---

No Surf
June 18-19, 2005
Cleveland, OH
http://www.cleveland-disc.org/tourn/nosurf/2005/index.html

Saturday morning--
The dew was thick, the clouds were dark - but Strut was there, ready to rock.

Game 1
Strut 13, Who Dat 3
They didn't know what hit them. My guess is that they thought it would be close. After all, last year we always had close games (with us always coming out on top). It's clear who improved (purple) and who didn't (not purple). J9 player of the game: Helen

Game 2
Strut 10, Pounce 11
For those of you who recall last year's annihilation - we lost 13-2. Pounce was taking it easy, and before they knew it, we were scoring left and right and showing just how great a team we have become in only one year. While we had our chances to win the game, we never gave up on D when we turned it over. The continues, the aggressive cutting, the flow. We were on fire. J9 player of the game: Sveta

Game 3
Strut 5, Deep Dish 13
As Tamara says - Our new Nemesis. Everyone was hungry to beat them. We worked hard, but didn't quite have it in us. Once we learn to hold the mark though - this team is going to go down. We will own them. It was much closer than the score shows. All points were hard fought. J9 player of the game: Deb

Saturday evening--
Bobbing for beer, a pinata filled with "airplane sized" liquor bottles, 20 cups games (and 1 injury - Callie's knee got attacked by a tree root), dancing, bonfire chilling, Julia fighting for us for the jello shot competition (you got robbed in the RoShamBo Julia - but don't worry, that dude is going to hell since he's used fire before). Lot's of Strut women clad in bikini tops and showing off NS bodies. How many of those boys attending the party got lucky???? I also know that Lis's boy called first - sorry Callie!

Sunday--
The day started off warmer and the sun broke through the clouds early. While warming up, Deb injures herself laying out. Shoulder is good now thank goodness, but we didn't have her for game 1. Ouch.

Strut 8, Bait 13
Bait played us hard in the beginning of the game. They had most of their returners in and a 1 or 2 of their tryout women playing too. We ran hard, but, like yesterday, we got broke too often and they scored easily. But then the tides turned. At 12-3, they decided to let their rookies have at it for "game point". And Strut owned their rookies. We immediately rattled off 5 in a row and were about to get 6, but they finally pulled it together (by pulling their rookies and putting their top players in) to finish the game. It was great how we never gave up and turned it on to take control and score so many times in a row.

Strut 8, Rivet 11
This wonderfully spirited team from Rochester was really fun to play. While both teams skills were comparable, they were scrappy as can be and just came up with a few more than us when all was said and done. We all agreed, our jerseys need to get a LOT more dirty if we're to keep up with this team. Next time...

Strut 2, Mojo 13
They may have beat us by a lot, but it wasn't easy. We had plenty of flow down the field (once we stopped throwing it to Lani), but we just couldn't score. We shredded their zone too. We have some work to do on the endzone line, but that's what practice is for all the rest of this summer. Next time the score will be much close - I can guarantee it.

J9 got a little airheaded and forgot to do player of the game on Sunday. SORRY! But, player of the weekend - hands down, absolutely out of control, both in amazing positive spirit and pulling impossible catches out of the air and throwing like a queen - Tamara. Wait til you see her prize. Wear it Wednesday Tamara!

Individual Highlights
Bethany-- Played such incredible defense. Besides the fact we might have to start calling her Bruiser, she showed what it means to play hard fuckin' D every single time she was in. Everyone else - stop admiring her incredible abilities and start emulating them!!!!

Block-- Many D's, many layout "saving out butts" catches. Her intensity was high, and she's never going to back down to Karen on Pounce again!

Callie-- Until the tree root took her out, Callie was dumping and swinging like a pro and making all the other teams feel silly for trying to zone us.

Carrie-- Her huck was on, her inside out was blazing, and her desire to win was shining through. She left it ALL on the field.

Carp-- She may be thin, but I don't recall anyone getting a break mark off of her AT ALL - all weekend long. Let that be a lesson to us all.

Christina-- As always, on defense, Christina sees 2 moves ahead of the rest of us and has no problem getting in the mix and getting D's. Her steady throws and ability to catch all our swill - well, thanks!

Deb-- Who put Red Bull in Deb's breakfast, lunch, and dinner? WOW! She was on fire. D's, solid marks, and great throws. How's the Coolie treating your drinks?

Helen-- Some people hold their breath when questionable throws go up. When I see Helen at the receiving end - I say, "Oh please, it's Helen. Who's ready to continue for her? She pulled them down over and over and over and over (yes, our throws had swilly moments now and again). And then remained calm and threw great completions for tons of scores.

Julia-- If we were all in "Julia shape" - I think Carp, Carrie, and I would really be sweating about purple mohawks this fall (not that we aren't a little already). She was open at will, she was in her defenders shorts and she simply kept us alive when everyone else was too tired to cut. We truly are blessed to have her on this team.

Kristi-- She never stops learning and got better every point she played. She put up some great long throws for scores and got down to business on getting chilly with the disc. It's going to be a great season with her on the field and on the sideline as sideline helper outer (what a voice!).

Laura-- Incredibly smooth with the disc. There were moments I felt like I was watching Ricky Eikstadt (from Truck) throw when I saw how easily her throws got off (most especially to the break side). What pulls too!

Lis-- Tall? Yes. Playing tall? Absolutely. Lis used her height well and when she wanted it, she got that disc. And, just like she does at all our practices - she always knows where the disc is and saves us on so many "backup" catches. Let's all keep our eyes on the disc like she does.

Michelle-- When Michelle got the swing, she always found the open person on the far side downfield. With that one move, we shredded many a zone. Woohoo!

Sherri-- There she goes deep again. I laid her out as much as I could, yet she still kept cutting long for more! I give her one more month before every one of them are catches for scores (I'll be throwing better by then)!

Sveta-- I say, she does. Swing that disc left. Swung. Pop into that cup. Popped. That disc comes out of her hands so smoothly. Lucky disc!

Tamara-- Two words - ROCK STAR!

I can't wait to have the rest of the team there (Alpine, we talked about you all weekend) to show these and many other teams what Strut can do!

---

Chicago 5-team Scrimmage
July 10, 2005

Hot, sunny, windy. Chicago in the summer. We went, we played, we kicked some Deep Dish booty, and we learned that we can run with the big dogs - now we need to focus on less unforced errors.

