Talking with Trainor: Anne Mercier / Ottawa Gee Gee's Women's Ultimate

Nation,

As I said before, we need to devote more attention to the women's game on this blog. No two teams are more deserving at this time than the UBC Thundbirds and the Ottawa Gee Gees, both looking to make it to the UPA College Regionals this spring.

Hammer Time at Vegas 08

Anne Mercier took the time to quickly interview with me before she and her teammates head out to regionals. Mercier, one of the best players in the college game and a UPA club game breaker, will look to help lead her talented squad right to the finals.

Best of luck to the lady Gee Gee's!
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What was the Vegas tournament like? How does it compare to other victories?

Vegas was awesome. A fun city that no one has ever visited before. It was sweet to have a different ultimate venue compared to what we were used to at home (in a gym or in the snow).

The competition was great. I think the Sunday was the best - playing UW in the quarters, Wisconsin in the semis and UCLA in the finals. It's great to see college women's ultimate at a high level. It made us realize that there were many teams who are really skilled and it was a good to see some west coast teams too.

The victory was awesome. Don't know how I'd 'rate' them against other victories but it's definitely up there. Winning the 3-day tournament with 12 girls was huge and I'm sure everyone who was there will remember it for a very long time.

How were Sectionals? Despite the weather problems, did the team take anything out of the experience?

Sectionals was good. Despite running in foot-sinking ankle-high mud fields, we're happy with the results. We were able to iron out a few more kinks in our game, and it was great to be playing outside again!

How do you feel heading into Regionals? What teams do you prepare for?

I think I speak for the whole team when I say that I'm completely stoked for the weekend. We didn't have the chance last year to attend, and any/every accomplishment will be a new one for this relatively young team.

We haven't seen much in-region competition, but based on this season's results I'd say that Maryland, Pittsburgh and NYU are the teams that we'd have to look out for. They have solid programs and I would expect to get some good games during the wknd against these teams. However, we still can't rule out the rest of the pack; a good number of teams have some great talent and could give us a run for our money (proved by Cornell's 3 point run in our sectionals final near the end of the game).

Does the narrow window of opportunity in college scare your team, given you are a favoured women's team this year?

Favoured or not - doesn't really matter. All we need to know is that there are 2 spots to go to Nationals. We have to work hard to get one of those two spots. I don't think we're scared. More-so we want to rise up to the challenge.

How do you prepare for good teams you have yet to play?

Most of the work has already been done - at practice, training and trowing on our own time etc. We go back to the basics no matter who we face and play to the level that we can play. We're going to play against many good teams that we've never met before over the next few weeks. Smart matchups will help, but if we stick to what we know and just play our game, hopefully everything will be okay. One point at a time.

Which players are expected to lead this year? Have there been any pleasant performance surprises?

I think in college it falls down to the same people on all teams: those who are confident enough to lead. That normally comes down to the comp (club) players. But in all honesty, so many people on the team have already stepped it up this year. Even though it's in different ways, every person has found their role on the team and does a superb job of doing what the team needs them to do.

Who have been the toughest opponents thus far in the spring series? (Vegas tourney included)

So far, I'd say that we had our best competition in Vegas - mainly during the Sunday games. Our toughest game was against Wisconsin. They have a really deep team, an all around athletic roster, and many big-game players that are very capable of taking over games. This was a while ago so I'd assume that they've only gotten better.

Do you think a UBC-Ottawa UPA college final is possible?

Hell yes.

It's possible, but there's still a lot between now and May 18th. It's going to take a lot of work and there will be 20+ teams that would like to have a say on that. We'll see with regionals first, then think about Nationals (hopefully).

Talking with Trainor: Tory Hislop/ UBC Women's Ultimate

Nation,

This site needs more cowbell. No wait.. it needs more ladies coverage.

