Fall 2006 (recap)

The fall was filled with anticipation. We had a pretty poor team the year before, but were only losing one player that competed in the College Series with us. So we were excited for the season to come with a roster full of seasoned veterans. The outlook for the season was littered with question marks. Mainly, what direction is this team going to go? There was the possibility to be very good, but Miami had no history of doing what it takes to become champions. The fall was a test for this team about where we were going and if we had what it took to get there. I knew I wanted to convince this team that we could become a winning program. We needed to have the mindset that we were a competitive team.

I actually wrote this following recap on 11.25.06 soon after our season and felt it's appropriate to share:
"Our overall record was 33-12, we won 2 tournaments, and placed 5^th at David Baldwin. These were the statistical accolades that put the numerical emphasis on our transformation as a team. However the intangible aspects that have grown among this team are the things that will takes us places in the spring. We’re on the road to being a good team. We’ve started to condition, practice with a purpose, work on meaningful skills, and see ourselves as a team with serious ambition. We are by no means there yet, nor are we even close to established, but it’s an evolution. The mentality the team has taken on is unprecedented for Miami University. This has never been a team that has played on a real competitive stage. There have been some good players through the years, but Miami is not a team that people dread to see in their pools at tournaments. This team has the potential to be different, but the fall means nothing in the world of real college ultimate so we have to be cautious. The fall did mean something for us though, it signified change, it signified a new path."

More detail on specific tournaments isn't necessary because the spring semester is the focus in the college game. However I think the overall positives from the fall really propelled this team into a new era of ultimate at Miami. The old guard had left and so did the philosophies. This was a new team, with new goals, and unprecedented potential.

Here is a link to a highlight reel I made for a tournament called the David Baldwin Memorial Tournament:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=1728478421000816319&q=Miami+Ultimate