Striking a Balance

As of late, I have been doing a great deal of reading in the prep basketball scene in my home state, Wisconsin. There has been a lot of really great coverage on some smaller teams. I think my favorite article has been this one.

It talks about Jerry Petitgoue, the Boys Basketball coach at a small school in Southwestern Wisconsin. Most of you who do not drive through that part of the state as often as I do, probably have never heard of Cuba City, Wisconsin. Its school boasts an enrollment of 271 students.

Petitgoue, originally from Dubuque, Iowa, had a love for the game but lacked the skill to play at a higher level in college. He learned as much as he could and secured his first coaching gig in Gratiot, Wisconsin.

I see a lot of parallels between Petitgoue's story and college ultimate. This man has created a ton of excitement around basketball in this tiny town--but enough interest that people from all the surrounding towns flock to watch his boys basketball team near the top of the Division IV rankings every year. Kids from all around the state attend the basketball camps he runs in the summer.

As I pack to head to Midwest Throwdown, I can't help but think of how we are paralleling the same story. Throwdown started its Roundup Division and a small "Division 1" a few years ago. Now, it has balloonned into boasting a couple hundred participants and a huge skills clinic. Michelle Ng, with the support of many others, has done miraculous things to create this atmosphere of excitement. The hard part was engaging the community. But once she built it: we all came.

The article describes his leadership style as a balance between cheerleader and disciplinariaon, always "striking the right balance to maximize his players' efforts." Isn't that what we try to do as captains and coaches. Being successful is about striking a balance. We see the best coaches and captains as able to attain that balance, and maintain it throughout the season. They are able to get everything they can out of their players, and seem to do it effortlessly.

The article also goes on to discuss how he has adjusted his game plans over the years to play to the strengths of his players. Division 3 and smaller school leaders: Take a close read at this. Having to fight the good fight and determine what was successful. Cuba City competes at the Division IV level in the state of Wisconsin: the division for the smallest of the small in terms of enrollment. There are some schools at the D4 level that have as few as 53 students. Talk about a small talent pool to draw from.

I often hear the best players at smaller schools talk about leaving their schools to go to a big school powerhouse. I think that Petitgoue has some great insight into that:

Petitgoue says he has been tempted to leave Cuba City just
once. In 1997, he received an offer to coach at his alma mater, the University
of Dubuque. The team had won just once in the past 50 games, but Petitgoue's
son, Ryan, also was a player on the team.

Petitgoue turned down the offer.

"People always say the grass is greener on the other side until
you get there and you find out it's burnt out, too," Petitgoue says. "I always
felt we had something special here. I felt I was made to be a high school
basketball coach and probably not a college coach."

Even when it gets hard to fight the good fight. Keep doing it. You were made to lead and you were made to pioneer the way for others at your school to be excited about ultimate.

If you're at Throwdown, come say hey. And give Michelle a huge thanks.

Sedusa (The Story of Saucy B)

As the B-teamers are busy creating a team identity, I am constantly reminded why I got involved with ultimate in the first place. The excitement centered on creating a team identity is an experience that goes unrivaled. Laying the foundation for a team, and a program, requires hard work, dedication, and most of all stamina. Part of that stamina is the frustrations of learning a new sport (we have three brand new players, who I think are hooked already), maneuvering a first college ultimate season (we have nine first year players), and pushing yourself to develop (we have two returners). All three of these things, all separate, yet inexplicably connected.

I am excited to work with this team and help them to realize their potential. Most important, I'm excited to be around this synergy and enthusiasm. I love it.

So ladies, the jerseys, logos, disc designs...they are all looking awesome. Keep 'em coming.

Pre-Valentines Love Fest: An Ode to the Other Things I Love

I will be honest. My body was in horrible condition by the end of Club Nationals. After not really taking enough time to recover from surgery last winter, transitioning from college to club without breaking stride, and playing ultimate 4-5 days per week all summer, I was in need of a serious break. In fact, Dave reminded me that I had taken my first break lasting more than a week or two since the age of 15 this year. For the record, I was 15 at the time of my first knee surgery, which was the most major of the three. Even then, I only took 3 months off, and was given the go-ahead to return to basketball 3 months post-surgery, which, for those of you who don't know, is a very quick recovery time.

Even though I am far from old, my body is no longer as resilient as it once was at the age of 15. So, after much encouragement and support, I took nearly two and a half full months off from physical activity. It killed me mentally. But honestly, now that I'm getting back in the swing of things, I feel incredible.

I jokingly called Dave this week after lifting to tell him the good news: I was back in the plate club (aka I have 45 lb plates on my squat rack). That is a huge accomplishment given where I was at the beginning of November. I went from not being able to walk up a single flight of stairs or even sit at a desk for more than an hour at a time because my knees were hurting so badly, to lifting a respectable (but not impressive) amount of weight.

