Thursday, August 5, 2010

Media Update: Session C - Photos and Newsletters

(Tiina receiving flowers from Assistant Director Lexi Marsh in celebration of the 10th Anniversary.)

Good Evening Everyone,

Session C has officially come to a close which wraps up the 2010 season of NUTC! I know that I have had a blast over the last four weeks meeting and working with young players who came from various parts around the country. I was fortunate to have the opportunity to watch them grow over each week as both on the field as players and off the field as individuals. There were many new faces but I was also glad to see the ones from years prior. Numerous friendships were made and will continue to grow. The introduction of NUTC Gold this year was a huge success and was the perfect way to celebrate the 10th Anniversary of NUTC. In today's Session C tournament action, both Green Meadows and Blue defeated their opponents in the semi-finals and held a close game until the very last point (as it should be). I hope everyone has a safe travels home whether you're driving across town or flying across the country. I look forward to next year with all of the fun and excitement that I know it will surely bring.

Until next year! See you on the fields...
-Brian


Session C Media:

Photos (http://www.flickr.com/photos/nutc/sets/)

Tuesday AM: http://www.flickr.com/photos/nutc/sets/72157624661415298/
Tuesday PM: http://www.flickr.com/photos/nutc/sets/72157624661433736/
Wednesday AM: http://www.flickr.com/photos/nutc/sets/72157624536815613/
Wednesday PM: http://www.flickr.com/photos/nutc/sets/72157624661518370/
Thursday: http://www.flickr.com/photos/nutc/sets/72157624536897491/

Newsletters

Wednesday: http://www.nutc.net/bringitin/nutc_2010c_4.pdf
Thursday: http://www.nutc.net/bringitin/nutc_2010c_5.pdf

Tuesday, August 3, 2010

Tournament Tuesday and Disc Olympics!

Hey Everyone,

The sun is shinning and the discs are presently flying around outside while our stomachs digest from the awesome lunch at Valentine Hall. The camper v counselor game was a huge success last night as the counselors were able to prevail over the campers. The final score of the game last night was 21-3 (it should be noted that as always any points scored against the counselors are always great to see and are usually hard fought -- the counselors will never give them an inch!). Upon completion of the game the campers and staff trekked across campus back to the dorms where the ice cream sundae station was waiting for us to dive in to.
This morning the six teams formed pairs to learn and practice zone offense and defense. Each team was then able to modify it as they wished to add their own flair and figure out how to implement it best with their players. In just a few minutes during this afternoon session will start both the disc olympics (distance contest, MTA -- maximum time aloft, disc golf and disc spinning) and the first round of the tournament. No doubt in my mind that there will be some great moments for photos and laughs. More coverage later but it is time for me to hit the fields!

-Brian

Photos

Monday AM: http://www.flickr.com/photos/nutc/sets/72157624645963846/

Monday PM: http://www.flickr.com/photos/nutc/sets/72157624521198559/

Camper v Counselor Game (guest photographer: Dory Ziperstein): http://www.flickr.com/photos/nutc/sets/72157624521237297/

Today's Newsletter: http://www.nutc.net/bringitin/nutc_2010c_3.pdf

Monday, August 2, 2010

Welcome to Session C: The Final Chapter of 2010!



Good Afternoon Everyone,


This is just a brief entry as I am heading down to the fields to record more action. Yesterday, saw some great ultimate action and I can already tell from this morning that the players are continuing to improve greatly. The campers are playing hard and are very excited for tonight's camper vs. counselor game along with the ice cream sundae bar afterward. It will be interesting to see how they stack up against the previous weeks in how many points that they score against us. The current record is 5 points. Field time so enjoy the photos!


Photos

Yesterday Morning: http://www.flickr.com/photos/nutc/sets/72157624513108389/

Yesterday Evening: http://www.flickr.com/photos/nutc/sets/72157624637911544/


Newsletters

Yesterday: http://www.nutc.net/bringitin/nutc_2010c_1.pdf

Today: http://www.nutc.net/bringitin/nutc_2010c_2.pdf

Saturday, July 31, 2010

Last Media Update for Session B!


