Ultimate Frisbee in Bamberg

Phil and I are now recovering after a fun and exhausting weekend. We played in an eight game ultimate frisbee tournament in Bamberg this weekend and had a great time. There were 15 other teams at the tournament, many of which had played together for years. Our goal was to walk away with atleast one win. Early Saturday morning we traveled up to Bamberg with our teammates and played our first four games. The weather was beautiful and the fields were located near the center of Bamberg. Saturday night the Bamberg team hosted a party for everyone which was a lot of fun. After the party we all piled into a gym about a mile away and got some sleep. On Sunday we played four more games and ended up winning three. After a short awards ceremony we headed back to Erlangen and iced our injuries.

Tournaments are run a little differently than tournaments in the States. After each game both teams gather in a circle and put their arms around each other. The losing team then gives a speech about the game and thanks the winning team for playing. Once the speech is over everyone claps and then the winning team does the same thing. After the speeches the winning team presents a short game for both teams to play together. I like the fact that this drill solidifies the unity of the team as well as allows you to meet other team members off the field. There was a real focus on building relationships which was nice.

Right after the tournament both Phil and I stated that we would not be signing up for another one for awhile. After a day or two of rest we are both considering signing up for another tournament in May.