The Ultimate Sport?
I recently wrote about playing ultimate, and more specifically why I spent my summer touring. It’s unusual for me to write much of anything, let alone share as much as I did (though there’s so much more I wish I could have articulated), and I’m quite proud of what I wrote. I stand by my reasons for touring, and maintain that (for me) Ultimate is the greatest sport available.
There are exceptions to every rule. Take tonight, for instance: I was traded to a team which has been well-crafted to play a style of ultimate totally different to that which I play; that I’m strong in; or that I’m even comfortable playing. Fair enough, if I wanted to control the team I should have volunteered to manage one. I don’t enjoy playing this style, but I can’t get only great teams in this league.
However, when a teammate of mine shows up to the game drunk (we’re talking slurring words, giggling at everything, no coordination or energy) before what’s supposed to be a competitive game (and one the captain describes as a “must win” game due to a series of losses leading up to this), the only response that comes to mind is “Fuck you.”
I get that Ultimate has party tournaments where it’s not even acceptable, it’s expected that teams are drinking on the sidelines. I played in one of these this past weekend, and loved every minute of it[1]. Parity league – while a fun league that frequently includes drinking while watching games – is still not a party tournament. Even at party tournaments, there’s an expectation that you not get plastered. If you are too drunk to play, you keep yourself off the field. Your teammates and your opponents don’t deserve to be disrespected by your turning the game into a joke.
Don’t force the other women on the team to chase after two women at the same time simply because you’re too drunk to play defence. Don’t cut other people on the field off when you’re on offence because you want the disc, even when you’re too uncoordinated to reliably catch or throw. Don’t hog the field: sub off and let your teammates get some play time, especially if you’re going to do shit all when you’re playing.
I love Ultimate, and my emotions for 90% of the people I’ve met through it vary from indifference to best-friend material. I love playing even in the rain, wind, snow, sleet, or hail. I love an incredibly tight matchup, and can enjoy a lopsided victory or crushing defeat. I’ve played in games where the opposing team’s coach instructed his team to cheat, knowing his instructions were against the rules. I did not enjoy those games, but I got over them.
This is something else. This was one player unilaterally deciding that the other 24 people playing or stats keeping that game were not worthy of her respect; that their enjoyment was not worth her not drinking or simply not playing that game.
Fuck you, teammate. May I never again find myself on the same field as you.
[1] Post-Snowplate write up of the good and the bad coming later
