Lady Gee Gees

From the north hails a squad of dominant flatballers with Club Nationals experience and world class Juniors talent. They have crisp throws and razor sharp cuts. They have stiff D and as good a breaks as there are in college ultimate. The Hodags? Try a little farther east and a different gender. Who do I speak of? The Lady Gee Gees from the University of Ottawa. Recently, these women braved the trek across North America and swept through the competition at Trouble in Vegas, taking out UCLA’s BLU in the finals 14-10. Who are these Lady Gee Gees? I was interested to find out and captains Anne Mercier and Alex Benedict were kind enough to answer some questions of mine. This is what we came up with.

History

The University of Ottawa’s ultimate program was begat in 2004 by Julie Holsworth and Andrea Cardin. The main goal of these two ladies was to compete at the Canadian University Ultimate Championships (CUUC). The previous Fall (2003), a rag tag team attempted to cross the continent to Kamploops, BC but money and midterms prevented any kind of success. After finishing 4th at Canadian Eastern University Ultimate Championships (CEUUC) in 2004 and considering that CUUC’s that year were in Hamilton (5-hour drive) the ability to field a decent team was potentially increased. Despite the proximity, however, there were not enough players from Ottawa to field a full squad so Holsworth teamed up with Cardin from nearby Carleton University to form a fusion team. This team made the trip to nationals but like most first timers, they didn’t do so well, finishing last. They did gain invaluable experience and team chemistry however, and eagerly awaited future opportunities.

The following year (2005), Holsworth took on sole administrative duties in addition to playing for the team. This Ottawa team was to be led by Alex Benedict and Shannon Becker, two players with the experience and talent to guide a committed group of women. This team again finished 4th at CEUUC and was ready for nationals. They were undefeated at nationals until an ever present and common opponent, weather, reared its ugly head and ended the tournament prematurely. With hopes high, these women patiently returned to the gym and continued prepping for their chance to show the ultimate community and the world what they had. In the Fall of 2006 they would not be denied, and came out ready for Canadian Nationals. They won Easterns and in their second real attempt at a university championship, the Lady Gee Gees were victorious and proved that they were the best collection of women in the Maple Leaf Nation.

In 2007 they had their sights set on the main stage and cleated up for the UPA college series. In contrast to the US, the Canadian series is set in the Fall due to weather and to avoid competition with the Spring UPA series. Last year, they came out for Upstate NY Sectionals and had a dominating Saturday taking out Skidmore and RPI 15-1 each and 2nd seed (and eventual Sectional Champ) Rochester, 15-9. They were set to face Cornell in the finals the second day, but again, Mother Nature would have other plans, and snow canceled the second day of competition. Because of exams, the Lady Gee Gees were unable to make it back for the makeup date and missed their chance to earn a bid to Regionals and potentially Nationals.

Fast forward to February 2008 where these women got out of the snow and made the trip to the Southwest for Trouble in Vegas. Up against the best teams in North America, the captains of the Lady Gee Gees had the modest goal of making top 12. With a roster of only a dozen, one would think getting this far would be a blessing. However, talent and chemistry would propel this team above all others and they swept the field in Vegas earning their first US tournament title.

Standouts

After getting a little background on this team, I really wanted to know where their core talent rested. I asked Anne and Alex this questions and before they dropped any names, they promptly told me this:

Depending on the game I think that you'll find different standouts. The team has such a strong core of vets and determined and talented rookies. Mentioning only a couple names wouldn't really be accurate/fair.

What a great pair of captains, but I like my superstars. Among the talented women on this team are 5 Ottawa Junior players, Anne Mercier, Alex Bendict, Danielle Fortin, Sonia Komenda, and Kathryn Pohran. Anne, Alex, and Kathryn were all part of the Canadian Juniors team in 2006. In addition, Katie Krump is another standout and was a teammate with Alex on the Ottawa Captials who finished 5th at Women’s Club Nationals in October of last year. Anne, Alex and Danielle are the three main handlers for the Lady Gee Gees and have been playing together since 2003. Sonia, Karthryn, Katie, and Shannon Becker are a quartet of vicious cutters and earn their fair share of D’s among Ottawa’s athletic and crafty defensive front.