I will also admit: I was going through the motions last fall. Yes, I still enjoyed playing ultimate, but it started to take the back burner to my academic, professional, and personal interests. My family, my boyfriend, my budding planning career, my passion for researching hazard mitigation, all of these things are more important than ultimate. I will be the first to admit it. Honestly, it still does. And guess what? It's okay. I'm okay with that.

It took an attitude shift in order for me to find my passion. Ultimate is NOT what drives me to get out of bed in the morning. It's not the only thing I have going. I shouldn't pretend that it is. Having other passions, like flood mitigation and planning and love for people, are okay (in fact, the pursuit of other passions, is well, encouraged). I feel like I'm living a full life and can share many passions with more people.

This outlook has actually re-invigorated my ability to teach the game and write about ultimate for Skyd.

In this realization, I was reminded just how much I love lifting, how much I love training, and how much I love ultimate....along with all those other things too.

Expectations: Setting the Bar High

It is often ironic how other aspects of my life encourage me to reflect on my experiences with ultimate.

I spoke at the Midwest Captaining Clinic in Grinnell, Iowa a few weeks back about the importance of establishing team buy-in for goals your team wants to attain at the team's pre-season meeting. This step is essential in creating support for what expectations and goals are.

Currently, I am part of a wonderful student project in my planning program at Iowa, where we are mapping renewable energy capacity at the urban scale (4x4 meter resolution), calculating return on investment (optimizing across three technologies: solar, wind, and ground source heat pumping) and performing policy analysis for Dubuque, Iowa. There have been many questions as to why our group is so successful in this project throughout the year, thus far, especially since we combine a wide variety of individuals with various skill sets and expertise that don't necessarily directly relate to "renewable energy mapping and policy."

I would credit our success to the ability to clearly define the expectations of our project on DAY 1. When we met in Dubuque in August, we brought the goal of putting forth high quality work, worthy of presenting at the National Planning Conference in Los Angeles this spring (the premier planning conference in the world). We wanted to publish an article in a highly regarded scholarly-reviewed journal. This is the equivalent to making finals at college nationals in the planning realm.

With that goal in mind and having full group buy-in to this particular goal, a lofty one, but attainable, the expectations became high from the beginning. People question as to whether or not our faculty advisor is actually performing our work. Clearly, he doesn't have the time aside from his own teaching and research to do our project too. But he sets us up by helping us find the tools to succeed. Pointing us in the direction of software tools and ideas for data, but not actually attaining any of the data, mapping anything, or performing analysis. Leadership is important, but having everyone buy-in to our expectations, we are able to make the most out of the leadership tools he provides. We by no means have the personnel who are the best at all the aspects of the project, but work together playing to our strengths, with the goal of producing something worthy of our expectations. This propels us to some incredibly impressive results.

I'll illustrate this with a comparison to Flywheel's phenomenal post-season run at the 2011 College Championships.


By no means did Flywheel dominate the competition all year round. They did not have the most talented players in the college game. They had capable players with a lot of talent, but I would say that personnel wise, Oregon should have outmatched them in the semis (having played both teams last season, that is my opinion, anyways). Flywheel had great leadership who gave their players the best opportunities to work towards their goal of winning nationals, but their leadership did not WIN the semi-final game for them alone. One thing that their captains were vocal about, was that the expectations were high from day one, and they had total team buy in to work hard to achieve that goal. Everyone contributed the effort and time to produce the results that they wanted. Yes, they had talented players...but it was their ability to learn their strengths and play to those strengths that they prevailed last season. They had a plan and the committed to it, wholeheartedly, and believed they could achieve it.

We saw it in other teams like Colorado College. I think we'll see it out of teams this season (Sonoma State and Central Florida are two that stick out right now).

It's not to say that every team or group can set these expectations and meet them. But if you have the personnel capabilities and leadership who can establish buy in to high expectations that accompany the skills, a commitment throughout the ENTIRE project/season, and a willingness to see it through, big things can happen.

Expectations and goals have to be REALISTIC. They were realistic for Michigan and Colorado College last season. They committed and achieved goals. Regardless of whether or not YOU THINK they should have been there, they were. It doesn't matter why or how they got there, they did. They were able to put their money where their mouths were, and you weren't. It doesn't matter if you beat them earlier in the season, because they won when it mattered and you didn't. Haters are going to hate, always, in no matter what you do.

You have two options: let it get to you, or keep doing what you're doing. It's hard to completely be ignorant to what they're saying. It's okay to know what they are saying, but it shouldn't get you down. It should motivate you to work hard and achieve your goals and raise your expectations. They're talking because they are jealous of your success. Give them something to keep talking about.

