Editor: Michelle 'Mikey' Young

INTRODUCTION
Written by Romey Connell

At long last, we finally have another edition of the newsletter. Opinions on its utility have wavered during the past couple of years, as so many of us communicate (from highly useful to exceedingly non-useful) information, opinions and ideas over the Forum nowadays. However, the general consensus seems to be that there still is something to be said for having an actual publication at least a couple of times each year, even if it is distributed primarily online. Before I say more, I want to extend a huge thanks to Michelle "Mikey" Young for doing what can only be described as the tedious task of bugging (and re-bugging, I'm sure) people for articles and making sure that all of this came about. That always has been the bane of the Newsletter Editor's existence and frankly the reason why it has been so long since the last edition - no one else was willing to put up with that task. And of course, thanks to all of you who took your own time to contribute articles to this edition. Without you, I guess we pretty much have nothing.

As you must know by now, we are on the verge of some change in the AFDC leadership. For reasons that are described in plenty detail elsewhere, it is time for me to pass off the job of running this organization to the next sucker. It frankly does not seem like four (closer to five, I guess) years since the day that I got my semi-drunken arm twisted and agreed to take over. All joking aside, though, while it has become a lot more work than it was when we were pretty much just a summer league with burgeoning fall and spring leagues, I have (mostly) loved every minute of it.

When I first started playing in the AFDC, I had one of those jobs that could just kick your ass at times, and really didn't have the time to do much more than be a summer league captain. As do most, I never gave a whole lot of thought to what went into running the organization or who was behind all of it. I just went to a couple of meetings before summer league cranked up, got in touch with my team, and then we would proceed to have all kinds of fun all summer long. When I finally got back from blowing off the aforementioned job and a little bit of traveling, I ended up with some time on my hands and wanted to get involved in the organization to give something back. You know, for all of the mooching I did while others before me were running leagues, looking for fields, arranging tournaments, etc., while I chased frisbees (among other things), consumed beverages and just generally had a blast. I got a little more than I bargained for, but that's okay. Somebody's got to do it.

I still plan to stay involved in the organization, primarily on the fields front, but also in hopes of keeping at least a couple of special events going each year, such as the wildly popular Whopper Mile, or the beach tourney that everyone should go to. Seriously, do you know of any other recreational league in any sport boasting anything that can even hold a candle to the fun and wildness we have on the last Thursday of summer league, watching idiots engulf (and often return) burgers, and then run around futilely chasing the incomparable Blaise Porter? You can't make that kind of stuff up. The beach - I guess you've got something better to do in the middle of November, eh?

It is that kind of stuff that makes it not so bad being in charge and having to do a lot of the work. The people in this organization, by and large, are absolutely fantastic and it is a pleasure working for and with you. So, what are you waiting for? I'm not saying now and I'm not saying tomorrow, but if you have some time that you can give, please consider helping to run this organization or one of its events in some form or fashion in the future. Even captaining a team is a big help. Beyond that, though, you would be surprised at how few individuals really get down and dirty, and make this organization tick. It is only as good as you make it, and if you have a good idea or are willing to put some time into making something work or work better, you most certainly will be welcomed with open arms.

I have mentioned the gargantuan efforts of a couple persons in the past - Dave Bray foremost and also the huge contributions of Tom Street. El Barco (with three kids now and a job) continues as our esteemed Social Director and Matt Sayad continues to hound you for scores and run our Saturday Summer League. Randall Anderson, Kerry McFadden, Flo Pfender and Dan Heacox were a huge help to the organization during my first few years. In their wake and with some overlap, Linda Nordahl, Ryan Hersey, Kirk Duchow and Holly Sommers stepped in to pick up the ball. Shannon Wrege developed one of the finest league utility applications that you will find anywhere. Michael "Evil" Wood has been behind the scenes so that you can see yourself in action. Jenny Lee has been indispensable this past year and Rick Wyatt is about to make his mark on our cyberworld. Teddy Schaffer has taken on our flagship league and tournament over the past couple of years without so much as a blink. Eileen Murray jumped in to rev up the juniors. The MVB has stepped in to host parties and take on goalty for consecutive seasons. And Andy Grimes, with no official position, has done so much to help us out that I couldn't really begin to enumerate the occasions. This organization would be worse off, to say the least, without the help of any one of these individuals.

I'm sure I'm leaving out someone who deserves to be mentioned by name, so please don't take it personally, but that still leaves about 800 of you out there who might be able to lend a hand sometime, so please think about it. In any event, whoever it is that takes over for me, I hope that you will give him or her the same support and friendly smile that you have given me over the years when I have asked for help. Though my body can take it only in smaller doses these days, this is the greatest sport that I have ever played, and we are lucky to be part of one of the best Ultimate communities that you will find anywhere. I can't tell you how many people I run across in other places who tell me how they wish that their own city or town had anything close to what we have here in Atlanta, and it really makes me proud to have been such a big part of it over the past few years. I hope it stays this way. See you soon.

