il a terminé 2ème des Worlds à Prague et remporté 2 fois Paganello avec UTI.
When did you play nationals? Which number did you wear ?
My first year at UPA nationals was in the Mixed division with Seattle’s Shazam in 2005. My first time in the Open Division was with Sockeye in 2009. I wear #40.
How did you end up playing in North America?
I moved to London in 2006 and played with Clapham United for my 3+ years there. In 09’ I decided to move back to Seattle & was very excited at the chance to play for Sockeye. However, I also had an amazing opportunity to play at the World Games in Taiwan with team GB that summer & knew I would miss the majority of Sockeye’s tryout period. Luckily, Sockeye allowed me to attend CalStates as a try-out tournament in June where I made the team and I was able to join full-time when I moved back in August.
How have you felt the first training? How was the level of the game?
I was a little nervous at my fist training playing with guys like Ben W, MC, Nord, Jeremy Cram & Skip who I had looked up to for several years. The level of practices were high but I felt like I was able to fit in fairly quickly. What I did notice was how much time & thought was put into the design of each practice. The captains set out specific times for each drill, scrimmage, & even water breaks which ensured we got a good mix of fundamentals, strategy, playing & fitness each time we got together.
The team also takes scrimmages seriously & tries to bring a high level of intensity each time. At my first practice Skip sky’d me for a disc & then shouted “welcome to Sockeye, Rookie!!” which pretty much set the tone for me.
How many trainings did you have per week? And how many practices a month before nationals?
2 practices per week plus 1 lifting session & 1 track workout. Leading up to nationals we increased to 3 practices per week, usually 1 weekday night and 3-4 hours each day on the weekend, plus a track session.
Which position did you play on your team? D line or O line?
O line Handler
Was it hard for your team to qualify for nationals? I 've heard that the North West region is very strong and that it is hard for the teams there to qualify for nationals. Is this true?
The NW region is very tough and in 2009 we had to split 3 bids among 6 very good teams, Sockeye, Revolver, Jam, Furious, Rhino and Voodoo We had a strong tournament and comfortably made finals where we faced Revolver. Both teams had already qualified for nationals but we had a very close game which Revolver won by 1.
Let's talk about Sarasota:
I've heard that Sarasota is the best place to play Ultimate? Is this true? Why?
I would agree that there is something special about playing at Nationals in Sarasota; it definitely at feels different than other tournaments. I think the big difference between UPA nationals & other big tournaments I’ve played (World Clubs, WUGC, World Games, EUCF) is that no team has the attitude of "we’re just lucky to be here". All teams play to win every game and you have to play at the top of your game or any team can beat you. It is definitely the most competitive tournament in the world to compete in.
Can you tell me something about your first time there?
Sockeye decided to rent a house for everyone rather than get a hotel or the beach houses like other teams. We packed 27 guys & a few girlfriends into a giant house & spent all of our time with just us. We spent a ton of time just hanging out, goofing around in the pool & partying after the tournament was over.
As for the tournament, it was HOT! It took us a while to get used to the heat and we spent a lot of energy during our pool-play games on Thursday. Personally, might highlight was playing the Qtr Final against Doublewide. We were down 4-1 but pulled it out to win and I had several assists and a goal or 2.
How is the the level of the competition? Are all the16 teams really good?
The competition at nationals best at any tournament in the world. There might be 1 or 2 teams that are at a slightly lower level than the rest but they are still no easy games. All of our Pool Play games were difficult and I don’t think we won any game by more than 3 or 4. Chain, the eventual winner, was by far the best & most complete team there and deserved to win.
What was your final ranking?
Tied for 3rd.
Do you think that a top european team could finish in the top 8?
I think top 8 is possible. The biggest challenge for the top European teams is having the depth of roster to compete in Sarasota. Clapham & Skogs have top players and have won against good teams before but don’t yet have a team 22-25 top guys that it takes to win in Sarasota. The competition in Europe is such that the top teams have 2-3 easy games in every tournament before playing a difficult Semi & Final; you don’t have that luxury at UPA nationals.
What did you like best about the tourney in Sarasota?
I liked fighting for every single goal with my teammates. I think I was able to contribute & help the team and although we had aspirations of making & winning finals I think we were happy with our effort throughout. I was also very proud to qualify for the World Championships.
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