Well it's official, we rock! Nice Bristols went into Nationals seeded 5th. We had what we thought to be a tough pool with Bliss and Princess layout, both seeded above us. Our first game was an easy one against 7th seeds, our second one against Princess layout was the one we had to win - and win it we did. Our junk zone was so good they didn't know what to do we just kept getting the turns and scoring the points. We beat Princess to take 3rd place giving us an easy quarter the next day. We then had to play Bliss straight afterwards. We ran with them for the first half, I think the score was 5-8, but we could'nt keep up having just finished one game and we lost 16-6 but they said it was their best game of the day!
We sailed through our quarter final and met Fierce (last years finalists) in the semi. This game was my highlight of the weekend, our junk D worked so well that they made mistakes, I think they were a little shaken and we may have gone 4-0 up. They started to pull some points back and when we were on O we just played some sweet roll over offence (you shoulda seen it Del!) and scored the easy points to go back out with junk D.
We met Bliss in the final and we knew it would be tough. But we went out hard and played an awesome game, the final score I think was 13-5 but it was hard fought and just when we were getting on a bit of a losing streak Katie DJ pulls a D out of nowhere and runs through into the endzone for the score - brilliant!
Congratulations to Beth who was MVP for the weekend - she just never stopped running.
Thanks to all the girlies for one of my best weekends of ultimate and thanks to all the boys for their support. We are the first proper geo side in women's ultimate and lots of people commented on the difference it makes.
Oh and we won SPIRIT!!! I think thats spirit prizes for every first outing a bristol team has been to.
sue x
'I was in Dana's jeep and the other 5 were in Sam's VW Jetta, we had gone about a mile and a half from his place driving through a field when he stopped because the rain was so strong he couldn't see. The jeep pulled alongside, I wound down my window getting soaked and we all decided to head back the way we had come. A car was coming down the hill ahead so Dana over took Sam's stationary car and did a 3 point turn stopping about 10 feet from Sam's car facing the opposite way. I was watching the patterns of the rain in the road, it was only 8.30 but the storm had made the sky so dark. There was a flash away to our left, which Dana thought was a flare, it was blue like a firework and a second then a third went off. I figured that it might have been the power lines blowing from a lightening strike, it was kind of like 'Jurasic Park' next to the T-Rex pen. The next thing I knew the jeep was bouncing, so I grabbed the glove compartment and then tipping, I heard Dana say 'oh shit'. I let go and we flipped over maybe 4 or 5 times, it was so fast I didn't have time to think what was happening apart from "oh we're spinning." I kept my eyes open and was lucky no glass got in them. We landed upside down hanging from our seat belts, we were both saying are you alright, are you alright, i'm ok, i'm ok. I thought the gas tank might explode so I released my seat belt and crawled out of the window, Dana followed me about 3 seconds later. We were instantly drenched, I grabbed a sandal, but the other one was trapped under the car, we then ran towards the wire fence we had flown over and got into the back seat of Sam's car. No-one could really believe what had happened. A guy came past in a pick up and took us to his barn where we stayed for the next 4 hours waiting for the police and anambulance. The police were a bit busy and so the guy's wife took us to his farm and made us cheese toasties and cups of tea, even though 2 of their barns containing around 100 thousand dollars of equipment had been flattened. Dana and I had been picked up and thrown around 40 feet by the eye of a tornado, the jeep is a right off, the only injuries we sustained were seat belt burns and minor cuts from crawling out of the car.'
Tom Cave
The Co-ed 3 report . . .
What a weekend! After a shaky start, the Land Rover didn't get any further than Tescos on the M32 before the steering box began to disintegrate, the Plastic Factory workers clocked on for some serious overtime.
Saturday: We played 3 great games, all of which we won. Good start, then our friends in the Bristol B team, aka 'Little Sheff', brought us right back down to earth kicking our asses 15-6. Despite the end result I'd have to say it was personally my favourite game of the weekend. Always nice to get a chance to make a monkey of Deejay! Oh yeah, and of course we also managed to achieve our production targets that day against a certain other team whom I am apparantley not allowed to mention by name and we have now managed to wriggle one place above them in the tour standings!
Someone else could fill you in on the saturday night details as in predictable fashion, I didn't see the farside of 10:30! in fact I was even left in the socially awkward situation of saying goodnight to old man Wayne Davey, what's the world coming to?
Sunday morning: Me and Mr Cow crawled out of the tent to greet the day and discover the mountain of crushed beer cans and half empty vodka bottles that now decorated the floor of the Copa Cabana. Did find two unopened cans of Red Bull though, hurrah! Strangely, Pioli was not to be found under any of the tarpaulins, well done to whoever dragged her back to her sleeping bag.
