Thoughts.

My senior year. One last hurrah. Etc.

Getting back into Dartmouth has kept me busy, but I don’t intend to let this blog fall by the wayside just yet. Someday I might stop posting to this one and start a new blog with a broader focus instead of just ultimate, but that day hasn’t come yet.

This year is already awesome. Playing at sectionals two weekends ago was the perfect catalyst for all the feelings and anticipating I’ve done for this year–even as I was walking around taking care of tournament matters, watching the guys running their asses off made me well up inside. Playing with them gave me enough of a high that I’m still riding it now, a full week later. And I don’t think Dartmouth Ultimate is going to come down from it anytime soon.

Where do I begin? For starters:
-I get to spend the entire year playing alongside my fellow ’08s, the same guys who I toiled in the rain with 3 years ago, as part of a D’shmen squad in a monsoon of a sectionals–and again just a couple of weeks later at Div. 2 regionals. Watching the ’08s get rolling is more than enough to bring a smile to my face, knowing all we’ve been through and worked through together already, and that we’ll continue to do so in the year to come.
-I get to spend the entire year socializing and hanging out with my fellow ’08s, who are some of the most amazing people I know. The potential for awesome with this year’s team and social dynamic blows my mind, and I can’t wait to be a part of it.
-We are returning (apparently) 20. TWENTY.
-We’re making some major pickups this year. For one, POVERTY! Huge plus to the team, off and on the field. For two, Misha, a now-sophomore who is as old as an ’08 and who played with Nate Raines at junior worlds back in the day. For three, Carson, a grad student from Carleton in his fifth year of eligibility who has been described by Crew as “Elliott May with better throws.” Filthy.
-The ’11s. SO GOOD. SO much potential there. We’ve got a few who’ve already played, and several more who have the sort of athleticism that makes you want to see them in a year or two when they learn how to ball with the tools they’ve got.

There is so, so much there to lead a person to believe that this could be the year, that we’re poised to reign atop the region and have a year to be remembered, not just by us, but by those who follow us, but for all the reasons above and more I prefer to take the view that we need to work harder than ever, because we’re so well-poised to get complacent.