Throwing Principles

Early Morning

The trees are blackish

   against the morning sky.

Early morning breezes

   push the night goodbye.

There's a leftover moon

   from disappearing night

As birds scatter darkness

   in many a-chattering flight!

HGC

*HGC is Henry George Champe, my late grandfather, and I aspire to write like him, as well as be kind to a fault like him. I'm working my way there Gramps. Love you and miss you. 

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I'm gonna piggyback a bit here. I've been wanting to put my thoughts on throwing on paper for a while, and part of Yngve's post talks about different paths that can lead to the same path. I think that Yngve is right on some accounts here and wrong on others. I think that while it's entirely possible for everyone to take slightly different paths on the way to throwing a forehand for example, they are wasting their time reinventing the wheel. Many times square wheels with very limited usability. Just because we haven't found the ideal path to teaching a forehand yet, doesn't mean that everyone should take their own path or that we haven't found a darn good path to lead people down. Disclaimer: I am not claiming this is that way. While mechanics can be different between throwers, the same principles and ideas apply to all, and can be used by all. 

I remember working with KJ on Deering last year with his flick. In one hour, his flick was looking eons better. There were 4 basic principles we worked on with one underlying law: consistency (I may be changing wording/numbering here KJ, so forgive me). And I believe all young throwers, and even mature throwers who may be working on a new throw, should think about the one law within each of these four principles until they all become second nature and you no longer have to think about it for your throw to come out how you want it to.

Law - Consistency

Throwing is like shooting free throws. If you do the same thing every time, your throws will have a far better chance of looking the way you want them to, assuming you are following the principles. Obviously (in my head anyway) this applies to each type of throw: a huck will be different than a dump. But consider a category list of every type of throw in the book: OI upwind flick huck, IO upwind flick huck, flat upwind flick huck, blading over the defender upwind flick huck, etc... There are endless combinations here depending on receiver, defender etc etc, but the point is that for every one type of throw I throw, I strive for consistency. I always try to have the same values for the 4 principles listed below. 

1. Visualization - 

How do you want this throw to look as it flies through the air? Do you want it to be flat? OI? IO? Do you want it to rise over someone in front of you? Do you want it to bend around the defense? You have to have the concept in your mind before you can execute it. This has been the most important part of me becoming a competent thrower. If a throw ever comes out not looking like I visualized beforehand, I yell at myself. I am constantly apologizing to my throwing partners not because they couldn't get to or catch the disc, but because in my head it was easier for them which is always my goal as a thrower. I want every throw to be perfect like it is in my head. Shoutout to Chuck -> Visualization is great. Consistency.

2. Release point - 

From where do I need to release the disc for the throw I'm visualizing? Should it be even with my body when my foot hits the ground on my step out? Should it already be out of my hand? It should match up with the point in space at which you are most comfortable releasing your throws. For example I am very bad at releasing super far away from my body in most all circumstances (yes you can work to improve this and the best throwers do, but this is about teaching new throwers). Many people cannot release the disc before their foot hits the ground consistently. As with everything, there are many options here. This is where Yngve is right in a sense. Paths will stray, but I liken the principle to a road I liken these paths to individuals' throwing mechanics. People are all on the same road that leads to SPAC, but may just be walking on the other side of that road. The idea here is to find that comfortable spot and work to release it there whenever possible. Consistency.

3. Arm mechanics - 

Does my arm need to come through fast for this throw I'm visualizing? Or slow? Should my elbow be close to my body? Far away to get around the mark? Should I be breaking through the disc with my thumb like Yiding? Or grip it gently? Young throwers need to consciously think about their arm speed as they move through their motion, a lot about their arm angle and elbow placement, and about their grip. This can be the difference between lasers and touchy throws, hucks and dumps, unintentional blades and great throws. There is a specific answer to all the above questions for each throw in the category list and eventually your brain will do all the "calculations" for you -> it's great. Until then, coaches and captains should talk with young throwers about which answers satisfy the requirements for a throw they don't yet have so they can start building their knowledge. Consistency.