We won the first game by default [not enough ladies on the other team] and then again on points, but only just! Unfortunately this was where the winning ended. Our next game against Hull was a bitch. Having given the other team a flying start by going down something like 5 or 6 to 1, the workers decided it was time to get their hands dirty and fought back impressively, proceeding to trade points all the way to 9 a piece. Ladies and gentlemen we are now entering sudden death! What a point. There must have been 3 or 4 nail biting turnovers, most noted of which was Combat Woman's [Beth Rougier] awesome D in Hull's endzone, fantastic! I'd like to be able to say we eventually got the upperhand, but sadly not. Great game anyway, well played everyone. To take something positive from the experience, I finally realised that I really don't like losing, no more of this crappy 'it's just great to get out there and play' hippy shit for me! Stay tuned to see if this old boy has left his run too late, or can he pull off a rabbit out of a hat trick and actually develop a competitive side to his extravagantly ecclectic nature?
Anyhoo, all of this left us in a play off for 11th, 12th against loaf, the antipodean allstars. The hours sunbathing before the game didn't seem to be quite enough for us to fully recharge our batteries and we lost a great spirited game by something like 11-4. They did sing us a great dirty song though! Something about candle wax and bondage. So at the end of the day we advanced one position to 12th, beating our seeding by one and moving ahead, by one, of that team who's name I am not allowed to mention.
Great to play alongside all of you, I was truly proud. Thanks from most of us to Wayne for picking up a whole sack full of swill. Well played everyone, looking forward to the next one.
Good luck to our great chicks also who we will sadly miss in the next one due to there well deserved selection for the Women's GB team and the wigowous twaining wegime which that entails! Vive la France, up the factory and rule Brittania!
Sven
THE FOODS OF IRAQ
With the state of the world today it would be pretty easy to just go off your food altogether. But do not despair, for if music is the food of love, then love is in some way tied in with food and we can all help to spread that love by filling our bellies.
History: In northern Iraq lies Kurdistan, an area which stretches out on one side to eastern Turkey and to the other where it meets western Iran. It was here that man first began farming, planting grain crops and raising livestock to control food production for the population.
After the unification of the Arab people under the banner of Islam around 800 A.D., the region came under Arab rule and Baghdad was established as the capital of the Islamic world. Baghdad became the centre of Arabic culture and trade, with caravans bringing foods and spices from China, India and Persia. Arabic cooking and food tastes flourished and expanded with the vast variety of foods which were now being imported from Asia. As Islam spread ever westward it took with it a wealth of culinary excitements and titillations.
The Mongols, followed by the Ottoman Turks, swept through Baghdad and her glory was somewhat diminished, but the foods and tastes spread far and wide.
Ingredients: Favourite meats are lamb, beef and chicken. The preferred rice is basmati from Pakistan. You will also need 'baharat' a spice mix popular in the Gulf States. However, an Iraqi cook would be quite likely to substitute ground allspice, adding a little paprika and pepper for added heat and colour. Flat leaf parsley is essential. Watercress is popular in salads. Dried and fresh dates are used for preserves and sweets. Also used frequently are Rose water, orange flower water, saffron, almonds, walnuts and dried fruits. The dried lime of the Gulf States and Iran is also used in Iraq where it is called 'Noomi Basra.' Basra is a seaport on the Arabian Gulf, and since this is where the limes are brought into the country, the locals added the name of the port to that of the lime.
Sven
THE RECIPES
Batata Charp
[Potato cakes with vegetable filling]
1 large onion [finely chopped]
2 tbsp oil
1 tsp Turmeric
2 large ripe tomatoes
・ｽ cup finely chopped parsley
salt
black pepper
Scrub the potatoes and boil in their jackets until tender. Drain, peel and mash to a smooth puree. Leave to cool then blend in the egg, flour and seasonings to taste.
Gently fry the onion in oil until transparent. Add Turmeric and fry for a further minute. Remove from heat.
Peel tomatoes, halve crosswise and remove seeds and juice. Chop finely and place in a bowl. Add the onion mixture, parsley and season to taste.
Take around 1 tbsp of the potato mix and flatten in the palm of your hand. Place a teaspoon of the filling in the centre and close the potato around the filling. Roll into a ball and place on a tray. During shaping it may be required to moisten your hands with water to prevent the potato from sticking.
Roll the balls in flour and flatten to make thick cakes. Arrange on a tray.
Place oil in a frying pan to a depth of 5mm. Heat well and fry potato cakes until golden brown on both sides. Drain on a paper towel and serve hot.