Strut 5, Bait 13
They were a different team than at No Surf. They played hard, they were tough, they were laying out left and right. We played them well though, and we had some beautiful moments of flow down the field. What we could learn from them - like how to always be there as a continue. At the end of the game, one of their top players stopped me to say that she couldn't even believe  we were the same team as last year. She said that we had improved so much and were becoming an incredible team of the future. Damn straight! Player of the game: 
Julia!!!!

Strut 1, Nemesis 13
By all means, don't let that score fool you. Yes, they won by a ton, but it completely was because we committed unforced errors. We dropped passes right to us. We threw bad passes to wide open people. We definitely committed mental mistakes that led to that score. But, one of my mentors, Nancy, who plays for Nemesis was so wonderful to remind me that the longer we play, those go away. What she said she saw was a young fast team that knew how to play and get open and that if we had held on to that disc, the game would have been much closer. Nemesis was still going to get a lecture about how open we were and how lucky they were. Next time, they won't be so lucky - right?!?! Player of the game: Jes!!!

Strut 13, Deep Dish 12
That's right, we won! Two enemies down (WhoDat, Deep Dish), one more to go (Pounce). It was a great battle. They had two players that were strong with the disc and were also in a groove. We did our best to contain them and stopped many a break-mark passes. It was huge. We also put in all backfied + Carp. I think our handlers better start worrying about their starting positions... Tamara and Sherri were rockin' - and Bethany threw a 30+ yarder for the final goal. Sweet stuff. Player of the game: Shannon!!!!

Alissa - once she found her groove - solid, solid, solid. Always seeing the field, always making notes of what she/we can do better. She's far too wise for her youthful age.

Alli - she's back!!! Running long, freely getting open. Getting the run through D and heading to the endzone for the double burn. Ah yes, she's on OUR team!

Alpine - pulled quad took her out midway through the day, but until then, handling like the Alpine we know and love. We've missed you!

Bethany - jumping so high, we'd need 100 Chicago phone books to show everyone how those springs in your legs work. Solid D, and amazing grabs - I love when you're on the field. And we all love that Jason was tanning on the sideline after having gone shopping. We'd like him to tan at Motown as well - "no shirt" required.

Biscuit - What a sight for sore eyes. MVP did her stuff and showed us all how to play that position like the MVP she is. We can't wait til your back home for good.

Block - what mark? She was throwing wherever she felt like, making her mark look silly. Solid D, strong throws. Complete fireball on the field.

Callie - There for the dump, there for the swing. Cutting in the backfield. Playing junk like a pro.

Carp - Carptastic, Carpinator, Carpatron. "Carp" is too boring for a fine player as yourself. Still the skinniest person that can hold a mark better than the rest of us. Solid handling - keeping us out of trouble, and doing everything for us that you were hired to do.

Jen - Money! Yet another Strutter open all day long. Maybe we should call you Deli (like a NY deli - open 24 hours). For Jen's first tourney ever - she simply did her job over and over -- get open, catch, throw, play D. Excellent!

Jes - damn! - when she catches it, GO LONG! Jes was whipping out the sweetest passes of the day. Remember, if you start to go long - you better keep going long. We can't waste such an arm like hers. And those white shorts - you are one hot woman!

Julia - I'm open, I'm open again, I'm open again. While it may be getting old to type - the obvious is the obvious and so shall be stated. Is it supposed to be this easy? Only for  you Julia, queen of the field.

Kristi - I think we should challenge all women's teams to a cheer-off. Send one rep and see who is the fiercest, loudest, most amazing cheerer of them all. We'd win hands down. Wow! So much spirit - we all have to get us some of that. And that's not all - Kristi was open for pass after pass - and making the most beautiful in and out cuts of the day. And as our iso "superman" goal catcher - ain't no one better than our layout queen.

Laura - Janine: "Laura - you can break any mark, I want to see you start doing it". Laura: "Okay". Pass to Laura - she not only breaks the mark, she shreds it. Score. Janine: "See, I told you." Laura: "That was fun." Janine: "No, that was fucking hot! I want more of those." Laura: "Okay". Can you all follow my directions as well as 
Laura, please?

Michelle - solid handling, and so many "almost got the D" it was killing me!  Keep doing those track and NS workouts and you'll be getting all those D's you're an inch away from. Woohoo!

Shannon - Those marathon legs got the better of each and every Deep Dish opponent who dared to line up across from her. She was simply always open and catching our scores. At one point, they had two on her and she ripped the pass out of the air between them. The crowd cheered. All in a days work, right Shannon?

Sherri - Once again, it doesn't matter what we throw at her - she simply won't accept anything but to catch it. We tried too high, we tried to low, we tried too far out in front, we tried too far behind her. Heck, we even tried to others - yet somehow Sherri pulled them all down for us. She is melding into a handler. Anyone who can pull 
that much in without blinking an eye - born for a handling role.

Sveta - When we did those marking drills during the past two weeks - it was very clear who learned the most - this woman. She had our fiercest mark of the weekend. She was moving around, but holding the mark to the side we wanted it thrown to. And in the backfield - her opponent had a very difficult time getting open. Someone has decided to play amazing D and it shows! Thanks!

Tamara - Poisonous! Whether it was her person or  not, when the disc was hucked to the other team - Tamara was always there to knock it away. Over and over. I don't think the other teams like Tamara very much - we love her though! And she was our one and only goal scorer in the Nemesis game. It was a great snag that showed our best side - one that Nemesis will see a lot more of this fall.

J9 - Proud to say that playing time was pretty even when all was said and done. Wish we all could have played more points - but Motown is just around the corner. Thanks for giving it your all guys . Don't worry - I still expect more. I know what you have in you - I'll never settle for anything less than 211%. You've shown me you have it, I'm going to push you to reveal it every time you walk on the field.

---

Motown Throwdown
July 30-31, 2005
Hartland, MI

Saturday Morning -

With our Game rosters of 14 - we were ready to rock and roll and give it all our, either in the game or on the sideline. The Defensive Player of the Game Skirt is revived and man does it look hot on everyone who earns it. (note: I may have screwed up awards below - feel free to remind me if I mixed things up and wrote the wrong people down)

It's sunny, the perfect temperature and we are far more ready to go than any other team, especially Pounce. Julia, Helen, and Alpine give each of us our Strut necklaces. We start with a beautiful purple bead. As we meet game goals, we will be rewarded with beads to add to the necklace. We were clearly ready for more beads...

