How To: Dry Wet Cleats

Rain celebration at WFDF World Jr Ultimate Championships 2012 (by Vaclav Pachta)

Cleats are important. Dry cleats - if needed - are even more important. Here's what I have learned on drying wet Ultimate cleats.

Step 1. Take your cleats off (true; they dry better that way.)
Step 2: Wipe away any mud and remove the insole, if possible.
Step 3: Loosen the laces of the cleats.
Step 4: Cram the ends of a something absorbent (crumpled newspaper, bunched-up paper towels or a rolled-up towel) into each cleat. Push all the way down into the toes.
NOTE: Don't overstuff! Prevent cleats from getting stretched out.
Step 5: Tighten the laces & tongue down.
Step 6: Wrap each insole in the absorbent material.
Step 7: After an hour, check on the drying cleats & replace with new absorbent, as necessary.
Step 8: Repeat step 7 as needed.

RELATED CAUTION: Never leave wet SOCKS overnight in your Ultimate bag or in the car! Wash those stinkers immediately or put them in well ventilated area (outside).

[THX to: online method & instructions]

Aim to Please

Bringing the popular, one-throw-at-a-time games together into one inevitable product. Finally!

Angry Birds Flying Disc

Info: Bring the fun of Angry Birds game outside with the Angry Birds Flying Disc. Toss it. Catch it. See it fly through the air. Appears to be constructed of plastic & in the likeliness of the Red Bird character - a Desert Cardinal.

Price: $9.99

++++++++++++++

RELATED: How Ultimate is similar to Angry Birds.

Chasing Sarasota in DC

Documentary: Chasing Sarasota

Info: Chasing Sarasota is the story of Portland Rhino's 2011 Ultimate frisbee season: rebuilding, reloading and fighting for redemption. Live the full experience as Portland, Oregon's elite men's Ultimate team competes against the best teams in the world, in the nation's hardest region. Rhino learns that battling the best also means battling yourself. Team depleting injuries, strategic breakdowns, player disqualifications and the demons of last year's collapse jeopardize their ambitions to play on Ultimate's biggest stage: Club Nationals in Sarasota, Florida.

When: Thursday, Sept 13 @ 7pm

Where: Arlington Cinema and Drafthouse*, 2903 Columbia Pike, Arlington, VA
*Patrons 21 and older, or those accompanied by a parent, are permitted to enter before 9PM.
Price: $9

In-Decision: Fall 2012

CH announced:
Looking forward to another Sludge -filled season. Join the WAFC 2012 fall league for yet another season.

Register online via WAFC. ($30)

Start Date: Saturday, September 8th
Games: 8-10 regular season games + the tournament
Game Dates: Saturdays
Game Locations: DC-metro area, mostly in Montgomery County or at Anacostia Park.

Ultimate Intimidation Styles

What style elements would be the MOST and LEAST intimidating when judging an Ultimate player? The devilishly handsome @UltiProblems consulted to help solve this vexing query.

Consider this an Ultimate version of "What Not to Wear"...

Summertime Sludge

"What did you do this summer?" can be best answered with pictures...

The nighttime Ultimate tournament in July - MidSummer's Night Fling - was a success. Team 3 consisted of three Sludge players - MattHew, MicHael & RacHel. The charity tournament also pulled in $1000 for the construction of a children's playground in Budrus.

After winning 3 games & weathering a storm, Team 3 advanced to the championship game. The finals was a close game with Team 3 down 7-4 at halftime, and then came back to win 13-11 over Slipped Discs. Tied at 11's, the final points (female-to-female pass-score was scored as 2 points) looked something like this...

Frisbee and The Doors

You could say thanks to the popularity of the Frisbee, The Doors were able to be a successful band.

Did You Know:
Walter "Fred" Morrison was uncle to The Doors' singer Jim Morrison and early royalties from the Frisbee helped fund the band's first recording sessions.