Tashreeb Dijaj
[Pot roasted chicken]
1 chicken [about 1.7kg]
1 lemon
salt
black pepper
2 tbsp ghee or oil
1 head garlic [left whole and unpeeled]
1 cup water
Clean chicken and wipe dry with paper towels. Cut half the lemon into quarters and rub all over the chicken, inside and out. Season cavity and outside of chicken with salt and pepper and leave for 30mins.
Heat ghee or oil in a heavy pan and brown chicken on all sides.
Remove the outer layers of skin from the head of garlic, exposing the cloves. Leave unpeeled and attached to the root. Wash well and add to chicken. Reduce heat, cover and cook for 10mins over a low heat.
Juice the remaining lemon half and add to the pot with water. Cover pan tightly and simmer very gently for 2hrs. Turn twice during cooking.
When tender remove chicken to a platter and keep hot. Skim the fat from the juices in the pan, remove garlic and discard. Reduce the juices over a high heat until around half the original quantity remains. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
Cut chicken into serving portions and pour the juices back over the chicken. Serve with white rice.
Baharat
[Mixed spices]
・ｽ cup black peppercorns
・ｽ cup coriander seeds
・ｽ cup cassia bark
・ｽ cup cloves
1/3 cup cumin seeds
2 tsp cardamom seeds
4 whole nutmegs
・ｽ cup ground paprika
Place the peppercorns, coriander seeds, cassia, cloves, cumin and cardamom seeds in to a blender and grind to a powder. Grate the nutmeg and blend into the ground spices along with the paprika, eureka! Use as required. Sounds good on chicken to me or even maybe barbecued fish!
Holwah Tamar
[Date sweetmeat]
500g dried pitted dates
・ｽ cup ghee
2 cups walnut pieces
2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
Chop the dates roughly and place in a heavy pan with the ghee. Cook over a medium heat stirring often. Continue cooking until the dates soften and combine with the ghee. Spread half the date mixture in a 23cm square cake pan. Sprinkle walnut pieces over the dates, pressing them in lightly. Place the remaining date mixture on top, spreading evenly.
Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds, pressing them on lightly. Leave until cold and cut into small squares or diamonds. Store in a sealed container or just eat them all now.
Klaicha
[Date-filled pastries]
3 cups plain flour
・ｽ cup caster sugar
250g unsalted butter
3 tsp orange flower or rose water
・ｽ cup water
250g pitted dates
2 tbsp butter
Sift the flour and sugar into a large mixing bowl. Cut the butter into pieces and rub into the flour with your fingertips until evenly distributed. Blend orange flower or rose water with water and sprinkle onto the flour mix. Mix to a firm dough and knead lightly until smooth. Leave to rest for 30mins.
Meanwhile, chop dates, place in a pan with the butter and heat gently until dates soften, stir often. Remove from heat and set aside.
Roll the dough into balls the size of a large walnut [about a teaspoonful].
Flatten a ball of dough in your palm and place a teaspoon of the date filling in the centre. Mould the dough around the filling to reform into a ball. Place on an un-greased baking tray. Flatten the balls slightly and use a fork around the sides and top of the pastry to form a slightly conical shape. Bake in a pre-heated oven [170 degrees Celsius] for 30-35mins or until lightly browned.
Cool on tray. Pastries will become firm and crisp as they cool. Store in a sealed container or devour immediately.
Alternative pastry shaping: Divide the pastry into 3 equal parts and roll each portion into a rectangle 1cm thick and 10cm wide. Place one third of the date mixture, shaped in a long roll, along one edge of the pastry and roll up to enclose the filling. Press edges and ends to seal and place rolls, join side down, on an un-greased baking sheet. Bake as above, cool and slice diagonally to serve. Store in a sealed container.
Get faster by doing nothing!
Can a massage actually improve your performance? Can it reduce recovery time or the likelihood of injury? Will it reduce lactic acid build up and get rid of toxins in the muscles?
Western massage, for example, traditional Swedish massage, focuses on the use of different strokes and pressures to manipulate joints, bones and muscles. Whilst 'energy based' Eastern techniques such as Shiatsu and Reflexology are based on the theory that energy flowing through the body becomes trapped and needs release.
According to the Greek physician Hippocrates, the father of Western medicine, "The physician must be experienced in many things, but assuredly in rubbing."
Research is now beginning to understand the physiological benefits of a massage. Things start to happen when the body is rubbed in a systematic way! But what exactly and how? One of the most famous studies regarding the benefits of massage was with premature babies. It was discovered that premature babies, given fifteen minutes massage three times a day for two weeks, gained 47% more weight and were discharged from the hospital six days earlier than untreated babies. The massage appeared to cause a hormonal boost to their nutrient absorption. Massage entered the world of medicine.
