Shot Callin’
A lot of things have changed in the College Ultimate scene in the past ten years, increasing both the level of play and the legitimacy of the game. Now, there are more teams, more athletes, more games with observers, more enforcement of eligibility rules, and more experienced coaches. The number of coaches in Women's Ultimate is truly amazing and is one of the biggest factors increasing the skill seen on the field today.
Ten years ago, Stanford and Carleton met in the Finals of Nationals (it was still officially called Nationals back then) for an epic game. After an intense 17-15 spring break "scrimmage," both teams knew the other squad would be their best competition that year. Neither was truly tested at Nationals until they met again in the Finals. The grueling battle came down to double-game-point, which Stanford was able to finally put away to win 19-18. Both these teams were skilled and athletic, but they also each had a coachÑa relatively unique advantage during the 90's. Jennifer "JD" Donnelly and Lou Burruss coached Stanford and Carleton, respectively, and helped turn those teams into the programs that still thrive today. Their legacy lives on.
Today, almost all of the top Women's College teams have at least one coach. Even teams that are not in the upper echelon of competition routinely have a coach, as was seen on the sidelines at the The Stanford Invite Qualifier. Many coached players probably do not realize what an advantage they have over the un-coached squads that are forced to have captains do everything from teaching new players to calling lines to adjusting defenses mid-game to planning practices to leading the team on the field. Even players that do realize how lucky they are to have a coach may not appreciate the far reaching effects coaching will have on the game in the future.
What exactly are the benefits of having a coach? An experienced coach will have more knowledge and insight into the game than is possible for even a veteran college player. That experience helps a coach identify what skills and concepts the team should work on and allows a team to capitalize on its strengths and minimize its weaknesses. Pacific Lutheran University's coach, Jaime ÔIdaho' Arambula, refers to himself as "the mad scientist" who is constantly identifying new ways to gain an advantage for his players. As a result, he says that PLU is able to "come out and throw some things that other teams haven't seen." That strategy helped PLU make it to the Finals of The Stanford Invite Qualifier this season. Changing defenses and utilizing a mixture of zone, person, clam, and junk defenses was a hallmark of many of the coached teams at last weekend's Stanford Invite.
Even if a coach is only marginally more experienced than the current players on a team (as can happen on college teams without a nearby Club scene), he or she still benefits from the more objective perspective of being on the sideline rather than caught up in the emotion of playing. That perspective is invaluable for determining who is playing well or what adjustments a team needs to make to counter their opponents. Having a coach handle player feedback, playing time issues, or informing try-outs if they made the team can also alleviate potential tension between teammates and peers. Just knowing there is a coach to teach the fundamentals could easily make playing on a certain team more attractive to a potential player.
In many ways, UCLA is the poster-child for young teams looking to improve and break out onto the National scene. UCLA first formed a team in 2004 and made the Finals of the UPA College Championships by 2006. The team's success continues as it finished among the top four teams last season and just won the competitive Stanford Invite. A huge part of that success has been attributed to a dedicated coaching staff, including Alex Korb and Jamie Nuwer. They were able to take a team that had only two women with any ultimate experience and prepare a cadre of players for both College and Club Ultimate. Under their tutelage, Pooja Shah was the runner-up for the Callahan in 2006 and Anna Nazarov won the Callahan Award in 2007. Nazarov explains that, "our coaches showed us what it meant to really play hard...They were able to channel the desire within us into a cohesive and successful team through dedication, inspiration and a lot of hard work." Korb continues to coach BLU this season, and there is no doubt that without a coach the learning curve of the team and individual players would have been much more gradual.
There is a wide range of coaching styles, both at practice and at tournaments. Many coaches agree with the UPA Coaching Corps guidelines that discourage coaches from getting overly involved with players' calls and decisions on the field. The UPA explicitly states that "coach interference in the decision making process, even in the most egregious violations, will indicate to players that the coach and not the players have the ultimate responsibility for ensuring the inherent fairness of the game." Meanwhile, some coaches opt for a more "joy-sticking" approach to coaching, a term coined by Western Washington's coach Ron Kubalanza. He describes how coaches sometimes direct players on the field by calling out detailed instructions during each point. With both styles (and the range in-between), players are gaining insights into complex strategies and tactics through their coaches' mentorship.
Some teams have managed to be competitive even without a coach. Wisconsin Bella Donna is a good example of a team that has traditionally played without a coach and has the captains run the team. Alumna and Callahan runner-up Holly Greunke explains that "I don't think Bella Donna is against having a coach, but there is a certain sense of pride being one of the top 5 teams in the country without a coach when almost all the other teams have one." One of the benefits of not having a coach is that "it makes everyone respect and listen to the captains a lot more." However, that extra responsibility has "affected their play negatively" for certain captains over the years, says Greunke. There may come a time in the not-so-distant future where having a coach is a necessity for keeping up with the strategies of opponents. Greunke added that "if they ever did feel like they needed a coach, it'd just be a matter of finding the right person who could put in the time."
Finding a coach can be a difficult task given the amount of time and commitment the position requires. Alumnae and recent graduates often find themselves in coaching or assistant coaching positions because they are the people most invested in the outcomes of that program. A former player of a team also understands that team's culture and traditions, enabling her to navigate team dynamics as a coach. Established Club players are another pool of potential coaches. In the San Francisco Bay Area, Club teammates on Fury have coached four different College teams in the area (UC-Davis, UC-Santa Cruz, Stanford A, and Stanford B). Up north in Seattle, it seems that the majority of Club players are coaching a team, whether it's at the Middle School, High School, or College level.
Club players investing in local talent through coaching often do themselves a favor when those young players are ready to play Club. The benefits of players being coached in College (and High School) are already been observed on the Club circuit. Women are entering Club teams with more advanced skills and a readiness to learn new concepts from future coaches and leaders. In fact, more and more Women's Club teams are seeking out coaches to help them reap the benefits coaches can provide. Fury, Brute Squad, Backhoe, and Rare Air are a few examples of high level Women's Club teams that have coaches. Interestingly enough, all of those Club coaches are men.
Women's College teams are frequently coached by both men and women. Having male coaches enlarges the pool of potential coaches for Women's teams, but it also can create a gender dynamic of which players and coaches should be aware. Male coaches of Women's teams need to remain respectful of their boundaries and also work to avoid being perceived as patronizing along gender lines. Nazarov states that she has "only ever had positive experiences of being coached by a man" playing High School sports and ultimate at the college and club level. She believes that coaching women should emphasize "positivity, team unity, and love for our teammates," no matter if the coach is male or female. On the west coast, College teams seem to be split rather evenly between those with a female coach (Stanford, UC-Santa Cruz, UC-Davis, Washington, British Columbia, UC-San Diego, and UC-Santa Barbara) and those with a male coach (Colorado, UCLA, UC-Berkeley, Western Washington, Oregon, USC, and Pacific Lutheran), with both groups being equally successful. The availability of experienced Women's coaches often depends on geography and the proximity to established Women's Club teams.
Regardless of gender and irrespective of coaching style, there is no doubt that coaches are raising the level of play at the college level. Back in 1998, the Semi-Finals scores for Stanford and Carleton were 13-7 and 17-3. Last year, both Women's Semi-Finals went to double-game point. Surprise, surprise, all four of the 2007 Semi-Finalists had experienced coaches helping their programs.
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