New Haven, Connecticut - 20 miles away from the Frisbie Pie Company - was the location of a famous incident where Jim Morrison became the first rock artist ever to be arrested onstage during a concert performance.

 

Break on Through (to the other side) sure sounds like a song about Ultimate!
 

AUDL Improvements

The AUDL 2012 season is over. Time to reflect on ways for the semi-pro Ultimate league to improve next season (2013) when there are 8 Expansion Teams expected to join - Boston, Chicago, Madison, Minneapolis, New Jersey, New York, Toronto & Washington DC.

Marketing. Like it or not AUDL & AUDL teams, you are in sales. Publish more professional looking promos that showcase this awesome sport of Ultimate. And, remember your AUDL team logos speak volumes as a first impression.

More than ESPN. Contact more sports channels than just ESPN. The 'Worldwide Leader In Sports' is just that, but widen your scope to other media outlets. READ: Fox Sports, NBC Sports Network, CBS Sports.

Add a video recap of weekend games. Reading about the highlights is much different than seeing them in hi-def. As it's been said about Ultimate: "Tell them nothing, show them everything!"

Allow more sponsorship on jerseys. NBA plans to add them, while soccer and NASCAR already adorn them. By using sublimation, the jersey will not be heavier, but your $ponsor revenue might.

More detailed standings. By presenting just win-loss records is a missed opportunity to engage fans on deeper analyses of this Ultimate game.  There's so much data being recorded [Leaguevine], even adding 'Games Back' [ProDiscNews] would be an improvement. A weekly "sports page" format may even get the AUDL published in the sports section.

Interview preparation. When given free advertising on live TV, please present the sport with dignity and respect. Avoid players "playing" catch in the background as a way to demonstrate Ultimate! Avoid saying "c*ck" to explain forehand wrist position!

Timing. This year's championship happened during the Olympics, which may have contributed to its low attendance. Take advantage of the sports void after NBA & NHL seasons are done. There's plenty of AUDL season left after mid-June.

Update websites regularly. An outdated website portrays a poor image to potential fans (& sponsors). By week 9, many AUDL team websites weren't updating the league standings. In my opinion, an Ultimate disc should be mandatory for every AUDL team to sell and be priced very reasonably.

Track Integrity Rules. If this rule really is the coolest invention since the Frisbee, then be prepared to back  it up with data.

Define THE Ultimate jersey. Sublimated jersey are the fabric du jour, but even the fanciest sub jersey still looks like a T shirt. Similar to soccer (collar), baseball (button ups), basketball (tank top), consider adding a distinct feature to show it's a pro Ultimate team jersey.

Clarify forfeits. I respect the need for hot weather preparation, though lack of clarity gave the appearance as people not showing up to work, which is not 'professional' at all.

Add field players. Add one more for 8 players to be on the line. I know, 7 is so traditional, but the adaptive AUDL game now has timed quarters and refs. The additional field space - the equivalent of 1.5 beach Ulti fields - could easily handle 16 players for this action-packed sport.

Modify end zones. It makes sense to want to use the existing football field dimensions. The problems are the AUDL end zones are twice as  big as the painted football EZ's, and 20 yards is a lot of space to defend. Until there are lined Ultimate fields everywhere, consider using the existing endzones like you are using the current sidelines.

NOTE: I'm first & foremost a fan of Ultimate. I attended one AUDL game and followed the 2012 season. These suggestions are meant as constructive feedback to help with the sport's promotion.

Ultimate Ninja

This game requires less equipment to play than Ultimate. You have probably seen this game on the sidelines at Ulti tournaments...Ultimate Ninja.

Ultimate Ninja (or Freeze Ninja) is a fun game for 2 to around 8 players. No supplies are needed other than your hands.

TO BEGIN: Players stand in a circle and decide who they wish to begin the game. The starter will then have everyone in a bowing position facing the center and will state "Uuulllllltimate NINJA!!" At this point, all players will jump away from the center and take a stance.

