Thoughts from Milwaukee:
- First of all, to all my returning NUTs out there: Nationals is a gift, not a right. Commit to the fundamentals (play, throw, lift, sprint), there will be fresh games to 1 to be won soon.
- Secondly, this post from CSU's coach on nationals from 2017 is accurate:
http://katfishultimate.blogspot.com/2017/05/five-things-i-learned-at-college.html
- There are nationals-level plays happening all over the country at conferences and regionals. The two key differences is nationals-level teams have a higher overall bar of athleticism and skill. The questions are the same at the highest level: Can your players defend 1v1? Can your players get open 1v1? can your players throw & catch? Schemes don't matter if you can't hang individually.
- We had a sideline full of friends and family. It was incredible to be able to have everyone come out and watch us play some games. Can't overstate how important the community aspect is to the program. Milwaukee being 90 minutes from Evanston was ideal.
- The environment at nationals is as-advertised. Hard to find things to say about it that haven't already been said. It's incredibly fun and a privilege to compete there.
- The games are just games. Our team mentality was the same as ever, and we approached the games in the same way. 0-0, nut v nut, performance over results, tournament skills. Never expect to win or lose, but always expect to play your best.
- It was hot! We had cramping issues on both days in our last games. Tough to balance getting people ready for games with suitably intense warm ups but avoiding late-day physical issues in the mid-day heat.
- The idea "You have to have been there before" is total bullshit. Everyone has the power to work hard and play well, there's no secret sauce.
- This was the hardest working NUT team I have ever played with or coached, and it showed in the on-field product. Even if we had not finished where we did, we were able to raise the bar for our own level of play to new heights. That is - we were executing the basics at a higher level than ever, which is what it's all about.
- I talked to Denardis for a bit after UNC won the finals. Super nice guy, very fun to chat with. We talked about how UNC develops players through the season, how they set goals, and how they are able to divide and share leadership. Lots of interesting thoughts.
- Being mentally steady and consistent is such a huge strength for a team to have. At nationals, it is obvious that some teams feel the weight of the moment way more than others. I am proud of NUT 2018s ability to be consistently present and focused on the task at hand. This was one of our greatest strengths, and not something to take lightly.
- First of all, to all my returning NUTs out there: Nationals is a gift, not a right. Commit to the fundamentals (play, throw, lift, sprint), there will be fresh games to 1 to be won soon.
- Secondly, this post from CSU's coach on nationals from 2017 is accurate:
http://katfishultimate.blogspot.com/2017/05/five-things-i-learned-at-college.html
- There are nationals-level plays happening all over the country at conferences and regionals. The two key differences is nationals-level teams have a higher overall bar of athleticism and skill. The questions are the same at the highest level: Can your players defend 1v1? Can your players get open 1v1? can your players throw & catch? Schemes don't matter if you can't hang individually.
- We had a sideline full of friends and family. It was incredible to be able to have everyone come out and watch us play some games. Can't overstate how important the community aspect is to the program. Milwaukee being 90 minutes from Evanston was ideal.
- The environment at nationals is as-advertised. Hard to find things to say about it that haven't already been said. It's incredibly fun and a privilege to compete there.
- The games are just games. Our team mentality was the same as ever, and we approached the games in the same way. 0-0, nut v nut, performance over results, tournament skills. Never expect to win or lose, but always expect to play your best.
- It was hot! We had cramping issues on both days in our last games. Tough to balance getting people ready for games with suitably intense warm ups but avoiding late-day physical issues in the mid-day heat.
- The idea "You have to have been there before" is total bullshit. Everyone has the power to work hard and play well, there's no secret sauce.
- This was the hardest working NUT team I have ever played with or coached, and it showed in the on-field product. Even if we had not finished where we did, we were able to raise the bar for our own level of play to new heights. That is - we were executing the basics at a higher level than ever, which is what it's all about.
- I talked to Denardis for a bit after UNC won the finals. Super nice guy, very fun to chat with. We talked about how UNC develops players through the season, how they set goals, and how they are able to divide and share leadership. Lots of interesting thoughts.
- Being mentally steady and consistent is such a huge strength for a team to have. At nationals, it is obvious that some teams feel the weight of the moment way more than others. I am proud of NUT 2018s ability to be consistently present and focused on the task at hand. This was one of our greatest strengths, and not something to take lightly.
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