Just Another Day at the Office?
by Sheena Madan
Employees from eight companies brought teams to enjoy ultimate in the corporate tournament on April 4th, 2009 in Manor, TX. Many who had never played organized ultimate before were introduced to the joys of it for the first time.
To encourage the spirit of the game, the tournament had spirit ratings for every team. There were also special rules that were tailored to newcomers, such as a Mulligan (do-over) that could only be called by a new player, and a double point for an O'Malley (everyone touches the disc in one scoring sequence) with a minimum of two new people on the field.
The day started out very windy, which acted as an equalizer. Downwind scores were challenging while upwind scores were nearly impossible for even the more experienced teams from IBM, Dell, and National Instruments.
Although it remained gusty, it ended up being a long, hot day with five games scheduled for every team. True to corporate lifestyles, most teams were ready for a siesta after a big lunch, especially without a mid-afternoon caffeine break, but most pushed through to play the two remaining games anyway.
While every team played enthusiastic, spirited Ultimate, PB & Fugro Sandwich really set an example by having the best spirit of the tournament. This team was a combination of Fugro Consultants Inc. and PBS&J; Fugro had initially done most of the recruiting up to that point selling a rivalry with PBS&J, but the two companies formed a partnership for stronger numbers.
Similarly, Camp Dresser & McKee Inc. banded with ACS so there would be enough subs available. This new "Riata Trace" team had the commendable distinction of bringing the most women to the tournament; it was not uncommon to see a 3 women, 4 men line-up regardless of the gender ratio of the opposing team.
Meanwhile, Lombardi Software clearly wins for its adventurous employees. They brought a moderately-sized team of fifteen people from this fairly small company, most of them being very new to ultimate. Rumor has it that captain Bryan Campbell went door to door at the offices of Lombardi with a baseball bat as an implied threat if they didn't join.
IBM's team had an edge as it was mostly composed of veterans from their lunchtime pickup game. They won all their rounds, including a hard-fought victory against Dell, to claim the first-place trophy, which will be prominently displayed in the trophy case of one of their main buildings. The company mission, however, was to introduce the newer teams to the concept of cheering after the games. Led by David Armstrong, they succeeded in delivering the rhymes, even if they had to resort to a two-liner with their techie backgrounds.
Dell showed remarkable will-power, playing competitive ultimate with a team of 9 people that dropped to 7, then 6 players. They took the lead on IBM 7 to 6 late in the day, but IBM scored the next three to win 9-7. Had Dell won that game and the next one, it would have been a three-way tie between the three big companies, with the champion decided by spirit ratings.
NI brought what played like a pro team, but was apparently composed mostly of folks who had only played pickup before. They made an impressive showing, winning all their games except against IBM and claiming second place.
This tournament was a great opportunity for Austin area companies to come together in a tournament environment. Long-time players were grateful to share the joy of ultimate with their co-workers and disabuse them of any notion that it involved canine agility; new players walked away with a favorable impression of the game. Most teams plan on coming back next year, determined to invite even more colleagues for the unique bonding experience only ultimate can provide.
