Making the Team, Part I

I apologize for the lull in posting over the past 2 weeks. It's been partially a result of me being bogged down with schoolwork and also because this post has taken so long to compose. Originally it was going to be just one post about expectations for the spring, but from there it has pretty clearly evolved into 3 separate (but equal) articles. Here's the first, written by me. Enjoy.


Given that the spring is coming quickly and the team split will happen probably in a couple months, I thought it would be a good idea to post about what Steve, Doug and I will be looking for in an A-teamer this spring.

O and D lines
We played somewhat exclusive lines last year for our last tournament of the semester and it worked well for the most part. This year we'll be doing it all spring. We'll be creating starting O and D lines and the rest of the team will be subs with an offensive or defensive focus. The main idea behind this strategy is that we'll be a better team if we're able to focus on one playing one position and play with the same 6 other players every time we're on the field. In the rest of this post I'll break down all of the positions on our O and D lines, and what we're looking for at each position. First I'll talk a little about what the O and D lines are expected to do as a whole.

Note: Ultimate players that know more than I do about the sport (easy, Padula), feel free to add some input in the comments section

O line
The O line will play all offensive points (meaning when we receive the disc) and they're expected to score every time they step on the field. Ultimate is all about break, not points. Definition of a break: If our O line gets scored on, the other team is up a break. The O line can't get broken or it puts our Defense in a "must break" situation. We've talked about it all fall (remember - last week of practices before Hucktoberfest this fall): Disc security comes first when we're on offense. Every O line player should feel comfortable with the disc and display the ability to make good decisions especially in high pressure situations (translation: learn how to dump. do it well. do it often). An O line player's priorities on the field are as follows, in order:
1. Maintain possession of the disc
2. Move the disc
3. Advance the disc

D line
The D lines job is to generate breaks, plain and simple. A D line player should bring a high level of intensity to the field every time they step out on it, and should bid for everything. In addition to being absolutely nuts on defense, they also need to know how to quickly switch over to chilly mode once a turnover is generated in order to avoid marathon points that will come back to haunt us in the form of dead legs later in any given tournament. A D line player's priorities are as follows, in order:
1. Prevent your man from being a viable option
2. Get the D
3. Put it in


O Line Handler
A player in this position is under a lot of pressure. An O line handler must have excellent field sense and decision making abilities. One throw-away at this spot could be the game. Again, disc security is first priority so an O line handler can't drop dumps, and must always get open for a dump when the time calls for it. This player must know how to handle the pressure of getting the most touches out of anyone on the field, especially in big games when the intensity and emotion is at its highest. Remember, a wise man once said: "When you have the disc, you're the quarterback of the team"

O Line Mid
I know that we don't use the terms "mid" and "long" anymore, but for the sake of this post a "mid" will be 2 & 3 in the H-stack. I'll say it again: disc security. An offensive mid will be able to get open consistently (even off of a stopped disc) and won't drop discs. The main cut we look for from our mids is the short to mid-range in-cut, so an offensive mid should be quick footed and run through every disc. I can't stress this enough. Another great attribute of an offensive mid is the ability to exploit the give n go. Your main priority is to keep the disc moving. Catch, dump, repeat.

O Line Deep
"Deep" refers to 1 & 4 in the H-stack. This is a tough position. This player should have the same mindset as the handlers and mid of maintaining possession of the disc first and foremost, but must also be able to put up the deep ball off of an open in-cut and sky for the huck when the time comes. It's easy to get trapped on the line in this position so a proficiency in dumping/swinging is crucial.

In the end...
In this post I've talked almost exclusively about physical attributes and abilities that we look for in A-teamers, but by far the most important quality in an A-teamer, and any player for that matter, is commitment. I don't care if you're the best player on the team, or the most talented rookie, or even the best disc chugger--if you want to play a role on this team, you have to be committed to improving at every practice, and making your team better in any reasonable way that you can. In conclusion, show up to practice, hussle your a** off, and play hard D and you can play on my team any day.