WOMEN'S LEAGUE 2005
Written by Jenny Lee

Can you believe it? This is the third consecutive year for the AFDC's women's winter league, and it is bigger than ever. This year we were able to expand to eight teams, from the previous two years of 6 teams. We have about 150 women, and it's going strong. Games are played on Saturdays at MLK, with morning and afternoon sessions. Each team gets two games a day.

The purpose of the league is to introduce women to Ultimate frisbee by teaching them how to play. It's used by the experienced players to improve skills and play with people with whom they don't normally play. For everyone, it's a great way to meet new people and develop new friendships. The only minus, it's cold; however, we just don't seem to mind all that much.

Women's league began January 8 and ends February 26, with the EOST on March 5. The party will be at Bex's place, which happens to be about 30 seconds from the fields. So come on out and catch some games one Saturday. It's FABULOUS to watch!

TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS HAT TOURNAMENT
Written by Teddy Schaffer

The weather was surprisingly beautiful, with temperatures in the 50s most of the time. Threat of rain in the forecast on Sunday, but it held off until after the games were done. The 70 year old groundskeeper was kind (or uncaring) enough to let us use the nice fields with the "do not use" sign instead of the mud filled lower field. Apparently we figured out that the thing to do was just give him a beer rather than try to hide our own.

Ricky's team should have won, but Markette pulled the wool over their eyes enough to take care of things. AJ's team had a lead in the semis and then collapsed to Nix. Team 3 rolled over all comers, rarely trailing in a game and winning every one by 3 or more (I think). Stu complained of backache and having to cover other teams' top males (which he never did), and forgot his cleats on Saturday. Fortunately, Balch prepared to take Stu's spot on Sunday by drinking himself into oblivion at his own party. No, not on water. His "hangover" complaints were loud and frequent. Lucky for us, Dawson came to run and covered each other team's #1 dude most of the time, except when Half-Speed Teddy had to attempt to cover Goecks, Ricky or Seto. Hale did not get injured.

PAIDEIA ON THE WORLD RECORD MAP
Written by Michael Terry and John Terry, Class of 2008

On a sunny, cool morning, thirty Paideia freshman, sophomores and juniors flocked to Python Park to attempt to break the 16 and younger Ultimate marathon world record and, in doing so, to raise over $3,000 for Paideia's financial aid program. The Ultimate marathon record is a record where players must play consecutive Ultimate games for a number of hours. In this case, we had to break a 20 hr record previously set by the Junior Manitoba Ultimate team in 1997. On this Saturday, November 13, some of us had a better name to put in the record books: Paideia. At a few minutes past 10AM, we started on our quest through drizzle, wind, and downright cold temperatures. Many Paideia parents, faculty, and students were present when we started to give us a kick start on our quest, and others came and went throughout the next 24 hours.

Around 4PM the portable lights showed up and excitement started to mount. The lights were a reminder that we would be playing through the night. To our surprise, when night fell, supporters stayed instead of going to a warmer place. As we progressed on our journey, it got colder and colder and colder. At one point, the temperature dropped to 35 degrees. Morale was kept high by people playing large drums, guitars and war flutes, and the crowd staying active by showing their appreciation for our passion to stay up all night and put Paideia on the world record map.

Although it was sometimes difficult to keep playing through the night, which seemed sometimes like it would never end, we persevered. Finally, about 6:30, we began seeing the sunrise, and all of our spirits and energy levels began rising as well. At exactly 10:21AM we stopped play and walked away with a World Record for playing Ultimate for 24 hours 14 minutes and 14 seconds.

We would like to thank the entire Ultimate Community for coming out and supporting us during the day and the night, and especially the faculty, staff members and parents who volunteered their time and, for some, a sleepless night, to make this possible. Also, we want to thank all the people who bought hats and T-shirts - which are still available - to help the cause. Finally, we want to especially thank Paddywax Artisan Candles, Commotion Films, Morningside Camera, Potato Finger, VC Ultimate, Sunbelt Rentals, and Kathleen Day & Associates for sponsoring this event and contributing so generously to the Paideia financial aid program. This was definitely an ULTIMATE experience.

If you are interested in purchasing hat and T-shirts, please contact John Terry at johnt89@comcast.net.

ATLANTA JUNIORS
Written by Eileen Murray

Athletics play a critical role in a young person's life, especially during high school. Athletics teach valuable lessons about life, such as being a part of a team, working towards and reaching goals, and dealing with defeat. These experiences help high school students to grow into mature adults.

Like other sports, Ultimate Frisbee helps high-schoolers in preparing for the next step - college and eventually the "real world." Ultimate players encounter challenges and experiences similar to other sports, however Ultimate offers unique benefits that aren't found in other athletic activities. First and foremost, all players are expected to always play by what is referred to as "the spirit of the game." In the official rules for Ultimate Frisbee, this is described as follows:

Spirit of the Game - Ultimate has traditionally relied upon a spirit of sportsmanship, which places the responsibility for fair play on the player him/herself. Highly competitive play is encouraged, but never at the expense of the bond of mutual respect between players, adherence to the agreed-upon rules of the game, or the basic joy of play. Protection of these vital elements serves to eliminate adverse conduct from the Ultimate field. Such actions as taunting of opposing players, dangerous aggression, intentional fouling, or other 'win at all costs' behavior are contrary to the spirit of the game and must be avoided by all players.