Hey Everyone!

I apologize for the delay as it has been a crazy couple of days here but there has been some great ultimate being played all around. On Thursday the Semi-Finals took place where the Red Huck "Chilly" Poppers took on the Barons of Boom Town and on the far fields the Blue Angels flew down the field against the team formally known as Lilac. Both the Red Huck "Chilly" Poppers and the team formally known as Lilac made it in to the Session B NUTC Tournament Finals. Each point of the semi's and finals were hard fought (which provided the venue for excellent photos) but in the end it was the Red Huck "Chilly" Popper who were the ones crowned champions. Upon completion of the finals, the camp closing ceremony took place, the campers packed up and parted ways. There was a plethora of new friendships created this week which is always an awesome thing to see, as those friendships will continue to live on far after this session of camp has ceased. Here are the photos from Wednesday, Thursday and the Thursday evening night game which was the Amherst All-Stars (with several NUTC counselors both past and present) vs. the U20 Team USA! Until next year... everybody clap your hands...

-Brian

Photos

Wednesday AM: http://www.flickr.com/photos/nutc/sets/72157624486842623/
Wednesday PM: http://www.flickr.com/photos/nutc/sets/72157624611642208/
Thursday AM: http://www.flickr.com/photos/nutc/sets/72157624486915771/
Thursday PM: http://www.flickr.com/photos/nutc/sets/72157624616734008/

Thursday's Newsletter: http://www.nutc.net/bringitin/nutc_2010b_5.pdf

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

It's Tournament Time!


Good Morning!

Yesterday the teams made their final preparations for the tournament in the morning and then proceeded to play the first round of pool play in the afternoon. The Disc Olympics took place right after lunch along with the team and all camp photos. The Disc Olympics are a series of challenges where each team sends players to compete in the different events. The events include disc golf (where there are two player teams in a best disc format), distance (where everyone in the camp participates and the winners of each age group gains points for their team), MTA (maximum time aloft - where one teammate throws the disc up in the air while the other has to catch it with one hand and a stopwatch is used to time how long the disc is in the air for) and Spinning (where each team sends a representative and they have to spin a disc on their ginnier while performing various other tasks such as sit-ups, closing their eyes, hop on one foot, etc. and the last one to survive wins). The second round of pool play is about to get underway so it is time for me to be heading down to the fields but take a look at this morning's newsletter and photos from yesterday.

Enjoy!
-Brian

Photos

Yesterday Morning: http://www.flickr.com/photos/nutc/sets/72157624600973086/

Yesterday Afternoon: http://www.flickr.com/photos/nutc/sets/72157624600987128/

Today's Newsletter: http://www.nutc.net/bringitin/nutc_2010b_4.pdf

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Monday Madness!

 (Thrown into double coverage and he still snags the disc!)

Good Morning Everyone!

Yesterday was packed full of fun, the campers: learned horizontal offense, scrimmaged, threw for distance (pulling), scrimmaged more, played in the camper v counselor game, and lastly ate some delicious ice cream sundaes. In the morning was the first time the teams began practicing together on the fields and by the end of the afternoon all of the teams seemed to be gelling really well together. There seemed to be bunch of good nervous energy at dinner as campers began to mentally prepare for the toughest challenge they would face at camp, taking on the counselors in the camper vs. counselor game, first one to 21, winner takes all battle. The campers put up a great fight but in the end it was the counselors who still remain undefeated for the last ten years strong winning 21-5 (for those who don't know getting 5 points against the counselors is quite an accomplishment) but who knows maybe they will be taken off their pedestal in the future. As soon as everyone arrived back at the dorms the ice cream sundae station was ready for us to indulge in. The campers are now in heading towards the fields for another amazing day of ultimate, here are the photos from yesterday along with this morning's newsletter.

Enjoy!
-Brian

Photos

Morning: http://www.flickr.com/photos/nutc/sets/72157624593264844/

Afternoon: http://www.flickr.com/photos/nutc/sets/72157624468582745/

Camper v Counselor Game (photos by guest photographer Wesley Chow): http://www.flickr.com/photos/nutc/sets/72157624593297634/

Today's Newsletter: http://www.nutc.net/bringitin/nutc_2010b_3.pdf

Monday, July 26, 2010

Day 1 Done, Day 2 Has Just Begun...

