BD,
After Tour 0 I'd thought about sending an email regarding the physicality entering the game from the top teams and decided against it. Why bother, I thought, they're trying to prepare a style of play to compete on the world stage and I'll probably be told I don't understand what that's like or what's required. However, I'm typing this out on the Sunday of Tour 1 because someone decided to lay out through my leg yesterday. I'm not going to name the teams directly involved because I don't think they're actually any worse than the general standard at the moment however I haven't made a huge amount of effort to hide their names because I believe I'm just stating facts about the game, if I'm mistaken I'll gladly hear any disagreements. At Tour 0, first game on Sunday there were a number of times when contact occured without any need. I personally experienced the following: - someone stamped on my Achilles after I'd caught the disc in front of him, - another player ran straight into me after I'd jumped to take a disc and was on the way back down (he didn't even bid on the disc, just ran into me) - one guy tried to throw through me by falling over onto my knee and called foul on me (he did retract this call in fairness) - numerous bumps on the mark and a blatant foul stopping a throw to the zone which wasn't contested but must have been premeditated. I know that team mates of mine also had a number of similar incidents. At Tour 1, second game of the weekend. The opposition call a time out on stall 4 or 5 on the sideline 10 yards from the zone and we set up with me as poach in the lane. On stall 10 (and I remember hearing the stall out called) the disc was released leading a player coming up the line directly at me whose only bid on the disc was to lay out into me. He did. He hit my weight-bearing leg with his body still airborne and I felt like my leg bones had tried to exit out the back of my ankle. Luckily the initial shock calmed down after a few minutes and I could still move the foot and was taken over to the main tent. After physio assistance at the venue it was recommended that I go to hospital to have it X-rayed and I was told there was a hairline fracture on the bottom of the fibula and this meant 6 weeks in a cast. Now, clearly he doesn't know that I'm supposed to be going on my stag weekend of gorge scrambling next weekend or that my wedding is coming up on 1st August or that being a teacher who has to move around the room that work'll be made insanely difficult on crutches. Obviously, not many people need to know or care that I live in a Victorian terrace house where the stairs can be difficult with both feet operating. And I'm pretty sure that whether I'm able to compete in the softball league on Wednesday night is not going to impact on most people's lives. But whatever he might or might not have known about me, he took my health into his hands by leaving the ground when he did. And as far as I'm aware he didn't even come to find out how I was or say sorry. Actions speak louder than words, but he couldn't even find some words to try and help amend for his irresponsible action. My point is this - as a group of people we are losing sight of the basic principle of every player being responsible for the game and for each other. Hands up who's heard the response to a foul "but I got the disc" - after that person has clattered another player. We have to be more careful with each other's safety; I understand that some contact will happen but there is an increase in the reckless challenge that has me in a temporary cast contemplating watching my mates enjoy my stag do. As it happens, it seems that I may actually not be as badly injured as first thought, but I've still got a trip to the hospital tomorrow before that's confirmed. The usual points about my views, my team's views etc. apply given that I haven't talked all of this through with them. I do know that several people are also concerned about the increasing physicality - this is supposed to be a non-contact game and if you're not expecting contact then you don't prepare for it. Sadly expecting nothing to change, but hoping I'm wrong, Andy BPF _________________________________________________________________ Vuelve famosa a tu mascota con MSN http://events.latam.msn.com/tumascota __________________________________________________ BritDisc mailing list [email protected] http://www.fysh.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/britdisc Staying informed - http://www.ukultimate.com/staying-informed
