other. The world outside HFS doesn't matter, not to us because we have each other."
-Bekah TheROFL Hickernell #13, Junior, Handler

"HFS is all about what connects us to one another: the love of the game, the love we have for each other, the unconditional support on and off the field, the mutual respect. It's about digging deep and never giving up, even when the odds are stacked against you, because with your teammates you can do anything."
-Robyn Fennig #44, Grad Student, Handler


"To me, HFS is about passion. Changing the cheer to "hot f***ing sauce" instead of just 'hot sauce' added a little umph because we are so passionate about ultimate and so passionate about our team. That kind of passion is what makes me love to play on this team and love to scream HFS!"
-Anna Prichard #33, Freshman, Cutter


"What HFS means to me is Hilariously Fun Saucies. I have never had so much laughs on a team like that which I have experienced just in one season on Saucy Nancy. I love everyone on the team and wouldn't trade a single moment for anything. HFS!"
-Jenny Graham #28, Freshman, Cutter

"HFS is the spirit of Saucy Nancy.  It is what pushes us to be better together as a team by bringing us together.  It represents the bond we have with our teammates and the chemistry we have developed to beat any opponent by continuing the fight during games."
-Sara Timko #4, Junior, Cutter

"While HFS is a cryptic cheer that was created to hide an expletive so that we didn’t get in trouble with USA Ultimate at Regionals and Nationals, it’s also our secret Saucy cheer that only a Saucy Nancy can ever fully understand and appreciate its true meaning, because the meaning is different and unique for every Saucy. For me, HFS embodies all the special memories I had with the team and let me tell you they are the best memories I have and they leave me with the happiest of feelings, that is why shouting HFS after every cheer gets me pumped up and ready to rage on the field!”

-Katie "Rage Kage" Johnson #7, Senior, Cutter

"Play hard and leave it all out on the field. No regrets."
-Audrey Erickson #6, Sophomore, Cutter

Guest Post 3: Nationals, Past and Present

As I take a break from writing Without Limits team features, I havae had some time to reflect on some things, as well as talk about some experiences from some important people.

This is the first time I have ever had the opportunity to play at college nationals. As such, I remember my first time competing at Club Nationals in 2008 with Alpha Cobra Squadron. I was nervous to the point of almost being scared. I was intimidated beyond belief. Here I was, a 20 year old girl, and youngest on my team (besides Erika Baken, but she has experience to boot), going to nationals for the first time. In fact, the biggest tournament I had ever played in up until then was college or club regionials, and I thought those were HUGE deals. I remember sitting on the plane ride to Sarasota. Big tournament jitters.

After getting there, I realized, it's just like any other tournament, but the competition is stiffer....and a bigger deal, honestly. Quite frankly, the main thing that made it any different was that I was getting the opportunity to play against the best from around the country, and I hadn't seen any of them play ever before. This was a pretty cool thing to be part of, yet very scary at the same time.

What makes college nationals different from club nationals is that, in many cases, teams attending have already played against most of the teams there. I think about the teams attending that Iowa has already seen play or played against, and I can't think of a team that goes unseen by me or my teammates. I don't feel so unprepared, nor should my teammates. I can say I go in less unprepared in my first college trip, but I can't say it is any less of a big deal. In fact, to me it's bigger. I can't wait.

In the journey to nationals, I have taken some time to learn more about Saucy Nancy as a program. Learn more about how the team has grown...the journey it has taken to get Saucy back to nationals again for the first time since 2005. Unlike where I did my undergrad, this team has a ton of history....being around for over twice as long as SOL. I think this is crazy. I want the current players to feel connected to the Saucy Nancy of the past. The guest perspectives of this post are from Saucy Nancy 2005 and earlier. Players who played for this program, understand what it means to be a Saucy, and what it feels like to go to the big show. Enjoy!

       "The weekend includes a lot of long, intense, spread out games. If only two to three games a day does not sound like a lot, it will certainly feel like a lot once the day is over. Take care of your bodies throughout each day, especially with the higher altitude and drier weather than what you guys are used to. Make sure you all are eating enough during the day, with some salt intake. Nuun or other type of electrolyte tabs are great for this. Keep in mind how much work you guys have put into the season to get to you to this point. Every practice, track workout, lifting session and bonding sess should give you all the confidence to play your hardest and best vs. any opponent (no matter the school or player). Nerves are a good thing going into a weekend like this, it shows that you all want it and will be able to go out there and prove it! Confidence and positive thinking will keep you all on top all weekend! GOOD LUCK and make all of us old Saucys proud!! saucynancylove"

-Leah Borsheim, Saucy Alum 2002, Coached at Colorado Kali at 2009 College Nationals


      "I went to college nationals 3 times as well as quite a few club nationals.  They are some of my best memories so no matter what happens, try to always be having fun.  
      One thing I always loved about playing on Saucy was that we always expected to win games.  As a team, you should go into nationals very confident.  Expect to win each game (which is different than thinking you can or hoping you might) and have complete faith in your teammates.  If you find yourself down a few points, DON'T STRESS.  You probably just need to make an adjustment or two and you can get it back no problem.