(A camper and Surge work on proper throwing form.)

Good Morning!

Yesterday was full of great fun both on a off the fields. On the fields we saw plenty of fierce action as all the teams where fighting for each point during the scrimmages. The morning started off with the campers working on perfecting their throwing and cutting through various drills. After lunch the campers went through three different instructional stations to work on various aspects of their game including becoming a more active mark, how to properly chop their feet in order to improve their cutting ability and to change direction easier, and working on downfield flow. After the stations concluded the campers scrimmaged to take what they learned and put it right to use. The players playing ability has continued to improved and each time they step on they seem to have a better field sense. After the cleats had been hung up many went to the pool (which I was told was cold but quite refreshing) before heading to dinner. After dinner, the campers found out what team (and counselors as their coaches) they will be with for the rest of the week including tournament Wednesday. The teams began to bond immediately through various activities and the teams competed in the four different competitions with the team with the most points being the one who received their first choice on shirt color for their team uniform. The campers right now are slowly getting ready for another day of ultimate having just eaten breakfast and are collecting their things to head down to the fields. So until later, here is today's newsletters along with yesterday's photos.

Enjoy!
-Brian

Photos

Yesterday Morning: http://www.flickr.com/photos/nutc/sets/72157624460521303/

Yesterday Afternoon/Evening: http://www.flickr.com/photos/nutc/sets/72157624585215930/

Newsletter: http://www.nutc.net/bringitin/nutc_2010b_2.pdf

Saturday, July 24, 2010

Welcome to NUTC 2010 Session B!


This afternoon campers arrived eager and ready to play. There were some familiar faces with plenty of new ones in the mix. After the campers found their rooms, got all settled in, they headed down to the fields to play some pick up ultimate. Pick up this evening allowed the campers to get their feet under them, and allowed them to start warming up and getting familiar to the fields where we will be playing all week. Once pick up ended we all headed to dinner at Amherst College's Valentine Hall. The evening activity was an all camp welcoming meeting followed by campers breaking into smaller groups to begin to learn about each others ultimate and personal backgrounds through various fun activities and games. Right now, the campers are currently in their first floor meeting of the week before heading to bed in a little while.

So until tomorrow evening here's are a few photos from today along with a sneak peek at tomorrow morning's newsletter.

Enjoy!
-Brian

Photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/nutc/sets/72157624574612620/

Newsletter: http://www.nutc.net/bringitin/nutc_2010b_1.pdf

Thursday, July 22, 2010

NUTC Gold = Mission Complete and Successful!

 (Some of the NUTC graduates getting recognized by the counselors and directors.)

Hi Everyone,

The first ever NUTC Gold session has ended this morning and it was fresh, new and fun. I have been able to get all the photos from yesterday (morning, afternoon and even the scavenger hunt!) and this morning's finals. The finals featured Wolf Pack (Lavender) vs. Team Red (Green). The Wolf Pack started off strong against Red going up 2-0 but the tide quickly changed as Red went on a very impressive 11 point run to win the championship 11-2. The game did not seem as lopsided as the score would lead you to believe. Each point was long and hard fought which led to being very interesting for all of the spectators. After the finals the campers packed up their rooms and we had an Award Ceremony for them as a way to wrap up the session and to honor players on all of the teams for hardest-worker, most improved and team leader. We also acknowledged those campers who have been with us many years but have now become too old to return next year, most of which who are heading off to college to play ultimate (and study?). We wish them the best of luck with their future endeavors and will surely see them on the fields, possibly even lined up against us in the fall. Here are the last sets of photos from NUTC Gold, Enjoy and we look forward to seeing more of you at NUTC Gold next year.