In other words, all players are to treat each other with respect. Furthermore, since Ultimate has no referees, it is up to the players themselves to monitor their behavior. This teaches high school students how to be competitive and deal with confrontation in a positive way. Players are expected to work out their differences and reach a consensus while keeping the spirit of the game in mind. For these reasons and more, Ultimate should be considered an integral part of any athletic program.

In an effort to increase the participation of high schools students in Ultimate, the UPA has increased its support of players and programs throughout the country by hosting coaching clinics and finding state organizers among other efforts. Last year, Eileen Murray was named the UPA Georgia High School Coordinator and now acts as a liaison between groups in Georgia and the UPA. This year Eileen is organizing a spring league for high school teams to join and compete. She will also be organizing the 2nd Georgia Ultimate Championship Tournament which will be held in late April or early May. So far there are 10 schools planning on participating in the league from Fulton, Cobb, Rockdale and Gwinnett counties.

For more information or to get your team in the league, please contact Eileen at upa_ga_syc@upa.org.

FALL ULTIMATE LEAGUE 2004
Written by Kirk Duchow
              

Fall league was all draft again this year. Quite a few people continue to comment that they like this format in the fall. It gives them a chance to play with and meet people they normally wouldn't during the summer and spring. Some people use this format as an opportunity to get all of their friends together, while others use a strategy of drafting the club players that will be there for only the last week and EOS tournament.

The regular season was dominated by Tiffani Brown's "Infinity +1" and Gregg Shapiro's "Gangsters of Love: Part II," who finished in first and second, respectively. However, the EOS tournament was won by Rick Wyatt's middle of the pack team, "Cowbell." Due to Gangsters of Love: Part II losing their crossover, they had to face Infinity +1 in the semis. Infinity +1 came out raring to go and took the win without much difficulty. Cowbell then played an outstanding, spirited game against Infinity +1 to surprise a few people and win the tournament.

FALL GOALTIMATE LEAGUE 2004
Written by Brian Lynch

Goalty. Fall League Goalty. Goaltimate. Played in the fall.

The 2004 AFDC Goaltimate Fall League was played Tuesday and Thursday nights under the lights of Coan Rec. With many of the Goalty "heavyweights" taking the season off to try to make nationals with their Club Ultimate teams, it was one of the more wide open seasons in recent memory.

The warm weather of September brought with it several hurricanes that unfortunately postponed many of the early matchups. As the frost hit the pumpkins, the weather seemed to cooperate more and games were able to be played. By channeling the recipes of an ancient Central American culture, Tim Hedeen and Teddy Schaffer were able to run through the regular season with an unblemished 5-0 record. Impressive. Playing Ed Serzo's PipeGnats meant you were in for a long night of running and chasing people around that were faster than you, and they finished tied for second at 3-2.

One of the few "Big Names" in Fall goalty was Stuart Downs, who is rumored to have invented the game in Boston sometime in the late 50's. Building on the karmatic uptick in the universe which happened when baseball's Boston Red Sox ended their championship drought, Stu's Boston Red Socks also finished 3-2. First time captain/first time father (congrats Josh-mvb) Josh Weinrobe paired with "the Ultimate Soccer Mom" Karen Johnson to guide their squad, Just Kidding, to a respectable 3-3 finish. The tallest couple in the AFDC, KQ and Kelly Guthrie led MonkeyZuma to a 2-3 regular season finish. The Dalys, Julia and Mike, made a curious draft day move, picking up the Commish early, in hopes of receiving some of those fabled "commissioner privileges." While these privileges may or may not have occurred, Do He Bite finished only 2-4, proving once again talent trumps rule bending always. Also finishing 2-4 were the LiquorStoreLeftOvers, despite having a very solid roster. What can we say, Hatton's game is slipping. Rounding out the league, with only one regular season win was Gill Austin's LazyAmericanCartoonWorkerAssociation. This squad did feature the triumphant return of Dave Bray to the goalty scene, and I can tell you from personal experience that guy can still run like a madman.

The EOST was a single day affair, with the teams playing in 2 brackets. Things shook out much like the regular season, with the Pipe Gnats, Boston Red Socks, Aztec Fusion and Monkey Zuma being the last four left standing. The Boston Red Socks advanced to the Finals by beating a worn out Monkey Zuma team, which seemed to finally be feeling the effects of having a short bench in a long tourney. The Red Socks opponent would be Aztec Fusion, who overcame the PipeGnats to make it to the finals.