       Personally, it helps me to visualize the night before games.  Picture yourself throwing the game winning throw or getting a layout d.  

       During the games, focus only on playing your heart out for that point.  You can always sub out the next point so no need to conserve anything.  I always look at the girl I'm matched up on for D and think to myself, my only job is to not let her get the disc.

       Rankings/seedings don't mean anything at nationals.  I can guarantee you that there will be upsets.  Don't think about whether teams are supposed to be good or not...just focus on your own team and winning every point.

       As Leah mentioned, nutrition is key.  You must be eating all day and drinking gatorade.  There are long breaks between games so you should have time to digest.  Bring foam rollers, ankle tape, hamstring wraps, a lacrosse ball or any other devices you might need to work out cramps or sore muscles.  no hot tubs after games until you are done.  ice baths are the way to go.

Good luck Saucy Nancy!  We'll be rooting for you!"

-Sarajo "SJ" Hill, Saucy Alum 2005 (Nationals 2003, 2004, 2005)

       "Some of you know me, most of you may not, but my name is Mackenzie and I was the captain of Saucy during the 2002-2005 college seasons.  I am still on the email list and have LOVED reading about how hard you gals have been working and have enjoyed following your success.  I want to wish you the best of luck at Nationals!  You have all worked so hard conditioning and practicing this season and should feel proud of your success and confident in your abilities.
        I miss playing with Saucy!!  Most of my best friends from college (girls and guys) came from ultimate and are still the people I keep in touch with today.  Be thankful and enjoy your time together.  You have all worked extremely hard and hopefully partied just as hard throughout the season!  When you start your first game at Nationals, look down the line and feel blessed with the teammates who are lined up beside you...then kick some boo-hiney!!  Don't be content with getting to Nationals, let every single game be an opportunity to show what you are made of.  Support each other, cheer for each other, and laugh with each other if someone bites it running down the field.  Then, at the end of the day, toast each other for leaving it all on the field.  Nationals is it.  Some of you will be back next year, some will go on and play club, and some will stick with summer league but this is the last chance that you all have to play together and I can think of no better memory for you all than a NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP!!  And you all know you can do it!!
       Everyone has an important role on the team and every single player can be the player who makes the big play.  Energy feeds off energy.  Be the catalyst.  Know that you have worked hard lifting, running, throwing, and growing together as a team all season.  Trust each other.  Trust Mickey.  Trust yourselves.  Know that you are ready to face any team who has the misfortune of falling in your path.  Do not be intimidated!!  You deserve to be there.  Of course there will oops's, don't sweat it.  Just make up for it later. 
       I'm so excited for you guys!!  There is something different in the air at Nationals.  An excitement that you will all soon be a part of.  Take a breath, take it in, then play ultimate!!  The game that brought you all together and is now a part of you forever.  Someday you'll be old, married, and have a kid (like me!) and look back at college ultimate as one heck of a fun chapter in your life!!  Have fun and live it up!"
-Mackenzie Groteluschen, Saucy Alum, 2002-2005

Guest Post #2: JMo and Robyn, Being a Grad Student

Being a Grad Student on a New Team

Saucy Nancy 2011: North Central Region Champ

Robyn: My friend Juliana (aka JMo) from Maryland bounced this idea off of me to discuss the experience of what it’s like to be a grad student playing at a new school. Both of us have had experiences playing with a growing team at a small school and then transferred to a new school to pursue graduate degrees. Walking onto a developing team with a bunch of young talent without being a captain can be a tricky balance to maintain. Here’s a little insight to my experiences this season with Saucy and Juliana’s experiences during the past two seasons with Maryland’s Helpful Corn.

 
Juliana:   For quite a few grad students, the success of the ultimate team is a factor (or at least a perk) in deciding which school to attend.  Once the decision is made, we face the challenge of integrating into a team with a different culture and potentially different goals than we have.  Figuring out how to have a meaningful season as a new grad student takes some work, so here are a few of the things we’ve learned along the way.

