When the past meets the present

The alumni game is a junior this year. It has found its stride. This by far is the best alumni game we've had. We pulled John from Chicago. We pulled Kevin from 1999. We pulled three of the most prominent women from CUA's Ultimate past (as known to me). There were 30 some-odd people wandering the sidelines and a number of fans. The women's team got a chance to show their stuff and then we went to 5:2 mixed format for the game.

This game had some chatter going into it. The alumni were convinced that this would be their year. Having graduated eight players just one year ago, it was hard to disagree. They lost a couple key individuals to conflicts, but the alumni still looked strong. My loyalties, as they always are, were torn. I tried hard to cheer for Ultimate, but did find myself slightly on the side of the current team as the game was winding down. Maybe a little bit at the beginning too when I offered up a few scouting tips. I found myself on the other side when I picked up a Karpo lame-duck hammer for a score and then tossed a break-side backhand to Arin for another to tie the game before exiting. Alan has recapped the scoring reasonably well. I'll recap a few moments.

What always gets me about the alumni game are the memories and the new battles. One of the great new battles was Rachel vs. Jess. Rachel was playing really well. I'd forgotten how effective she could be, especially against other women. Jess was rotating through a full team of women, so didn't have the chance to battle back. That gave R more opportunities for my flashbacks like when Dirty tossed her the disc and they moved it up the field. Another great battle was Paul and Arin. Arin has the height and great instincts, but Paul can jump to the clouds and he's no slouch in the play-making department. In the nostalgic category, Tim was working the zone, Karpo found a few patented dives, and Alan pulled out some big hucks. It was so neat to see so many familiar faces making familiar plays. So many styles of play remain unchanged. Ranjo still brings a smile to my face. Dan is still tough to chase. John finds his spots. One of the major post college success stories has to be Sam. She has gone from XC runner working the field to Ultimate player. She poached the lanes well, played hard, and just knows what's what. It's pretty awesome. I get to see her weekly, but to see her in the context where I first saw her play, it made me appreciate what she is doing even more.

The game was close, and Stills who graduated at semester switching sides gave the current team too many fast weapons for the tiring alum to handle, but I'd like to believe that the real lessons for the current team are the following: 1. Playing together makes you better. The alums struggled early and late because they didn't have the familiarity to know where their teammates would be or who to turn to, and 2. It doesn't take long to get out of shape. Even the alums a year out of college were remarking about how much faster the game seemed to be and how they weren't used to running. Both of those lessons should be applied to the current team as they head to next year.

For me, what I take away more than anything else, is what I've always taken away. Ultimate people are good people. I'm so lucky that the CUA gang has let me hang around and grow with the team. I look forward to many games to come.