4. Disc Angle - 

What angle should this disc be at for the throw I'm visualizing? Should it be flat? A tad OI? Maybe really IO? There are essentially infinite points on the 2-D plane in front of you at which you could release the disc. Completely vertical, or horizontal, 45 degrees NE or SE, etc etc. Again there is an answer for each throw in the category list, and practicing/throwing a ton will get you to the point where you no longer have to think about it. 

Practice - Do this for every single throw during your next throwing session and tell me your thoughts.

Visualize a throw and set your criteria. Where should it hit your receiver? What flight path should it take? 

Consider the release point. Given the conditions, where do I need to release this disc for it to meet my above criteria?

Consider your arm mechanics. What should my arm be doing during this throw to execute it properly and meet my above criteria?

Consider the disc's angle. What angle of the disc will meet my above criteria?

Throw the plastic at your friend. Did it meet your criteria? 

        Y -> Cool do it again; strive for consistency.

        N -> Cool do it again and make the necessary changes. Keep tweaking until your answer is a yes

ARC

Work

Work has to be done.
Make it a chore or passion?
That is the question.

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Last night I heard a great analogy. Work is like high school. It kind of fits perfectly. You spend a similar amount of hours at the location. You do the things that need to be done at that location in those specified hours (at least I did and do). And most importantly, your time outside of those hours are yours to do with whatever you choose. Your weekends are yours, your weeknights are yours.

These are in stark contrast to college. In college there seems to always be an assignment hanging over your head. Whether its a problem set, a paper, or studying for a midterm, you constantly have that stress of knowing you're putting it off in the back of your mind. With all the free time in college, you get to decide your own hours, and it seems all too often you do a truly terrible job of setting these hours efficiently. If you just set a few hours aside every day (time that you used to have to spend at school anyway) you could just get things done and not have the stress hanging over you.

Unfortunately procrastination is super easy in college. There is always something happening, some excuse you can make. You tell yourself that there will never be another time you can go to dinner with your friends, or go drink at the house, or play Minecraft. In hindsight, these are all laughable, but I guess I still wouldn't change anything I did. Some mistakes, you simply have to make to learn from and be stronger moving forward.

I like working. It forces me to do my work during the day, so that i'm not stressing out at night. It's a bit harder than high school, i'll concede that. But the idea is similar. My aim is to not bring work home with me if I can help it. It's a pretty big shift to go from high school to college and back, but it's eased by the fact that you've done it before. You're well practiced in this style of working.

ARC

FOMO

NUT has taken my sweat, my blood and my tears
My effort, my time, and my money.
But NUT finds a way to give more than it takes
In the form of a brotherhood that will last for years.

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FOMO (Fear of missing out): the feeling one has when they are afraid of exciting things happening when they aren't present. An example of this can be seen in How I Met Your Mother; the blitz suffers from FOMO because he actually is missing out on incredible happenings. 

However, this fear doesn't have to be founded in logic, and honestly it rarely is. I don't have FOMO about NUT right now because I think crazy things are happening or that things that are happening are any more crazy than the things that happened during my incredible 5 years there, rather my FOMO is more of a general feeling of missing those I love. 

College Ultimate is truly special. The shear amount of time you spend with teammates and coaches is pretty much untouchable by any other group at any other point in your life. You practice/workout together ~10-15 hours/week. You pour sweat and blood into the turf and the weight rooms on campus. You spend another 20-30 hours/week just sitting around the house shooting the shit, or playing video games, or eating lunch or dinner or playing disc golf, or doing hw (almost forgot about the whole school thing), or going to class. You spend every other weekend in the fall and spring together driving to and from tournaments, playing games, eating dinner, going to team cream, and watching tv in hotel rooms. You spend pretty much all your other free weekends and time together drinking and clowning around. This doesn't even account for the amount of time you are sleeping in the same vicinity (as many live with other teammates either at the house or elsewhere). Given this, it should be obvious that the bonds you form are ridiculously strong. 