Photos


Wednesday AM: http://www.flickr.com/photos/nutc/sets/72157624560368498/

Wednesday PM: http://www.flickr.com/photos/nutc/sets/72157624435638731/

Scavenger Hunt: http://www.flickr.com/photos/nutc/sets/72157624436526605/

Thursday: http://www.flickr.com/photos/nutc/sets/72157624560405114/

Session B is starting Saturday afternoon so continue to check back here for all the latest NUTC news and media.

Thanks,
-Brian

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Tournament Wednesday and Scavenger Hunt!

Good Evening All,

Today was awesome! There were four rounds of pool play today before a thunderstorm brought us heading for the hills. The Red (actually wearing Green shirts) team is currently in the top of the standings while the Wolf Pack (Lavender) and Ke$ha (the Pink team and yes there is unfortunately a team named Ke$ha) are both tied for third. All the teams worked really hard and and stepped up when needed. In the afternoon team Ke$ha was put in the position where they had to win their game against Wolf Pack in order to have a chance to stay alive in the tournament. Ke$ha was able to pull it out after being defeated by them (7-2) in the morning. The final score of the afternoon Ke$ha v Wolf Pack game was 7-3. It just goes to show you that absolutely anything can happen during the NUTC tournament!

After dinner the weather turned nice and we were able to reveal the surprise of a scavenger hunt! The scavenger hunt turned out to be a HUGE success and we had campers running all around, throughout town with their teams collecting things, asking questions and taking pictures with their phones (which they then texted to me and will be online in a few days once I transfer all the pictures to my computer). The winners were team Ke$ha (again I apologize for such a poor team name) who were handsomely rewarded with a caked that said Congratulations!, glasses of lemonade and were waited on hand and foot during pizza. Tomorrow morning, we are finishing the last round of pool play then having the finals before we say our goodbyes.

Goodnight and there will be plenty more tomorrow...
-Brian

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Trade Night and more...

 (photo of the first ever NUTC Gold!)

Good Evening Everyone,

We had some very intense scrimmages today as teams got ready to play in tomorrow's tournament. Three teams enter, one team leaves victorious… well on Thursday they will be crowned the first ever champions of NUTC Gold! This morning right before lunch we had a distance contest where local Mass natives Cody and Zoe were both able beat out all their competition. After lunch each team got their uniforms and we took an all camp photo followed by more scrimmages! This evening we had Trade Night where campers were able to pick up some sweet gear from all over the U.S. and even some parts of the world. There were some sick  NUTC shorts for sale, which I myself was even able to purchase a fly pair. After trade night the teams met one more time to finalize their strategy for tomorrow then had their nightly floor meetings. The have just headed to bed now trying to get some rest before the real challenge begins. I'll be writing more about the tomorrow tomorrow and the special surprise evening activity but until then… more pictures!

Enjoy!
-Brian

Photos


This morning: http://www.flickr.com/photos/nutc/sets/72157624548203416/

This afternoon: http://www.flickr.com/photos/nutc/sets/72157624548213904/

Monday, July 19, 2010

The Gold Continues To Shine!

Good Evening,

Today was a very solid day of ultimate. The morning started off with a marking lecture and demonstration by guest counselor Brent followed by stations. The campers worked on different aspects of their game and I videotaped campers working on their deep game (reading, position, attacking the disc, etc.) so that we are able to review it later. After lunch more stations took place along with lots of scrimmaging to put what they had just learned from the stations into play. After dinner was the traditional Monday night camper vs. counselor game. The only downside was that we had to end the game early due to a large thunderstorm but don't worry us counselors were up 6-0 :-). The sad faces of the campers (because we ended the game early) were quickly remedied when the it was ice cream sundae time! Each camper was able to stuff their face with as much ice cream and toppings as they could handle. The campers have now gone to their floor meetings and will soon be heading to bed to rest up for another awesome day of ultimate tomorrow! Exciting things are set in place for them for tomorrow, they are going to have a blast! So until tomorrow… check out some of todays photos.

Photos:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/nutc/sets/72157624540749964/

Goodnight,
-Brian

Sunday, July 18, 2010

First Full Day of NUTC Gold!!

