Breakside Blog
 Kate Newburgh
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 Kristin Nazario
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 The People's Champ
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Player Profiles
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| Lies!?!? |
The secret is out...everyone lies in the Playing Experience section of their profile. If you are eligible to play in the Grandmasters division, you are not an "A" player. You may have been once, but you are not now, so please change your stats accordingly. Your time passed after you won nationals/worlds 10+ years ago. The rest of us expect you to lower your stats every year until you reside in the middle of the C pool, at which point you should retire because we'll all be afraid of giving you your career-ending injury on the field. If you have been playing for less than three years, you aren't even close to being as good as you think. The draft committee will get you if you don't fix those stats. If you play competitive club, stop tanking your stats so that your friend can draft you with all your other friends/teammates. You know who you are, and so do we.
Everyone please click on the Additional Information link below to help stop the madness.
Conflict of Interest
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I'd like to start by saying that I love Ali and Suss and I think they are great people. If either of you think differently, you can smoosh me with chocolate next time you see me. For your sake, make sure it's light outside and I can see you, chocolate in hand, well before the smooshing commences because I have mace in my bag...that E/F parking lot gets pretty sketchy after 8PM.
Those of you that read the article regarding WUDi’s newly implemented conduct policy (http://www.wudi.org/articles/?id=422) may have noticed that two of the conduct committee members are captaining the same club team. A fairly major (and obvious) conflict of interest would arise if a complaint arose involving a player from their team. Even if one of their players is not the petitioner(s) or respondent(s) in a particular case, “neutral” witness accounts given by one of their players might be subconsciously given weighted credibility during their personal deliberations. While the conduct policy clearly defines the process for appointing temporary replacements in the event of a conflict, wouldn’t it be more logical to start off with a committee that didn’t have two members who would likely be affected by a conflict of interest (whether explicitly or implicitly) at the same time and in the same way, requiring a search for two temporary alternates? Given the short time frame for decisions to be announced, I don’t think this would be very efficient, as the board would have to scramble to find two female replacements. Yes, decisions can be made with a quorum of five, but I would not want the two female opinions that are explicitly guaranteed in other parts of the policy to be excluded.
Make sure all of the smooshing happens on my face as my shirt will probably be grubby; I’d like to sample some of the wares that you’re slinging without ingesting toxic shirtsweatbacteriadirt. So aim for the face, not center mass.
People’s Champ
The People's Champ
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| Not This People's Champ |
By way of introduction, I am The People’s Champ, an Ultimate Frisbee player based in the tri-state area. I plan to bring entertaining commentary in a stream-of-consciousness form to the WUDi constituency on a weekly basis (we’ll see how long the weekly thing actually lasts). My aim is to provide a voice for what the masses are thinking, but aren’t necessarily saying for everyone to hear. Send comments, questions, rants, topic suggestions, Paypal payments (I’ll spend it all on the development of youth ultimate, I promise), etc. to peopleschamp at wudi dot org. That’s it for now.
I’m listening,
The People’s Champ
Manhattan (MUD) Summer League
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Perhaps there are some ladies who couldn't make the commitment to WUDi this year due to work or transportation issues. Or maybe there are some ladies registered for WUDi who would love to have even more options for ultimate. In that case, you may definitely want to check out MUD Summer League. But please, I beg you . . . do not go to MUD instead of WUDi on Wednesdays. We need you! :) I'm getting too old to play savage.
Manhattan Ultimate Disc (MUD) Summer League Information:
*First Games start at 12PM, Sunday, June 8, 2008 at Inwood Park and Riverside Park.
*Co-Ed League (5M/2W format, 4/3 optional).
*Games run from June 8th, 2008 through Finals Week ending on August 10, 2008 (No games July 4th Weekend).
*Games are held on Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday
Each team is guaranteed at least one game every Sunday. Teams will play on one of the weekdays noted above or have a bye during the week.
