USA Ultimate

Feature: BLU is Family

In 2006, in the team’s third year of existence, UCLA made it to the Finals of the College Championships.  The following season, the last of the Original BLU graduated, closing out their careers with a Semifinals loss to UCSB.  Senior captain Sarah "Atari" Peters was a rookie that year and while the makeup of the team has changed completely, she says that one thing has remained constant: BLU is family.  Peters states that the spirit of the Original BLU has remained with the team, and 2007 Callahan winner and BLU alum Anna "Maddog" Nazarov echoed that sentiment, stating "BLU has a very special relationship with their BLUmni… This team is family for life."  And in some cases, BLU IS family, with sister pairs Pooja and Megha Shah and Lisa and KC Vampola all playing for BLU at various points since BLU’s inception.

The UCLA Ultimate program has grown by leaps and bounds, and this year UCLA had three teams competing in the Series, a huge milestone for the still relatively young program.  Nazarov says that Alex Korb’s coaching style has evolved each season with the team, but that fundamentally, it’s still the John Wooden-inspired style that has built the UCLA program.  This UCLA team is extremely young with only two of the four seniors having played on BLU for four years.  With Peters sidelined due to an ACL tear, the task of leading BLU on the field has fallen on some of the younger players such as Sabrina "Kodiak" Fong, Adrienne "Hawkins" Baker, and Kelly "Sapphire" Wiese. 

Nazarov says that the most inspiring part of the past three seasons has been watching players like Peters take on leadership roles and help rookies fall in love with the game.  She states, "We knew Atari would be a huge part of the team her very first practice freshman year when she did her signature goalie dive to catch a score.  I think the grin on her face when she stood up showed she knew she had found her sport."  While Peters has been sidelined for much of the season, her positive presence on the BLU sidelines has brought this young UCLA team far and the promise she showed as a rookie has certainly been fulfilled as she has taken on a captain role for a second straight season.  She says that BLU has defined her college experience at UCLA and her ability stay so committed and positive despite her injury has been a direct result of her love for BLU.  While players like Peters aren’t grabbing the headlines this weekend, her big heart and quiet commitment to her team have helped UCLA remain one of the top teams in the college game.