I'm hoping that 2k12 will bring just as much upset and success stories as last season did. Keep giving us something to be excited about, because your successes inspire others to step up their game. It gives them hope that they can set their expectations high (but realistic), and have the opportunity to achieve their goals if they fully commit.

Good luck.

Remembering My First Bout With Blogging

Here is a throwback for you.

My first blog entry. It wasn't even for myself. I got an e-mail from Franklin Rho, former coach of the USC Hellions of Troy. He asked me about what what I thought about the UPA restructuring of College Ultimate. Shockingly, my opinions have not changed a whole lot.

It is funny, however. When I re-read this, I now understand how my writing improves when I write for someone else. I really should practice sound writing habits in a non-academic arena again soon:
http://lovehateultimate.blogspot.com/2010/03/restructuring-and-future-of-sport.html

I was such a put together undergrad in 2010.

Forgetting Your Roots

People forget their roots, the place from which they came.

This extends to all aspects of life. But as you continue to grow in the ultimate world, I hope you remember the first people who showed that interest in bringing you into the ultimate community. Remember the passion you had for learning the game and creating a sense of place.

After all of your reminiscing and memories, take time to thank those people for their time, energy, love, and support.

The B-Team Diaries

TWO THINGS:
1) I'll be getting active again in the blogging and writing spheres for the ultimate frisbee world. I look forward to working with Maya Ziv (who seems really awesome!) on expanding college women's division coverage. Additionally, I'm starting a bi-weekly-ish column focusing on development. If you or anyone you know has an interesting, compelling story about overcoming some sort of challenges (whether they are financial, facilities-related, recruiting, developing skills, improving, training, etc), please contact me. (robyn.fennig@gmail.com)

2) I will be honest with all of you. I have been wrestling with a difficult decision.

I was a little hesitant when I was asked to help coach a B team for the Saucy Nancy program at the University of Iowa. Not because it's not what I want to do, because, quite honestly, I have always wanted to coach a B team. I was hesitant just knowing what I would want to do as a coach, and wondering if I'll have time to do it.

Luckily, I have some wonderful co-coaches on board and ready to contribute to making this B team not only happen, but be successful. I'm also extremely excited to be able to have three coaches, meaning that one-on-one time is maximized.

I'm really excited to share the process of this with you wonderful readers. I think that's the turn my blog will likely take during this season.

Goal Setting

Here's an e-mail I sent to the Saucy Nancy 2011-2012 team. As rookies and veterans alike are working hard this fall to earn a spot on Saucy Nancy, they are starting to prioritize what they want to get out of the game, what they want to improve on. As I take a brief break from my obscene amount of paper writing in preparation for Club Nationals next week, I though I'd share it with all of you. Goal setting is important. Goal setting is what drove me as a player.

If you want Nationals 2K12, it starts TODAY. I can tell you something. I know for a fact that other teams are doing sprints, lifting, and practicing more days per week than we are. (I make it a point to know how hard my opponents are working so I can work harder. So I can want it more).

 

What is Saucy doing?

 

As people start thinking about skills they want to work on, I'm more than happy to help you out too. I may not be able to make many practices to help coach this semester, but it doesn't mean I don't care. I want this team to succeed. It starts by achieving individual goals.

 

I know a thing or two about setting individual goals. I have been playing ultimate for 4.5 years. My throws did NOT happen overnight. But rather, they were a result of specific goal setting techniques that Lou Abramowski helped me develop.

 

--You start with your end goal. "I want a good flick huck, even in the wind."

--You then, break it into mini-goals.

--Finally, break those mini-goals into tangible process goals that I can keep myself accountable to:

 

Goal: Be able to have a good flick huck, even in the wind.

Mini-goal 1) Get stronger

-Process goal 1: Work with my coaches to make a lifting program

-Process goal 2: Stick to my lifting program, complete it 3x per week.

-Process goal 3: Eat healthy

-Process goal 4: Get at least 7 hours of sleep every night

Mini-goal 2) More consistency

-Process goal 1: Throw 50 (or more) flick hucks per day

-Process goal 2: Throw 25 (or more) IO mid-range flick throws.

Mini-goal 3) More distance

-Process goal 1: Work on developing proper footwork to use momentum.

-Process goal 2: Throw 25 (or more) flick hucks per day with this footwork

-Process goal 2: Throw 25 (or more) flick hucks from a stand-still, as far as I can.

-Process goal 4: Do the grip/wrist exercise homework Mikey assigned at No Wisco.

 

With this goal scheme, I am only throwing 50 flick hucks per day (25 from standstill, 25 with footwork), and an additional 25 IO mid-range flicks (total of 75 throws), which takes me ~10-15 minutes when I'm business and concentrating 100%. I would leave an additional 25 backhands to keep me on my game there, for an even 100 throws per day.