Game 1
Strut 13, Pounce 7 -- Beads: 2
Our goal - beat Pounce, our new Nemesis. DONE! With swift movement, constant field talking, wide open cutters - we took the half 7-1. Yes, that's right, 7-1. We traded scores in the second half. We won't let that happen again. Cheers of joy from everywhere! J9 award: Alli; Defensive skirt: Julia

Game 2
Strut 1, Mojo 13
Our goal - 8 scores. We moved the disc down to our endzone AT least that many times, but we absolutely couldn't score to save our lives. Drops, throwaways, too many cuts to the same space. And as we've experienced before - Mojo only gave us one chance to score. If we didn't, they did. The good news - we haven't worked on endzone yet - wait til they meet us at Sectionals. We really did amazingly well on O otherwise - but we do need to step up our D and stopping the "up the line pass". J9 Award: Sveta; Defensive skirt: Carrie

Game 3
Strut 2, Lotus 13
Holy shit - it's no wonder they won Canadian Nationals last year. With Nationals for them only two weeks away - these ladies were amazingly conditioned, toned, and athletically incredible. While we moved the disc down the field and continued our struggle to score, they ran the most beautiful cuts, threw the most beautiful throws and showed us all what we need to aim for this fall. AND they were so nice! They complimented our play left and right and showed what it means to be a great athlete with respect for all other athletes. J9 award: Jen; Defensive Skirt: Jes

Game 4
Strut 4, Nemesis 13
The only disappointing game of the day in terms of our performance. We all admitted it was not our finest moments. The good news - we met our goal. Less than 10 drops against them. We only had 8. Considering we were probably in the mid- 20's in Chicago - we dramatically improved our hold on the disc. But we made too many bad decisions with the disc and struggled to give the best cutting options and our D was only mediocre. We all promised to avoid that kind of play for the rest of the season. J9 award: Alissa; Defensive Skirt: Laura

End of Day - 4 new beads, sweet looking necklaces on our necks, beer, burritos, general merriment. Life is good.

Julia's "Oh shit! Can I have that back?" play was also one of the more entertaining ultimate plays I've seen in person. She loses the handle on the disc and it flies up in the air, prompting an "oh shit!" Turnover. Not too unusual. The girl on the other team picks it up just to have Julia handblock it and take it right back. Now how many times will that happen?!?!

Sunday Morning --

Carp and Carrie proceed to warm up the team while J9 pathetically shows up late. After slaloming the team during their stretch and apologizing for being late, the team gets ready to play for the chance to go to Semi's (need two wins).

Game 5
Strut 12, Who Dat 10
Wow! With a roster of about 17 (compared to 10 at their own tourney), Who Dat has recruited some great new players from surrounding colleges. They ran hard and challenged us every single point. It was great to see them join the region in terms of more good competition. We started out a bit rough, but totally stepped it up and played the 2nd half incredibly smoothly. J9 award: Helen; Defensive skirt: Jen

Game 6
Strut 6, Eve 12
It was do or die - but we just couldn't pull it off. This team from Toronto was just too much for us. They were in INCREDIBLE shape having just ended their Canadian series. We tried our best to contain them, but they ran hard and played like champions. They were right on us with every cut. But the best thing about the game was seeing how everyone improved each and every point in terms of catching and throwing with that much pressure on them. Both teams played incredibly well, but the "currently" better team came out on top in the end. Just wait til we hit Sectionals training the way we are... J9 Award: Laura; Defensive skirt: Block

Game 7
Unofficial score: Strut 6, Who Dat 7
We played a fun game against them - whoever wanted to play. The only rules set by me - do what you normally don't want to try in a game. We did lots of experimenting, and lots of cheering and heckling. It was fun. We brought the beer to the sideline too early though. The team on the line got distracted and lost. Good thing it doesn't count ;-)

So we were 2-4 for the weekend.
And player of the weekend: Julia.
Her spirit and cheering on the sideline were incredible. Her tenacity on the field was beautiful to watch.

Some highlights (there were too many to type up) this weekend--

Alli: Um - someone put a whole lot of "assertiveness" in Alli's water all weekend. She did very little talking - because she was too busy DOING! She owned the disc, no matter how many women were on her and no matter how hard we tried to make the disc to catch. And she finally got the continue cuts she deserved. Definitely runner up for player of the weekend.

Alissa: If everyone would take Alissa's philosophy to heart and play "balls out for one point, maybe two" and come out and rest to do it again a few points later, I think we would D every team every point. She got so many D's, and ran down some incredibly long hucks. She gave 200% every time she walked on the field. Thanks!

Alpine: It seemed like every time Alpine was in, our dump cuts were RIGHT on. She was talking to her team, setting up in good positions, and always taking advantage of what her D gave her. Way to use field sense woman. That kind of awareness is a beautiful thing.

Bethany: When I say it's okay to try things - our "sunbather" iso - takes it to heart. She ripped some long passes that were insanely wonderful. I think you have a lot more than you realize - you just gotta work on that confidence - because the skills are right there - bubbling at the surface. Way to have some of the stickiest hands of the weekend and jump higher than all of continue to believe is possible.

Block: If I were the other team, I'd always try to walk to the far side of the line from Block. Her D is out of control. She is just plain old hard to get open on. But my favorite Block moment of the weekend was when she came across field, from about as far away as possible for my crappy "popped up break mark" and caught it like it was just "what she was supposed to do", well, I wish we'd all think like Block.

Callie: With so many handlers here - Callie was junk backfield almost all weekend. And she took it in complete and utter stride. She took to heart when I told the team to go deep when our huckers got a hold of the disc. As she was running down the field all alone (she totally abused her D who wasn't paying attention), she snagged the huck and then proceeded to remind Shannon to curl with a simple point of her finger and then threw the score. What a woman! And she never pulled a rookie move - she was always running downfield on a huck - ready to help finish the point with a score. Thanks for reminding the rest of us what to do Callie!

Carp: Her laser sharp passes to her receiver when she was trapped were throws of beauty. While some of us popped things up in the breezy afternoon - she made it seem like there was no wind at all. She was putting on a clinic of "the right thing to do" when she had the disc. And her mark continued to remind the rest of us how to NOT get broken.

Carrie: Steady, calm, cool, collected. Quiet fierceness. Wouldn't give her defender an inch. Would give her receivers what they deserved - a disc delivered to their hands. Our fearless leader simply rocked all weekend long. Insights galore, reminders of what we are capable of, and statements of how incredible we are. Thanks!

Christina: Helen votes her D the best D of the weekend. "Did you really mean to throw in MY lane?" Wham! Disc on ground. "What did you expect?" Christina always seems to see what's about to happen and make the other team look silly for trying. Field sense - you were born with it.

Deb: She had such respect for the disc this weekend. She had two games of 100% with the disc. She was looking for the best choices and took them. We all need to strive for such percentages. And the other thing I noticed about Deb - she rarely gets scored on. Looks like she needs to teach us all about how to shut someone down in that endzone.