Aside from obvious star power, Alex and Anne also told me:

The team as a whole is strong because there are no huge gaps between the top players and the rookies. As I said before, our strength lies in our solid core and with what every single person brings to this team, therefore numerous other players would be worth mentioning as well.

Ottawa Ultimate Scene

The main source of the Lady Gee Gees talent stems from the Ottawa ultimate scene, which is quite substantial and boasts upwards of 6,000 members. With 7 traveling teams at a variety of levels including indoor, it is easy to see that year round focus and commitment are prevalent in Eastern Canada. The Lady Gee Gees have players that suit up for a variety of club teams that include the Capitals, Stella, Scarlett and the mixed team Bytowne Flatball Club. Despite being on the less prominent side of the country, Alex and Anne inform me that “Ottawa (and Ontario in general)'s level of play is really close to western Canada's level. Those are always fun games to watch and play: they're generally pretty close.” With the recent success of teams like GOAT and the Capitals, I am inclined to agree with them.

Challenges and Goals

For an up and coming team, challenges always come in unfavorable quantities. Aside from the obvious and continuous weather complications, Ottawa still has their fair share of difficulties. First and foremost, lack of tournament opportunities. I would like to include a tournament schedule section in this write up, but frankly their isn’t much to speak of. Outside of TiV, Ottawa is too far from any decent competition and because of a lack of funding, they don’t have the ability to make it to tournaments outside the UPA series. We won’t get the chance to see The Lady Gee Gees again until sectionals.

Peripheral to tournament schedule, Ottawa also has to deal with the fact that the Canadian Championship schedule contrasts that of the UPA series. Alex and Anne told me that:

The Spring series was never a focus for the club. The Canadian University Fall series has been the most realistic and attainable goal for the past few years. Everything was set around that short 2-month season. Trying to change the direction of the team to start participating in the Spring Series was hard. The uncertainties that were associated with this big change were hard to grasp, as not many were even aware of the existence of the UPA series. This, along with the fact that many of the newer players haven't experienced much when it comes to the different level of ultimate, made it hard to attract players to the spring series.

Despite seemingly endless challenges, these women are undeterred and are committed to making a nationals run. With their previous experience and successes it would not be surprising if these women took down some major teams on their way to Boulder this May. With no regional experience however, they will definitely have to stay poised in the face of veteran teams. They are humble however and hope to develop throughout the series. This is what Anne and Alex had to say about their goals:

Our goal for this year is to make it to the UPA College Nationals. We got a taste of our section last year and know we can definitely make a good run at it. The next step for us is to make it past Regionals and see how we do at Nationals. We're taking everything one step at a time and looking at every tournament as stepping stone in the program's development.

Rise to Stardom

In researching teams like Ottawa and UCLA, I can’t help but notice the seemingly accelerated development of some Women’s programs. I have played for teams that are decades old yet have not reached these heights. This could be a question of luck or simply that there was a ton of talent waiting to be harnessed. Either way, I think it sends a powerful message to Women (and Men) out there that starting and developing a team to greatness is possible regardless of location, money, or experience. This is what Alex and Anne had to say about their team’s development:

Play! Play when you can, as much as you can. Go out and throw as often as possible! Play lots of pick up. Join local leagues, teams, etc. Attend clinics. Practice hard to play hard.

Yes, we've had some recent success, but we are still a developing team. We practice hard and are continually working on the basics of the game. We don't think there's only one path to follow, but with the strong determination and will from everyone on the team, you can get as far as you push yourself to! Anne always likes to say: "If you think you don't have that extra push in you to keep going, just do it anyways and watch as you surprise yourself." We all do our best and come out with that mentality at practice and in games. And I personally think that's what makes the difference. It pushes us on and off the field, at practice and in the gym. The girls are committed to the team and have been since September. They put time and effort into practices, but also into individual training, social events & fundraisers. We are a strong, tight and motivated group of friends.