The finals took place in front of a small but extremely vocal crowd. A long day of goaltimate, coupled with a break to scarf down some pizza, led to a slower-paced finals then expected. The only person who seemed unaffected by this was Remi Dingerville, who looked like greased lightning out there. Everyone else on both teams looked like they were running underwater trying to chase him. Later I heard a rumor that he had run a 10k the day before, but I really couldn't confirm or deny it. The teams were tied two games apiece, and 3-3 as darkness crept in. Many a two-pointer was attempted to win it all, but in each case the defender managed just enough energy to make the D, or there was an unfortunate bobble and drop. The Red Socks and Aztec Fusion were locked in this stalemate for what seemed like hours, and eventually it got too dark to be considered safe. Both captains agreed to call it a tie, and become co-champions and toast a fun and successful season. Great Spirit guys and gals!

FALL SERIES 2004

OPEN DIVISION

CHAIN LIGHTNING
Written by AJ Tiarsmith

After a disappointing 15th place finish in the 2003 Nationals Spirit Rankings, Chain Lightning knew something had to change. Chain veteran, Brian Cornelison, was the first to insist on a renewed commitment to the spiritual and was really instrumental in getting the boys through the long summer practices when a team's spirit threatens to fade. Cornelison's carefree practice attitude really kept the team on track. "Look," Cornelison said, "I'd love to be out to practice early busting ass like the rest of these guys, but I remember what it felt like when they called our name last year at Nationals and we were 15th in the spirit voting, and I'm not going to let it happen again. Somebody's got to show up late (coffee in hand) so we can maintain the carefree attitude that breeds good spirit." Cornelison continued.

Empowered by their new attitude, Chain prepared to travel to Austin for regionals when long-time Chain captain, Crawford Kidd-Shippey, gathered the troops together for a moving speech on the nature of True Spirit. Shippey argued that we had been too limited in our thinking of Spirit. He said, "True Spirit, of course, includes respect of self and respect of other players, but it extends to respect of the grass we play on, the trees that line the fields, and the equipment we play with." "Yes, this above all," Shippey insisted, "we must show respect for the equipment, we must never defile the plastic, this is the meaning of True Spirit." There was no doubt that Chain had achieved this satori-like state by finals of regionals when David Bixler showed his fanatical devotion to the preservation of the opponent's Frisbee.

Needless to say, Chain came into 2004 Nationals with a lot of Spirit confidence. They would need all of that confidence, as the first round of the tournament would pit Chain against the very spirited Electric Pig from D.C. To make matters worse, E-Pig is a team comprised primarily of players under 5'8," and Chain had been known to taunt the Pig in the past. In fact, many blamed last year's Spirit debacle primarily on Chains warm-up for their game against Pig, which consisted entirely of playing 500. In the end, it was a tough battle, but Chain was able to force Pig to a Spirit tie. Final Score Chain 15 E-Pig 10. Final Spirit Score Chain 5 E Pig 5.

The next game would bring the Chain face to face with an old friend as they matched up against Joel Wooten and Pike. The game was pretty clean throughout, with both teams showing some incredible displays of spirit, but in the end Chain made a few less questionable calls and pulled out the Spirit W. Final Score Chain 17 Pike 16. Final Spirit Score Chain 5 Pike 4.

The final game of pool play pitted Chain against Sockeye. The Spirit game was pretty much sealed by a Sockeye call at half-time. Final Score Sockeye 15 Chain 11. Final Spirit Score Chain 5 Sockeye 3.

Friday saw Chain go 1-2 in the physical games, losing in the pre-quarters to Boston's Death or Glory 12-15. However, Chain was able to sweep their spirit games, putting up a perfect 5 in all 3 matches. Finally, Chain had achieved their ultimate goal - Congratulations to Chain Lightning, 2004 UPA Spirit Champions!

CHAIN Roster: Hensley Sejour, Chris Goodson, Matt Trapp, David Goode, Calvin Oung, Grant Kirby, Andy Nix, Brian Cornelison, John Hammond, David Neder, Jeff Jones, Jason Simpson, Mike Sweeney, Ryan Balch, David Bixler, Crawford Shippey, Andy Smith, AJ Tiarsmith, Noah Eden, Dylan Tunnell, Josh Markette, Jonathan Monforti, Jay Hammond.

MIXED DIVISION

RIVAL
Written by Jeremy Goecks

Rival, a mixed club team composed almost exclusively of Atlanta players, had big aspirations coming into the 2004 club season. Rival supplemented a core group of players from their 2003 season with several newcomers and aimed to build on the success they achieved during the previous year. During the fall season, Rival participated in numerous tournaments, including early tournaments in Asheville (NC), Chattanooga (TN), and Chicago (IL). Rival used these tournaments to build chemistry and experiment with new offenses and defenses.

Rival began the Fall Club Series at the East Coast Sectionals tournament, perhaps the most competitive mixed sectionals tournament in the South Region. Rival performed well in pool play on Saturday, going 4-1 on the day with its only loss coming to an experienced Soul Patrol team. On Sunday, Rival faced Show'N'Tail in the semi-finals. Show'N'Tail used its athleticism to build a lead, but Rival's defense led a comeback and Rival pulled out a narrow win. In the finals, Rival and Soul Patrol played a closely-contested game; Rival managed to keep pressure on Soul Patrol and eventually
won a close game to claim the title.