For me, it's no mystery I miss my brothers so much. It's an incredible hole to try and fill. Some of the hole is unrecoverable; as soon as you leave college, it's impossible to spend the same amount of time with anyone simply because you work 40-50 hours a week. Other parts of the hole, you try to fill with what's comfortable -> more ultimate. But new teammates on club already have their own lives, families, and work. Still other parts, you try to fill with new experiences and expand your horizons, but not every new thing you try you stick with, and still other new things you try don't even involve other people (running for me). These other things fill the time, sure, but they don't give you the same sense of connection or belonging. They don't satisfy your need for human interaction with people you care about. They simply keep you busy so that you're not wallowing. This can only keep you afloat for so long.

I've done better with this transition than my one from High School to College, no doubt. But I am not without lapses, and weak moments. No matter how many things you involve yourself in, no matter how many new friends you make, no matter how much you like your new situation, you need some familiar and comfortable love at some point. I've made 1 trip home, had my parents visit twice, seen people from school multiple times, and that's just in the first 3.5 months. I'm not 'barely hanging on', but I'm also not completely content. I still crave my family and school friends all the time. I find myself wishing I was back in Evanston weekly at least.

What I've found, which may seem obvious, is that there's no specific formula for transitioning to a new place with new people, and there are no shortcuts. You have to invest yourself to ever get close to the same level of connection, and you have to make time to see your loved ones. It's a fine line between seeing old friends and making new ones. It's a line that I am constantly trying to toe and feel out. I think I'm walking the line pretty well at this point. 

ARC

Chicago Invite 2015

Yellow, orange, and red.
Fire all around,
Yet no heat escapes.
Cold comes instead.

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8:35 AM Saturday morning: Farmer Boone of Yolo Swaggins University hits the field; a ragtag group of friends and acquaintances with Boone's in hand. I've always been an organizer. It's hard and irritating, and people are flaky. But it's times like these that make me enjoy it so much.

Of the original 50 or so people I emailed (40 or so being on one listserv), I got about 25 responses. Some people are coaching, some are too far away, some just don't wanna play. But there is solid interest from enough to field a team. We end up getting the bid. We have a roster of like 18. Then things come up. One drops, then two, skip a few, seems like 18. Frustrating to no end.

We scrape enough people together to not literally die since we already paid the bid fee (somehow - props to Ming and Gordon for recruiting). It's a blast. Drinking, playing, just hanging out. We clown around, we win games, and then we play the youngens. Man do they have a lot of energy. To be 16 again... We lose. I go to watch Gungho. Walden is hilarious as usual. I enjoy cheering them on. I like the bond NUT and Gungho have -> much better than at other schools from what I've found. Then I watch NUT X lose to the youngens as well. Some of these kids are downright filthy.

Saturday night: Hanging with NUT. I miss these guys so much. I lost count of how many times I told Yiding I loved him this weekend. Drinking Boone's Farm in a smelly hotel room after a day of being cold, and playing Ultimate -> Flashback to fall quarter freshman year. Dolphin and Ollie have a "Two Boone's" race at Glory Days. What a first experience with Frisbee. I was on the ground that weekend more than I was on my feet (Shoulda gotten cleats). -> Back to now, I enjoy my time hanging out with my brothers. Notably missing: Bruns -> I don't go to team cream. I am sad I didn't see Bruns.

8:52 AM Sunday morning: We're sitting at 9 players and that's only because Zubair and Stoop are gonna sub for us cuz they have a bye. We are making a mockery of this tournament. 9:01 AM Reinforcements show up and were up to 11. Old men sure are timely. It's so fun to play with all these guys again - Tony, Yngve, Walker, Ben, Drew, Jack, Max - it's been a while.

We keep winning and more people join us for the finals. This is getting ridiculous. We are truly a pickup team. It's a blast, and it's hilarious. We avenge our loss. The youngens are no match today. 15-8. Luke is probably mad at as. He gives the merch and tourney title to them. Fair enough I guess. Great weekend.

Overall notes: Yolo Swaggins University Alumni are 2 for 2 in tournament victories. We left 6 TO's on the table I believe - unacceptable. I sat a total of 7-8 points all weekend. It felt great to just run my body past what it thought it should be put through. I've made so many good friends playing this sport, and I would go through the irritation of organizing something like this every time even though I complain. I love this sport.

ARC