GOAL OF THE GAME: To slap a hand of your opponent. If a player's hand is slapped, they must leave the circle and the game.

RULES: You may only take ONE fluid motion to slap your opponent's hand, and if someone is attempting to strike you, you may take ONE fluid motion to move your hands or body out of the way, and you must retain that position until it is your turn to block or attack. The last person left in the circle is the winner & is the next game's winner.

The first strike should begin with the starter and continue from there in a clockwise order. You may attack anyone in the circle and even jump to make a strike.

PENALTIES: If you move your body or hands out of turn, flinch, or move your body in a more sophisticated way than one fluid motion in one direction, you must stand up straight and place your hands out in front of you, palms face down as a penalty. You may evade the attack that may be aimed at you.

[Source: UrbanDict + KeithRampage]

Frisbee Truthiness

via comedian Jim Gaffigan: Playing Frisbee with a five year old is amazingly similar to just running after a Frisbee.

aeroDISCnamics

The Ultimate field is really an open air science lab.

Soaring Science: The Aerodynamics of Flying a Frisbee [Scientific American]

Introduction
Are you good at tossing a Frisbee? Have you ever wondered how a Frisbee is able to fly through the air so well? If you can throw a perfect, arcing curve right on target, you've already trained your arm to aid in the aerodynamics of Frisbee flight! In this activity, you'll investigate how the angle at which you throw the Frisbee affects its flight direction and distance. Next time you're out tossing a Frisbee, this little lesson in aerodynamics may help make your throws even more accurate!

Background
Two key forces that act on a Frisbee during flight are lift and drag. Lift is the force that allows the Frisbee to stay airborne, and in flight it opposes the force of gravity on the disk's mass. The Frisbee itself creates this lift force as it flies through the air. Because of the Frisbee's curved shape, the airflow above it must travel at a higher velocity than that underneath, thereby creating low pressure above and high pressure below the disk. This pressure difference provides the lift. Drag is a resistant force on the Frisbee, perpendicular to the lift, and it acts against the disk's movement through the air. The angle at which the Frisbee is thrown, which we'll call the "launch angle" (aka the angle of attack), affects both lift and drag.

As a side note, you've probably noticed that a Frisbee doesn't travel far if it's thrown without spin. Spinning the Frisbee helps it fly by supplying angular momentum, which helps keep the Frisbee stable; the faster it spins, the more stable it should be.

Read more...

Ultimate Perfection

Hey, TURNOVERS HAPPEN in the game of Ultimate.

"To improve is to change; 
to be perfect is to change often." 
-- Winston Churchill

Running Start on Pull

As the Olympics has demonstrated, there's fast, and then there's F...A...S...T. The 100 meter sprint was completed in 9.63 seconds, while the 4x100 meter relay was 36.84. The 100 meter time was a world record, so how did the relay racers collectively run faster than the world record time (with an average 9.21 split)? 

...Three (3)...running...starts. After the initial start, the running start - during the baton hand off - benefited runner momentum.

For an advantage playing Ultimate, the defense can employ a running start at the pull. Get a running start instead of standing on the line and starting to run from an on-your-mark standstill stance. Milliseconds may be all the difference for a D'd disc.

NexGen on the run at the pull. [UltiPhotos.com]

From the 11th Edition [USAU Rules]:
VIII. Starting and Restarting Play
B. Pull...
4. Positioning before the pull:
a. After signaling readiness, players on the pulling team may move anywhere in their end zone, but their feet may not cross the vertical plane of the goal line until the disc is released.
b. After signaling readiness, players on the receiving team must be in contact with the goal line that they are defending without changing location relative to one another.

Furious George gets a running start. [ECC 2012]

[s/o Rachel for tracking Track & Field]

Spinners Win AUDL 2012

The Philadelphia Spinners were positioned as the top team in the pre-season. I saw them in April as they won their first of 13 regular season games. With only 2 losses, Phildelphia posted the best record in the AUDL & was easily atop their division. They also published a notable fan guide.

