Hopkins Hustle

The White Bear Lake A Team will be participating in the 2009 Hopkins Hustle Tournament this weekend, May 9-10. The Tournament will take place in Maple Plain, site of the 2009 Minnesota High School Ultimate Championships.

Come cheer on the team as they compete against teams from Winnipeg, Nashville, Madison, & Minnesota. There will be a showcase game between SubZero and University of Minnesota Grey Duck from 12:20 - 13:50 PM (third round) on Sunday. The championship round will immediately follow so be sure to stick around for all the action.

Getting to Maple Plain is easy. Take I-394 West, it will turn into US-12. Continue on US-12 West for 12.5 miles. Turn left at County Rd-90 and go for .7 miles. Turn right at Turner Road until you run into the Twin City Polo Grounds.

Don't forget to bring a lawn chair or blanket. Hope to see you there!

Upcoming Tournaments

The Orange and Black teams will have two tournaments coming up. First, on April 25, there will be a one-day tournament called the St. Cloud Face Off. The tournament will take place at Whitney Park in St. Cloud and will likely take place between 8:00AM and 4:00PM.

The second tournament is a two-day tournament on May 2-3, called the St. Cloud Granite City Classic. This tournament is also held at Whitney Park and again is likely 8:00AM to 4:00PM. Sunday's play is likely to end around 2:00PM. Due to this weekend falling on the same weekend as White Bear Lake Prom, we will consolidate all remaining players into one White Bear Lake team.

PARENTS

Ultimate tournaments are a lot of fun. You get to stand on the sideline with other spectators and the players. I think it's that closeness to the players that makes it such a special sport to watch. A typical tournament day will have your child's team playing 2-4 games... yes, that's 2-4 games in one day. There will be 30-90 minutes between games, so you can usually drive to get lunch if you didn't bring food to the field. Tournaments are usually Saturday and Sunday, and Sunday there are usually single elimination games, so only the winning teams continue playing up to the finals.

But a day of Ultimate can be challenging for a spectator if you are not prepared. Here are a few things you should bring:

1. a folding chair
2. a hat
3. sun block lotion (and use it often)
4. some food and drinks (unless it's Nationals, there usually are no food or drinks available on the fields)
5. a camera (if it's a small one, use it for close-ups of the players - action shots are usually not very good unless you have a telephoto lens)
6. a video camera is great to bring. You'll love watching them later!

If you are in a position to help with a few team supplies, here's what many Ultimate players like during a tournament:

1. ice (filling up an ice chest or cooler is best)
2. gatorade (the tournament usually supplies water)
3. fruit (oranges and bananas - and if you really want to go all out, cut the oranges into quarters)
4. healthy snacks - perhaps pistachio nuts, bagels, peanut butter and bread. Ask your child what his/her team likes.

Reprinted from: http://www.upa.org/friendsandfamily/tournaments

Open A Team Roster

Congratulations to the following players, each who have earned their spot on the White Bear Lake Open A Team:

Andrew B, Ben C, Brent B, Brett G, Brian F, Brooke J, Bryan W, Charlie O, Colin O, Curtis C, Dan H, Eric C, Joe H, John L, Jon S, Matt M, Shane O, Travis D

The Open A Team will meet this Tuesday after school (March 10 @ 3:15) at Sunrise Park Middle School. The gymnasium may or may not be available. Regardless, we will discuss 1) captains, 2) team goals and 3) individual goals. Look for an email on Tuesday that explains more. Congratulations to each of you!

Players that have not been chosen for the Open A Team will automatically be added to one of two other White Bear Lake Open teams. As previously mentioned, the first practice will be held on March 23 at Sunrise Park Middle School for all three teams. More details within one week.

Tryouts

Tryouts for the Open A Team will take place March 3,4,6 at Sunrise Park Middle School.

Students will be judged in the following five drills: Sprint, Bleep, Three Cone Agility, Box and Surly. Students will also be judged on effort, previous attendance record, and coachability. All final decisions will be at Coach Hagen's discretion.

The best way make Open A Team is to always have a positive attitude, show up at every opportunity, and give it your very best effort.

Open A Team Goals for 2009

· Winning regular season record, 4-3 or better.
· Top 8 in State.
· Win top 3 in Spirit.
· Host our own mini tournament.
· After games, give one or two opposing players a spirit award.
· Team dinners, Wednesday nights.
· Have a Team Banquet.
· Scrimmages once per week: vs Mahtomedi, Roseville, & Mounds View.
· To learn and know the rules of Ultimate.