Helen: For someone who is a backfielder who has never played deep in a zone, this crazy woman provided the dump cut during one point in the Who Dat game who was then forced to save our asses every OTHER pass with 3 consecutive layouts on those dump cuts, and then proceeded to be one of the 2 deeps in the zone and got every disc they tried to throw over the front wall. Someone is becoming multi- talented. Where to play you? Anywhere!

J9: Always leading by example. How about that second effort layout catch after initially missing the catch against Lotus? When she says to never give up, she
means it. She demands for deep cuts because this team should have a potent long game. She then demonstrates by putting a perfectly place huck right into Alli's hands for the score. Absolutely beautiful! And she plays such smart D, forcing the other team to take the worst possible option. She always knows what to say and when. And as Bethany and Sveta can attest, if you listen to her, good things will happen. Constantly coaching, encouraging, and pushing us to reach
our potential. J9 is a big reason why I/we all play Strut - to have fun and become better ultimate players.

Jen: For her 1st ever full tournament - any nerves turned into unforgettable catches, throws, and defensive shut downs. I don't think I've ever seen anyone play so well for "a first tournament". Jen was so incredible - I think all of us were ready to bow down and call her ultimate goddess of the weekend. The sideline got particularly insanely crazy and loud when Jen proceeded to shut down her cutter who literally tried to cut and get open with 6 consecutive cuts and pretty much only tasted defeat - and Jen's sweat - because Jen was all over her. I dream of playing D like that.

Jes: I'll only say it one more time - cut deep for this woman because it seems to be a guaranteed score. Jes moved the disc, either long or short, with ease. And her D - she didn't earn the skirt for standing around, that's for damn sure. When she wants to - Jes owns the field. Our opponents - well - don't say we didn't warn you. And Jes, I don't think anyone on this team can make us laugh like you. You are such a great part of this team. Thanks for being you!

Julia: I'm tired of writing how great a player Julia is. So Julia - take a digital pic of you in your new shirt and send it to Callie for your roster picture. Then everyone can see what Players of the Tourney look like when not in uniform. I'm just going to tell all of you how much I like Julia. I like Julia as much as I like Mt. Dew (that's super duper lots).

Kristi: DO I HAVE EVERYONE'S ATTENTION? Kristi is a lefty. Kristi can throw just as far as me, if not farther. When Kristi gets the disc - will her partner (or anyone else for that matter) go deep? Thank you. Kristi got better every game. More than once the fastest person on the other team took her, was breathing down her neck, and yet Kristi still came up with the disc. Her intensity is as wonderful as her sweetness. Purple is a great color for you woman!

Laura: Okay, I can't talk about Laura's break-marks anymore - well - except to remind you all to cut for it more often. And that when she and I realized that we needed more break marks in our Nemesis game, we threw 4 in one point - 3 were hers! She totally stepped up her D and was such a force on the sideline when not playing. She was calling things out, keeping track of things on the palm, and was just 100% "in the game" all weekend long.

Lis: Her mark has gone from good to amazing! And Lis, you have a little booty shake that makes your mark even more wonderful for the rest of us cheering on your hot mark. Don't stop - I'm sure it utterly distracts the cutters! You are getting stronger and stronger - it's clear by how well you stayed with your D and made it challenging for them to get open. You are really starting to blossom!

Michelle: If there was one handler that listened to my rantings about dumping and swinging - that would be Michelle. Thank you so much for getting the disc to the other side of the field so we could stop trying to shove it into a 2 foot space. You reminded us how easy it truly can be to score when we use all of the field. She also had one of the highest overall completion rates of the handlers. Someone has been focusing while the rest of us have some more work to do...

Shannon: Shannon was just like Jen - she just made her cutter look silly. She would utterly shut someone down for the entire time they tried to cut. And once again, you made some big snags on some catches that looked impossible to catch. Your effort shines brightly on this team and you ask such great questions about how to improve. Come fall - it's all going to come together and the entire package will be put forth to destroy our opponents!

Sherri: If I didn't knowo you were hooking up with Bill - I'd say your fooling around with Spiderman. Why? Your utterly ridiculous catches. I mean, I don't think anyone can twist, turn, go up, down, backwards, forward, and come up with what you do. And when you say you can play better - you really mean it. I love your dedication to this game and to this team.

Sveta: Okay - My favorite moment of the weekend... In the extra Who Dat game, in our little pre-game huddle - I told everyone to try things they don't normally do in a game. And I specifically told Sveta to huck it. It was, "the play". We called "the play". Sveta was given a wide open backhand. She hucked. We scored. Oh yeah! Your handling skills improve every time you touch the disc. And I can't tell you how many of your fellow teammates have seen how much your D has improved since No Surf. You are playing so great!

Tamara: This little lady is always the player of the game from other teams. This tourney - Eve rewarded her for her fabulous play and even more fabulous dancing. We are so lucky to have a player like you that brightens not only our own team, but makes Strut look so good to our opponents. WE LOVE YOU! And we swear it's not just for all the D's that you get and all the catches you snag that seemed un-snaggable. You are incredible in every possible Tamara angle that exists.

---

Cooler Classic
August 27-28, 2005
Milwaukee, WI

Saturday--
Game 1-
Strut vs. 2 Days Slow from Madison (9-3)
We got to the fields and were ready to warm up a little behind schedule, but all due to the shuttle...after a little confusion about what field we were on, we had a great warm up and were ready to play at 9am sharp. Our only problem was that 2 days slow arrived at about 9am without cleats on yet. Turns out they had some problems with the police....what do you bet they got a ticket on the windy road to the fields?

Anyways, we started out a little shaky, and luckily 2 days kept turning over the disc to us because of the wind. We set up a stifling 2-3-2 and once we got a little warmer we started to get into the groove. We worked the fast break, vert and ho offenses depending on wind and low and behold we came up on top 9-3. Not the best performance on our part, but this was the practice game we needed to get focused for the rest of the day.

Skirt award-- Biscuit!!!! Yippee she's back!!!! We've missed you so! Plus you totally played out of your head this weekend!

Bead Goal-- 4 100% throws--not attained

Game 2
Strut vs Glu Reunion (12-6)

Glu's a team we used to play from the Twin Cities back in the day. We haven't seen them for years, so we didn't know what to expect. We came out strong after our bye, and continued to dominate on D. We totally worked the 2-3-2 and forced a ton of turns. The wind definitely was the 8th defender in this game. In the beginning they traded points with us, but we were in much better shape and ran them all over. Even though they are veteran wiley players, they couldn't keep up with us young track stars! We again focused on zone d and many different offenses including vert and ho and I even think I saw a MVP. The wind made playing offense, especially the fast break, difficult but towards the end of the game the handlers learned to holster more. The dump swing became our friend.