 

You can do this for any aspect of the games. Improving defense. Improving short or mid-range throws. In order to develop a huck (25+ yards), you have to have consistent mid-range throws (15-20 yards). In order to develop mid-range throws, you have to have consistent short-range throws (5-10 yards). Consistency = hitting my receiver at least 90% of the time (Inside-out, outside-in, and flat).

 

It all happens somewhere. It starts within. It starts from motivating each other. It starts with wanting to get better at ultimate.

Leaders Are (or the revival of my blog)

For the past three months, I have been fortunate enough to have had a phenomenal internship doing hazard mitigation planning for the State of Wisconsin in Wisconsin Emergency Management (Department of Military Affairs). Today, our newly appointed WEM administrator held his “orientation” for all of the WEM employees. I sat in this presentation thinking, “Wow, this stuff applies to ultimate way too much.” He was talking about leadership.

He was talking about the equalities I want my team leader to possess on and off the field.

This entry is the “revival” of my blog.

Leaders are….

There was a slide in his presentation that I wrote down everything off of it. Eagerly. It fit too well to let this opportunity pass.

Leaders are motivators.

Leaders are imaginative.

Leaders are able to see the “big picture.”

Leaders think critically.

Leaders create relationships.

Leaders know when to act.

Leaders are agile, flexible, adaptable.

Leaders are motivators.

This is so true. Many times, it’s the team leadership that is able to get teammates excited to contribute to the whole. Leaders make people WANT to come to 6 am workouts, or perform an extra sprint workout to the best of their ability. Leaders inspire their teammates to go the extra mile to succeed.

Leaders are imaginative.

Leaders should be creative to come up with new ways to accomplish the same goals. They aren’t afraid to try something new. They “think outside the box.” They come up with new plans. They come up with different ways to get their teammates on board.

Leaders see the “big picture.”
They never lose sight of the final goal or vision for the season. They assess if progress is being made to reach that big picture goal, and can re-evaluate objectives to get there.

Leaders think critically.

Self explanatory. Without critical thinking, a leader, and their team will fail.

Leaders create relationships.

If you’re like me, you’ve been part of teams where you have a teammate who you do not get along with. They pit teammates against other teammates (sometimes themselves) in stupid battles that ruin team camaraderie, making your team function much like a broken machine with major operator error. Promoting the formation and maintaining of antagonistic relationships is the fastest way to train wreck. The leader, who can get people to put that B.S. aside and willingly work together and support one another (heck, at least tolerate each other), is a leader of a successful team on AND off the field, which is the ultimate goal.

Leaders know when to act.

Sometimes as leaders, we get caught up with attaining perfection, that we forget to do what we said we would do. Talk is cheap. It can serve as a motivator, or even a guise to get people to follow you…temporarily. But that’s all it is: talk. Until you actually DO something, your followers will drop like flies, and no one will buy into the team.

Leaders are agile, adaptable, flexible.

We don’t know what is going to happen on the field come game time. We don’t know who will actually be on the line, we don’t know who is going to have an off day, or who is going to play well. We don’t know what the other team will throw at us. We can’t even accurately predict the weather. The degree of uncertainty in sports is crazy high. Sometimes there is no way to anticipate what comes next. But a leader who can change strategy, personnel, or adapt on the fly, is someone whose team is successful.

What are your thoughts?

What do you want to see in your team leadership?

What things do you that are successful to be a leader on your team?

2011 College Championships: What it Meant to Me

(Note: You'll also find this on the Without Limits Media blog. http://www.withoutlimitsultimate.blogspot.com/)

The 2011 College Championships have come and gone. I'm back in Madison, working my internship. Heck, I've even started playing Summer League already. I've been doing nothing but reflecting about what my journey through college ultimate has meant, particularly the 2010-2011 season with Iowa.

SOL takes 3rd in the Central in 2010. There were 2 bids.

I started playing in spring 2007. Looking for something to fill the void that college softball left when my numbered days as a catcher ended, I chose ultimate after experiencing an indoor 6 am practice with 8 players at Wisconsin-Eau Claire. At Eau Claire, I have experienced, with my teammates, the heartbreak of 4 consecutive losses in the backdoor bracket: once in backdoor semis in 2007, and three times in backdoor finals in 2008, 2009, 2010. We were SO close every single year. Literally, as close as you can be without ever going.

There are countless talented players and talented teams that fall short of their goal to qualify every season. I relate to the experience of continuing to fall short year-in and year-out. I was certain that I'd never get the shot to compete with top teams at the College Championships. Robyn, face the reality: It's just not in the cards for a vast majority of the over 12,000 college ultimate players who compete in our sport. It's just not in the cards for me.

