Sorry for the lack of posts… I’ve been working 100+ hour weeks and in my “free” time, I ran 4 tournaments in a 5 week stretch. This is the third weekend I’ve been in Boulder since I moved here 4 months ago- 1 of those weekends was the board meeting. I slept > 4 hours Friday and Saturday nights and Saturday morning, I took the time to do a few things for myself– I spent more than 45 minutes working out, got my oil changed, and ran some errands. It was not enough, but it will have to do until things slow down.
I just finished writing a recap for my last spring tournament, and wanted to take the time to jot down a few personal thoughts on the spring.
1. The events I ran reached a wide range of players and teams and understandably, many people are not (completely) happy with the experiences they had at WL tournaments. I ran these tournaments on a net personal loss of hundreds of dollars and thousands of hours of time, so expanding tournaments was not about making money or saving time for me. I did neither. I love elite college women’s ultimate- 4 of my 5 years playing college ultimate were spent competing at that level, I enjoy watching good ultimate, and most of my friends who still play college ultimate play on the top teams. However, while my life would be easier if I just ran 8-team elite tournaments, at the end of the day, none of those teams need me to get good games. What I am doing mostly serves that next tier of teams- the teams that didn’t do well enough last year to earn their way into any college tournament they want. Teams like Tufts, Iowa, and Virginia. I am not an expert at what I am trying to do… I just care enough to try and I’m always trying to improve.
1b. So… why do I do this? I am not so sure anymore, but I know that when I ran my first tournaments, it was largely because I felt that the college women’s division was lacking in both the quantity and quality of playing and developmental opportunities being provided. Again, I’m not an expert but I want to make a difference.
2. I feel like over the past few months, I have learned a lot about myself and the way that I interact with people. The most rewarding experiences I have had this season were with the players, coaches, and parents who just took a few minutes to care- to say a kind word, write a thoughtful note, or even share a small part of their team with me. It has been this big reminder to me that it always matters how I treat people, and that taking the time to care even when I am stressed or frustrated or tired is important because in the end, that’s probably the only thing people will remember. I want to show the person on the other end of that email, phone call, or in-person interaction that I value them and their opinion, even if we disagree. And I can only hope for the same in return.
3. I am lucky to have a few very loyal, loving friends who have supported me through these past weeks and months. They are the unlucky ones who see me at my worst (and still love me), remind me repeatedly to take care of myself, and encourage me to think about things differently. I love them more than they know.
4. Rewarding moments of the spring season (more on this another time):
– Kind words from people’s parents at various tournaments- hearing my work has had an impact, no matter how small
– Random emails from players I don’t know well sharing their frisbee and life experiences with me- earning people’s trust
– Getting the opportunity to teach (and not just oversee) skills clinics at Pres Day and Keystone- maintaining that connection to the players I serve
– Watching Amber and Smith get a big W on Sunday at Keystone- these are the teams I want to help, and I love watching my friends succeed
– Long phone conversation on a really busy night at work with Anna from Swarthmore- respectful, constructive, and motivating
– Seeing players I coached as middle schoolers tearing up the college division on some of the country’s top teams (Cal, UCSB, UCSC)
– Late night Gchat conversations leading to the formation of new friendships
The club season is starting soon. I am not ready to think about it…
