Another season is upon us and we are ready to get back on the courts! Last year we told ourselves that we were coming out of the gates guns blazing and biting kneecaps on our way back up if we ever fell. The first half of the season we did just that, we had a few tournaments where we ended above .500 and finished the first half of the season with a lot to look forward to. Unfortunately, the second half did not quite go the way we wanted it to. This year we are looking to put that behind us and to take things one step further. We want to continue to grow the culture we started from the previous season and build ourselves up from the inside out. That being said, here is a look at what we have in store.
Firstly, we lost a big chunk of our core due to graduation and at the end of last season, already had a struggle when it came to numbers. That being said, we are upping our recruitment game in the hopes of bringing in more people. It is hard to keep up with these top teams when you struggle to take a full lineup to a tournament.
Secondly, the last couple of years, we as a team, have not been as close as we would like to be. In terms of chemistry, we have struggled and sometimes it is noticeable on the court. This year we are doing more to help players get to know each other better and not only build a better team chemistry, but to help people connect with people outside of the game of dodgeball.
Lastly, we want to win. We are tired of losing, nobody goes into a season with the mentality of we want to be a tough team but do not win. We want to be a top 10 team and finally make it out of the first round of nationals. We want to prove ourselves and truly look at the season and say “why not us?”
Here is what our team leaders have to say about this upcoming season:
Caleb Laux-“I am looking forward to this season. We saw a lot of individual and team growth these past couple semesters and I’m ready to see so much more. With some of our top players having graduated, it will be time for our younger members to really step it up and show what they can do. We are also hoping to recruit a good number of committed players this semester so when you see freshmen on the court in our first tournament, be sure to cheer them on. UWP has our work cut out for us, but we are ready to take the challenge. Get Excited!”
Nicholas Stocks-“This season we must put an emphasis on recruiting. We only have 12 players returning this year and if we want to compete and win against other teams, we need subs. Once we have the new players it will be crucial to drill the basics into them because currently that is where we are the weakest. The main way we get out is by not following the basics such as: not being in the catching stance, not having our heads on a swivel, and so on. If the rookies can pick these skills up, they will be amazing additions to our teams.
Our returners will be important in teaching these rookies the basic skills. Yes, we have an amazing coach, but he can’t teach all the rookies one-on-one at once. That is where the veterans come in, giving pointers, and taking a few minutes to help the new members. Veterans, me included, also need to be sure they have the basics down, so we are setting good examples for the rookies.
Overall, this upcoming season for UWP will be based around how well we recruit. If we recruit 20 new members bringing a full roster to a tournament won’t be a problem, if we only recruit five members again, we will be struggling to bring a full starting line up to tournaments. I’m excited for this season and I’m looking forward to playing with all the veterans and teaching the rookies the game we love.”
Tomas Zander-“This fall, I expect UWP to rely heavily on the veteran leadership of Eli Huntley, Caleb Newell, and myself to do what we do best, throw people out! Many of our outs come in transition throws, but we are going to step up our game when throwing at people on their backlines. This fall look for UWP to hand off the roles of communication to our new president Nicholas Stocks and captain Caleb Laux. Another thing to look forward to this fall is recruitment. It is UWP’s goal to have its biggest recruitment class yet! Come tournament time UWP will be looking to crush the competition and run up the scores! Go NEERS!”
All in all, we are ready to fight this season. We can not wait to get back on the court and take things one step further. We are coming in with a why not us mentality and are ready to start showing the league what we are made of. Go ‘Neers!