A massage can reduce blood pressure and heart rate whilst simultaneously increasing the muscle's range of movement and improving circulation. A massage prior to physical exertion may decrease the chances of pulled muscles and strains by preparing and nourishing the muscles and it may also help to prevent the risk of injury by improving alertness! It has been demonstrated that massage measurably improves cognitive function [brains].
Apparently it's good for the immune system as well. One fast way to halt your training progress is to be sick in bed. However, it is never a good idea to give someone with a fever a massage [toxins are released into the bloodstream]. One theory regarding why massage aids the immune system, is that a deep massage helps to push lymphatic fluid more quickly through the system. Lymphatic fluid contains immune cells, the massage helps to deliver these fluids to where they are most needed. In a study conducted by a doctor, HIV positive men were given forty five minutes massage, five days a week for a month. The patients displayed an increase in serotonin levels [feel good brain juice] and an increase in natural killer cells, the first line of defence in the immune systems arsenal. Although massage may not be able to cure disease, it may well help healthy people to stay healthy people.
During a massage the warmth and pressure of the masseuse's hands encourage the release of histamine, this increases the dilation of capillaries. By maintaining oxygen flow to tired muscles after a workout and increasing circulation, a massage can accelerate healing. Increase in the rate of blood flow also helps to wash away metabolic wastes such as lactic acid, which build up during a hard workout. Recovery time is shortened.
The most well known and accepted benefit of massage is relaxation. In a study focusing on depressed children and teenagers who received a daily half hour massage for five days, it was found that they slept better, were less anxious and had lower levels of the stress hormones cortisol and norepinephrine. When stress build sup muscles tense and heart rate and blood pressure rise. Resistance to illness is lowered, the risk of heart disease is increased and you are left more susceptible to injury. Less stress and more sleep means that the body is able to concentrate on maintaining daily health and repairing and building up muscles. A massage tells the body that it is time to relax, store energy and generally just chill out.
For the professional athlete a good masseuse is the equivalent of those guys who can change four tyres in under seven seconds and fill the tank! Although many of the mental and physical benefits of massage may be hard to accurately measure, there is no doubt that when your mind and body feel good, performance increases. By relaxing the muscles, improving their range of motion and boosting circulation, you are significantly improving your chances of getting maximum returns from all that hard training.
The 4 most common rubs are: Effeurage, or gliding, this is the principal massage stroke. It is a long stroke towards the heart, usually done with the palm of the hand. Heavier pressure is used on the upward stroke with a light touch on the return stroke. The whole motion should be completed without taking the hands off of the skin! Friction, done mostly with the soft part of the thumb [although palms, elbows and knees can also be used] involves moving the muscle in small circles against the bone. It is most commonly done either side of the spine but can help anywhere in breaking down knots caused by stress and the accumulation of waste products. The friction creates heat and increases blood flow and cellular activity. It can also produce endorphins, which provide temporary pain relief. Pertrissage, is the kneading stroke that involves picking up, wringing, rolling and squeezing the muscles. It can be used on all parts of the body except the face! Yes, that includes the nose. It is especially useful on fleshy areas such as the hips and thighs. The idea is to pick up the muscle using the palm of the hand, not pinching the skin, and pull it as far away from the bone as possible. The next step is to gently squeeze, roll and wring the muscle. This action causes the veins and the lymphatic vessels to empty and fill, increasing circulation. Increases in blood flow bring nutrients to the muscles whilst also helping to reduce the build up of toxins. Pertrissage is particularly used to prevent muscle stiffness after exercise and to relieve muscle spasms. Percussion, used before exercise or at the end of a massage, stimulates the muscles rather than relaxing them. The most common percussion strokes are 'cupping' and 'hacking.' Cupping is done with the palms facing down in a cupped position, creating a vacuum effect. Hacking is that 'karate' style stroke. The hands are held with the palms facing each other and flicked from the wrist in a rhythmic movement with the fingers and sides of the hand hitting the skin. Percussion strokes are used on large, fleshy parts of the body such as the back and the thighs. These rapid strokes increase circulation and energise the body.
Physician, Heal Thyself!
A few tips on self massage, anywhere, anytime.
Not advised on public transport?