Closing Thoughts

After researching these Women, I have found their story to be truly inspiring. Having to face so many frustrating weather obstacles is more than I could handle, yet the Lady Gee Gees are focused and committed to being the best they can. With all-star talent, they may have the ability to win games, but their team dedication will get them through these tough times and ensure that their talent and numbers don’t fade.

One last thing that I was interested in was whether or not there were any major differences between playing in the US and Canada. This is what Alex and Anne had to say about it:

There is a huge difference. The Canadian Women's University Ulimate scene is still in an early development phase. Programs are just starting and there's usually a smaller pool of experienced players in the programs (partly since there are many less developed Canadian juniors programs that can help feed into the university streams). I'm still in awe with the fact that TiV had 44 women's teams. I don't even think there are 44 Canadian university women's teams out there. There are way more US teams, which gives better competition at these tournaments.

Be afraid US. The women from Ottawa are ready to ball and without a chance to see them again until April, the anticipation will be one of the more exciting elements in ultimate this year. UCLA, Stanford, Wisconsin, Texas, Santa Barbara, Michigan and the rest of the best in the US will be training and practicing as hard as they can in the hopes that they can handle Ottawa. This is THE story in Women’s ultimate this year and I will be on the edge of my seat come Upstate NY Sectionals, Metro East Regionals and, with any luck, Nationals. I hope to see you ladies in Colorado this Spring. I’ll bring the Andre and hopefully I won’t be drinking alone.

For more information concerning the Ottawa Women's team, here is their ultimate website/blog which is actually very well maintained and put together.

match diesel

PS As an aside, this is my 50th ultimate article and I wanted to say thank you to all the people out there that have helped me gather information. You have really given me the ability to put my passion to work. I also want to thank all the people that have supported me for the last 9 months or so. It hasn't been the easiest road and your kind words have been very uplifting. Lastly, I want to thank my readers. I write this all for you guys and I truly hope you enjoy my words. I have said this before and I will say it again, if anyone wants to write an article and potentially publish it here, I would more than happy to work with you. Or if you have a topic you would like me to discuss, please let me know. I am always looking for new ideas. Feel free to email me at airmatch24@gmail.com

PPS I thought this link was hilarious and given the demographic that plays this sport, i thought it would be appropriate

Hot Women in Ultimate

One thing I have thought about over the last 5 years or so (and I am sure I am not in the minority) is attractive women in disc. I thought I would give a little run down as to who I thought were some very beautiful albeit talented women in our sport. I would also like to say that my criteria limited me to people that I don't know directly as well as well moderately well known women in the sport (or at least those I could find information on). I should also say that i am fully aware of the back lash that I might get after writing something like this but I don't really care. I feel that the ultimate community is great but can sometimes be overly sensitive. Sorry to those folks out there, stop reading now. For everyone else, enjoy.

Enessa Janes

First off, this girl is absolutely phenomenal. She was on the cover of the 2006 UPA college championship magazine. Wait, wasn't that the year Florida went 43-1 or whatever? Yep, but this hottie got the cover. Why? Well she just so happened to win her 3rd national championship in 5 years, not to mention made the finals 4 out of those 5 years. She only made semis in 2004. In addition she just won her 2nd straight Women's club national championship with Fury and is probably on her way to winning a world title in Vancouver next year. Oh and did I mention that she was not only an undergrad at Stanford for Land Management but she also got her Masters in Environmental Communication and Journalism. In case you are curious to know what she is up to now, she is a PhD student for Architecture and Planning at University of Colorado, Denver and Health Sciences Center. Here is a link that talks about her accomplishments without her cleats and an article that she wrote . Wow.

Anna Nazarov
Once upon a time there was this Women's ultimate team that made the finals at nationals in THEIR 3rd YEAR OF EXISTENCE. That team was UCLA BLU (Bruin Ladies Ultimate). 2003 was their first year in existence, and 2006 was their first trip to nationals. This year they were the #1 seed at nationals but lost in semis to UCSB Buring Skirts. In addition to being very beautiful, Anna just so happened to be the #1 woman in the country and earned herself the Callahan MVP award. Wow, where do you go from here? Good thing she was a Civil and Environmental Engineering major as well as being involved with the Hogue Research Group. What is it with ultimate players? My god!!

