Blog

Phoenix 2004, GO SPANNERS!

Well, I've lived through my first Phoenix Tournament, and now that I'm chilling out at home, and the cramp is slowly disappearing from my legs, a brief reflection on the weekend is in order.

For a start, I think we surprised a lot of people this weekend by making the final, even myself. I mean, on paper, I'd have said it would be Zoltan vs SWAT. In fact, I only brought down enough water for 2 games, not expecting to have to play a 3rd. However, whilst other teams had better individual players, I think that we gelled better as a team than some of the others in the tournament, and that got us over the line many times.

Secondly, I'm a bit bummed at coming so close to winning the title, and not taking it out. Runner-up is first loser. But in perspective, perhaps it's a good thing, keeping me hungry to make my game better. Already I feel like I can read the game so much better than on Friday. Mind you, I feel for the other players like Bakes, Steve and Balen who finished 2nd last year as well.

Thirdly, i think our success in one particular game was due to the fact that the other team spent half the night drinking at the Floreat rather than getting some decent sleep, and that gave us the edge on one of our games. Drinks after the game are an essential part of the tournament, and I'm glad I didn't pike, when I was soooo tempted to go home and pass out. Cheers Tim, Andy and Katie for bruising my ego (they threatened to call me old...) and dragging me out.

Anyway, once the sunburn has peeled, the cramp is but a distant memory and the grass burns healed, I'll look back at the tournament as a whole bunch of fun, and that's what Ultimate's all about.