Skirt award-- Sherri for shredding up the backfield! You go girl!

Bead goal-- To win!!!!!!!!! I can't wait to add more beads next week at practice!

Game 3.
Strut vs. Nemesis (0-13)
This was definitely the most difficult game of the day. Nemesis came out at us like rockstars and we played timid. Unfortunately, they made us play their game...not ours. We took a timeout towards the end of the first half, re-grouped, shared some STRUT LOVE, and made a vow to play our game! Next point we made them fight for every pass. They even started to turn it over a lot! Once again at half we came together, pulled up our heads and began to play much more like the Strut we all know and love. Even though the score may not reflect it, I was very proud to see how we turned around the game after the timeout and made Nemesis work for the remaining points. This was our wake-up call. Nemesis is our new nemesis and we have lots to work on before we see them again at Regionals.

Skirt award-- Jess! Her inspirational words at the timeout were instrumental in our team turn around! Thanks!!!!! Also, we had a very fun game of "Mix and Mingle" in the break before quarters. This should make for great stories to tell during the plank!

Bead goal-- not sure, but I think it was to get broken less than 14 times. -not attained

Game 4 (quarterfinals)
Strut vs. Deep Dish (9-11)

This was the game of the tourney. We needed this one more than anything. We started the game out very strong and got the first few points. We continued to dominate with the 2-3-2 and even whipped out the cup with man on in the back. We played well against their zone and continued to work it up the field. Funny thing was both teams kept trading up-wind points. We had a mid half lull and let them catch up and then let them go ahead (bummer). With some amazing points and some long passes into the endzone we took half!!!!!!!!!!!!! After an inspirational halftime, we came out hard, but they came out harder. They went up by 2...we raised our game again, and started to catch up. The wind was definitely difficult and made it hard to score down-wind. We had a bunch of throw always out the back of the endzone. Sherri made the most amazing layout out the back of the endzone on a huck from me....but was very spirited and agreed she was out (sorry dude!). We kept trying to catch up for the rest of the game. We had long point after long point and even called a TO close to the cap (which was disputed of course). Needless to say we played our hearts out. Unfortunately we didn't come out on top, but we played with nothing to loose. Our d was stellar. We just got tired near the end and had some uncharacteristic drops and throws. Once again, we know what we need to do when we meet these guys again, and next time they are going DOWN!

Skit award-- Tamara! She played like she always does, like a fucking rockstar! We love you Tamara!
Bead goal-- not sure but one was to win- not attained

Sunday-- Goal of the day to take 5th place!!!!!!

Game 5
Strut vs 2 days slow (10-2)
We got to the fields a little late again, but had a great warm up and were once again totally ready to kick ass at 930 am. 2 days was late again....but we managed to start at a decent time. We came out on freaking fire. I don't think that 2 days knew what hit them. Our D was so incredible that we had a bazillion fast break points that ended in beautiful scores. No first throw was our mantra....and did we shut them down!!!!!! They threw this funky cup on us that we then preceded to shred and basically totally dominated. Need I say more? This was the Strut that we all know and love! Way to crank it up on a Sunday morning! This is what we've been working so hard for all summer!

Skirt award-- Alissa. Her popping was amazing! She found every single hole imaginable. I think they were quaking in their cleats when she was in the game. There was one point where she got the disc at mid field, looked up-field and launched the most beautiful forehand huck (to Tamara I think) for and unbelievable score. My god was it beautiful!

Bead goal-- 5 100% points- goal attained with the first point after half!!!!!!

Game 6 for 5th Place
Strut vs. Glu Reunion (9-5)

We were so on a roll after our first game. We came out hard, we came out strong. We played our game. Glu also came out quite hard and matched us point for point in the beginning. At 4-4 we took a strategic TO to pump ourselves up. We vowed to play 300% harder, want it more than them and to FRONT our ladies. After the TO we went on a 4 point run that included taking the half. We were so proud of ourselves. Total domination! We remembered to run them like mad and our D was on fire. The game ended early b/c they needed the field but I feel like the score was definitely going to be 13-5 had we had about 10 more minutes.

Bead Goal-- to win and 4 run through d's- totally attained mainly due to Alli!

Skirt award-- Alli! She played MONSTROUS D! I believe she got 3 of the 4 run through D's with Alissa getting the 4th (along with a possible broken nose...thank goodness it wasn't that bad). Alli played one of her best games ever! She turned it on when we needed her most! You rock girlfriend!

After the game, we gave GLU the best fucking cheer I have ever been apart of. Deb, you are my hero. I hope we can use it again sometime!

YEA STRUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WE TOOK 5th, the best we have ever done at a tourney!!!!!!!!

I am so proud of us. All of our hard work has paid off! Now we have to switch gears and work even harder so that J9, Carp and I can have purple mohawks! We're totally serious. We have lots to learn before October but I know that we will and that we will give them hell at regionals!

---

Club Sectionals
September 24-25, 2005

My Royal Court,
Most of you were there - but it's always fun to recap a day of playing against other teams. I leave it to those of you who attended the Sexytionals Party and the Ann Arbor get together to watch the poor UM team go down again - to debrief the rest of us on what we missed (I've heard some things, so you all might want to speak up for yourselves!). Hanging out with my sister wasn't a "backpack wearing" kind of night - but I had fun with her none-the-less.

Saturday morning - we start warming up in what I consider ideal playing conditions. Cloudy and cool, but not cold. We look hot, we're feeling good. And we are ready to show that no college team is gonna talk smack without getting a little taste of the dirt we kicked up as we left them in our wake...