The Spinners went on to win the Eastern Division plus other accolades. In the AUDL Championship game on Saturday August 11, they beat the Indianapolis AlleyCats 29-22. Now, will they be able to compete next year in the mascot games?

Beat the Heat

July 2012 was the hottest month ever recorded in the lower 48 states - about +3.3 degrees than the 20th century average. Nighttime and early morning Ultimate games help avoid the warm summer sun. While it's normal to want to play Ultimate whenever the sun is shining, the Heat Index should be considered.  For every Ultimate league with a rain policy, they should have a matching sun/heat policy.  

Summary:

• Protect skin
• Reduce warm-up
• "Precooling" with an ice vest, ice water, AC
• Hydration

Learn to Beat the Heat [fit sugar]
If you're having trouble dealing with the high temps and humidity during these sweaty, sweltering summer months, here are some heat-beating tips straight from the athletes themselves.

Keep skin safe:  Sunshine on bare skin will raise your body temperature; according to Women's Health, rower and Olympic gold medalist Erin Cafaro wears long-sleeved shirts, a hat, sunglasses, SPF lip balm, and sunscreen on exposed skin during her two-hour outdoor workouts.

Tone it down: Olympic gold medalist volleyball player Kerri Walsh says, "When it is hot, I will curtail my warmup, because your body warms up faster. I can put that extra energy into my workout and be more effective with my time that way. Generally I will [also] limit my workout time if the heat starts to get to me and work hard for 30 minutes instead of an hour. Sometimes I will also just adjust my intensity, but still work out as long."

Get cool before you sweat: Marathoner Deena Kastor is all about something called "precooling." Minutes before racing in the 2004 Summer Olympics, she wore an ice vest in an air-conditioned room. It helps to lower your core body temperature, which increases your endurance when working out in the heat. Try your own version by taking a cold shower and hanging out in the AC while drinking ice water before heading out for your summer workout.

Hydrate before workouts: ... benefits of staying well hydrated all the time. In the heat it's important to go into a long run well hydrated; drink water the day before your runs and races, not just during your workout.

AUDL Team Mascots

Branding - whether it be through team logos or merchandise - is an important element for any business, especially sports teams. Another element to branding is the team mascot. Only 2 out of the 8 AUDL have mascots.

Detroit Mechanix's "Wrenchy" "Rusty"

Photo from DTM's Fb site

Connecticut Constitution's "Roger"

Photo from CTC's Fb site

If this was the AUDL championship of mascots, then my pick is... Detroit Mechanix's mascot who appears in their team picture and always at community events. Congrats "Wrenchy" "Rusty"!

AUDL 2012 Championship

After two playoff games, the inaugural AUDL Championship is scheduled for Saturday. Who do you favor to win?

Saturday, August 11

Indianapolis AlleyCats vs. Philadelphia Spinners

Silverdome (Detroit, Michigan)

Favorite: Spinners by 5.5 points. Game Over/Under: 53 total points

Game attendance: Over/Under 850 (Capacity = 82,000)

Analysis: In their only head-to-head meeting, Spinners beat the AlleyCats (19-16) in Indy during week 14. AlleyCats have played twice in Detroit; winning one in week 7, and losing another in week 10 - a Sunday game after a Saturday away game. The Spinners never played in Detroit during the 2012 regular season, but are accustom to playing on a large stadium field as their home field is UPenn's 52,000-seat stadium.

Not going to Detroit? View the game online.
 


++++++++++++++++++++++++
RESULTS

Philadelphia Spinners won by 7 points (29-22) over Indianapolis Alley Cats (51 total points)
Attendance: "500" spectators

Clowder of Indiana AlleyCats

The Indianapolis AlleyCats who won the 2012 AUDL Western Division Championship were reviewed in spring 2012.