Back Rub
Aching backs are a symptom of life. Tight hamstrings and neck muscles can often result in tension through various areas of the back. To perform a self back massage, sit in a comfortable position on the floor, sit up straight. Press your thumbs into the dimples on either side of your lower back. Work your way as far up as possible using small circular friction strokes, work slowly and deeply. Give extra attention to any knots or nodules, pressing more firmly and slowly. Now, place your hands behind your back and firmly effeurage with your palms down the outside of your spine. The movement can be performed slowly for relaxation or more vigorously for stimulation. For a deeper massage use a clenched fist. Lastly, place both hands in the middle of your lower back with the heels of your palms together and your fingers facing outward. Make large outward circles with both hands simultaneously to loosen the lower lumbar and buttocks. Again a clenched fist will make a deeper rub! Don't forget good posture. Try this now! I was amazed, I didn't know it could be that good!
Calves and Thighs
Leg massages can be beneficial either before or after exercise. They can help to prevent stiffness and the dreaded cramp. Sit down on the floor with one leg out in front of you and the other leg bent with the foot flat on the ground. Glide your hands from your heel to the back of your knee. Repeat on the front of your shin using your fingers with one hand over the other to apply more pressure. Keeping your knee bent, work on the calf muscles with pertrissage and friction strokes. Pay close attention to the area around the Achilles tendon. Moving up to the thigh muscle, use a gliding stroke with your knee slightly flexed and resting on the floor. Effeurage the hamstring muscles up from the knees to the buttocks. With your leg outstretched, repeat on the front of the thigh. Next, with the knee bent, use kneading, pertrissage strokes to squeeze and ring the inner, middle and outer thigh.
Neck and Shoulders
To give yourself a neck and shoulder massage, sit in a chair, bend your neck forward and clasp your hands behind your head. Use your thumbs to apply deep downward gliding strokes. Next apply small circular friction strokes to the base of your skull. Now reach across the front of your body with your right hand touching your left shoulder blade. Use your fingertips to apply deep pressure to any knots, then repeat on the other side.
Enjoy yourself today.
An article by Del on jumping vertically, not just falling flat on your face . . .
Yesterday during my lunchtime training session with my brother I had what canonly be described as a moment of revelation...
Recently I have been attempting to be more structured and scientific in myapproach to fitness and training in general. I haven't been sure of it's successbut yesterday has confirmed it.
By following a simple program designed to improve jumping I managed to increasemy leap by 4" in a single 30 minute session. What was so exciting about it isthe fact that I didn't have to try any harder and certainly didn't develop theextra muscles in a single 30min session. All that happened was that myexpectations of how high I could jump shifted radically because the trainingdemonstrated my previous expectations were setting limits that were too low.
I'm telling you it's amazing, I was shocked at how easy it was to gain so much.
Equipment
A set of ankle/wrist weights - available from most sports shops.
A high target - I use the crossbar on a set of rugby posts. This will be too high for most people so do your best Blue Peter impression and do the following:
Some string. 5-7m is sufficient.
A tent peg.
An old disc. Make small hole in center of disc. Push string through and tie knot or attach a piece of plastic larger than the hole. Hang the disc over the crossbar and set it at the limit of your standing jump. Use the peg to hold the other end of the string into the ground.
Exercises
1 Warm up thoroughly, pay particular attention to your hamstrings, your calf muscles, your neck and your back.
2 Complete 10 standing jumps trying to tip your target with your fingers. If it's too easy set the target a little higher.
3 Run round the pitch as shown above. Every 3 or 4 steps jump into the air but concentrate on the activity identified. The height and speed of completion aren't important. On the 1st leg drive your arms upward as you take off, on the second leg focus on thrusting your leading knee upwards with the jump, on the 3rd leg concentrate on getting a good push off from the jumping leg. As shown in the 4th and 5th legs start to combine the activities.
4 After one lap, put the weights on your wrists and repeat the exercise.
5 Then put the weights on your ankles and complete the exercise.
6 Repeat the exercise again without any weights.
7 Next remove the weights and complete 10 standing jumps reaching for your target, think about the exercises you just been doing and try to incorporate these into your jump. It you're finding this easy now increase the height a little bit. Keep a mental note of the amount of string you take in. This is your 1st gain.
8 Put the weights on your ankles and complete 10 standing jumps. Despite the weights you should be able to reach the same height as without them.
9 Take the weights off and do another 10 standing jumps. You will now be able to jump a lot higher than previous. Keep taking the target up until it's just inside your reach.
10 Repeat steps 7-10 with running jumps. You should be able to reach your highest standing jump position initially.
11 Be amazed at how much you improved during this short session.
12 Hopefully, you're not doing this on your own. Grab some discs and practice making high grabs. This is important and is co-ordinating your leaping, reading and catching.
13 Warm down.
Any improvements you make during this session are due to a small improvement in technique and a large part is due to setting your subconscious limits higher. We all restrain ourselves to what we believe to be our limit, which isn't actually the same as what your body is capable of. You only ever jump as high as you think you can, push the boundaries and see what you can really do.