Yvonne Leung

Yes I have an asian thing, I am sorry, thats just how god made me. This isn't the best picture of her, i actually think she looks better in this one in the lower left but she is not the center of attention. I will say that, once again, BLU is a phenomenal team. I have a friend on SAMUG and he continually reminds me of how dominant this team is and I really think they are going to remain a serious powerhouse. I would like to offer more details outside of her being a stellar cutter and defender but I just can't find anything. I will say that I think that she is a huge Jon Stewart fan from her BLU profile and I think she will be one of the great remaining players on BLU after having lost so many seniors last year.

Val Dion

Ok, along with being hot, this woman just so happens to dominant at the elite women's level. She was on team Canada in 2005. Here is her profile with some Ultimate accolades at that point in time. She currently suits up for Riot who is sort of an elite women's team out of Seattle. Check out her player profile. She is also an actuary outside of ultimate. Now I am not all that familiar with what an actuary does, hence the wikipedia reference. But I do have a few friends that are trying to become one and it is no easy task. You have to pass like 7 tests over the span of a few years. But they make bank. Good for her and yeah, enjoy greatness, you are in good company.

Angela Lin

Getting back to my asians, Angela Lin has always grabbed my attention since she was an alternate on Team USA in 2005. I think what I find most appealing is the fact that she is also, not unlike most people on this list, very educated off the field. Aside from playing/captaining at club nationals for OZONE she is also a research engineer at Georgia Tech meaning she puts together stuff like this. Wish I could find my name on pubmed. I get the feeling the dyed hair is probably a look she isn't sporting anymore, but I thought it was a cool picture.

Lindsey Hack

First off I want to say that Gwen Ambler does a much better job at conveying women in disc so I refer you to her description of lindsey. Aside from being a standout at Michigan State, UNC Chapel Hill and on Backhoe, she also has her shit together and is a physical therapist at Duke University. I wonder who she roots for in that college basketball rivalry?

Then there the unknowns. I have come across some pictures of some very attractive female flat ballers. I wish I had more information on them because I am sure that they are exceedingly successful off the field as most folks are in this game.

Whoever this is, you are hot. I think she plays for Rough Riders. This picture was taken at NW regionals in 2006 and when I looked up the team, there are about 8 asian women on it and there is no website or images to speak of. Oh well, I am sure she is very talented and educated, not unlike every other woman on this list.

Another lady flat baller that is nameless as far as I know is her. No idea who she is or where she plays. Once again, I am assuming the best combination of talent, athleticism, and education.

I should say that the top of my list belongs to be the hottie with the body, the Brass mus-TASH, the one and only green-OUGH!!!

just my thoughts

match diesel

Ambush Story

So most folks are aware that Ambush was strapped with two suspensions this past club series. I wanted to write a piece on this story because I think it is 1) a very interesting and compelling story and 2) another major event involving the UPA and suspensions. I am lucky that I have friends out in the ultimate community and I could not have done this without the help of an Ambush player and friend of mine, Iana Aranda.

First I wanted to start with a little bit about the team and where they come from. Ambush is a women’s team that is based out of New York City and this year marked their 10th year of existence (hence the Hamilton dime jerseys at natties). The team is made up of young female professionals and students with the average age being around 25. In addition to being talented female athletes they also bring the ruckus and enjoy a good party, (cough) Tucker. I asked Iana to give me some background on Ambush and one thing that really stuck out in my head is how difficult it is to play disc as a woman in NYC. First, there is basically zero field space. Combine every downtown you have ever lived near and that’s NYC for +180 city blocks. I dunno how NYNY was so dominate. There are fields off the island (an hour away) and it is no surprise that teams struggle for patches of grass. I have heard from several folks that fields in dangerous neighborhoods riddled with broken glass are not uncommon. Not only does this bring some major challenges to all disc players but I can only imagine what this would be like for a woman. Having to put yourself in harms way, in a bad area, at night, repeatedly? I cannot imagine what this must be like. And as if this were not enough of a challenge, you are also living in NYC. The poor college kid mentality is non-existent. People in NYC laugh at 40-hour workweeks. The 8a-8p workday is not uncommon considering that the cost of living rivals that of any major city in the world, and it's not like NYC is the safest place. In addition, the average duration of living in NYC is 3-5 years for most people. Folks are always moving in and out to try the city out, work a little then they take off to an easier city to live in, go back to school or take their life/career elsewhere. Needless to say, I just wanted to articulate that playing in NYC is no picnic and any team, men’s, women’s, co-ed, masters, is brave and noble for even trying. In addition, I didn't realize how difficult this region is to compete in. Unlike college, NYC is in the Northeast region (it's the metro east in college) and has to compete with not only all the Boston/New England teams but Eastern Canada as well. Having to start/develop/maintain a team in such an ominous region (not unlike the NW) has to be extremely difficult and hats off to these women for making it to nationals in the face of such adversity.