When I decided which graduate school I would attend in Fall 2010, I chose the University of Iowa, not for its strong tradition in ultimate like many of the grad students I see in the game, but for the Urban and Regional Planning program and educational/professional opportunities the school offered. The fact that there was a women's team was a plus and the fact that they finished in the top 4 of Regionals in 2010 was an even bigger plus. What I did not know was that I was walking onto the most talented college ultimate team I was given the opportunity to play in the brief 4.5 years of my "ultimate career."

Saucy busting off the line on D at the 2011 College Championships

This team worked harder than any ultimate team I had ever been part of, club or college. Every single player lifted, ran sprints, and pushed themselves harder than they ever had. Some of us overcame the physical and psychological challenges posed by knee surgeries, broken bones, stress fractures, months of extreme back pain, pulled quads, knee injuries, and severe ankle injuries to contribute to the team's success. More players made immense progress in their skill sets and physical abilities than I have ever seen before in just one short year. We had gone throughout the regular season kicking butt throughout the country. Winning Midwest Throwdown. Winning Easterns. Taking 4th at Centex.

Throughout the season, I felt the weight of the challenge to make it to nationals fall heavily on my shoulders. I'm not entirely sure why. The group of girls was extremely talented and hungry for improvement and success. My big fear is failure. I did not want to see my teammates fail. It wasn't really a problem until we got to the post season and the challenges increased with difficulty and consequences were harsher for failing.

The pressure mounted. Up until this point, our team had lived the Cinderella season. We hit a road bump at the West North Central Conference Championships. After playing extremely well in the 45+mph winds at Northern Iowa (imagine the Open Finals in Boulder, but it was 30 degrees and wet outside), our field chemistry was lost on Sunday without the wind. We struggled to play man-to-man offense. We looked gassed and nothing was working. We dropped a game to a talented Iowa State team. All of a sudden, everyone was questioning our legitimacy as a team. I felt like it was my fault. I felt the need to defend my teammates and our team.

We didn't defend it with our words (well, sometimes we did). We stepped up with our play: our actions on and off the field. We bounced back, winning decisively in the 2nd place game and headed into Regionals with the attitude that we controlled our destiny. We would not let anyone take our goal of getting Saucy Nancy back to the big show for the first time since 2005. Not a team could stand in our way. We overcame so many obstacles. We won the "pool of death" featuring both Wisconsin and Carleton (the teams with the most appearances at Nationals in our region). Breaking for a win in Regional Semis despite the elements and talented players in our way, sealing a bid to the College Championships was a dream come true. Looking around me seeing my teammates crying out of pure happiness. We had accomplished our goal. We had qualified for Nationals. We captured the 5th seed out of a talented pool of teams represented in the field of competition.

Saucy Nancy huddle at the 2011 College Championships

I'll be honest. Up until this point, I had been slightly disappointed. In my mind, I was absolutely convinced that our team was a semis team. Not reaching semis was devastatingly bittersweet to say the least. Writing this has been extremely cathartic. It has helped me to understand just how immense of an accomplishment the Saucy Nancy season has been. We proved that it doesn't matter how low your team or program goes, you can get the greatness back with some good old fashioned hard work and drive. I feel a sense of pride in myself and in my teammates for getting to Nationals and performing well. We accomplished the goal we set. It paid off.

Mikey Lun, my coach and friend, once told me that I'm a player who plays the odds, and that the dice just seem to fall in my favor. I'm not entirely sure what he meant by that statement, but I have my interpretation. I played this season like I do Blackjack (I like Blackjack because it's a simple game that I can understand...and when I play it in a casino, I feel like I have a chance to win). I sit down at the table, make my minimum bet and win a few hands before I start betting more. On the field, I choose my battles when the odds were with me, and I played them right most of the time. I tend to be a high risk/high reward player when the stakes are high and the rewards even higher. Sometimes, I don't even know how I come out with the disc when I'm out of position or complete a huck that should never have worked. Sometimes, I think "how in the world did we score that?!" But here's the secret to playing the odds in ultimate: believing in your teammates to beat the odds with you.

Saucy practicing in Boulder. Mountain backdrop. Sick.

This season, my teammates did beat the odds. Hucking upwind with a 20 mph wind to a receiver in double coverage sounds crazy. But when that receiver is Katie Johnson, the 5% decision, becomes an 80% decision if I can get the disc flat. Taking away an around on D on a team's best handler, giving her the huck down field becomes harder to complete when Audrey Erickson is on the downfield cutter and about to sky her. Placing the disc right on the line is okay, because I know Liza Minor is going to toe the line and make the play anyways. Putting a huck way in front of speedy little Jojo Peterson will probably get completed, even if she's covered by a team's best defender expecting to "pwn" on our noob (news flash: our rookies ARE good).