Hey Everyone,

Today was the first full day of NUTC Gold packed full of greatness. Here is a brief summary of some of the things that took place today. We had several very special guests today including Greg Connelly, chair of the observer committee for the UPA (USA Ultimate) and Dr. Alan Goldberg, a world renown sports psychologist [check out his website at: http://www.competitivedge.com]. This morning, I videotaped each campers throws so that we could review them later in the day in a one on one format which was very beneficial especially since most players here had never seen themselves on film before today. Greg had perfect timing today as he showed up right as campers were discussing the rule of the day which for today was picks. Being an expert in the area he was able to provide some excellent insight and clarification. After lunch, the campers found out which teams they are going to be on for the rest of the week. This will allow them ample time to strategize and bond as a team. The teams scrimmaged each other for the rest of the afternoon until dinner time. After dinner the entire camp along with some community members came to hear a fantastic lecture by Dr. Goldberg on mental toughness and mental preparedness. Upon conclusion of the lecture we had floor meetings and in five minutes it will be lights out for the campers and myself. So until tomorrow, here's a peek at some of the action today in the form of some awesome photos! Enjoy!

Photos


This Morning: http://www.flickr.com/photos/nutc/sets/72157624532342602/

This Afternoon/Evening: http://www.flickr.com/photos/nutc/sets/72157624407663355/

-Brian

Saturday, July 17, 2010

NUTC GOLD GOLD GOLD!!!

Hello and Welcome to NUTC Gold!

This is the first ever session of NUTC Gold in celebration of NUTC's 10th Anniversary! The campers are ages 17 and 18 most of them either entering their senior year of high school or will be out in the world whether it be college, work or time off. The campers are going to learn a lot about how to be leaders in whatever capacity their next year of ultimate takes them. By the time they leave camp they will know how to run a solid practice (including stretching, drills, assessing situations, group dynamics, etc.), prepare their team for a game or tournament, proper nutrition and how to be a (better) captain or improve their current team. This is going to be a very fun and exciting week as the campers who have been here previously have no idea of what is going to happen next. We have been planning some new and incredible things for them to do over the next several days which I know will leave a lasting impression upon them.

This evening, the campers scrimmaged for a little while to get their legs underneath them before heading to the dining hall for our first meal together. After dinner the campers were able to meet each other on the disc golf course as we played a tournament which involved us pairing campers and counselors at random through the use of pulling names out of a hat. The winning team shot a very impressive 5 under, winning themselves some sweet disc golf discs. After the tournament we had an all camp meeting then broke out into smaller groups to further discuss camp, their backgrounds and to ask them what they hoped to learn over the course of the week spent with us. Right now, the campers are in their floor/suite meetings which will continue nightly to allow campers to further get to know one another and start to create bonds among the people around them and to ask questions about anything. Without further adieu here is the a few photos from today's scrimmage and disc golf tournament. Enjoy!


Photos

Today's: http://www.flickr.com/photos/nutc/sets/72157624400005525/

-Brian

Thursday, July 15, 2010

Session A Completed!


Good Evening,

Today, we saw some incredible tournament action as Sunburn (Red) was able to conquer LavenGrr (Lavender) and make their way into the finals. While at the same time Hucktopus (Blue) was victorious against Tangarangatang (Orange). Although the final score of the finals was 9-3 Hucktopus over Sunburn, you would not have guessed it based off of watching the individual points. Each point was hard fought starting with the very first point which lasted over five minutes. After the cleats had been hung up for the week, the closing ceremony took place and the campers said their goodbyes to each other and departed camp. I have personally seen all of the campers have improved greatly over the course of the five days and know it has been an experience that they will remember forever. I look forward to seeing all of the campers return to have more fun and improve their game even further next year!

Thank you and until next year, see you on the fields,
-Brian

Photos

Today's: http://www.flickr.com/photos/nutc/sets/72157624383735523/

Wednesday's Media Update!


Hi Everyone,

Today, the tournament continued and we had two round of pool play action in the morning followed by another two this afternoon. Unfortunately after all five rounds of pool play Pink was the first to be eliminated leaving Orange, Blue, Red and Lavender still in the running for the title of champions of Session A. All of the games were surprisingly close today and even though Pink was eliminated they won their final game of the day against the previously undefeated Lavender team.