Rival's next step in the series was the South Regionals tournament in Austin, TX. Rival again played well on Saturday, going 3-1 with its one loss to Soul Patrol. With Saturday's performance, Rival earned a trip to the 4-team backdoor bracket that could lead to a birth to Nationals. In this bracket, Rival beat Austin's Hodown team in the first game to earn yet another game against Soul Patrol. By this time, Rival and Soul Patrol had developed a friendly rivalry, and both teams came out playing hard. The teams traded points for a while, but Soul Patrol committed fewer mistakes and eventually pulled away from Rival to win the game and end Rival's season. Rival finished 4th at Regionals.

Rival will begin its third year as a team this fall.

RIVAL Roster: Martin Aguilera, Bill Burke, Malcolm Clark, Emily Clawson, Jon Cobb, Ned Coker, Katrina Connolly, Eric Ewald, Jeremy Goecks, Crystal Hsu, Jenn Joyner, Drew Levine, Lee Lynch, Lori Parham, Nate Osborne, Dorsey Norwood, Marc Seto, Kate Shropshire, Amy Smith, Lauren Stewart, Greg Swanson, Michael Wood, Jon Woolley.

SOUL PATROL
Written by Mark Driver

Soul Patrol broadened its geographical base beyond its Augusta origins in 2004, adding players from Macon, Atlanta, Athens and as far away as Chicago. Our primary goal was to have a good time and we exceeded our expectations. Starting at Terminus and continuing through Nationals, we played our hearts out and sacrificed our souls. We never managed to win a tournament, but snuck through the backdoor to both Regionals and Nationals. Despite Rival beating up on us most of the season, we peaked in Austin, TX at Regionals at exactly the right time, and squeezed by them and Sticky Fingers (Fayetteville) to take the second spot behind Holes 'n' Poles.

At Nationals we were a little schizophrenic, playing great at times and remaining competitive in most of our games. We managed to win some key match-ups on Thursday and Friday, which put us in contention for the quarters play-in game on Friday afternoon. Unfortunately, fatigue and injuries got the better of us and we were relegated to the 9-12 bracket after a tough loss to Bad Larry. On Saturday, we again sputtered and couldn't pull off a win in either of our attempts to secure the coed strength wildcard. While we ended Nationals with a record of 2-6 and finished as we had started, seeded #12, we savored our moments and came away with a lot more experience than when we arrived. And more than anything, we enjoyed ourselves playing the game we love.

SOUL PATROL Roster: Rex Taylor, Keith Doucette, Chris Hatton, John Fay, Spencer Spetnagel, Tiffani Brown, Adam Boyd, Greg Murray, Julie Miller, Chip Ogburn, Bill Shaw, Kirsten Ogburn, Natalie Jansen, Will Van Sant, Lauren Rapp, Laura Delong, Tom Street, Deirdre Shaw, Jessica Driver, Evelyn Bickley, Mark Driver, Greg Allpow.

 

INTERVIEW WITH A NATIONALS ROOKIE
Written by Greg and Julie Murray

Q: Tell me how Soul Patrol got started?
A: Well, I guess it started in Clemson at Sectionals 2 years ago. Stu Downs mentioned that Chip Ogburn needed some players to help complete a team he was playing on, comprised mainly of Augusta folks. As usual, I had absolutely nothing going on for the weekend so I decided to make the drive.

Q: How did that first incarnation of Soul Patrol do?
A: I think we played pretty well. I remember thinking if we had just a few more players, the team could be pretty competitive.

Q: You must have had a good time to decide to continue playing together.
A : Well, it was a bit weird because as you know Chip and his younger sister Evelyn, whom I would argue is the more dominating player, were both medical students at the time. They kept insisting on checking my femoral pulse in their tents. They said they were "studying". The other fond memory I have is of sharing a stinky Days Inn room w/Dave Goode and watching Extreme Home Makeover. He won't admit it but I know for a fact that Dave was crying at the end.

Q: So when did you all get together next?
A: Must have been Terminus.

Q: What was the team like then?
A: Pregnant.

Q: Do you mean the team had all gained weight over the winter?
A: No, I mean literally pregnant

Q: Huh?
A: Jessica Driver, the 3rd Ogburn member, and Dierdre Shaw, wife of smoking Bill Shaw, were both pregnant.

Q: How did Soul Patrol do at Terminus?
A: Again, well enough to keep us interested in playing together. It was very windy and we lost to Holes N' Poles. However, we did not have Rexford Weston Taylor on the roster at that time. He would have made all the difference with his shouts of "go long".

Q: How did the name Soul Patrol come about? Don't take this the wrong the way but isn't that a bit lame even by ultimate name standards?
A: They shot down "The Greg Murray Experience" as well as "The Atlanta Studs and Macon/Augusta Scrubs" so as in any relationship that is going to work, we compromised.