You have to trust your teammates to beat the odds too. You can't beat the odds by yourself (unless you're really good at throwing to yourself...and in that case, you should probably be playing disc hoops anyways). This team showed me how to believe in everyone  the same way I believe in myself. This team beat the odds by working hard to give every advantage possible. A percentage or two or ten in our favor allowed us to play and beat the odds all season long.



Me with my sisters at 2011 Nationals.

So, what did the 2011 College Championships mean to me? Spending hours spray painting neon colored shirts for my teammates at my garage in Muskego and getting a little dizzy in the process. Freaking out about how I'm going to get 20 t-shirts and like 40 long sleeve jerseys to my teammates in Boulder (those TSA workers better not TOUCH them).

Me with my mom at College Nationals in 2011.

Nationals meant sending a lone Saucy on her Geology Field Camp trip in Montana her Nationals Jersey and a spray paint t-shirt, trying to tell her how much I would miss her smile and wonderful attitude in Boulder while she was hundreds of miles away. Being re-united with my teammates after their brutally long car-trip to Boulder with hugs and smiles (driving through Nebraska is the worst). Spray painting about 60 Saucy tats on my 21 teammates.



Dave takes home the silver in '11.

Nationals was playing a showcase game vs. Stanford...while two of my best friends announced the game (sorry I only sported the Jeadband for a few points). Watching ultimate and learning more strategy and things to bring back with me. Seeing people that I love and respect cheer on me and my teammates on the sidelines. Making it to quarter finals, and putting up the final fight in a game that the other team thought they had already won. Throwing a forehand huck with the mountains serving as the backdrop. Celebrating one last time with my teammates. Not having a voice 5 days after the tournament is done. Cheering my boyfriend and his team onto a 2nd place finish in the Open Division. Hugging my teammates and not wanting to let go.

Most important: sharing the game that I love with my closest friends and family, one last time as a college ultimate player. This experience is unmatched by any that I have had in the college women's game.

I recently filled out a tryout form for a women's club team. It asked me to include my "ultimate resume." Yeah. I can say "I was part of a top team in the Central Region for 5 consecutive College seasons." or "I made all-region in x,y,z years." or "Team finished 5th at 2011 College Championship" or even "helped to build a new successful college women's program at a small school." Who cares about that stuff. I already know it. Chances are my potential employer (or in this case, potential captains/coaches) already know it too.

I was always told that my resume was supposed to be short, to the point, using active voice to describe my strengths and experiences I bring to my potential employer. My cover letter is supposed to highlight the specifics that the resume can't speak to. The intangibles, if you will.

The most important intangible that allows me to keep beating the odds: the fact that I know my teammates like I know myself. Being a good teammate, working with them in and out of practice, helping them improve, supporting them at Dance Marathon, making them dinner, bringing them coffee before an exam when they are so tired. Holding yourself accountable to the same standards you hold your teammates. That huge list of things I listed, specifically about my experience at nationals this year, and taking the time to appreciate them.

After 2011, I know what my "ultimate cover letter" will detail: all the intangibles that help me beat the odds. After all, it's these intangibles that I finally realize only after the 2011 season and the College Championships that define me as a player and my college ultimate experience.

Indefinite free time. No more college ultimate. But I'll always remember these girls.

Quarter Finals: I'll Always Love Free Time

(I apologize. This is straight up stream-of-thought writing...)

It's Sunday May 29, 2010. It's 4:30 am. I can't sleep. Why?

It's quarterfinals.

I'm reflecting on this season and the seasons of my college past. The trip to where I am. And as the rest of my teammates sleep, dreaming of layout D's and making plays, I'm scouting and planning match-ups.

Up until the 2011 season, I was 0-3 in backdoor finals games. Nationals was always outside my reach. It didn't matter if I had neon pink hair, or how many D's I got, or how many handblocks my teammates got, or if it was horizontal sleet raining, or there was 2 inches of mud. I always tried my hardest, and I know that I left it all out on the field.

As I left the fields last night, hand in hand with Dave, I finally realized how far I've come. Personally and with this team. How much I've grown. If you would have asked me, "Robyn, do you think you'll be ready to play a bunch of points in Colorado at Nationals" back in December, I would have laughed. I approached this season as if knee surgery didn't set me back. That I didn't miss a beat.

My teammates. They're playing "balls-to-the-walls" D, and calm, collected O. We can do this.

We can do this.

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?

