One new blog that has recently started up is by Flywheel Ultimate. It offers a lot of great thoughts on different aspects of the team and the sport of ultimate. Another great one, is Joann Wong's blog (formerly IL Menace). Both of these take a look into different aspects of the game and women's ultimate in a unique and thought-provoking manner. They are pretty cool, I read them instead of studying, and you should for sure check them out!
With all of the talk about ultimate and the restlessness from winter break, it is becoming very obvious that we are on the brink of spring college ultimate season. The excitement is boiling over and many individuals on the team are stepping up in a variety of ways. Woman Scorned employs an attendance policy in the spring season which includes practice attendance, as well as weekly workouts. This spring we are using a "pod system" which involves groups of 3 or 4 which are held accountable for doing the workout each week. This system takes the accountability of attendance and puts it on each and every person to encourage their teammates to be in attendance and push each other while there.
I don't want to under-appreciate captains and coaches here. As a team, we look to our coaches and captains for a lot. They are knowledgeable, experienced, leaders, and respected. They are the rock of the team, that is why the team chooses them for their position.
Accountability and unity, however, are accomplished through the team as a whole. Team leaders always help with this, but holding yourself accountable to your team forms a strong, multi-person bond. Say you chose to skip practice to take a nap. You are not just letting down yourself and your captains, but you are giving up the chance to learn from and play with each of your teammates to build your team (plus ultimate is way more fun than sleep).
College ultimate is unique for several reasons:
1. You live, go to school with, and hang out with your teammates all. the. time.
2. The skill range is wide. You have people who have never touched a disc playing with people who grew up with a disc in their hands.
3. You don't pick your team.
While these differences can put limitations on the team, they also make it special. Since our lives are so similar at this point in time, ultimate becomes incorporated into almost all aspects. In class you sit by your teammates, you study with them at the library, you eat meals together, you visit each other on breaks, you spend countless hours in the car together, you party together, and when you are bored, upset, frustrated, excited, happy, etc... you go to your teammates for support. A team is something that once you have, it is hard to go without.
The bonds are so strong that they last for a long time and distance can't even break them. When I did an internship in San Antonio, TX the summer of 2009, I was horribly lonely the first 4 weeks. Four of my teammates made the 16 hour drive down to spend the 4th of July weekend with me....16 hours one way! When we make a trip anywhere near any WS alum, it is assumed that we will meet and catch up. When you spend all of this time together in ultimate, teammate relationships becomes unique friendships.
I guess what I am trying to say is that the bond between you and your team, is formed on a basis stronger than just the game of ultimate. By building up the team, you are building up your friends. Accountability can only exist if you have a personal stake in the matter. For example, losing doesn't hurt so bad when you don't have a personal stake in your team and it's goals, but when you have put time, energy, sacrifice, and your heart into you team, each chance to compete has much more meaning.
Practicing together, pushing each other, spending time with one another, and holding each other accountable all build team unity and strengthen your team.
As a side note, a couple of thoughts about goal setting (inspired by Flywheel's last post-good one on goals):
Generally Woman Scorned sets goals as a team and individually at our beginning of spring meeting. Team goals can be challenging to set because of the difficulty involved in gauging your team's potential and the competition. Setting a goal like "place top ten at nationals" in January can be a real challenge. For a team who isn't familiar with what it takes to accomplish that, it can be unrealistic. How do you know if you are attending enough/too many spring tournaments or working out correctly? What if you are successful outside of your region but struggle against teams within? And then there is the whole USAU ranking and RRI deal with region and team bids to nationals.... It is all a lot to take in, gauge, and predict.
On the other hand, setting a goal like "top ten at nationals" can be exactly what you need to bring focus and drive to your team. In 2009 Woman Scorned decided as a team that we wanted to make nationals our goal (we had never been before). Most of us on the team didn't know what it would take to accomplish this goal, but our captains and coaches came up with a strict formula and we threw our hearts, bodies, and minds into the season and we did accomplish the goal. The focus was amazing and everyone worked hard for that goal of nationals, but to be honest, most of us didn't REALLY know what the heck we were working for, just that it mattered a lot and was going to be really awesome (which it was).
From the beginning of my career in ultimate, our first goal was always to have fun. I remember Gibbs and others always saying, "If you aren't having fun, then it isn't worth it." Another goal of Woman Scorned has always been to be the team everyone wants to play. Win or lose, we want to maintain good spirit, fight hard, and have fun.
When I make my personal and team goals, I try to keep them tangible and chronological. I set smaller goals along the way that will help me reach my final goal. For example, if you want to have a B team, you have to hit a few steps before that to make it possible, or if you want to make nationals, you have to address your sectional and regional goals first. Reassessing those goals throughout the season is also important. Back to the B team example, if you get to March and you don't have enough for a B team, don't consider it a failure, but instead adjust your goal to make it attainable- like setting the foundation for a B team the following year.
Goals are a beautiful thing. I post them above my bed and read them daily-I love it!
Good luck to everyone setting goals and working to reach them this season!
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