Game 1
Strut 15, Flywheel 5
While we let these little devils in the game in the first half, a brief reminder of NOT TO GET BROKEN at the half stifles Flywheel in the second half. They only score 1 point in the second half. We got 'er done. Defensive skirt: Laura. J9 award: Jen

Game 2
Strut 3, Mojo 15
In all but maybe 3 or 4 of the points during the game, they gave us only 1 chance to score. While we tended not to have a problem moving it downfield, we were frazzled on the endzone and threw it away many times. We didn't believe in ourselves and we didn't put into action what we know we need to do against an opponent like this. Everyone had great moments, but we need to learn how to fight and not ever give up. If Nemo can
play Truck 12-15, we can play closer to this team. We may just have another chance in two weeks... Defensive Skirt: Helen. J9 award: Alissa

Game 3
Strut 15, MSU 3
Coming off a big loss, many teams suffer from feeling down. Not us. We knew MSU beat Flywheel and it seemed to energize us beyond belief to come out hard and show off our Purple Power. Our force middle man- on D completely stifled them. It didn't matter who we matched up on across the field - their cuts were either shut down or D'd. When we play like this at Regionals, we will be in the Top of the Bracket. Defensive Skirt: Callie. J9 award (and player of the weekend): Lis

Before Individual Performances, I'd like to remind us of 8 points we need to focus on individually in the next 2 weeks to make us the team threat that we can be in Milwaukee. I can only encourage you to work on these things. You are the ones who have to choose to make it happen.

1. Timing of cuts for continuation. DON'T cut after your partner has turned to throw. DO cut as your partner is just about to catch it so they turn and see you in motion. DON'T be intimidated by the defense. DO get in motion so you can find a way to get open.

2. Keep the disc in motion. We can't look things off that are open. When we moved it, we had flow and couldn't be shut down.

3. Never hang your head on a turnover. Play D immediately. And communicate after a team has played zone on us who you are picking up. Protect the endzone first and work your way back to find someone to cover.

4. When you front someone on D, you move with them as they cut toward the disc. I saw many times where we fronted a cutter beautifully and then proceeded to let them run right by us.

5. When you (NO MATTER IF YOU ARE A HANDLER OR BACKFIELDER) are the person with the disc close to the endzone, you need to call an ISO (by simply saying someone's name that's on the field) to clean out the endzone so we can score. The rest of the team needs to clear back and make space and be ready for backup. If nothing is called, the 2's or outsides of the backfielders are the ones who should be cutting TO THEIR RESPECTIVE SIDES to score. If we need to reset, the handler in control helps set up the reset. If we don't think or talk - chaos. We know what to do, we just need to do it.

6. Stop trying to get a point block on the thrower if it means you give up the break-mark throw. We are getting better and better at marks, but if you are on an experienced thrower, you need to focus on only giving them one side to throw to, and stop trying to D every possible throw.

7. Clear wide of the disc so the person going for a fast break can be thrown to.

8. Call timeouts when we are close to the endzone so we can set up plays to score.

On to how fabulous we are--

Alissa: Her MVP work rivaled that of Biscuit. She cut, caught, threw, and was outstanding all day long. Her intensity on both O and D showed me the fighting spirit this team has when they really want to turn it on. My favorite play was the score from Sherri to Alissa in the Mojo game. They were completely baffled by our short stack, and then Alissa just smoked her defender and came down with the score.

Alli: Watch the pendulem Alli. Keep watching it. Watch it swing back and forth. Now, Alli, repeat after me. Alli doesn't want to leave Michigan. Alli wants to stay here and keep playing for Strut next year. Alli wants to keep being a rock star and pull down our not-so- accurate passes. Alli wants to keep D'ing her poor opponent. Alli wants to keep throwing her totally-on forehand. Alli rocks.

Alpine: "Coach" was there - helping us stay focused all day long. That purple jacket simply is the best. We always knew the score and she kept me informed about PT so I could make sure everyone was contributing. Nice work coach!

Block: Let's not talk about Block's D. We all know that it's superb. Let's talk about her O. Block was so consistent all weekend. She found all her receivers and gave them the passes they needed. She rarely turned it over. She seemed more in-tune with her receivers than ever before. She was a key part of us keeping possession of the disc when we needed to.

Callie: This birthday girl has been working so hard all summer to be stronger, faster, and more aggressive on the field. It was pretty damn clear, as pass after pass went up to her and she was either wide open by herself to catch the disc or found herself having to come back under to a pass that was going to be short and reaching above and beyond her defender to come down with the disc. Everyone on the sideline was raving. Well deserved rave Callie.

Carrie: Back problem? Not when she was on the field. Our leader played so damn solid, moving the disc around so defense could never get set up on her, getting D's in the endzone (how tall are you?), and saying the right thing at the right time to remind us how fantastic we really are.

Christina: If we all would play it as cool as this lady when we are zoned - scoring would be easy as pie. She sees the holes that actually are good holes to throw to. She keeps it moving, tiring the cup, and reminds us that we don't always have to throw it long to score - we can simply move it down the field slowly but surely and put it in. Oh yeah - how's the arm doing from the really loud point block you got?

Deb: Someone forgot to warn the other team that Deb has a fantastic long backhand. It really is a beautiful throw to watch. And then there's that thing that Deb consistently does that we can ALL learn from - she plays one hell of a mark. She is active, she stays focused on where she will allow it and where she won't let it go. Right on Deb. Way to put on a clinic.

Helen: Who let this woman loose? Holy cow! On the very first point she laid out and came within a half inch of D'ing Flywheel. But it wasn't only that. Seeing that Katka eeked out the catch, she immediately popped up and stopped her from throwing anything but what the force would allow. Her timing on her cuts is impecable. I can't think of a time when she wasn't turning to cut right when she needed to. Her intensity on both O and D is something I aspire to. She leads by example. I will follow and do the same.

Jen: What can I say about someone who continues to improve every single time she steps out on the field? What do you eat for breakfast? It makes you an animal. You hang in the air forever to catch something. You catch, turn and throw. You keep your cool on O, but you rage on D. We are SO lucky to have you.

Jes: Long throws - ON TARGET! Short throws - right where they need to be. Jes played some of the smoothest O this year and really helped us keep that disc moving. It's such a bonus that we also have your humor and charm on the sideline to remind us to play hard but keep having fun too. Your spirit really helps lead this team to new heights. We love you for it.

Julia: Fill in your own fabulous words for how this woman plays O, plays D, leads our Strut cheer, and makes a backpack proud to be a backpack. Meanwhile, I'm going to start looking up new words now for how i can write-up how amazing I know she will be at Regionals.

Laura: She loves MSU, no doubt. But she also showed them who's boss right now. That would be her on Strut. She played with such tenacity and grace. I'm sure the newbies you've recruited were saying, I can't wait until Laura can huck to me in the endzone!

Lis: My player of the weekend. You've made amazing changes in your game over the course of this summer and they all shined this weekend. You're aggressiveness in the air, your communication on the field, your continuation throws - they were all strong. You played with confidence and having you catch the final score of the day on that beautiful long cut was a perfect way to end the day.

Michelle: First - How's the ankle? We all want to know. Second, Steve must be making you chase a lot of discs for sprints, because you were running hard all day until you were taken out. You saw the field and reacted quickly to what needed to be thrown. You never stopped running for the disc, and for that, it continued to end up in your hands.