Del
Athletes and performers often fail to achieve their best when they are too tight, anxious or stressed out. The problem is usually a consequence of losing perspective, task focus or mental control.
Individuals have different bodily responses to the onset of stress. Some feel tenseness in the neck or shoulders. Others experience shaky legs, queasiness in the stomach, a rapid increase in heart rate, sweaty palms, a pounding in the head and so on. Do you recognise your own symptoms of stress? As soon as you are able to recognise the signs of stress you can do something about it.
To bring on relaxation some athletes like to focus on different muscles groups or to focus on breathing slowly. Others like to imagine beachy shores, happy places, listen to music and so on. There is no right way. Personally, in the hours before a game I like chatting to friends and playing hack. If I feel stressed immediately prior to or during a game I like to stretch. I don't mean stretching in the specific muscle focused way but in the delicious invigorating 'good morning stretch' way. Lying flat on my back and stretching myself out is incredibly relaxing. My focus shifts from the cause of stress and I can feel the muscles in my stomach working out little kinks. When I stand again I feel 'loose' and ready to play. Key words such as 'loose', 'relax', 'breathe', 'let go' etc accompanied by deep breaths all help. Try to develop your own relaxation strategy.
As part of your pre-game preparation thinking about positive images can help. Think about your greatest moments on the pitch, like the time El Crapitano layed out past Rodders to retrieve Vito's offence throw away with a left handed snatch. Try to relive the experience and remind yourself how good you are.
Keep a special place for 'old faithful'. . .
Del
Adam's bit . . .
Re the dump.
Whether to mark it hard or not is a tactical decision depending on who you are playing. Some teams find it difficult with the passing lane poached some when the dump is covered.
The decision about which way you want to play comes from your Team leaders before the game and is then passed on and followed by the team during the game. It is often an excellent tactic to change how you cover the dump during the game itself or if you are clever with an active sideline, during the point itself either on distance travelled down the field [still called and reinforced from the sideline] or on a call from the sideline who may be able to see the effects better.
To this end a Defensive coordinator is very usefull
When marking the dump:
You can't allow the break force dump ie the one that opens up the whole field and screws the whole D
If you are going to give a possible lead dump always make sure it is for a sidearm - it is a lot tougher! BUT NEVER A BREAK FORCE DUMP
When marking the dump if you look at him then the thrower should "German" you by putting the disc to either side and leting the player go and fetch. If you look at the thrower then the dump will cut and be easily free so what you need to do is watch both. If you are looking back and for do it at IRREGULAR intervals.
Wayne's bit . . .
If you want to get a D when marking the dump I feel that the best things isto stand slightly off the line between the thrower and the dump at about 90degrees to the line and keep looking from one to the other. If youconsistently watch one then you can't stop the pass.
Keep on your toes [i.e. move around even if you don't need to run anywhere]and look "active". Look like you WILL get the D if they try the pass - eventry and give the impression that you WANT then to try it so that you can getyour D
It's a fantastic felling if you do get the turnover!
Roger's bit . . .
Mark the dump - TIGHT! In every single point played, here in the U.K., the dump is used. Such is the definition of 'playing safe'. It only works here in the U.K., because defenders poach on the dump. You have to keep tight. I have figured that marking the dump TIGHEST is one of the most important defensive tasks. It puts incredible pressure on the other team because: where IS their safe pass?! It is no longer the 'easy pass' we ALL expect to have.
Many people have mentioned that the German style of play is different. It is known as a 'fast' kind of ultimate. I have lived in Germany for a few months, so I will tell you why it is different. In Germany, the dump is NEVER an easy pass. They cannot afford to hold on to the disc for too long because the safe option is rarely safe. How do they advance the disc? THEY STAY OUT OF EACH OTHER'S WAY! And how do they do that? They anticipate their cuts. And folks, I must mention this too: a cut on the closed side of the thrower is just as important. If it is a hard pass, at the very least you will make space for someone else.
Staying out of each other's ways is not a matter of communication. But yes a matter of being in the right place at the right time. If you see someone who looks like they are in the right place at the right time, stay out of their way. And very important: THIS is the time to think of your next cut.
Actually, if you observe the really strong teams, you will notice that the dump is used most often as an 'immediate pass'. Someone who makes a loooong cut towards the thrower and recieves the disc is prone to [1] fatigue and [2] loss of field vision. So, if you make that long cut in, give the disc to the dump immediately because he/she will be facing upfield and will be rested [dump, BE THERE]. Plus, you will shuffle their defense and THERE IS THE SPACE WE NEED.