The UPA College regionals are coming up, and Canada should be talking about the women's division. Why? UBC and Ottawa are both heading into their respective regionals with legitimate chances to make UPA Finals. Dare I say either of them could make the championship game, against one another?

Being in central Canada (no, Ontario is not Eastern Canada!), I don't get to see UBC mens or women's teams as much as I would like. However, I know enough to know there is a rich history of strong clubs from the school, and that is no different this year. The women's team has had an impressive spring, and I contact one of their team captains (Tory Hislop) to find out more about the team before their regionals grudge match.

Not only did I get a quick response, but an excellent one. I'm not the only one covering the team's quest.

Best wishes to the Thunderbirds!
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What was the Vegas tournament like?

Vegas is always a great tournament. It is the biggest tournament, starting on a Friday and going to Sunday. It is always a good place to get a feel for where the team is at in comparison to everyone else, and this year we saw so much potential for our team.

Overall it is a great tournament with teams from all over the states, and obviously in an extremely fun location. We made it to semi-finals and unfortunately lost to UCLA, but it didn't really feel like a lose because I think we were all so excited for the season after seeing some of the talent we had on the team.

What are your thoughts on the Stanford Invite?

(I wasn't there) But we did make it finals and again lost to UCLA. From what I heard we had to get some players "set-up" big time to compensate for the missing players and injured players. So again we walked away knowing we had lots of talent but still need to create more cohesion, to exploit it.

How big was the tourney win at Centex?

Centex is a long way from Vancouver, so with travel expenses, time commitment and injury issues, only 12 of our 24 players where able to make it down. With only 12 players the cohesion that had been missing came out in full force. Players again had to step up into bigger roles then they were use to and as a dynamic group of 12 players and 1 coach we managed to play our system all the way to the finals. However this time we did not get to face UCLA but instead UW.

The whole game was close, with some strong wind conditions making it any ones game up until the very end. Winning the tournament felt amazing especially after having being one step closer with each tournament we played but also on top of that we won $2000.

How were Sectionals?

We came to Sectionals slightly disorganized and maybe a little to confident after our Centex win. We definitely did not play very well for most of Saturday. Sunday our play in comparison to Saturday was much improved. We faced UW first game of the day and last game of the day. The first game did not go well at all, they came out strong and didn't let up. The second game was finals and again they came out strong, played really well and earned the win.

We on the other hand came out soft, with some turnovers, a couple drops, and before we knew it we were down 8-3 at half. We climbed our way back to 11-9 but the game was done before we had a chance to close the gap anymore.

How do you feel heading into Regionals? What teams do you prepare for?

I want to believe that sometimes losing is a good thing. I hoping the feeling of defeat had pushed us to practice harder, and driven us to want to win. We are in the middle of exams so have not had a full team at practice lately, because of that it is hard to say how we are looking, but I am confident that we have all the talent to do extremely well.

I am not sure that we are preparing for any team in particular, mostly we are preparing to play hard, play smart, and play our system; hopefully that preparation will help us be successful with every team we face.

Does the narrow window of opportunity in college scare your team, given you are a highly regarded women's team this year? (i.e. So few bids)

I am amazed on a daily basis by the talent, athleticism, and field sense that many of our players have. We have proven our ability to succeed and I think a lot of us were disappointed with last years finish at college nationals and would love the opportunity to go further this year.

Being led by a player like Kira Frew is truly inspiration, and a source of confidence for us, she makes us all want to play harder, run faster, and ultimately WIN! The idea of not making college nationals is always sitting in the back our minds but I think that helps push us to work harder so hopefully that hard work will pay off this weekend.

How do you prepare for good teams you have yet to play?

We have a great coach, Stephanie Chow, she tells us what to do and we go do our best to make it happen.

Which players are expected to lead this year? Have there been any pleasant performance surprises?