Q: I have done many interviews with Nationals qualifiers and the one aspect that always impressed me is the insane amount of preparation that goes into qualifying for such an incredibly competitive tournament. Tell me about Soul Patrol's practices.
A: Well, the one in Augusta was pretty hot, but we had lots of water breaks and it lasted only 2 hours. I skipped the one in Athens to hang out w/my pregnant wife, Julie. I also missed the one in Macon for some other petty reason. I guess besides playing in AFDC's summer league, where I single-handedly killed the Big Bhang's chances of glory, I did not really prepare at all.

Q: You are kidding right?
A: No, why?

Q: You were on one of the top 16 Co-ed teams in the world and didn't practice?
A: Chris Hatton printed plays out on a sheet of paper with tiny arrows pointing in the direction we should cut. That sheet was pretty cool, because he is very good with computers. I think that really helped.

Q: Wow, that's amazing.
A: Thanks. I guess the lesson is forget the runner or thrower and make room for the computer graphics expert on your roster!

Q: Soul Patrol competed at Sectionals on what was to be the beginning of a historic run up to Sarasota and the big dance. How did the team do in Atlanta?
A: Again, pretty well. Our team was starting to take on its dominating character. Greg " Bug" Alpo was down from Chicago, Spencer was playing in what we thought would be his last tourney with SP before moving to N. CA to pick grapes, and we had the ever dominating John Fay in top jumping form. Captain Mark Driver at the helm, and by that time, all the babies were out and all of the women were playing great in-between breast feeding sessions.

Q: How hard was it losing to Rival in the finals on Sunday?
A: Pretty tough. Some of their players were real jerks on the field. Marc Seto, Lee, Eric Ewald, and especially Ned Coker were talking smack and rubbing it in. I think they took a victory lap with their shirts off, waving them at the crowd. That really got us mad, mind you not mad enough to practice or do anything about it, but just mad enough to go get burritos and eat them aggressively.

Q: On to Regionals. How did that go?
A: Well, to begin with, I was really excited to go to Austin. It happens to be the corporate headquarters of Schlotsky's Deli, and I like their sandwiches a lot. The flight to Austin was hysterical. All of the Ogburns, Mark Driver, Rexford Taylor, and myself all flew together and comedy ensued. Let the record state that I finished the jumbles before Chip and in the Austin Airport no topping at TCBY shall be available after 9 pm.

Q: And, how bout the tournament, how did it go? Any surprises?
A: We were not expecting him to make it, but Spencer flew in from California, and his enthusiasm really gave us a boost even if he hurt his arm during the first warm up drill by diving for one of Hatton's many errant passes. Another surprise was when Lauren Rapp asked Rexford and I if it was ok if she hooked up on her pull out couch with us in the room sharing the king bed. I'm still not sure if she was kidding but thankfully for all involved, she did not.

Q: You caught the winning score against Rival on Sunday to knock them out. Some have called that the greatest catch in Regional's history.
A: Well it was pretty cool, but I don't know if it was the greatest ever, maybe top 5. To set the stage for our valued AFDC readers, SP won its quarters match quickly and had plenty of time to watch Rival's game. Rival was winning by a ton, when all of sudden the opponent made a 6-8 point run. Rival still won, but I believe the victory was a bit demoralizing the way it ended. Anyway we started the Semi's and built a quick lead and just kept on going. We knew that Rival could make a run at anytime, so we needed to close the game out quickly. On the last play of the game, Chip threw a big flick into the end zone for his streaking sister, Evelyn. Now, when I say streaking, she still had her clothes on, but she was running deep. I saw the play develop and decided to run to the end zone just in case. And, if you know Chip, let's just hope that his medical diagnoses are more accurate than his hucks. I see his throw fading to the back left corner, over Eve's head and I jump at least 6 inches off the ground, yell LEFTY, and make the catch. I thought I was the hero, but the whole team mobbed Chip. Doctors get all the credit, no wonder I don't support malpractice limits in medical lawsuits.

Q: How did the backdoor finals go?
A: We basically carried the momentum from the Rival game into the finals, and we changed into our signature color, yellow jerseys. They never had a chance.

Q: So you've made it to Nationals, how did Soul Patrol celebrate?
A: John Fay bought some canned beer and I made a Subway run. And when I say Subway, I mean the sandwich shop, not the actual, you know, underground railway.

Q: Overall, how was your first Nationals experience?
A: Good times were had by all. We had condos on the beach, UGA beat Florida, Jay Hammond drank bourbon straight, and yelled UGA cheers at the top of his lungs. Mark and Jessica made huge egg breakfasts every morning and the weather was awesome. We underachieved, but there's always next year, right?

Q: Will Soul Patrol play again this year?
A: I hope so but if not we will always have our memories of team meals at Mexican places where we told very personal, embarrasing stories, and that unbelievable waiter in Asheville, who took our order without writing down a thing, and got all 14 food and drink orders exactly right. The shared hotel rooms; Hatton, Boyd and Spencer all shot gunning beers and Chris throwing up later that night. Well, at least I got three cool SP shirts out of it.