This throw is a lethal weapon! Used correctly [pick your receiver] the throw can be used to quickly and effectively circumnavigate any defensive structure. Ideally the disc will be launched from a considerable distance outside the endzone. The throw should be made from close to one sideline and aimed at the front or back corner of the endzone along the opposite sideline. What you need wind-wise is a slight breeze crossing the pitch from the throwing sideline toward the receiving side of the endzone. This cross-field breeze will flow across the top side of the disc which is presented to it and this is where the magic lies!
During the course of this throw the disc will describe an arc from the point of the throw, downfield 20, 30 or 40 metres, into the scoring endzone. Travelling at angle of around 40-45 degrees from the horizontal, the disc must rise to a final height of around 15-20 metres before beginning its descent.
As the disc rises to the apex of its flight [the bit where it has finished going up and is thinking about looking for a safe place to land] the cross breeze really comes into effect. The air flowing across the top face of the disc acts as a brake. Thus slowing the disc's rotation and causing it to almost stall and then enter a steep dive. Having almost stalled at the top of its arc, the disc begins to dive at such an acute angle that any lost speed is soon replaced. Receiver beware.
"You're not respecting your team with that throw!"
Adam Batchelor, Pastie Smashers, Glastonbury 2002
Your receiver needs to be cutting hard into the endzone toward the opposite sideline from the thrower. As the runner heads into the endzone they need to be looking for the disc dropping back into the corner of the endzone from beyond the sideline. Thrown correctly, the 'Curly Wurly' will arrive from such a heady angle that any receiver in the right place at the right time will find that his/her marker has almost no potential bid on the disc. The throw should be up in the air long enough for you to seriously contemplate the wisdom of your judgement.
Sven
and looking good for boys?! . . .
Poor catching is usually down to one or a combination of factors:
Poor focus
Poor reactions
Poor technique
Try the following things to address each one:
Poor focus - This is my own biggest problem particularly when playing withpeople I don't know very well or if I'm playing badly in general. I getconcerned about looking good [that's the way I play rather than the way Iphysically look!] and often end up dropping the catch because I'm thinking 'hey,that was a pretty good cut' or something similar [Be honest, how many of youcatch yourself thinking about the throw, or your cut, or whether that boy/girlis watching, or how close your defender is, why his footprints have gonesilent etc etc, just after dropping?]. Obviously making a mistake will makethings worse. If you start thinking this way [and many athletes in all sportsdo] try not to castigate yourself for the drop but re-focus and play D. It willhelp.
Run drills that put extra pressure on people. Running the straight at cut whenyou're really tired is a good way. Another way, which I discussed with Marcolast night, is to add in two defenders positioned 2 yards either side of thestack and 3-4 yards in front. As the cutter passes level with the defenders anaudio cue is given and the defenders try to intercept the pass. They shouldn'tbe able to [they starting from stationary when the cutter is already moving] butit really does add pressure. Also try having the stack of players waiting toparticipate in a cut/drill within the cutter's field of view so they knoweveryone's watching. You have to get used to this kind of pressure.
Poor reactions - This is particularly obvious in poor conditions when the disccan bobble at the last moment but can be needed at any time. If you can't reactquickly to a change in path you will drop it and what's more you won't feel it'syour fault. There are classic drills designed to improve general reactions andthere are some drills which you can create.
Try getting in groups of between 5 and 7 players and lying down on the floorbetween two cones about 10 yards apart and number off. The coach calls out 2numbers and those players jump to their feet and round the cones and back totheir original position. Add in simple maths to improve speed of thought [i.e"numbers 3+4 & 7-2, Go!"]. Also try having players stand with their back to thedisc and on command [say after the disc has travelled half the distance, turnand make the catch].
Poor technique - Two hands! Everybody thinks they catch better with one and theyprobably do but they are more likely to catch it with two which is moreimportant. It's difficult on astro but if you need to slide to get two hands ona low disc you should do it.
Also try practising the way you catch discs that are above shoulder height andbelow waist. Above the shoulder you catch with hands apart, thumbs down &pointing inwards and palms pointing 45' away from you and in so that your forefinger and thumb create a virtual triangle big enough for a disc to fit snuglyin. By slapping against the flesh between your forefinger and thumb it willcause your hand to snap shut.
Below the waist it's fingers down and thumbs up.
In between it's two hands pancake every single time. If you can jump to get yourwaist to shoulder region [the pancake region] at the right height so it's asimple pancake catch you should do so. Never make a difficult catch when an easyone was possible just by jumping.Similarly if you can slide or kneel [not advised, it's a prime layout D target]to get your pancake region lower you should do so.
Never try to catch the disc with your palms facing away. It's a recipe fordisaster.