The main story revolves around two players, Amanda Goodin and Alison Kling. Amanda is a cutter and a defender, not to mention Ambush's tallest player and veteran. After accepting a clerkship for a judge in Baltimore mid-season, she moved out of NYC. Despite this departure, she still maintained her commitment to her team and made the 5 hour weekend trek (each way) to NYC, healthy or injured. She also volunteered to call subs, and coming from a club captain, having someone else call subs makes things infinitely easier. Alison Kling is a long time club ultimate veteran who was playing for Ambush for the 4th time in the series. She was a second year captain and a main handler for Ambush. As described by Iana, Alison was "an ideal captain" who is "the first to teach and the last to criticize". I thought this last comment was particularly interesting because it is often that those that teach also criticize the most and having Alison's pairing would be quite nice in a teammate/captain.

When the team first submitted their series (sectionals and regional) roster Amanda was mistakenly left off by Alison. Regardless, Ambush as a whole competed in the club series and earned the 4th and final bid out of the NE by defeating Storm, a women’s team out of Montreal. The problems ensued once they made it to nationals and had to re-submit their rosters. When you make nationals you have to re-submit your roster of players that are going to compete because you pay per player for your team. When the UPA received the roster for Ambush, and compared it with their series roster, there was one name that was not on both lists, Amanda Goodin. Once the UPA discovered this, they notified the captains of Ambush to let them know of their invalid roster status and that potential punishment would ensue. Alison, the team's roster/organization captain, quickly protested the possible suspension of Amanda because it was her (Alison's) fault that Amanda had been left off the roster and it was simply an oversight. The UPA convened to determine what they thought to be the most appropriate course of action.

Possible punishments could be 1) suspending the entire team (which has happened many times in the past), 2) suspend Amanda, or 3) some other combination of suspensions. After deliberation, the UPA decided to suspend Amanda, the ineligible player, because she was not on the original series roster, and then as a penalty for playing with this ineligible player, they suspended Alison, the captain in charge of rostering. Obviously this hurt the team in more ways than can be articulated here. A team already limited in numbers (16) was now cut down to 14. However, the tickets had already been paid for, the journey was already set in motion, the question then became, what next? At the request of the entire team, both Amanda and Alison decided to attend Nationals, despite the fact that, as of now, they were not allowed to compete.

In a desperation move to try and sway the UPA, Becca Tucker sent a letter to the UPA and simultaneously posted on RSD concerning the situation that had occurred. Ambush felt that this punishment was too excessive considering it was simply a "clerical error" and the resultant punishment was quite severe and unjust. After all this is club, not college. There are no eligibility issues regarding how long a person can play and the only 2 major restrictions concerning a series roster is that 1) a player must be on it by the due date and 2) they cannot be on any other roster. Because it was simply a clerical error, surely having these players compete at nationals does not compromise the competitive nature of the sport. However, the UPA is strict on their rules. The guidelines for registering a team and submitting rosters are announced with sufficient time to put together a roster while abiding by their limited restrictions. Considering that other teams had committed similar moves like this, albeit in college disc, the UPA felt like they were lenient in suspending only 2 players as opposed to all 16. Never was there a more prominent case of this situation than in 2004 with UCSB Black Tide (check out blog entry Sports Scandals - Ultimate, 7/25/07).

