The Real Meaning of Victory

Scorned won sectionals this past weekend, upsetting a couple of teams that we were not expected to beat. It was exciting, it helps us a ton for regionals seeding, and in the end it doesn't really matter that much because everything could change in just one tournament-regionals.

Except that it does. We beat Iowa- our rival, our friends, the team we have lost to all spring... but really even that wasn't what made this past weekend so special. Scorned came together as a team and put our bodies, heads, voices, and hearts on the line. We have been growing all season, working to peak at the right time. I don't think we are there yet. I hope the peak is still to come! The coolest thing about sectionals wasn't that we won necessarily or even that we beat Iowa- it could have been anyone. It was the way we played and the passion (or as we call it-fury) that the team put into each game.

I am competitive, but I truly believe that life is about the ride, not the outcome. We make goals in everything in life, and sometimes we accomplish them, sometimes we don't. Often we realize that those goals weren't really what we wanted in the end. In ultimate especially, we set goals and bust our asses to accomplish them. Usually they involve winning a game or a tournament, but really I think that we set those goals and work hard at them just to travel the path. Winning happens when the stars align and luck coincides with hard work.

You may really disagree with me, and I'm not saying hard work doesn't pay off, it does a lot of the time- but not all of the time. Look at Wisconsin last year. The ridiculous amount of talent, years of ultimate experience, depth of that team, and hard work they put in... they should have made finals easy and probably won nationals. I know I thought they were going to... but they didn't. Did it take away from what they had? (maybe, I don't know, I wasn't on the team, but I doubt it) Did they get what they wanted out of the season? They got 3 more weeks of each other than Scorned did. They got the experience of winning and losing together as a team in another tournament. They got to play their hearts out and accomplish something together that they will never forget.

This is what I play ultimate for-the biggest reason anyways. I like to win. I want to win regionals, I am dying to qualify for college nationals, and I think we have put the work in and deserve it, but mostly, I just want 3 more weeks with these ladies. I want to wear the same jersey as each and every one of my teammates at just one more tournament. I want to put everything I have in a game to 15 on the field as many more times as I can. You set goals and bust your ass not only to accomplish those goals, but to create passion, build on teammate relationships, and live your life putting as much of yourself into it as you can.

I will remember 2011 sectionals for quite some time, but not for the win. I will remember it for the time we spent together Friday night trying our best to get some VEISHEA in, every time we rushed the field as a team, all the movies we watched at Lana's house, for Sam falling down the basement stairs and hearing her say ouch with each step, watching Hoistad layout D in the end zone dislocating her shoulder and not letting her injury stop her from being 100% part of that game on the sidelines, for Kristen running around with the janky WS flag all weekend, and for the pride I saw in Kevin, Lana, and Memo's faces when they saw us come together like a true team like that. I don't remember most of the scores from our games anymore, but I remember every laugh and hug I shared with my teammates this past season, like it happened yesterday.

I will be playing with everything I have at regionals, but win or lose, I'm leaving the game on the field. I want that bid to nationals so much right now, because I am not ready to let go of this team. I'll be fighting for our goals, but deeper than that, I will be fighting as a Woman Scorned.



-Gappy
#2
Forever Scorned