Getting Pumped Up: Saucy 2011 Highlights, Reflections

For all of you directed here from the Without Limits Blogroll...sorry I've been dominating that lately. I have to get thoughts out there prior to Regionals. It is what it is: I'm an active blogger. Look forward to some guest posts in the upcoming week or two.

Sedg Dad (Gordon) hard at work.

First and foremost, I wanted to take the time to publically thank Gordon and Chris "Sedg" Sedgwick for everything that they have done for our team this season. They have been wonderful supporters of our team throughout the season. They have been traveling around with us. Chris, a former IHUC stud, and his Dad, Gordon, are kind caring individuals. Our team would be lacking our chemistry without these two valuable components of the whole. Thank god I have Gordon and Chris Sedgwick to help me get through this week. Without them, I'd have to imagine our games from the season all by myself. But, they've been putting together highlight videos of our team from Easterns and Centex. I'm watching film that features both highlights and lowlights from the season. It is making me visualize every piece of the game I want to see happen this weekend. Without further adieu, here is the culmination to this point:
http://www.vimeo.com/22674618

The above link is a highlight video is of Saucy REMIXED at Centex. Catching the highlights, there are so many contributors on the team. So much depth. I can't say enough how excited I am. Gordon's Vimeo Page has links to all of our games from Easterns (parts 1 and 2 are posted, which feature games through semi-finals) and Centex (all games are posted individually). Feel free to check them out! [SIDENOTE: All the Centex vids feature remixes from IHUC's on PharmDJ (Alex V)...you might remember him from the 2010 College Nationals Party.]

My focus for the weekend:
My regional previews and seeding musings have been posted in the appropriate locations. Look for a North Central Women's preview on USAU Site. It's up. Too bad I submitted before the whole bid thing got worked out. Whoops. My bad.

My pump up song setting the tone for my last college ultimate season has been "I Made It (Cash Money Heroes)" by  Kevin Rudolf, Birdman, Jay Sean and Lil Wayne. It's set the tone to the way I approached this season. The past four years of college ultimate have built up to this season, this moment. We control our destiny this weekend, Saucy. I'm thankful.

Happiness in the game.

Jojo, Liza, and Bekah, mid hug celebration. Loving life

In all the post season battles, sometimes the mental ones are the most challenging and taxing on the individual. It can be understandable for a player to forget the most important reason to play the game; however, it is even more important to take time to remember. We play this game because it makes us happy. We play this game because it is fun.

When the fun is gone, we are left with very little meaning. Love the people you play with. Love the sport you play with them. Love the feeling of a flick huck coming off of a strike cut to a wide open teammate. Love the feeling of that layout D, moments before you get it. Love the fact that you just dedicated your life fully to a team for the past year or x number of years, and it's finally working: it's finally falling into place.

Now's where you make the hard work and dedication all pay off. All that means nothing if you don't love what you do.

Mikey Lun: Undeniably the COTY in the Women's North Central. 2011.

http://boards.usaultimate.org/showthread.php?655-COTY-Nominations-North-Central-Women-s

If this resonates with you in any way, shape or form, please go and reply to my thread on the USAU discussion board. I can't think of a more deserving coach in the entire country.






Mikey Lun. The man. The legend. My coach.



I want to take the opportunity to nominate my coach for the 2011-2012 college season for COTY: The University of Iowa’s Mikey Lun.

Mikey is a standout player in his own right. He has played in national championships, world championships, and all sorts of tournaments and excelling at the sport. But this is not what necessarily makes a great coach. Mikey is able to take his experiences, his perspectives, his passion, and apply them to THIS team, pushing us to improve every single day.

In summer 2010, Mikey and I discussed the prospects of him coming to coach for Saucy. At that point, I had yet to actually play on the team. I only remember what I knew about Saucy from playing them a few times during the 2010 College Series. Saucy was a young team with a tremendous amount of raw talent. Players like Megan Greenwood had done fantastic things for the team and for the program, but they needed someone who could harvest the budding energy and focus it into a successful system. The result? A team that no longer competes for 4th place in the Central Region. A National Contender. Saucy Nancy 2011.

In 2010, Saucy had an inexperienced roster. Only graduating three players, they lost their fiery leader. A new start was in the horizon. I remember moving to Iowa City, meeting my teammates, and doing some pre-season drilling. I knew the talent was there. Our team lacked experience and knowledge. Two things that someone like Mikey could bring to the team.

From the first practice with Mikey as our coach he began to lay out the vision that had been communicated to him with a core leader meeting in August. He didn’t dictate the direction. He listened to what Saucy wanted, and did whatever he could to implement that dream. Mikey is a quiet, reserved guy. But his style and demeanor demands respect, without being overly demanding of his players. He takes the philosophy of always being a student of the game, improving your knowledge. He practices this daily. He’s constantly researching how to give our team a competitive edge, whether it’s teaching a new lift in our lifting program, spending time watching Ultivillage film. He’s thirsty for success; a trait he passes onto his players without necessarily saying so.

