Melee Tryouts Recruit Athleticism & Poz Attitude
by Terry J Jungman Jr
When I think about Melee seasons past, it brings to mind the names of players such as Cara Crouch, Sarah Blyth and Gina Phillips. During my first meeting with Lindsay Worthington, co-coach of Melee, we started going through the list of veterans who would return this year. Admittedly, I was a little concerned because only a few of these names were recognizable. Being 3 years removed from the college ultimate scene, it was clear that I was out of touch.
Having gone through 3 weeks of open practice with the new recruits and getting to know everyone a little better (although I still struggle to remember all the names), I can see that this 2009/2010 Melee team has a great deal of potential, and with enough hard-work, they will earn their successes this season. Comparing past teams to the current roster, it is easy to notice the missing veterans and assume that there will be a drop-off in the overall team performance. However, I am fully confident that this team has the right leadership and young talent to compete.
The team is captained by Janel Venzant and Rachel Massey, two players who are contributing a great deal of time and effort to lead this team. Collaborating with them to organize practices and develop team strategies has already provided me major insights as to how ultimate, and more specifically woman's ultimate, is to be played. Throughout the season, I will constantly seek out their perspective on team related issues.
As I said before, the tryout squad consists of a good mix of veterans and rookies. The vets have impressed me with their skill and knowledge of the game and are always looking for opportunities to impart that knowledge on the new players. Katie "BS" Blyth and Rachel "Creepy" Hokanson are two players who epitomize the concept of leadership by example.
In the midst of tryouts, the rookies are starting to make their own impression on this team. Although these new players lack experience and polished throwing abilities, they more than make up for it with athleticism and enthusiasm. Despite the overwhelming amount of instruction and sometimes disjointed concepts, they show no signs of frustration, continue to ask the right questions and sponge up as much information as they can.
My goals for this team are simple: teach the fundamentals of ultimate in a way that allows the players to maximize their potential, promote the right kind of aggression and intensity necessary to compete and most of all, to have fun. When I think about why I started playing ultimate, I think about how fun it was to meet new people and be challenged by a new sport. As a coach, I want to see Melee 2009/2010 accomplish these same things.
Terry started playing for UT Men's Ultimate on Graze in 2004/2005 and went on to play for TUFF in the next two successive seasons. He was captain of TUFF during his last season in 2006/2007. He coached Graze during the 2008/2009 season and is currently in his third successive season playing for Doublewide.
