From the end of my jr. high years all the way past the end of college, Ultimate Frisbee was the sport I loved to play the most. And even though I usually only played pick-up games, I was always highly competitive. I can still recall many amazing moments from all the games I played, but never had any proof other than the memories...until this photo.
Summer of 2012 rolled around and I was finishing the year long Christian training I was taking part in. We had one final week at our retreat center (the one mentioned in a previous post) with the other trainees from Buffalo, NY and Ann Arbor, MI. There were a good number of us who loved playing frisbee and decided to have a competitive final game. Cleveland vs Buffalo/Ann Arbor.
The hype leading up to it was intense. People on both sides were training to perfect their game. Neither side wanted to lose. So when the day finally came, the weather was beautiful as well as hot. The game started and no one was giving an inch. People tried to throw passes into tight windows where some incredible catches were made and some crazy blocks were thrown.
The score was constantly close. I don't think either side went up by more than 2 points. A little over halfway through the game, Buffalo/Ann Arbor had the disc. They were driving quickly down the field. I decided to hang back a bit off the person I was covering. The handler saw an opportunity and hurled a beeline pass to a mostly open receiver in the middle of the field. If that pass connected, they were almost certainly going to have a direct shot to the endzone. I peeled off my guy and went full speed towards the disc. I knew I wasn't going to make it in time so I left my feet and made a diving attempt. Right as it was mere inches from being caught, my extended hand connected and swatted it harmlessly away. I took a long slide through the muddy grass beneath me.
We managed to score off that turnover and it was my turn to sub out. As I was trotting off the field, Sarah snapped this photo. I had no idea she took it at the time, but I'm glad she did. We ended up winning that game as I threw a tight pass to Julian Taylor in the endzone for the game winning score. This photo reminds me of that day and how much fun it was. Grace made a comment on the photo when it came out. She said "How to tell you've been playing hard: when 80% of your clothes aren't white anymore."
The more effort you put in, the greater the reward. How I miss those days.
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