This is a hard question, we have a lot of talent, and on any given day a different girl may step up. I like to think we are a team of 24+coach and every win is an effort of the team. With that said I also don't think it would be fair not to give credit to Kira Frew for her beautiful throws and unbelievable D's, also Nikki Short's height and speed has make a lot happen on the field for us, and finally I want to give notice to Lindsay Olimer who although has been injured for the past two months started off the season showing lots of potential to make some great things happen, and we are very excited to be getting her back from regionals.

Who have been the toughest opponents thus far in the spring series?

Well UCLA is the only team we have played and not beaten this season, but UW is a team we have seen more and know our system better, they are a very talented team with a lot of drive. Therefore, I am going to have to say UW.

Do you think a UBC-Ottawa UPA college final is possible?

Anything is possible!

Roster Size- Too Big, Too Small, or Just Right?

Nation,

Tryout season is alive and well in Canada right now, and most likely down in the U-S of A. As teams are being formed, the question many people discuss is this:

• How many guys should we carry?

An impossible question, which makes for a debate that never ends.

Personally, I've always been a big fan of carrying a team of 20-25. It seems big at the start of the year, but yet it always seems to whittle down each and every year. Even with 25 players, you're likely to have a tournament where your numbers are bordering around 14. People have jobs, lives outside of ultimate, and there is always that nasty injury bug that haunts many players, some more than others. And some ultimate players, dare I say it, lack committment to make all practices and tournaments even if they say they will at the start of the year.

While you might only bring 20 players to each tournament, you need to make everyone hungry for every practice.

If you're going with a program of two teams, I think you need at least 50. I think the lower half of a program is transient in nature, and the last thing you want to do is find replacements in mid summer.

Do players want to be in the 20-25 spots or in practice rosters:? The good ones will, as long as they get good experience and play with a winner.

So the poll question is : How big should a team roster be in ultimate? What are the considerations?

Getting the Stars to Buy In- Strategic Deployment

Nation,

If you want to have a post with a lot of discussion, talk about college! This post is more general, and thus I estimate will receive less posts.

One of the things I have seen over the years in ultimate is the insistence of star players to play games and points that are not meaningful. Unless they are hurt, sun stroked or already dehydrated and tired, it seems every great player wants to play every o point and every d point during a tournament.

Ian Graham-2006 CUC
Source: Ultypics/Cory Berhout

Just to ensure you understand my focus here, I'm NOT talking about bad line calling. That happens a lot in our fair sport, where we see great teams completely fail to utilize a roster full of talent when it matters most. I'm simply talking about the overuse/overplaying of star players and how that can/should be corrected.

We all love teammates who want to play every point. I would say that these ultimate players are doing it to try and help the team and because they love to play, not for ego and selfish reasons. No one needs to pad their stats in ultimate because we don't really take them.. yet. (insert evil laugh here).

I think we all want to play every point at the onset of a tournament, but realities of the strategically inclined soon set in. There are Saturday match ups where your less than great players should play and win some games for you. Every point that you can save your best on Saturday and early Sunday is going to improve your chances on sunday afternoon glory this spring, summer and fall.

You don't know what kind of battle you'll face the next day, just that you'll be fighting. So save your ammo.

And please, stop the "I need my reps" and "I'll get out of sync if I sit off". All players should be properly ready with practice during the weeks and proper tournament day warm ups.

More and more teams have rosters of 25-30 guys/gals per tournament, and the majority of these players think that they aren't getting enough play time. We're always trying to cater to our best players for fear of anger/frustration, but teams have to realize that their best players may not know what's best for their bodies and the team's chances. The road to he$$ is paved with good intentions.. and so on.

Contrast this to other sports, and you'd be surprised to see the mentality of top athletes. Preserving for when they need it most and managing themselves to extract top results is just business.

With an influx of coaches on club teams, you'll start to see better roster management. Not only will stars be better rested, but role players will have a clear role and can enter Sunday knowing they contributed the day before and should be involved on the sideline and on the field as needed.

Selling the best players on this idea will be the hardest part. Ideas?