This evening was the annual talent show where acts of all varieties performed and proved once again why we continue to let ultimate players show off their other talents. The acts ranged from several acoustic songs to the infamous 6 saltines in a minute challenge (where no one was able to complete it within time). There are lots of great photos from today. I tend to get a bit trigger happy when it comes to shooting tournaments but I think the results are worth browsing through all of the photos. So here is all of the photos for the day including today's and tomorrow's newsletters (again a sneak peek before all the campers provided you check it out before 7am EST as we do get up and to breakfast quite early).

Photos


This Morning: http://www.flickr.com/photos/nutc/sets/72157624372793641/

This Afternoon: http://www.flickr.com/photos/nutc/sets/72157624372811099/

Newsletters


Today's: http://www.nutc.net/bringitin/nutc_2010a_4.pdf

Tomorrow's: http://www.nutc.net/bringitin/nutc_2010a_5.pdf

Thank you,
-Brian

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Camper v Counselor Game, Trade Night and more!


Good evening all,

My sincerest apologies for the delay in getting this blog posting up for all of you to read. Last night's event ran late and the Internet connection here is spotty at best. But I have some great updates for you…

Last night, we had the camper vs. counselor game which proved once again why the campers come from all over to learn for the counselors. The points were long and the campers played really hard but in the end the counselors were the ones who were able to take the victory lap after their 23-1 win. I do have to add that that one point that the campers did get was due to one of the campers skying one of the counselors by quite a large margin. I won't name names but all I will say is that it wasn't against me (luckily!). After the excellent match and incredibly spirited play the ice cream sundae tables were set up for us all to indulge in, so it was a sweet night for everyone.

Today, the teams were able to practice zone and work on their marking before putting it all together for the first round of tournament play this afternoon. Right before lunch the players sprinted up the hill to where they were rewarded with their team shirts to wear for the remainder of camp. Actually right now teams are gathering together to discuss strategy and some teams are working on further decorating their shirts. I was able to snap some nice team photos and an all camp photo before the campers had a chance to get them dirty (which didn't take long). The afternoon action was very intense as Lavender took on Burnt Orange and Pink lined up against Red. All the points were hard fought but in the end Red and Lavender were the ones who came out victorious. The event we had this evening was trade night which proved once again how much us ultimate players all love gear. Campers (and even us counselors) were able to acquire new jerseys, shorts, hats, etc. from around the U.S. and world.

Now the part you have all been waiting for… photos and today's newsletter!

I hope you enjoy!

-Brian

Photos

Monday - http://www.flickr.com/photos/nutc/sets/72157624489305700/

Tuesday AM - http://www.flickr.com/photos/nutc/sets/72157624489381976/

Tuesday PM - http://www.flickr.com/photos/nutc/sets/72157624364819471/

Newsletter

Today's - http://www.nutc.net/bringitin/nutc_2010a_3.pdf

Sunday, July 11, 2010

Welcome to NUTC 2010!


Hello and Welcome to the 10th Anniversary of NUTC!

Today is the first full day of NUTC session A, and I have some great content to share with you already! The playing was really strong today which lead to some great action shots! The weather was sizzling but the attitude was stellar. Smiles were on all of the campers faces. Right now as I'm typing this, the campers are settling in and finding out what teams they will be on for the rest of the week including tournament Wednesday! The just found out that the camper counselor game is tomorrow under the lights and it is bound to be an epic showdown. So without further adieu here are the photos along with today's and tomorrow's (before the campers even get a chance to see it!) daily newsletters.

Newsletters


Today's: http://www.nutc.net/bringitin/nutc_2010a_1.pdf

Tomorrow's: http://www.nutc.net/bringitin/nutc_2010a_2.pdf

Photos

Last Night: http://www.flickr.com/photos/nutc/sets/72157624349050009/

This Morning: http://www.flickr.com/photos/nutc/sets/72157624349069647/

This Afternoon: http://www.flickr.com/photos/nutc/sets/72157624473750582/

Until tomorrow Thank You and stay cool!
-Brian