I’ve had numerous coaches in other sports for many years. I’ve played college, club, high school, AAU, select, etc. in all three sports I grew up playing, but never had a coach invest himself into his team. He has put more innovation, sparking passion into his players. He has taught me so much about how to find my role on the team, and transition to Saucy. He’s the person you can call up and ask to throw, and he’ll drop what he’s doing to drill with you for an hour before or after practice. He’s the person sending out individualized workouts to his players, and constantly coming up with drills to instill a love for the fundamentals.

Watch our team play. This newfound passion for the game and for each other is a direct result of his impact on us. He’s on the sidelines cheering, smiling, and sharing our frustrations. He’s proud of us, he pushes us, and loves us. Mikey believes in me when my back is against the wall. He motivates me to do one more set when I think I’m spent and can’t give any more. Mikey Lun embodies this award in every way.

-Robyn Fennig
University of Iowa Saucy Nancy #44

Weaknesses.

I've been doing lots and lots of thinking about weaknesses...and what I can do to minimize them. I mean, any time you let your opponent catch you dwelling on a play, or making mistakes...they take advantage of it. I mean, that's what I try to do, and feel a good, smart opponent will do the same if given the opportunity.

Here's two thoughts.

1) Hanging your head.

After a work out last week, I watched a certain college open team that my boyfriend happens to play on practicing. I sat and stretched my ridic sore legs and watched them scrimmage. It irked me to no end to watch the D line hang their heads after the O line made some plays and scored. I mean, yeah, the lack of execution happens. Sometimes your opponent outplays you. Sometimes you're the one who makes the mistakes. Sometimes you don't get to touch the disc to make an impact. It doesn't matter what your reason for doing it, the minute you hang your head and slowly walk back to the line, is the minute you outwardly admit defeat to your opponent. Don't give your opponent that. I don't care if at the end of practice they are your teammate or not, or if it's the championship game of nationals. You jog back to the line, head held high, put your foot on the line, and raise your hand in the air for the pull like it didn't affect you. It doesn't mean you don't think about the execution or correcting your mistake. By hanging your head, you mentally take yourself out of the next point before it begins...don't cede victory before given the opportunity to win.
*See Zip's Tips, April 29, 2002

I make it a personal point to try to jog back to the line after being scored on. It gives me time to think, size up the competition on the line across from me, and analyze the situation. While your team is celebrating, I'm spending my time pin pointing your weaknesses and creating good match ups. Why not? I get my 90 seconds to think, process, and move on between points...I may as well make the most of it. You're celebrating, pumping up your teammates. I'm strategizing and trying to pump up mine. Those longer reflections I need to take, typically occur between games or at half. I took the Iowa State loss from conference pretty rough. I had a long car ride to think. I had a whole night to think. I mean, I lost some sleep over it. But come Monday, it's a new day. I'm throwing, running, and pushing myself to make sure I'm ready to go come Regionals (in two weeks). It's my goal to throw more than my opponent every day and work harder than my opponent. I can't change what happens in the past, but I can control my future. I won't spend it hanging my head.

2) Working back from an injury.

Alyx throwing her signature flick, spring 2010.

I have seen one of the co-captains of Saucy make her debut again. Alyx Averkamp is now known as "boot-free girl." She did just updated the interwebs with her status of what it felt like to sit on the sidelines since winter break and her tragic leg-break. I'm a little sad she beat me to the punch. My mini Boston vacation to the American Planning Association national conference forced me to fall behind in blog reading. I have been lucky enough to never sit on the sidelines during the season. My knee surgery could not have come at a more opportune time, if there is ever one for knee surgery. I've watched her work slowly at first, then quickly, to getting back on the field...never losing her leadership presence on our team. I honestly think that she has gained a lot of perspective from the sidelines and watching our team develop. She took the field again for the first time since fall this weekend in the Western North Central with great decisions and great executions. Not saying she didn't do this in the fall, but I can tell that she's used the past few months to her advantage. I have spent a lot of time thinking about her this season and sending her good vibes/thoughts. I looked forward to having her back.

Here's the Robyn-approved update on Alyx. She's back. And she's looking in fine form. Don't her post in the Saucy blog fool you into thinking she's not. I won't lie, I'm impressed with those flick breaks.

When you come back from an injury, you don't dare let your opponent see what leg you're favoring or that your wrist still hurts. You ice after the game, you do your physical therapy, complain to your friends and teammates....but it's all business during game/tourney time. Watch her. You won't see her miss a beat.

Enough thoughts for now. I have an event to plan.
Robyn