Give up the funk

To me, ultimate is a drug. A drug I enjoy extensively and am quite addicted to. I invest a lot of money into this addiction and I ride the high I get from ultimate as often as I can. But, like any other drug, there is a period of coming down. A period in which you feel like crap, you want to quit, you want to die, you want that wonderful high to come back and grace your life again. I feel like that now.

I had a terrific college season leading up to sectionals and then I crashed. And boy, did I crash hard. At every practice, tryout and tournament thereafter I have played terribly and I see no end in sight.

I think that all ultimate players experience a time when they consider taking time off from ultimate or quitting ultimate entirely. I have considered both, but I never follow through. And then as quickly as it started, it ends; my high returns and I am loving ultimate once again.

I think it is important to remember at times when one is feeling his lowest in ultimate, to remember some of his best times in ultimate. Sure you might remember the time you layout handblocked Mike Grant, the time you scored that callahan on Sockeye, the time you threw that greatest. You might remember some of the best plays you did. I do, but only after I remember the times I was utterly content.

I remember sitting in front of a smoothie shop in Santa Barbara, enjoying a smoothie while listening to Hotel California after a good days worth of ultimate. I remember beating Red Hand on universe point and rushing the field with both my teammates and my opponents to join in one giant group hug. I remember laying on the sand countless times, getting sand all over my face and just loving every second of it.

These are the things that keep me playing ultimate. When the intensity is running a bit too high and the severity of the competition is threatening the actual fun of the game, I remember times like those that I just listed and remember why I love this game.

The come down period is almost over, the high will return soon enough. The everburning flame of desire I have for ultimate will burn strongly once again, as your desire burns for ultimate as our desire burns for more.