SHOW N'TAIL
Written by Ed Serzo

A new coed team by the name of Show N' Tail came out to play this year's fall series. With a relatively small squad of 14 people, the team also called by the names of Pylon, Pole Workers and a few others that can't be mentioned in here managed to pull out a few pretty good wins and display their talent and athleticism while at it.

The team's first tournament - played with a full squad of 14, put together a tremendous showing at Shawn Adams. They ended up going 6-2, defeating some quality opponents and losing only to the tournament winner - Ho Down (of Austin). After taking third in the section, the team went on to see what they could do at Regionals in Austin.

The bus (literally . . . well, okay, a van) for regionals left on Friday taking out the majority of the team to play in Austin. Saturday was a bit on the rough side for the tail team - with only 5 women and 7 men to start with, the lack of numbers and the 15-hour ride to Austin proved to be too much for the pylons.

SHOW N'TAIL Roster: Billy Cook, Adam McCargo, Robert White, Joe Waterbury, Ryan Hersey, Ed Serzo, Avi Brisman, Will McDonough, Troy Hendrick, Anna Newton, Carlisle Creed, Stacey Imler, Susie Mercer, Brandi Kler, Courtnee Bennett, Brandi Littlejohn, Laura Fanucci.

WOMEN

OZONE
Written by Jen Smith and Eileen Murray

Ozone formed in 1984 and their first tourney victory was at Fools Fest in Fredericksburg, Virginia in 1987. Since then, Ozone has been to every club Worlds at least since Toronto in 1991, and Ozone has never finished lower than quarters (or equivalent) at Nationals since 1993. Our highest nationals finishes were as runners-up in 1995 (vs. Verge) and 1996 (vs. Godiva). In 2001, Ozone was world's runners-up to Seattle Riot.

With this rich history behind us, 2004 was a year of transition. Ozone lost six long-time members that we had relied upon heavily. Two primary handlers, Mara Lindsley-Smith and Kat Kidd-Shippey, and one strong deep, Jessica Ogburn Driver, were lost to motherhood. Two very strong deep and defensive players, Deanna King, and Tanya Lopez, decided to forego the five-hour drives to weekend practices and keep their talent in Gatorville, working with the local gals to make a bid for Nationals. Lori Parham, who had returned to her Alma Mater for the 2003 season after retiring from Lady Godiva, decided to leave us for the wonderful world of co-ed. Additionally, one of our captains and a backbone to the team both defensively and offensively, Eileen Murray, was diagnosed with cancer in March of 2004. Though she worked with the team during her chemo treatments, she continued to feel significant fatigue during the Club Series. In addition, two promising young rookies from the 2003 squad decided to take the year off.

What was most incredible about the 2004 Ozone team was the strength of the rookies, who all brought a unique and very vital element to the team. Their names, in no particular order: Kelly Durbin - Indiana, Kate Wilson - Univ. of Tenn.-Chattanooga, Maggie Jackson - UGA, Chowning Johnson - UGA, Shanye Crawford - UGA, Cara Crouch - Univ. of Texas and Leila Tunnell - Paideia High School. They are all studs and broke out of their shells at various times during the season. We trusted and relied on all of them. Most of the girls wrote in a survey early in the season that they chose to play with Ozone to improve their games, to learn more about Ultimate, and to challenge themselves. But we know it's because they just want to be our monkey-girls.

Ozone used self-subbing in pods based on positions - handler, middle and deep. Each pod was responsible for keeping track of its players play time. Players checked in with their pod leaders, and if they were feeling particularly strong, would usually see more field time if they were really hot. If they didn't really feel it in a particular game, they may have seen less. But, each person was responsible for communicating and, essentially, responsible for getting in the game. We set an offense that everyone knew, regardless of position, so players were really interchangeable. Plus, there wasn't anyone that we didn't trust with the disc at any given moment. We worked hard to incorporate the entire roster and were stronger because of it. It was an uncomfortable transition at first, as evidenced by some poor finishes at early season tournaments, but it was a change that we have needed to make for a long time and was well worth it. Our team is stronger than ever this year, because we finally have taken the time to do the work necessary to develop every player. No one seems confused about where to go and what to do when she gets there.

We, of course, missed the strength, courage and experience of the players we lost from our roster and it hurt to not have Eileen at full strength. Another weakness of the 2004 squad was the large number of players that we had who were experiencing their very first Club Nationals. The high intensity competition of the regular season definitely ignited a fire in our rookies and they rose to the occasion to perform better than expected. Ozone tied for 7th this year, and the team was in general thrilled with how the weekend went. Everyone stepped up and did the work that used to be done by only a few really, really strong players. We incorporated a system that actually made us more efficient and a lot deeper. Everyone was encouraged to communicate even to older, more experienced mentors. Because of this work and new attitude, Ozone will continue to get stronger and eventually capture the national title. Watch out 2005!