Coaching

Juliana: Coming from a small DIII school in the Northwest (Whitman College), I had never had a coach or won a tournament.  Although I had played 5 years of ultimate, I knew that the kind of coaching I could get at Maryland would be more personal and more intensive than I would get elsewhere.  At the club level there is far less instruction, while teammates, captains and coaches just expect you to know how to play good ultimate.  The level of feedback from a college coach is one of the major benefits of continuing to play in grad school.

JMo in action at College Nationals in '10



Robyn: I was fortunate enough to have a great coach as an undergraduate in the Central (Wisconsin-Eau Claire). We were a new team, and Pat Niles was able to give us individual help in and outside of practice, but much of it was captain driven. The captains of SOL met with Pat and planned practices, while Pat helped carry out our practice plans. It was a really cool vibe. When I decided to come to Iowa, Saucy Nancy had no coach. I had numerous conversations with my good friend and mentor, Mikey Lun, convincing him to come to Saucy (I can’t take all the credit, I just tried my best to give compelling arguments). He was looking to coach, in my opinion Saucy was the perfect candidate to embark his knowledge on. He had the right style and he wanted to make a difference. Saucy had a young player base eager to learn from someone with experience. I looked forward to letting the reigns go to someone else.

The Age Gap

Juliana: I began playing ultimate at towards the end of my sophomore year of college, but due to study abroad and injuries, didn’t play in the college series until my senior year.  After working for a couple of years, I came to the University of Maryland for grad school with two years of eligibility left.  The women’s team, Helpful Corn, had made it to nationals and then lost in the game to go to nationals the two years before I came to the school.  Needless to say, I was excited. 

This year on Helpful Corn we had no seniors and one other grad student.  As the oldest person on a team with an average age of 20, I brought experience to the team.  I knew how to teach newer players about throwing, defensive positioning, zone strategy, etc.  I did my best to set an example at practice by playing hard and maintaining focus. There were also times when I disagreed with the way drills were explained or the way our strategy was playing out.  But that feedback was best given outside of practice so that our captains were still the clear leaders of the team.  As a grad student you can help teach new players, you can give feedback without it seeming too critical: your teammates will listen to you.  However, because I wasn't a captain, I had to strike a balance between active leadership and supporting leadership.  

Me at Regionals 2011

Robyn: I too started playing during my sophomore year. Coming right into grad school after completing undergrad, I was still much older than most of my teammates. We have a million juniors on our team. Most of the team isn’t 21 yet. It’s crazy. It was weird coming to the team with being one of the oldest on the team, but not in a captain role. By the end of fall, I found my groove. I was surprised that everyone was entirely cool with the way I tried to lead... In fact, it felt like this was what my role was supposed to be all along. I mean, I’m not making any decisions or really any criticisms. I’m just trying to give more one-on-one attention. I feel like that is really what my role is: use my knowledge to help my teammates improve. For me, it took the form of one-on-one time, whether it be in practice or outside of practice. It has been fantastic. The time that I have gotten to know my teammates has been phenomenal. I feel connected to each of them personally. I really have a grasp on what they are working on and what they want to improve. I love when they get the lightbulb to go off. I mean, I am often not explaining anything new…just in a new way. I feel that being a grad student on a new team in a non-captain role, spending one-on-one time is the best thing you can do.

Once I realized that I need to own up to that leadership position, everything clicked. There is a difference between leading and controlling. I don’t need to control what goes on. But I enjoy helping others realize their potential. Spending one-on-one time with someone after practice or on the side during a drill is a great, easy way to lead without over-stepping your bounds. That way you don’t take away from the captains or coaches, but listen to what they say, and help your teammates carry out their vision for the team. It’s much easier for people to carry out an active role this way, which is crucial to success in a program like this.

Expectations

Juliana: One of the most important things to pay attention to as a new grad student is the match between your goals and those of the team.  Both Robyn and I lucked out our first years in grad school by playing on teams with the goal of going to nationals.  I wanted to push myself to play harder than I had before (even at the club level).  Thankfully Helpful Corn wanted that too.  This was a pretty major time commitment on top of my graduate studies, so if you are not prepared to put in the time, it could be a disservice to the team.

However, some grad students will find themselves on a team with less ambitious goals. While this may be a disappointment, it is possible that with your help, the team can improve to the point where the team resets its goals.  In order to get to this point though, a new grad student needs to be committed to being a part of the team (win or lose), and not just coming to practice or tournaments when you need a good workout. Earlier this spring, after Helpful Corn lost 5 players from our A-team and we finished 19th of 20 at Queen City Tune-Up, I wondered if this season would be worth the time commitment.  I couldn't leave the team though - I had made a commitment.  In the end our squad of 12 players developed amazing chemistry and took 5th place at Regionals. 

