Game-On!
Cart0Login
Editor’s Note: We have a diverse group of members who bring together some pretty risqué and creative names when it comes to the Torque Mixed Summer League. While my favorite team name to this day is still Frisbea Arthur, I can’t help but listen to some of the more expressive names and wonder where their origins of inception may lie…
So as I began to type 11 inch… into my laptop to start looking for photos and backstory, I was prepared for an onslaught of debauchery and graphic content. What awaited (after I searched out a picture of Bea Arthur for the reference above) was a cornucopia of pictures related to people measuring their Subway sandwiches and comparing computer screens.
What do I take away from this? Well in the sport of Ultimate, having a bigger disc isn’t a better thing and in the sport of sandwiches, you don’t always get what you pay for.
Please enjoy this month’s read while we’re all going through some tough times and I hope we see you all on the field soon!
Corey Draper (CD) met up with 2019 Wednesday Witty Belgium C Division and league night Spirit Champions 11 Inch Discs (Cameron Loewen - CL) to get the back story on their introduction to the sport of Ultimate, on their team (& team name) and why they value "Spirit of the Game" so much as part of their Ultimate experience? Below is the Q & A to help us learn more about these leaders and spirited champions in our community.
CD: I'm itching to get at the orgin of the team name, but all good journeys begin with that first step. Could you tell me about your first venture into the sport of Ultimate and when you came to be part of MODS?
CL: These questions share an answer. In 2011 my friend, Dave, wanted to play more ultimate after he graduated from Dakota Collegiate here in Winnipeg. He put in a team for the MODS summer league with our group of friends for us to all play and learn the sport together. That was our first year and about half of my current roster played for the first time on that team (it's a testament to the sport and spirited teams that the core is still together almost a decade later).
The tradition of competing at a high level and still being the most spirited team on the field is a re-occuring theme in Manitoba. Teams like FUSION have been winning gold and spirit awards on the national level the past few years and teams like "KAAAAAAAA" (pictured to the left) were doing it in the past in our own back yard for example. Winning and playing with exceptional team spirit while having fun can go hand in hand with Ultimate and disc sports.
CD: So the team begins with you as a newbie, but now you're the leader and there's been a name change or two. How has your experience evolved since 2011, that's almost 10 years!
CL: When Dave left the team, I took over as captain. We initially changed the name to Disctruction Crew (we won't talk about why). Later on, for whatever reason, we measured the diameter of a regulation sized disc one day while we were hanging out around the fields, and it came out to 10.5 or 10.75 inches depending on how you measure it. 11 inches sounds way more impressive and when we got tired of Disctruction Crew, we switched over to that name instead.
CD: With such a long history of playing in Winnipeg you have seen a lot of changes as the sport has grown over the years and we have added new teams, players and members. Over that time and still to this day winning spirit and winning a championship are often seen as contradicting goals. Your team won both last summer, what do you think was your team's secret to playing with top spirit and while also winning games?
CL: A lot of our players come from playing other sports at a high level and are familiar with what it is like having someone bark at you for every mistake you make. We come out on Wednesday nights to play hard without the pressure, to relax and to enjoy ourselves. The players that don't have as deep of a sports background are all incredibly positive people that are loads of fun to hang out with as well. We've been around long enough to get pretty decent at the sport and can appreciate a good point regardless of what endzone it ends up in.
CD: Does your team do anything in particular spirit wise or have any traditions before or after Ultimate games?
CL: We have a prize that we hand out within our team for each game... This helps promote a light hearted attitude on the field as well as on the sidelines between everyone.
CD: What does spirit mean to you and your teammates?
CL: For us it's all about having a good time. We like playing hard but having fun is more important! Spirit means giving credit where credit is due, congratulate the other team when they make a nice play. It also means understanding that almost every rule disagreement comes from both sides genuinely believing that they are right and are not attempts at robbing you from a nice play or point. No need to raise your voice; work it out, reset the play if you have to, and play on.