Shannon: This woman clearly has been watching Deb. Her marks are fiery. She keeps on her toes and moves around just enough to make the thrower nervous, but doesn't give up the break mark pass. I mentioned to her that I thought she could stay closer to her defender with her speed. She clearly took it to heart because she was always in their shorts, preventing a lot of passes by just being that close to them.

Sherri: Born handler, born backfielder. You are a versatile woman. You have the calmness of a veteran handler in a touch situation (throwing the score to Alissa). Yet, you continue cut like a middle who has been playing for 10 years. You see when your defender isn't paying attention and you abuse it. You are in harmony with this game. And don't ever forget the amazing snag you made over a certain person's head that everyone saw ;-)

Sveta: Once I yelled at Sveta (sorry about that!) to come back and help out behind the cut, her handling skills went into "keep it moving" mode. She dumped, swang, and made it hard for the other team to ever slow down. Another thing I continue to see Sveta doing is playing incredible D. She's very aware, looking to see where the disc is while still watching her defender. Like Callie -all the workouts all summer are clearly paying off. You have great stamina and are getting more aggressive every time you step out on the field.

Tamara: There's something magical about seeing Tamara take off deep. All the handlers get pulled in by it. And away the disc flies, for her to run down for the score. We promise that we'll focus on "less challenging" throws for Regionals. Yes, you continue to catch our "not so pretty hucks", but we'll try to make things easier for you. Weren't you also the one who got two foot blocks in one point! Woohoo! And finally, thanks for LEADING BY EXAMPLE the meaning of Offense/Defense/Offense/Defense.

 

---

Club Regionals
October 8-9, 2005
Milwaukee, WI

Purple,
As I got into bed around 2am last night (Truck made it to Nationals, but in 2nd place, through the back door, the last game of the day), I reflected on this past season and how grateful I am to have had a chance to play with each and every one of you. While we may have only come in 7th - I see it as a chance to make sure next year the team realizes how important it is to practice together regularly, and dedicate time starting now to what can make each of us a more skilled woman with that little piece of plastic we call a disc.

Here's a little reflection of the weekend, so you can all start dreaming about how to come out even bolder, brighter, and stronger next season.

Saturday morning - COLD! WINDY! NO SUN IN SIGHT! And that's putting it mildly. A condition not seen in the Central Region since April sprung upon us as we got to our fields. But it's Strut. We took it in stride and warmed up.

GAME 1
Nemesis 15, Strut 3
They were sloppy and we fought hard. It was the most confident we've ever come out against them. This game so much closer than the score. We actually took it to the soft cap because we wouldn't ever let them score easily. We clearly got our "NO BREAK" rocking and rolling and Nemesis only choice was to huck it a lot because their "open" side cuts just weren't open. J9 Award: Lis (she released her panther! What an animal she was ALL game!); Spirit Award: Sveta; Defensive Skirt Award: J9

GAME 2
Bait 15, Strut 3
This game flew by. Both teams swiftly moved the disc down the field. Bait only gave us one chance to score though. They were smooth as silk, and their years of experience were a shining example of what is possible when you become one with the game. It was clear to us that this team was heading to Nationals. And they are - in the 2nd spot (MOJO took 1st). J9 Award: Sherri; Spirit Award: Block; Defensive Skirt Award: Block

GAME 3
Strut 15, Laid but not Late 7
This was a great game, with our warm-up against such tough teams clearly preparing us to come out and win this game strongly. This group of ladies
definitely put up a fight (a mix of club and college players from all over Oklahoma), but in the end, the team that played together all season shined
brightly. J9 Award: Christina; Spirit Award: Kristi; Defensive Skirt: Alissa

GAME 4
Who Dat 14, Strut 9
In the battle of all battles, we duked it out with Who Dat (with 2 recent Mojo drop outs to round out their roster) and they wound up on top. While both teams had great moments, Who Dat had fewer drops and a raging desire that proved just too much for us in the end. While we all felt the crushing blow of the loss, it's good to see the struggling Cleveland team becoming stronger. It makes the region that much better. Note: They played Deep Dish and Jazz very well in their Sunday games - so they clearly have gotten better over this summer and showed they deserved to be where they were. J9 Award: Alissa; Spirit Award: J9; Defensive Skirt: Alli

Saturday night. Most of the team headed to the Brewhaus, enjoying the company of Nemo. While there was no table dancing, Helen and I learned that for Nemo, Dave Collins (aka DC) is both the cause and solution of what happens to Nemo on the field. Let that be a lesson to us all - for every mistake you make, you can still be the hero in the end if you give it your all.

Sunday - the sun was shining in a crystal clear blue sky. The air was still. It was a great day to crush a little team from Oklahoma for 7th in the region.

GAME FOR 7TH
Strut 15, Laid 7
Still hung over and showing up at 9:05 for a 9am game, Laid got on the line only to be destroyed by us, 8-1 at the half. While I may be a pain in the ass making us get there an hour early, this is when it's clear that a warmed-up team can do so much damage when fully prepared. Thanks for putting up with me on that and thanks for always being ready to go so early every tourney morning. Around half time the wind really started to pick up again. Laid woke up and started playing much better as well. While the wind added a little more interest to the game (with more scores downwind at this point in the game), the fact that we came out strong in the beginning meant no hope for them. J9 Award: Carp; Defensive Skirt: Jen; Spirit Award: Deb, Lis, Callie, Block, Kristi, and Sveta - for being strong little marshmallows on the far side and pumping us up with songs, cheers, dancing, and incredible team spirit and support; J9 Player of the weekend: Runner up - Alissa (for such incredible play EVERY single game and positive attitude no matter what the score was); Player - Sherri (for playing 200% and never giving up no matter what happened and for getting the team back on track when some of us were feeling down and reminding us how great this game is and that every point played is an incredible experience).

Individual Highlights:
Alissa - Was everywhere when we needed her. Moved the disc with ease, seeing who was open and when to dump. Snagged more than a few high ones to keep us in possesion of the disc. Life saver all the way around. Complete all-star.

Alli - I'm not sure who gets the defensive skirt more, Alli or Block or Jen. Alli brought her Defensive A+ game and showed all the teams why choosing to
line up across from her was the worst choice they could have made that point.

Alpine - Completely rock steady. Probably holds the Strut record for most D's in one point (~10? against Laid). She doesn't say much, but that's because she saves it for the field. She sees the holes, she throws to the open person, she reads the disc like no other and snags just about whatever we throw at her. Truly an unsung hero on this team.