And as Wayne points out, practice, practice, practice. Try to catch properly atall times. Don't stand and wait for discs when you are just chucking about. Take astep into it at the last moment, jump to get the pancake region up to the rightheight if you need to. By practising this way you will play this way and Ipromise you will see improvement.
Del
Here's a recipie for a lovely little sauce to give a great kick to and finish any Thai curry! This is an absolute gem and all the ingredients can be readily acquired at your local Oriental supermarket.
The Science: Chillies actually work to release endorphins. These lovely little chemicals start running around inside your head promoting feelings of well being and a warm glow of happiness! Fact.
Nuoc Cham
2 small garlic cloves [crushed]
2 small fresh red chillies [those little 'birdseye' type are best] [crushed and minced]
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons fresh lime/lemon juice
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1/4 cup Nuoc Cham [fish sauce, see 'oriental supermarket']
Combine the garlic chilli and sugar in a mortar. Pound with a pestle to a fine paste. Add the lime juice, vinegar, fish sauce and a 1/4 cup of water. Stir to blend. Put in a bowl and serve as an accompaniment!
Try a splash of fish sauce in your next omlette. Its a great alternative to salt!
Sven
ARIES [Mar 21- Apr 20]: Your insights will fill many egg crates. But others are not on your wavelength and you will be frustrated by their indifference.
TAURUS [Apr 21 - May 21]: You will become privvy to a great secret and you will succumb to the temptation to spread it around.
GEMINI [May 22 - Jun 21]: Remember that there is no excuse for boredom if you have an imagination. You may need to be selfish in order to help others.
CANCER [Jun 22 - Jul 23]: This is not the weekend to be lazy and hope somebody will give you a lucky 'break.' Enter the sweepstake with Will and Marc, it could be you!
LEO [Jul 24 - Aug 23]: Deciding whether to accept the point of view of others or your own can be a major dilemma. Just flip a coin.
VIRGO [Aug 24 - Sep 23]: Meet as many people in your life as possible. You may get to shag one of them.
LIBRA [Sep 24 - Oct 23]: The full moon will make everyone more emotional than usual, but take no notice, they just want attention.
SCORPIO [Oct 24 - Nov 22]: An act of altruism will cause others to turn against you. You will also be plagued by eyesight problems.
SAGITTARIUS [Nov 23 - Dec 22]: Although alcohol may soothe the palate, there can be no soothing of the bitter taste of defeat.
CAPRICORN [Dec 23 - Jan 20]: Take time out for romance and revelry. Enjoy the party while it lasts.
AQUARIUS [Jan 21 - Feb 19]: Say nothing about others' actions now and you'll have a much more difficult time complaining later. Sledge others at every opportunity.
PISCES [Feb 20 - Mar 20]: Worries about the dependability of others are legitimate. The rest of your team is SOFT.
Realise your karmic destiny...
Astral predictions are brought to you courtesy of the 'Melbourne Zodiac Hat Tournament 2000.' Possibly one of the best Hats in the world! If you're ever in Eastern Australia over the first weekend of December then don't miss it!
How to organise a women's team - Talk about it for ages then a week before the tournament ring as many women as you can to find players, get t shirts printed in two days and set up an e-group at some point. It wasn't a conventional way of doing things but hey it worked!
Bristol women's team, aptly named 'Nice Bristols' got off to a last minute start. We had two definites - myself and "fresh off the plane" Kylie [experience - 2 Thursday night training sessions and one chuck around]. But with Lucy Byrne's telesales expertise and Sue's willingness to play with a hangover, by Thursday we had enough to take part in Femme Feste II.
So how did it go? Pretty good considering the background - a not very experienced indoor team who had never played together before. Saturday's highlights included beating Red and Wow in sudden death [both sudden death points scored by Kylie Don] and finishing in the top 3 of our pool. Having won our cross over to ensure that we went into the top 6 for Sunday Jess, Jo and UWE Sarah dragged themselves home to study.
Sunday saw the arrival of Pioli and Burn Baby Byrne. Red had dropped out that day due to depleted numbers, leaving Ivy [aka Bliss], Princess, Bristols, Space Maidens and Pochari playing each other in a round robin. We lost to Pochari and Ivy but beat Princess Layout who had beaten Ivy. All we needed was for Space Maidens to beat Ivy (which they so nearly did) and we would have a chance at the final. Not this time but we still ended up a very respectful 3rd.
Although there was some controversy surrounding FFII and its organisation it was a great tournament for 'Bristols' and to top it all off we won spirit - NICE!
For further details on Women's Ultimate in Bristol contact .
Beth Rougier |