Anatoly Vasilyev (Russe): Anatoly a joué durant plusieurs saisons avec Goat (Toronto), il a remporté le Boston Invite contre Ironside en 2009.
Il est depuis de retour en Europe et a joué pour Skogs aux Worlds et la champion's league à Barcelona(2ème position).
Toly et moi avons joué plusieurs fois à Paganello avec Stinks.
When did you play nationals? Which number did you wear ?
- I played Nationals in 2007, 2008 & 2009. I was lucky to get my lucky number 18 when I joined the team
Which team did you play for ?
- I played on team GOAT, the best squad I've ever been part of. It stands for Great Ottawa And Toronto, because we have players from both cities on the team. The first year I played with them we didn't qualify for Nationals but at that time it was a young talented team ready to show their potential next year.
How did you end up playing in North America?
- My family moved to Toronto and offered me to join them, so I thought it could be a great challenge, plus I can finaly get to play elite level ultimate. I knew a couple of guys on the team back from the days when i played against Canadian national team as a junior and those connections helped me get in touch with team captains & attend my first tryouts.
How have you felt the first training?
- At my first practice with the team I forgot my cleats and had to play in running shoes. But i tried so hard that the captains were impressed by how i can play decent D even without cleats :)
How was the level of the game?
- Right away I was impressed by how high the level of players was from top to bottom. And it showed me that I had to train really hard to earn a spot on the team
How many trainings did you have per week?
- We had 2 practices per week, plus individual workouts & training camps
And how many practices a month before nationals?
- We had two training camps in Oct before Nats
Which position did you play on your team? D line or O line?
I was a handler. I was on the starting O line but also played D in tough games.
Was it hard for your team to qualify for nationals?
Qualifying for nats had been the biggest goal for the team for several years. I was lucky to move to Canada when the team was about to become an Elite level team and to experience one year of failure before quilifying and having an awesome run at Nats.
This year unfortunately the team didn't qualify again & I'm sure it will make them train so much harder for next year
Let's talk about Sarasota:
I've heard that Sarasota is the best place to play Ultimate? Is this true? Why?
- It's definitely the best place to play ultimate. There might b tourneys with more elite teams (Worlds, ECC), but those events don't have the same vibe. This is the pick of the season for all the teams, something that ppl have been practicing for almost a year & you get to play not just games, it's real battles!
Can you tell me something about your first time there?
- First time I went just to watch and cheer for my gf. It was great to step on those fields for the first time, but it was so much better to step on them cleated next year & compete against all those teams.
How is the the level of the competition? Are all the16 teams really good?
- Of course they are some favorites, but overal the level is very high. Every team fights very hard & wants to do their best. Never underestimate low lanked teams
What was your final ranking?
- Our best result at UPAs was 3/4 place in 2007 when we were underdogs & made it to the semifinals.
Do you think that a top european team could finish in the top 8?
- I don't think so, at least at this moment. NA teams have more experience playing on the highest level, facing strong teams in every game. Whereas European top teams usually play only 2-4 hard games per weekend
What did you like best about the tourney in Sarasota?
- Everything! Teambonding, hardfought games against some of the best teams in the World, tough victories & losses, huuuge fields covered with the best players in the game. It's hard to describe but you'll know what I mean when u step on those fields ready to leave everything you have there
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