Remembering The New Guy

Photo by Lance Porter
Article by Jean Gaetan

Once upon a time, even the most experienced Ultimate player was the new guy. You know what I’m talking about- the guy who criss-crosses the field, yelling for the disc with one hand flapping up in the air; the girl who exhausts herself so quickly she tries to sub out in the middle of a point; or, the dude who too-hastily flings the disc with all of his might only to watch it arc absurdly high and wide...crashing to ground three fields away. (Sometimes the skills just haven’t quite caught up to the vision being ESPN’s Play-of-the-Day.) In fact, not only do you know that guy, you’ve been him. Man or woman, we’ve all been THAT GUY!

But guess what? Soon enough, months and years pass, and that rookie-self you once were fades into the distant past. Remembering that person now is like trying to recall what life was like before cell phones. Still, it’s important that we revisit all of the feelings associated with our earliest Ultimate-playing self: the fear, the frustration, the anxiety and the excitement! And it’s crucial that we use those memories to guide the way we treat the next new guy we see trotting awkwardly onto the field to take their place on the line.

Disc = Happiness

Surely some of you have met Matt Naylor -- sandy-brown hair, a little tall, a little lanky. Matt has been playing Ultimate around Austin for a couple of years. He plays most of the leagues and often competes with Riverside at tournaments, but it wasn’t too long ago that Matt was “the new guy.” During this year’s Summer League, Matt came out as a pay-to-play player and, as it turns out, got placed onto the team with the worst record in the league. And I mean bad. Not bad like tiny-tot soccer bad, but....well, almost.

Carpooling home with Matt that night, I was surprised to hear his recap. He had a great time. Naturally, I assumed that his bottom-feeding team must have somehow won its games. Wrong. They lost ‘em both. Hmmm. Then why was Matt so pumped up about having a great night? As he started describing the games I found my answer. On this particular team (plagued all season with top players missing due to injury or absence), Matt found himself playing the role of handler. Let’s be clear: Matt’s got some good stuff happening, but at this point in the arc of his skill development, he’s not a handler...at least not in the traditional sense. However, on this team of spirited newbies and shlumpadinks, Matt was called upon to step it up. And he did so to the best of his abilities. But even that’s still not the point. From Matt’s perspective, he was getting more touches of the disc than usual. Normally, Matt’s the one playing down field, breaking for the end zone where hopefully someone throws it. Here he was getting the disc practically every other throw. At least within this limited context, not only was Matt no longer the new guy, he was becoming THE MAN!

Whether you are Doublewide standout Jay Lane, Showdown captain (and UPLA Prez) Tina Woodings, up-and-comer Matt Naylor -- or any other Ultimate player in this world -- much of the fun of this sport comes from getting that disc. Of course, when you are the new guy that can prove just as elusive as finding a good seat at the Draughthouse Pub on a Friday night. And therein lies the cruel paradox: disc = happiness / new guy = no disc for you!

Moving from New Guy to THE MAN

As players take their earliest steps along the skill development path there’s a shared responsibility between themselves and the other players on the field. The new player must be a sponge, learning the game, watching, listening, being humble and asking for help. In only the rarest of cases do all of those things not come naturally to the new player. The far greater challenges fall upon everyone else.

First up, veterans and regulars should always introduce themselves to newcomers and welcome them with a little, “Thanks for coming out.” For a new guy -- awkward, unsure, nervous -- a simple greeting like that can go a long way. After that, the single greatest thing you can do for rookies is THROW THEM THE DISC. Yes, I know their flailing and awkward fumbling-ass selves are most likely going to find some crazy way to, a) outright drop it, b) not come to the disc aggressively and get D’d, or c) catch it but then waste it away with a wild throw in the next instant. Still, as that person’s teammate this is the moment where you have to zip back in time and remember your earliest playing days and show them some empathy.

Not everyone starts playing Ultimate with the same inherent skills or athletic ability. However, everybody does have the capacity to learn and improve, albeit at different rates. By not getting that new person involved in the game early and often you will put a definite kink in their learning curve. Even worse, you run the risk of alienating that player from the sport entirely. New or not, he or she has stepped onto the field to play, not to run around solely for the pleasure of catching some wind to the face.

And, how many times does it happen in a pick-up game where three or four (usually) guys seem to be playing exclusively with only themselves and looking off everyone else? Not only does that just plain suck if you’re not one of those chosen ones, but it’s boring Ultimate. And, in the larger sense, it’s a hindrance to the growth and spirit of the sport. (Heartless bastards, we must call them.)

Lest Yee Forget

Sure, forgetting is much easier than remembering. Remembering requires effort and who wants that? But, for the good of Ultimate and everyone that is touched by all that it offers... forever recall that newbies are as you once were. Your ability to actively remember this will lead you to treat newbies with the generous lump of compassion they need and deserve.

So, throw it. Throw it! THROW IT! ...to the new guy.