[TFDA] 2007-08 WL spirit winners
Christian Schwoerke
schwoerkec at yahoo.com
Wed Feb 27 10:15:59 EST 2008
Hello, everyone.
Each season we recognize on each team a player (or two) who have contributed to the enjoyment of
the game for everyone, typically by a display of spirited play, good cheer, great attendance, or
just a willingness to bring beer to each game.
Here is this year's list of Spirit Winners (in no particular order):
Grey is Not a Color -- Francisco Gonzales and Jay Parker. Francisco brought a great attitude and
you could always count on him to be in the right place on the field. Jay improved after every
game and showed determination to develop new skills.
Green Flash Effect -- Adam Holland. He was clutch when we needed clutch, supportive from the
sidelines when not in the game, and even-tempered when handling a disputed call - knowing how to
disagree without being "disagreeable". Adam's low key attitude and high energy play made him an
invaluable complement to our squad.
Chainsaw -- Julie DeMeester and Ron Hunter. Chainsaw would like to recognize Julie DeMeester and
Ron Hunter for their the awesome spirit and exceptional attitude.
Mean Joe Green -- Claire Thompson. Claire secured her title by winning a tri-fecta of awards,
including 'most swill hucks chased', 'most covered in mud', and 'absolutely most pleasant loves
ultimate for all the right reasons'. Congrats, Claire!
Stack in Black -- Kirk Jansen and Kaitlin Baden. Both Kirk and Kaitlin epitomized what it means
to be a spirited, upbeat, supportive teammate, and they expressed themselves both on the field
with great play, as well as in support of their teammates with never-ending enthusiasm. Thanks,
Kirk and Kaitlin!
Lobster Claw -- Eli Carley. Eli displays true spirit and love of the game and his sense of humor
kept Lobster Claw from sinking too far into the depths of the deep blue sea. He plays hard all of
the time and also had excellent attendance!
Zork -- Rob Grau. Our spirit winner was Rob Grau. Zork will not delve too deep into the details
of why he is our spirit winner because we want to draft him again next year, but lets just say
Sam, Stella, Cliff, and T-angelo all loved his Scrimshaws that he carved before every game and
twice if there was a Blue Moon that night. Rob pulled crazy Ds and catches out of his Magic Hat
at every game. Youre the man, and we really missed you on Sunday. Also thanks to all of
Zork--you made this season a blast and made us very proud.
SOL -- Kevin Hedeen. Kevin was our senior member on SOL, but despite being a little long in the
tooth, had more lay-out bids than any other member of the team. With his consistent sideline
cheering and level-headed field play, Kevin played with true spirit of the game. Honorable mention
goes to Shelley Cohen, who despite being the youngest member of our team, made some huge strides
throughout the year and is quickly becoming quite an ultimate player.
Buckin Blanco -- Tom Munoz. Tom was instrumental in creating a successful Winter League season
for our team because we could always count on him to show up for games. And in saying "showing
up", that's to say that he was good for at least one outstanding play per game, typically a great
D. Tom was a fun teammate who worked hard every time he was out on the field and inspired the
rest of us to also give as much of ourselves. It was also clear that he learned from one of his
captains, as he followed the example of bringing beer to share with the team. Thanks for a great
season, Tom!
Wreckers -- Kyle Miller. Kyle came to every game and always gave 100%. He started the season
with good defensive skills, and his offense got better every week. He always showed great spirit
and always tried to help the team and any way he could.
White Lightning -- Ari Livanos. Ari is currently a junior in high school. Ari came out to our
games with a great attitude and always was positive, even with Katy and me always chirping in his
ear what to do on the field. It was a cool experience for me to get to coach him and see him
become a better player as the season went on. I never heard a negative word come out of his mouth
and he was always eager to play. Sometimes when the games got competitive it was hard to play him
a lot, but when he did play he did it with heart, desire, and an uplifting positive attitude.
Getting to work with a player like Ari is what this winter league is all about and I am just glad
I got to know him and work with him as the captain of White Lightning.
Night Train -- Josh Murphy. We know this kind of breaks protocol, but we thought Josh did an
outstanding job being positive and keeping everyone motivated throughout the season. Hes also a
grade-A dreamboat.
Marsupial Death Pouch Hit Squad -- Matt Babaian. Matt was simply an awesome teammate. He was
always positive whether he was on the field making plays or on the sideline waiting for his turn
to shine.
Sunny D -- Nate Baker. On a Sunny D team that was noted for height, depth, and great attendance,
our Spirit disc went to the tallest, deepest, most attendingist 6'8" Nate Baker. During the
regular season, he caught the winning goal on his 30th birthday, and even then he was the most
humble and collected person on the field. Great playing with you, Nate.
Deep in the Meat -- Patrick Liu .Of all the players Deep in the Meat... he went deepest. He
also developed a much-improved field-sense as the season wore on, and made the most of every
opportunity to improve his mad skillz.
Brilliant -- Kurt Chapman. Brilliant could have nominated many individuals for this team award,
but we honored Kurt for his determined play, excellent attitude, and regular attendance throughout
the whole season. In case you didnt know, Kurt rules!
Ginger Cream -- Tara Moore. Throughout the season Tara had great attendance, great spirit, showed
constant improvement, and was a vital member of some of our frequently near-savage victories.
Woolly Mammoth -- Belinda Chang. Belinda attended almost every game and had a great attitude,
even while playing savage. She showed great improvement over the season, capping it with some
great zone defense and a tough catch for the score in the tournament. Thanks, Belinda.
Orange Crush It -- Casey Haigh. We had a few guys that could have qualified for the spirit
award/disc. They all showed a willingness to learn and contribute in any way or
fashion without getting impatient when subbing did not always include them. Casey is a fast
learner with great athletic potential. He made all the games he possibly could, and made special
arrangements to do so even when he didn't have a ride.
Blue by You -- Matt Heimbach. Blue by You has unanimously nominated Matt Heimbach as our Spirit
winner. A staple at every game, Matt was always positive, smiling, and giving 100% on the field.
His attitude truly epitomizes the meaning of "spirit of the game" and Blue By You was lucky to
have such a great guy on our team!
Wampeters and Granfalloons -- Ashley Veale and Rob Rob Saccoccio. Ashley was one of the few
consistent faces on our team, and she brought enthusiasm and intensity to every game. The
improvement she made over the season was incredible, and after only playing for a little over a
year, good things are in her future as an ultimate player. Rob was a great teammate and a
consistent face as well. Never heard any gripes from him, just a playing ethic that few could
match. A pleasure to have on our team.
Screech -- Jessie Peed. She always showed up with a smile and never complained, even though she
was asked to play savage just about every game. Many games she would spend extra time helping to
teach the new women how to play the game. When Jessie moved a job interview in Washington, DC, to
Friday, just so the team would have enough women to play in the tournament the following Saturday,
it was a no-brainer. Jessie epitomizes what the spirit award is all about!! Thanks, Jessie, for
everything that you did for team Screech this year!!
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