Defending my Opponents

Nation,

I haven't had much free time since my birthday last month. The sheer fact that I'm writing at 1:21 am says it all about my work day length. I don't read much in terms ultimate blogs or threads. I honestly can't wait to catch up after my big Olympic Accred deadline tomorrow. That and start the long training road to peaking at nationals.

When I get free time, I read the best I know. (Jeters, Polish Prince, Jimmy P, etc). Looking at Peter Jamieson's site, I see a lot of great posts lately, and one topic seems particularly hotly contested.

Toronto has won two consecutive national university titles. Other teams are a little frustrated with their run. They don't like the fact that U of T has used the CUPA university rules to their advantage. Two national crowns, yet only one sectionals qualification in UPA college series, which lead to disqualification. Elite Club Ringers and questions of true player development within the system threaten to undermine recognition of Tula's accomplishments.

Is this fair?

I say no. I have every reason to be bitter. I helped build Western from bare foot to contender during the time of UofT's run, and I think their team was the only team to eliminate us from regionals and nationals playoffs during my masters. We also had as many UPA regional qualifications as they have, and yet we had only 2-5 players who used summer club teams as way to get better. As captain trying to lead a team full of players who don't/never played a summer season of club ultimate, it's tough to "scheme" an entire line of GOAT players from York and U of T.

HOWEVER...

At this point I don't think they cheated during this time. I think the rules are flawed and they should be changed. Until so, I won't take away from those who use the rules better than others. I think all other captains might be hypocritical to do so.

I also think the program at U of T is a lot stronger today and in the future because of the work of PJ and the other strong players. It makes a big difference on and off the field to experience winning. If they failed to truly develop players outside of already made club players, they will feel it soon enough. If that is the case, TULA will go back to being %hitty.

You can't belittle titles by a schools because they operate in a big city and have more access to talent. Ottawa has the biggest supply of talent, and failed to use it for years for both schools/genders. Big cities haven't even started to exploit their resources to the fullest yet, so small towns/schools should be happy about that.

What can other schools do?

• Lobby CUPA to change the University Nationals rules. No more public outcries and bit%hing, go straight to the powers that be.
  
• Learn from the success of Toronto/UBC and adapt what is applicable
• Have a good plan and stick to it
  
• Find out the strengths of your school/city/team and cultivate them
• Understand the stakes have been raised and find a way to get the edge (Fitness? Skill? Player Development? Depth? Hot ladies? Tactics?)
  
• Develop transfer of knowledge systems that makes your team strong and continuous long after you're finishing your final exams in grad year.
  

UPA College Updates- Canadian Teams

Nation,

Here's a quick post updating everyone on the weekend's latest sectional results (Thanks to Mooney, Haig et al for the updates on my last post)

• UBC wins their sectionals
• Ottawa women were slated to play, but no results posted yet
• Carleton wins their sectionals with a mere nine guys, while Queens finishes fourth
• Michigan sectionals are postponed due to rain, and rescheduled. (Western, Toronto affected)

Any other news?

UPA College Best Bets

Nation,

As I plan to watch the Team Canada juniors tryouts this weekend in Ottawa, I start to think about "kids" a little older. Specifically, Canadian universities trying to qualify for UPA college finals.

Having the chance to play spring series with Western, I can say it is very enjoyable. We were relative unknowns (People thought the W on our jerseys meant we were from Wisconsin, which makes no sense playing in Michigan sectionals.) who stole regional births and made a good number of american teams cry.

Every year, this quest goes on with little fanfare. While everyone is talking about Wisconsin as the team of destiny, I would like to identify

• Which teams from Canada are playing?
• Which Canadian Teams have the best chance to make it to regionals?

From the outside, I have to think UBC is our best bet to be a strong regionals contender. One also has to note Toronto, Western, McGill, Queens, and a vastly improved Carleton squad.

College readers, give us the scoop!