USA Ultimate

Erynn Schroeder , Team USA U-20 Girls		Thursday August 9, 2012 05:45AM My name is Erynn Schroeder and I am from Plymouth, MN. I will be a sophomore at the College of St. Benedict. I have been playing since freshman year of high school, on school, league and club teams. This is by far the most exciting and highest intensity team I have ever played on. When I step on the field, there is no doubt or mistrust of anyone on the line, because we have all worked so hard to be here.

The chemistry is still building, and sometimes that shows, but we have grown immensely just in the past few days, and it will only get better.

This morning started early. The coaches have us on a schedule to (hopefully) reduce jet-lag on the way to Ireland, so we have been getting up earlier and earlier each day. Tomorrow is our last day here, and we will be up earlier enough to practice before breakfast since we won’t have the afternoon time to practice.

The three building blocks of this team that our coaches have been emphasizing are Communication, Awareness, and Triangles (aka CAT). Communication is very important to keep us on the same page on the field and when strategizing. Being aware is also necessary to be successful. On defense it is important to know where the disc is at all times, and be in the right position relative to the player you are guarding. On offense, it is important to be aware of your teammates for the play to run smoothly. Triangles are the basic foundation of our down field offense and get brought up a lot. It is crucial that we are making cuts at angles and clearing space for others.

Yesterday we had our first chance to play as one team instead of against ourselves. Some local players came out to challenge us, and we really stepped up. It was also our first time wearing USA gear, which really pumped me up! Everyone played very well and things really started clicking on the field. There were a lot of big D’s and great offensive flow. It was great to see all of our hard work and chemistry so far play out on the field.

After the game, though, we were given a reality check. In the spirit circle, the coach of the other team, Tiina Booth, stepped up and told us a few things we really need to focus on in the coming days if we don’t want to become "international lunchmeat." The things she mentioned were: total focus throughout the whole game, even warm-ups, and having a huge sideline presence. Our sideline was probably lacking because we have spent so much time working on the on-field stuff and have limited subs when we are in a 7v7 scrimmage. We will be focusing on these points a lot before leaving for Dublin tomorrow night! 

Erynn Schroeder

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For more information on these teams, visit USA Ultimate's 2012 WJUC page.  The list of diary entries is available at the bottom of the page.