After posting the news/response on RSD, the team captains of Ambush discovered a rule known as the "Captain's Clause” which stipulates that "A game may be played under any variation of the rules agreed upon by the captains of the teams involved. In tournament play variations are subject to approval by the event organizer". They took this to mean that they could contact the 15 other women’s teams competing at nationals and ask for their compliance in allowing these two players to compete, thereby over ruling the UPA's suspension. Despite this Hail Mary effort to save their teammates, the action was staunchly opposed by the powers that be and was rejected at the captain's meeting even before a vote could have taken place. Most of the teams in attendance were in support of this utilization of the "Captain's Clause" and I am curious to know what would have happened had a vote actually taken place. Regardless, Ambush would have to compete with 14 players and 2 devoted fans.

Ambush then set out to compete minus these two players. The words that Iana used to describe the situation are far better than I could ever muster: "We banded together as a good team should. Our resolve was strong even if our numbers were not. At nationals, you compete against the best of the best in the country. Every player is crucial. Every play is full of energy. Our small squad took a serious beating. Injured players pushed themselves to critical points. Exhaustion set in both physically and emotionally. Alison and Amanda were a permanent presence on our sideline. We played for them. It was painful in every sense of the word. We needed Alison's strong and accurate throws and Amanda's smart cuts and long reach. We needed them desperately but we are women of integrity. Neither of them played a single point."

When the dust settled, Ambush was scratched and scarred, battered and bruised, but they still gave it their all and competed at the highest level in a manner that is worthy of pride and acclaim. They are women of integrity and for their efforts both on and off the field and for their unlucky teammates they were awarded the spirit award. Despite the events that precipitated these suspensions they still exhibited class, composure, and as far as their peers were concerned, the spirit of the game.

One of my biggest questions for Iana was, "What advice would you give to team organizers out there? " To which she responded: "On a practical note, I would advise team organizers to share the task of administration. Captains have immense responsibilities. Mistakes WILL happen and team organizers cannot bear the entire burden of a time consuming job. Furthermore, the UPA needs to help these hard-working, dedicated athletes do their jobs better. Yes, there are automated notices of roster additions currently sent out, but additional checks should be provided earlier in the season. Whether physically at sectionals or via improved online rostering cross-referencing tools."

Considering that this team overcame similar obstacles in the past and made nationals in 2001, I am sure that they will have little trouble overcoming this set back. This situation should serve as, if nothing else, motivation for next year and the year after and so on. Coming this close only makes teams stronger and helps to recruit and continue the success that has already been reached.

The only regret that I have for this situation was when I asked Iana if she was aware of previous teams that had been suspended due to ineligible players before this situation occurred. To which she replied: "Honestly, I wasn't aware of previous teams prior to our situation. At this point, however, I'm quite familiar with a number of squads who've endured similar circumstances." This is one of many reasons why I write this blog. The history of ultimate is not about the rosters, the titles, the numbers, or the dates. The history of this game is in the stories, both good and bad. The legacies and the failures. The legends and the unknowns. Sad stories like that of Ambush are not uncommon but they should be. Players all over the world should have learned from Santa Barbara but that wasn't the case. I suppose this could be one of those lessons where you never really learn it until you commit the mistake. I for one am very glad I have the best administrative captain out there, Jacob "Assman" Kravitz. I am also thankful for another player in my past, Jake "Bamboo" Chang, for taking care of me and the rest of the UCSD Air Squids. Do not overlook those rosters or the people that organize them. They are as important as all the practices and track workouts and play makers out there.

I want to say that I make NO judgments concerning this story. I have been on the positive side of this situation and have celebrated the strict nature of the UPA, so bashing the UPA would make me a hypocrite. I have also been on the administrative side of this situation and can say that organizing rosters is no easy task. I will say that I hope this story, along with many others, are not soon forgotten. The mistake of Ambush should serve as a lesson to teams at all levels out there. The UPA is the real deal and should not be taken lightly. However, the perseverance, team dedication and devotion of Ambush in response to this should serve as a positive affirmation to every player out there that this game matters to all of us. We as players should do everything in our power to honor, respect, and protect our fellow players, both teammates and opponents.

match diesel