Monday evening 17 coaches and CITs from across the region came together at a practice field for an evening practice. With a wide range of ages and experience the practice and scrimmage were different things to different people, but everyone played their part and had a blast.
Ben Spears put together the practice plan for the evening, focusing on throwing, appreciation and UP Voice. Each participant wrote down one throw they are proud of and one throw they want to improve. The group ran through two drills in which one player took on the role of primary thrower for a short while before switching out for a teammate. Each player got a chance to be the ‘hot’ thrower in at least one of the drills.
UP Voice is one third of a set of terms used to help explain the Ultimate Peace style of play, along with UP Tempo (offense) and UP Energy (defense). UP Voice reminds players to keep talking, whether it’s cheering on a teammate from the sideline, communicating on the field, or high-fiveing whenever possible.
Practice was cut a little short by an unseasonable lightening storm, but not before the group came together for a closing circle. Coaches and CITs alike gave quick shout outs of appreciation to others in the circle.
This practice was one in an ongoing series organized by Ben and UP Fellow Scott Graber. Some of the meetings are on the field, like this one, and some are off the field and conversation based. The project helps keep coaches and CITs engaged in both on field and off field topics that help develop coaching and leadership skills.