OZONE Roster: Eileen Murray, Lisa Kotora, Angela Lin, Holly Sommers, Mak Keltner, Julia Echterhoff, Amanda Strout, Jen Smith, Andrea Burridge, Laura Gold, Angie Ahlquist, Kate Wilson, Cara Crouch, Kelly Durbin, Katherine Wooten, Maggie Jackson, Leila Tunnell, Lori Nacius, Chowning Johnson, Shanye Crawford. Kim McKibans (practice player), Jennie Yang (practice player)

STRIKE
Written by Bex Levine and Erin Quist

A rare accomplishment in women's Ultimate was achieved in Fall 2003. A team was conceived in July and qualified for nationals by October. In four months, Strike unearthed an inspiring chemistry of youth and maturity, speed and patience, daring and poise and remarkable spirit. Audaciously, they established a goal to qualify for nationals. Strike has benefited from the local women's winter league, the support of sister-team Ozone, and strong goaltimate and Co-Ed Ultimate leagues (AFDC) in Atlanta - all of which helped cultivate this feisty roster. After an exciting first trip to nationals, Strike went undefeated in the off season between 2003-2004 when they picked up tournament trophies at Terminus and Mudbowl. In the 2004 season, Strike strived to achieve even more success by adding some talented new rookies to the roster. Strike also worked hard to solidify their "signature" defense - guarding the dump heavily and calling up-field strikes (hence the name!). They also worked hard to achieve flow on offense and blurring the lines of players "roles."

Strike had a very exciting 2004 season that started out by winning Toss in the Moss in Savannah. They followed up with a great performance at Shawn Adams in 'Nooga, losing in the finals by only five points. At Heavyweight in Chicago, a highly competitive tournament, Strike fought their way to a third place finish (losing in the semifinals) and then it was on to Sectionals, where Strike made it to the finals, only losing to Ozone by a mere two points. Then it was on to Regionals in Austin where Strike had high hopes for winning a return bid to Nationals. Unfortunately, the Strike offense suffered a critical blow when primary handlers Theo Beck and Kristen Jacobsen suffered from injuries that prevented them from playing in the tournament. Ultimately, Strike lost by a single point in a time capped game in the front-door semi-finals and then exhausted from having to play an extra game, lost by two points in the back-door finals.

Though Strike was unable to secure a second bid to nationals in 2004, the team was very proud of their performance at Regionals, as the loss of leadership on the field due to injuries required them to dig deep into the roster - and dig they did with huge, often unexpected plays coming from all members of the team on offense and defense. Strike will be back in 2005, looking to reclaim their Nationals spot and knowing now that each member of the team is a playmaker in her own right. This year, Strike strives to achieve even more success - making it to Nationals in 2005 and placing well amongst the country's finest. STRIKE IT UP!

STRIKE Roster: Abbie Roberts, Amy Madigan, Annie Perry, Bex Levine, Brigette Flood, Chris O'Cleary, Emily Jones, Erin Quist, Holly Berman, Jenny Lee, Kristen Jacobsen, Lara Church, Lena Ting, Mikey Young, Rachel Gross, Theo Beck, Tina Chadwick, Traci Hudson

BIG UNIT
Written by Stu Downs

  Big Unit is the Master's edition of Big SAK (Southern All-star Karma), formed in 2002 by Chain Lightning refugee Greg "Bug" Allpow and former Condor Mike "Puddin" Weems. After supreme underachievement in the open division, Weems was cut and this Big Unit grew out of remaining players. In 2003, these Masters qualified for Nationals and surpassed all expectations by posting a donut in Sarasota. This year, the Unit expanded, adding several key players who have yet to show up, but sure make the roster look intimidating. Lack of personnel notwithstanding, Allpow was cut for the second time to make way for the new Bug.

Shawn Adams Memorial was this year's kickoff event and it started well for the BUT (Big Unit Team). Poaching D became a forte; of course, baiting has long been a tactic of slower Masters division players, but these Master baiters worked it to exhaustion. Yet in the end, the BUT was busted in semis and went home unsatisfied.

Regionals held more promise, and the overeating Unit arrived chubby. Buttressed by Nooga and Biloxi, the team had widened its berth in hopes of higher achievement. As the Rev led them in song, Mattyo led them in turnovers. BUT was penetrated on D as noone could keep up with Stu's "Switch" calls. Losses to TX and Miami limpened their spirit. But slowly it began to rise. Simpson with the snag, Keifer with the kraw, Cobble with the clamp. Scott got on the horsey and rode him. So that there would be no further distraction, Akasha chased away all the women. With the absence of Dougedo providing motivation (and play time), all the little units became huge! Down went VC, down went TX. And when the final bell tolled, it told the Big Unit that it was going to Nationals! At Nationals, Big Unit went 3 and 2 in pool play, losing only to the two finalists. Our 15-12 loss to former champion, OLD SAG, kept us from getting to the semis.

BIG UNIT Roster: Doug Moellering, Scotty Nolf, Paul Dorsey, Rama Khalsa, BUG, Matt Simpson, Peter Winzlet, Rex Oquin, Scott Green, Doug Oetter, Dave Brown, Stuart Downs, Akasha Ellis, Giang Tong, Carl Keifer, Steve Cobble.
Photos available: http://nakedpretzel.com/bigunit

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