Robyn: Grad school is much more time intensive than undergrad ever was for me. In my first semester, I ended up only going to two of the team’s four tournaments. It killed me. I purposefully took a light course load during the spring (luckily all the classes I need and am most interested in taking coincided with this), anticipating taking more next year when I am out of eligibility. The more you invest in your team, the more connected you feel. The easier it becomes to take time out of your schedule to make plans with your teammates, to help them improve. It’s a great feeling, greater than I get from reading my assignments…I’ll be honest.

I came to Iowa without really taking into consideration ultimate. Which is silly, I guess. I mean I knew they had a women’s team. Everyone seemed super nice and excited to play with me in Spring 2010. Saucy had a strong regional performance in Spring 2010, finishing one spot behind my team at the time, SOL. I was super excited when I found out that the girls had been drilling in the summer…playing Mixed club…and really eager to learn. The expectations were that we were going to be a good team with making nationals as a goal.

Team Culture

Robyn: I like to think that I played a role in helping to build SOL. I was there when we barely had enough to do a drill at practice, and saw it through until I graduated when we had 25 people on the team. It was nuts. SOL played an integral role in my falling in love with the sport. They’ll always hold a special place. I have always been told that my grad school team will never be the same…from numerous friends from around the country.

I beg to differ. Saucy, has been a much different experience. I have fallen in love with this team from the first day they invited me to drill with them at the end summer 2010 when I moved to Iowa City. KP, Dre, and Timko did an amazing job making me feel like part of the team from day one. They provided so much support while I was recovering from knee surgery. I’ve spent so much time lifting, doing pool workouts, throwing, practicing…it’s nuts. I’ve fallen in love with every single girl on this team. In preparation for nationals, I'm learning all about the team history. Saucy's last national's appearance was in 2005. I'm friends with some Saucy alum and they are really helping me to connect between Saucy alums and current players.

Maryland Helpful Corn 2011

Juliana: On any new team, you will find a new culture and way of interacting with your teammates.  Since most women's players learn ultimate in college, your undergrad team will always have a special place in your heart (Shout out to the Sweets: Whitman men just made it to Nationals!). 

Switching allegiances and being an integral part of your new team will take time to adjust.  Learning the team history, being a part of the cheers, hanging out with your teammates outside of practice are all so important for making a meaningful season.  For example, people always ask why our team is named Helpful Corn.  I love being able to explain with pride that it is a reference to an episode from Season 1 of Daria, and so what if you haven't seen the show or you think the name is silly, we are Helpful Corn and I wouldn’t have it any other way. We are Helpful, we are Golden, we are UMDFU.  Helping my teammates grow and watching the improvement of girls who just discovered the sport is as fulfilling as being a coach, except I get to play.  What more could you want?

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.

Centex Danceoff: Thoughts from the Fire Baton Girl

I’m excited to offer the world a fresh voice in this guest blog post. Many of you may not recognize her on the field, but I am positive you remember her as the “Fire Baton Girl” from the Iowa Centex Dance. Chelsea Russell is not only a Division1 College athlete and the Golden Girl (aka Feature Baton Twirler) at the University of Iowa, but someone, who like many of us, leads a double life. Everyone at Iowa knows her, but everyone else, meet Chelsea Russell: Saucy Nancy ultimate player and seven-time World Champion athlete.

Chelsea performing at a Hawkeye football game

For 18 years of my life I spent nearly every Saturday competing across the country in a little known sport that has trouble garnering respect from the general public. Sound familiar? Competitive baton twirling has been fighting to earn recognition as a true, viable sport since the 1940’s. Despite the fact that I was only introduced to ultimate a few short years ago, I’ve known what it’s like to participate in a semi-cult-like, yet decidedly awesome sport since the age of three. The transition from baton to ultimate was an odd one – most people assumed my ability to catch a baton under my leg or without looking would help my performance on the field. I found out pretty quickly that wasn’t the case. Any member of Saucy will back me up when I say my first practice as a cutter wasn’t exactly graceful. In fact, I’m still working out my growing pains when it comes to ultimate. So imagine my surprise and delight when I first learned of the dance competition at Centex – when Robyn first sent me the video of SOL’s winning routine from 2010, I was immediately psyched to get started working with Saucy on a dance of our own.