Did You Know: There was an Alley Cats basketball team, based in Anderson, Indiana, which was a member of the Continental Basketball Association (CBA), & played in the American Basketball Association (ABA) in the mid-2000's. The Alley Cats are now defunct. [wiki]

Drop Rule

At this past weekend's tournament, this rule was called "obscure" and scoffed at its enforcement. The 'drop' rule application is all about timing. When does it occur - after the pull (VIII.B.9) or  during a point (XIII.B)? 

My recommendation: Don't drop the disc! Ever.

SCENARIO: With disc in-hand, en route to the field spot to put it in play & the thrower drops the disc...
When: After the pull. RESULT: Turnover
When: During the point, BUT before an established pivot AND in-bounds disc. RESULT = Not a Turnover

From the 11th Edition [USAU Rules]:

VIII. Starting and Restarting Play
B. Pull
9. After a pull, whichever player takes possession of the disc must put it into play. If a player drops the disc while carrying it to the spot where it is to be put into play and it contacts the ground before the thrower regains possession, the other team gains possession of the disc at the spot on the playing field proper nearest to the drop.

XII. Turnovers
B. If the thrower accidentally drops a live disc {II.R.2. A disc is live when players are allowed to move and the disc is subject to a turnover, but the thrower cannot make a legal pass (e.g., walking the disc to the spot where it is to be put into play). For a live disc to be put into play, the thrower must establish a pivot at the appropriate spot on the field, touch the disc to the ground, and put the disc into play.} or a disc in play {A disc is in play when play may proceed without the defense's acknowledgment. An in-bounds disc on the playing field is in play. The disc is subject to a turnover. To put the disc into play at a particular spot on the field means to establish a pivot at that spot.} without defensive interference and it contacts the ground before the thrower regains possession, it is considered an incomplete pass.

Ultimate Speeding

Usain St Leo Bolt won gold in the 100 meters in the 2012 Olympics in record time.

From an Ultimate perspective:

• Bolt ran the length of an Ultimate field (~109 yards) under 10 seconds
• His finish of 9.63 seconds = the same time as a fast stall count
• Playing Ultimate requires more skills than just speed

WATCH the 100m finals

Ultimate at World Games 2013

Ultimate, as it's universally known, is not an Olympic sport, but the World Games label it "Flying Disc" within the "Trend Sport" category.

World Games 2013 (Cali, Colombia)
July 25 - August 4, 2013

Ultimate Flying Disc games: July 28-30

Six nations qualify for the ultimate tournament of The World Games 2013 in Cali based on their placing in the 2012 WFDF World Ultimate Championship in Sakai, Japan. Australia, Canada, Colombia, Great Britain, Japan & United States are in contention for 2013's World Games title. The WFDF event serves as the qualifier for "Flying Disc" at WG2013.

Ultimate Landshark

"Landshark" or Land Shark (male); Land Porpoise (female)
Definition: When a member of the Ultimate team disrobes completely, and dons a Frisbee between their 'cheeks'. A few people then hoist the disc carrier - who is in plank position with the disc as fin - and parade around. Usually involves chanting to garner (more) attention. Typically seen at/near the fields, or at the party.

NexGen vs Truck Stop

The NexGen Ultimate Tour bus, just like  in 2011, rolls into DC for a showcase exhibition game versus DC's men's club team - Truck Stop. "Bus vs. Truck II"

When: Saturday, Aug 4th at 7:30pm ET
Where: Washington & Lee High School
Price: $10/$5 (students). [pay on-site]
All proceeds support the 2012 NexGen Tour.
Go to FB Event details.

Attendees at the NexGen vs Truck Stop 2011 game [UltiPhotos]

Do Over: July 2012

Catch up on last month's noteworthy posts you may have missed...

Ultimate End Zone real estate market

Ultimate olympic sporT shirt

Look Out! This is one great sign.

Call UP Maybe?