Weekend games are currently scheduled to start at Noon. Weekday games are scheduled to start at 6:30PM
*The fee is $50 ($10 of which is reimbursable if you are a UPA member and provide proof of active membership). Your fee will include a jersey and disc (may not be available by first game, but will be issued shortly thereafter)
*To register or for more information, please visit the website at http://www.manhattanultimate.com/Summer2008/index.htm
The Rights of a WSL Veteran
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| WSL 1995 Champs: Dark Green |
Some history. In the days of yore (early and mid 90's), WSL kept attendance at every game. As an individual, if your attendance was not 60% for the summer, you were not eligible to participate in the playoffs. When the league went to the two tiered playoff set up (top 8 from regular season play for the championship, while the bottom 8 play for the CHUMPionship), regular season attendance was not as critical and attendance was not monitored anymore. If players did not show during the regular season games and your team did not make the top 8, so be it. Your team was just a bunch of chumps. But now that the Coed Draft League has dropped from 16 to 10 teams, all teams have a shot at the championship...no matter their regular season record.
It's sad to say, but more often than you'd imagine, at the beginning of the summer, many summer league participants know that they are only going to attend a very small number of games all summer long and will "maybe" attend the playoffs. This is devastating for any team that truly relies on its numbers in order to compete, but it is really detrimental in a league such as Coed Draft, where players are locked out due to a cap on the number of players allowed to register...even if those who are locked out will have high attendance percentages.
This summer, for a number of reasons, I have chosen to participate in Open Draft. But my biggest reason for doing so is because of my attendance. For the entire summer, I plan on making approximately 6 out of the 22 regular season games. Because of this, I can't convince myself to take one of the limited spots for men in Coed Draft and lock out a player who is new to WSL or even a veteran who was too lazy to get his butt over to the computer to register early. I am hoping that someone with higher attendance percentages will take that coveted slot.
I'd also like to think that all the men who are registering for Coed Draft this summer have thought about how their attendance (or lack there of) will affect the teams and the league as a whole. Yes, I know if all men with low attendance percentages dropped out of Coed Draft and went to Open Draft there would be serious issues in that division, but signing up for WSL with plans to only attend 2 games all summer long makes it hard on captains and teammates.
I think it is time for regular season attendance to mean something again.
Manhattan Ultimate Disc (MUD) League
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| Inwood Hill Park |
Two dustbowlers, John Kim and Venu, have organized Manhattan Ultimate Disc (MUD), and all games are on grass or turf fields! Games begin this Sunday, April 6th 12pm at Inwood Hill Park. Perhaps you'd like to stop by and check it out.
Co-Ed League:
*5M/2W format, 4/3 whenever possible.
*MUD League uses a self-ranking system, allocating players to teams in a semi-random format (no draft and no cores).
Games:
*Games run from April 6th, 2008 through Finals Week ending on June 1, 2008 (No games Memorial Day Weekend).
*Players will have 5 Wednesday games starting at either approx. 6:15PM or 7PM
*Players will have at least 1 or 2 game[s] every Sunday afternoon starting around 12 PM, 1PM and 2PM.
*Wednesday games are at the East River Fields -- E. 6th St. & FDR Dr.
Sunday games are at Inwood Park -- located near W. 207 St. and Broadway.
Cost:
*The fee is $50 ($10 of which is reimbursable if you are a UPA member and provide proof of active membership). Fee includes a jersey and disc.
For more information and a full schedule, please visit www.manhattanultimate.com or email info@manhattanultimate.com. Remember, the league is full this year, but at least you'll know for next year. If any readers are in the MUD league, we'd love to hear from you!
There's No Place Like Dome
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| Neither wind nor rain nor sleet nor snow will stop PUFA's Sunday game at Rodman’s Neck. |
I was frustrated with the lack of options in the area, growing embarrassingly out of shape during the long off season. When I'd run out onto the fresh spring grass at Purchase, I'd find I somehow forgot how to throw a flick as I'd hit a group of players--or perhaps a child--behind me on the sideline. Meanwhile, I'd get winded after a point. "You have to play all year," everyone advised. "I'd love to, but where?" I asked.