Block - BLOCK! Thought you all might want to yell that one last time. Block had an incredible weekend. Both spirited and ready to rock on the field whenever she was called in - she contributed so much to all the lines that scored with ease.

Callie - Okay, I couldn't get this woman to stop smiling all weekend. She was glowing and so ready to keep us positive and looking towards the next point. Players like this are few and far between and can make all the difference in the world. Thanks for keeping us up, no matter what else was going on.

Carp - Don't mess with Texas? Whatever! Don't mess with Carp! She woke up Sunday morning clearly ready to hand some whoop-ass to Laid. With her discs slicing through the air directly to her intended receiver, her passes were as Golden as they come.

Carrie - While Carrie always does it all out there, I remember a particular long pass that was clearly going to be a goal until Carrie leaped FAR higher than the intended receiver and denied any chance at such goal. Strut erupted with cheers. It was spectacular.

Christina - She says she didn't play that well. Stop being modest woman. I just remember wanting her in to handle on all the upwind points because she clearly had the ability to make sure we scored those upwinders. Zones were shredded, the defense was dismayed. So sorry!

Deb - Taking little marshmallows to new heights, Deb was probably the most dedicated pocket of protection on the far side that we had. She clearly took it to heart that the sideline players can make all the difference in the world. And then when she was called in - she sprung to the line, ready to put another score on the board for Strut.

Helen - Lesson #1: "When injured, take time off to heal so can perform exceptionally when it really matters." For those of you who play through the
pain - Hen clearly shows what it means to come back strong when you do all the rehab and rest what is hurt. She played with such tenacity, never giving up on any disc, always fighting for something that would put the score on the board for us. Between her layout saves, crossing the field when the disc hung in the air to fight for it, and always trying to figure out what will make her a better player - she inspired ME to never give up no matter what the situation.

Jen - Not only fast, Jen has become one of the smartest defenders on this team. She sees what will happen and gets there first. She has so many D's that I truly wish ultimate was on TV so some stats guy could keep track of her stats and show them off in stats tables. But not only has Jen shown incredible defensive prowess - her offense has improved by leaps and bounds and when she hits that timing on her throws - her forehand bender down the line - it's simply incredible!

Jes - Jes to Tamara, there was a pattern and that pattern proved to be pretty damn solid. You two were on the same wavelength and when you wanted to - you showed how talented you can be with disc-in-hand.

Julia - I noticed at our scrimmage against Mojo - Keely couldn't shut down Julia. KEELY! Yes, that's right - we may have the fastest/quickest women's
ultimate player in this region on our team. The reason I bring that up is because after noticing that, I watched to see how open she could get on the
rest of the region. Um, I'm sorry to the rest of the region - we have one of the finest talents around. We'll be reading about Julia in the UPA newsletter
in the years ahead. She will be the one that when the other teams get on the line, they'll say, "shit, who wants to try to cover her this time?"

Kristi - Strong voice - yes. But also strong heart, strong desire, and strong athlete. No one can deny that Kristi will always be giving it her all. And on
Sunday - it was clear that she went strong to every disc and played her heart out. As she called for the disc, it was easy to both spot her and then hit her wide open cut. This team has an amazing spirit because of all the positiveness she has brought to us all season long. Yeah Kristi!

Laura - When she puts those "focus" powers on full-throttle, Laura clearly has the best arm on our team. She can put it anywhere she wishes with ease. I've been throwing forever and will never have the kind of touch she has. We were lucky to have her help us get the job done this season.

Lis - I told her after No Surf that she had to be more aggressive. I had noticed all summer that she was being more assertive on the field, but when she took Nemesis to the mat in game 1 Saturday, she pinned them down and then head-butted them (with a smile) to make sure they knew she was not to be messed with. She never stopped running to the disc and when she felt pressure, she stuck those arms out and snagged that disc before they could get there. In the air, her concentration on getting to the right spot and then only seeing that disc, but skying above everyone made all those 500's worth it. Wow. Double wow. Way to play damn hot ultimate Lis.

Michelle - Even with a sprained ankle (and a whole lot of tape), Michelle went in and gave it her all. While she pulled herself out of the Who Dat game
because her foot was hurting, before that, she clearly was doing her best to help us own the disc. My favorite moment was when she went around the back of one her defenders for the smoothest breakmark backhand that I think was even for a score. It's her trademark - and she did it with style once again.

Shannon - Marathon training = can easily last very long points and still keep cutting when others are tired. I'm just not sure Shannon was ever really shut down this weekend. In fact, she was so open at times that I think she even got funny looks from the thrower, "what are you doing so wide open?" Once we realized what was going on though - we tossed the disc, she caught and turned and threw and then headed downfield to get wide open again. Sweet stuff.

Sherri - This woman recognizes that every point played at a game makes you a better player for the next. And she's always trying to learn from her
opponents. She's so observant, and was the first to say that she needed to go out in nasty weather to throw to get used to those conditions. While she didn't come up with all of the crazy stuff we threw at her, she never stopped fighting for that disc once it was anywhere near her. She never gives up and that's what makes her one of Strut's top players.

Sveta - OKay, who got this woman to dance? That's what I want to know. Because then she got this grin on her face that was contagious. With a beautiful smile and a desire to always be improving, Sveta's strength this weekend was her defense. It's something that has grown over this summer and really shined all weekend whether she was person-on in the back during cup/man-on points, or just lining up smart on her cutter and making it hard for them to get open. Her disc skills, clearly continuing to grow and improve daily - on going to continue to be an asset no matter who she's playing for. Sveta was a born handler (it just took us a year to figure that out).

Tamara - "I want it!" She said it with such force and such determination when I asked Who wants it? I felt it echo through my entire body and felt like we just might have a chance to come back against Who Dat and win the game. Tamara has come leaps and bounds with her game over the past two years. She's Incredibly strong on both O and D. She sees the field and reads the disc like a veteran. I have so much confidence in her that no matter what the situation, she's most likely the first person I'll mark on the stats sheet as someone I want in for critical points. I feel blessed that Tamara came back to Michigan to be a part of this team. It's for reasons like her and the spirit of so many of you that Strut is as incredible as it is.

We've come a long way ladies. And while we are a very young team, we have made major strides in our abilities to succeed at this game at levels beyond the W/L column. With so many more years ahead of you, I can't wait to see where your ultimate paths lead you. Whether you play, coach, or just keep the ultimate spirit in your hearts as you choose other things to fill your lives, thanks for being a part of Strut 2005. It's been a fantastic journey.

xo
J9