At first, I could tell the majority of our team was a little wary of getting their groove on in front of a large crowd. Approximately two people showed up to our first meeting – myself and one of our fearless captains, Andrea Uhl. I think most of those two hours were spent playing Just Dance 2 and trying to figure out how we were going to convince the other 26 members of our team to get involved. But eventually we decided on the ridiculous disco anthem “Rasputin” as our song and things started falling into place. And by falling into place I mean, of course, an impromptu dance lesson with five of my teammates the night before we left for Centex and an hour long “dress rehearsal” in our hotel’s parking lot after we all arrived in Austin (procrastination is for winners, in case you aren’t aware). For weeks Dre and I had been trying to wrangle Saucy into figuring out our dance, but because our season had been going so well it was obvious our minds were more focused on strategy and, you know, actual ultimate practice. After the 18 hour ride to Austin, it was even clearer how much our team really didn’t feel like putting this thing together.

Chelsea showing off her move between games last spring



Yet, fifteen minutes after I started 5-6-7-8-ing the girls into place, everything seemed to change. Saucy Nancy is generally a giggly team, but girls were literally cracking up as they hip thrusted, Bernied, and attempted to stick their hips out at the proper angles. Getting to watch Katie “Rage Kage” Johnson sky a girl with her absurd vertical is outrageous, but getting to watch her awkwardly shake her booty?  That’s fricking hilarious. I’ve been choreographing both dance and baton since I was 15, but I don’t think I’ve ever had so much fun putting a routine together as I did in that bug-ridden parking lot.

Excelling at a sport is both physically and mentally taxing. Before long the pressure of having to consistently perform to the best of your ability will get in your head – no matter how much mental toughness you happen to have. The weeks leading up to Centex were filled with plenty of injuries, bouts of the flu, and just plain exhaustion for starters and rookies alike. Yeah, we had an insanely tough tournament we had to focus on – but everyone needs a break. What better way to take our minds off the daunting task at hand than a chance to rock shiny spandex leggings and make complete asses of ourselves?!

There’s been some talk of whether the Centex dance off is beneficial to women’s ultimate. Do I personally think it’s a great addition to our sport? Hell yeah. Here’s my reasoning: it’s not often every single member of a team gets the same amount of play time at any given tournament. The dance competition creates an opportunity for each player to participate equally, unifying teams in a way normal play can’t. I cannot express the sense of camaraderie I felt within my team while people were screaming and cheering during our performance. Not only that, but I was having so much FUN while doing it – and every member of Saucy expressed the same sentiment after we were finished. For those few hours during the dance competition, our team was stress-free. There’s something to be said for stepping back from the intense nature of competition, taking the time to do something extraneous, and straight up enjoying yourself.


Featured photo from TWIRL Magazine. Showing off her fire skills.

In response to those that claim participating in a dance off takes away from the integrity of women’s ultimate…I’m going to go ahead and say I think that’s completely ridiculous. The open division doesn’t have a dance competition, but maybe they should. Just because the women are brave enough to throw down their sickest dance moves while wearing some fabulous costumes doesn’t mean we don’t still play hard (sometimes harder than the guys, have you ever seen Chelsea Twohig’s game face?). Dancing doesn’t degrade us to the level of stereotypical “girls,” prancing around and flaunting our assets. Sure, some serious ass shaking and other various suggestive moves (ie: Backpack Girl and her Kansas cronies) occurred on Saturday night. But that’s part of the fun – the dance competition goes to show we can be sexy AND hardcore ultimate players at the same time. Every single woman I saw participating in the dance competition on Saturday was a certified BAMF – they love their team, they love their sport, and it was pretty apparent they loved dancing, too.

One major part of my life involves wearing pounds of rhinestones, a fairly ridiculous amount of make-up, and smiling throughout my routines. Another includes weather at its most extreme, slightly obscene team cheers, and at times more than a bit of mud (understatement of the year). Both encompass countless (and oftentimes badass) injuries, dedication, and most importantly the experience of sharing something with an incredibly unique and diverse community of people who have an unparalleled love for what they do. So I might not shine on Saucy Nancy the way I’ve been fortunate enough to in baton twirling. But this past Saturday night I got to contribute something more to my team than just my (obnoxiously loud) voice from the sidelines, and I know a lot of the rookies felt the same way. Doing our Centex dance, no matter how ramshackle or last minute it may have been, was something we did completely, entirely TOGETHER – and that’s something that can’t be replaced.

Check out some of Chelsea's moves on these vids. She's talented and Saucy could not be more proud of her individual achievements outside of ultimate. She's a selfless teammate and wonderful person, as well as a talented twirler. Thanks for this post Chelsea!! :-)

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OlbjldBGys8&playnext=1&list=PL2DFB478FEA4BAD7B
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZMvGVp4sCjg