Then I discovered Pelham Ultimate Frisbee Association (PUFA) located nearby in Westchester. PUFA plays Wednesday and Friday at 6am on Astro Grass in the underdome at Mount Vernon. During the Spring and the Fall, they also play on Wednesday nights under the lights at Glover Fields. And year-round, they play on Sunday afternoons at 2:30pm at Rodman's Neck in the Bronx, right next to City Island. Directions to these fields and an updated schedule are available on PUFA's website.
Having heard fairy-tales of players in other areas who have access to indoor fields, I grew jealous, unaware that we had the opportunity here for $12 a game (recently reduced from $15). "And the first game's free," says Peter Collery, PUFA organizer.
"Have you ever played under the dome?" he asked. I shook my head dismally.
"It's amazing," he responded. "I love it." He notes that the field quality is excellent, and the lack of wind is a definite plus. I have to admit that I drool over the fantasy of playing in the dome, yet somehow my sleepy subconscious hits the snooze every time I try to go.
"You have to make it," says Dan Gold. "It'll be the best thing you do all day!"
Meanwhile, Peter explains that "I have no trouble getting up at that time." Once he's there, he's ready to play. Mornings at the dome are so popular that they usually have enough for 7 on 7.
While I did not make it to the dome yet, last week I did take a peak at a Sunday game at Rodman's neck. As I drove over to the fields through snow flurries, I kept thinkin... [Read Entire Post]
Ultimate City
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| Ultimate in Central Park's Dust Bowl |
Personally, I've played many games in New York on the dirt field near East 98th Street in Central Park. "Field" is somewhat inaccurate here, because that implies something like level ground and grass. The dirt "field" has neither. What it does have is, obviously, dirt, as well as small rocks, tiny pieces of broken glass, larger glass, larger rocks, the occasional condom, players wearing surgical masks to cope with the kicked up dust, and about six different soccer games competing for space. But that doesn't stop scores of Ultimate players showing up for pick-up and playing in summer league. It's a uniquely New York expression of love of the game for sixty people to spend a summer day playing Ultimate on an uneven, grassless field. But that's Ultimate, and that's New York.
I'm looking forward to rapping about all things Ultimate in the weeks ahead, and being rapped at. So if you have suggestions or criticism or thoughts or Ultimate YouTube clips to share, by all means email me at jmaxfeldman@yahoo.com.
Until next time, folks - Keep playing for that perfect throw -
Welcome to Breakside!
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We have a strong ultimate tradition here, and the way we play reflects the character of our city as a whole. New York players, because of the highly limited amount of field space, are known for their scrappiness, their resourcefulness, and their grit. I've seen games take place on hillsides that were dotted with boulders. I've been invited to pickup games at 7AM. New York players are lean scavengers, hungry for the game and willing to create conditions for play that other parts of the country would find appalling. We learn to see the potential for Frisbee in every space large enough to draw a breath, and we've learned to value every second we have on the field.
New York City is designated by its neighborhoods, and the ultimate here is no different. The density of our population and geographic breadth of our locale prevent us from creating one unified auspice to play under. As a result the ultimate groupings in New York are highly fragmented. The groups that play together form largely along geographic lines, but will also splinter off in response to differing skill levels and conflicting modi operandi of its members. I've known plenty of Upper West Siders who think nothing of traveling to Brooklyn every Saturday for competitive pickup, and I've seen Brooklyn residents show up to Roosevelt Island just to play in a tighter, more intimate setting. Each group in New York has its own unique personality and each has its own philosophy by which they play. This makes for a various and eclectic ultimate environment here in our own backyard.
I am Kate and this is the blog Breakside, dedicated to exploring the conventions, the customs, and the culture of New York ultimate. If you have questions, concerns, article ideas or disagreements feel free to email me at wudibreak@gmail.com.
Thanks for visiting. I'll see you on the field.