The Siege of Limerick
My body hasn’t hurt this much since training for spring track season in 10th grade. I think the average amount of muscles in the body is around 700, and I think about 699 of mine are under severe stress right now. The good news is that my team, JAB-UL, won the championship for the women’s division for the ultimate frisbee tournament this weekend. The bad news is that I can barely move right now after playing mostly savage (no subs for the games) in 7 games this weekend, plus a two hour training session on Friday by the one and only frisbee super power Ben Wiggins, who happens to coach Sockeye, one of the top ultimate teams in the States from Seattle.
So on Friday, Wiggins ran a training session that taught me more technical ultimate knowledge than I’ve ever learned in my ultimate life. Hopefully I’ll be able to remember and apply all the skills and drills I learned on Friday to my game. Wiggins also showed us a a number of plays at a whiteboard session after the practice, which was all very helpful. I feel like I’m writing a critique of Ben Wiggins. His fellow captain Skip was there too, and both were pretty cool cats. I guess Skip and his friend were playing “Guess the nationality” and when I walked by, his friend automatically labeled me American. Must have been my lucky backwards red trucker cap. It was. I asked.
Elaine and I trying to keep warm in the tent between games.
On Saturday, Elaine, Becky, Una (sorry girl, I’m not sure how to spell your AWESOME name) and I found out that we’d be joining the small group of girls from Jabba the Huck to make a super team called JAB-UL. Get it? JABBA+ UL…yeah okay. We sounded like a bunch of turkeys squawking when we cheered “JABUL JABUL JABUL!!”
There were 6 women’s teams, with 4 games on Saturday and 3 on Sunday. I played with DCU, a team from Dublin, for a couple games because they were short a player to make a full squad. Fiona and her gals from DCU ended up winning the spirit award for the women’s division, and I could see why. They were so friendly and such good sports for all foul calls. I switched back to my JAB-UL team for the semi-finals and final, which were played against Cork and Trinity, respectively. It actually snowed on Saturday, and it being rare to snow in Ireland, it was ironic that Mother Nature Ireland decided to pull out her best slush for us frisbee players.
The girls and I after our long chilly match in the snow. JABUL!
I hosted the Amsterdam mixed team called Nuts in my flat all weekend, and they were some of the coolest people ever. Some were Dutch of course, but some players were from Canada, Switzerland, and Belgium. They kindly cleaned my flat for me and even signed a Nuts disc for me. We went out for Indian food on Saturday, which I had not previously tried. It was ridiculously delicious, with so many flavors I was unaware of before. I didn’t eat much of the hot curry dishes as my lips were on fire after a tiny bite. My king prawns in mild creamy curry sauce were fantastic with the special bread that you were supposed to scoop it up with.
The Amsterdam team Nuts and I after the awards ceremony.
Saturday night after the Indian food, we went to the Lodge night club for the frisbee themed party “Super heroes and Super villains.” I didn’t have time or euros to spend for a costume, so I joined the Amsterdam girls with painting multi-colored face masks on in the bathroom of the Lodge last minute. I told people we were the Amsterdam Power Rangers. It was quite the dance party, and I taught Ben Wiggins how to play Buffalo, so hopefully he will spread the power of Buffalo to all the frisbee players on the West Coast.
Nuts girls and I at the Lodge. Power girlz.
Me, Brian and Jeremiah "Does this shirt count as a costume?" Shrovnal at the Lodge.
I am glad to make history as the first champions of the women’s division of the Siege of Limerick. We got to keep the Siege Women’s flag as our prize. Hopefully I’ll run into all my new Irish frisbee player friends again before I leave. I know at least I’ll have a couch to sleep on when I visit Amsterdam in a month or so.
