Woohoo

So I have that feeling right now that you might get after running your little tail off for two and a half hours and getting the win to show for it. We won 17-9. Not much scoring for me...in fact, I don't think I scored a goal. I did get a layout-D followed by a sky and throw three goals, two on nice hucks, and one short continuation that the Atlantic Coast Women's Freshman of the Year was able to run down on the right side of the end zone. We didn't have that many subs, so I played most of the time, but we had very strong women and some fast guys (aside from the fast guys who weren't there). The cold beer, cherry limeade, and Sonic burger definitely hit the spot afterwards.

Chuck Yu out...literally.

Short update: 2-0

Sup, homies?

Umstead Pines at Willowhaven Country Club is now 2-0 after a close win against Croasdaile on Saturday. Great swims all around, as usual. Good to see legal strokes from some swimmers who didn't have them last week, but still some work to be done. I'm gonna work with the kids on their strokes this week and get them swimming butterfly legally within a couple of weeks. Easier said than done, I know, but they're quick learners.

Also, my Summer League Ultimate team (with whom I have played a total of once) is now 3-1 (the one loss coming when the captains were missing and appointed me as the replacement captain), and I can't wait to get back on the field.

I'm tired. Chuck Yu out.

This is an update

Gosh knows...kids can be crazy. Two out of four coaches were missing for the 10-and-under practice. Paige, the other coach present, is usually dedicated exclusively to the 6-and-under swimmers plus those who can't make it all the way down the pool (and I must say, she does an exceptional job with them, bless her heart). One of the parents graciously offered to help coach the 9-10's, and Corinne, Julie, and Alison from the older group helped out too, but the 7-8's were still pretty crazy. It's funny how they know how to do a tight streamline while standing on the pool deck, but once they hit the water, it all goes to hell. They also don't really know how to go five seconds apart during practice. They either go on top of each other, or not at all without me starting them. With three lanes of young kids, I couldn't stay too long in one lane, so I told them to go five seconds apart...slowly count to five and go. I started the first two kids and moved to the next lane to give them a set, and when I turned back around, the first two kids were almost done with the 50, and the other three were still on the wall, waiting for me to start them. Dammit.

We've got a home meet against Croasdaile this weekend. Both teams will be missing most of their year-rounders. Fortunately, we have quite a few non-year-round kids who can really move, so I'm expecting a win.

It's been over 100 degrees for the last few days (down to 91 today...woo hoo!). I played Ultimate on Sunday for the first time in a week, and I played pretty well. I'm just figuring out how to read a disc and then get to the right spot...apparently slowing down isn't always a bad thing. Can't wait to get back out to my Summer League team.

Chuck Yu out.

First win

Woohoo!

Willowhaven is 1-0, and that's my first win as a coach. I think the final score was 233-197 over Treyburn, and we were missing several good swimmers. Time drops all around, and I have a really good idea of what is working and what needs work. Technique is generally an issue, although we didn't have that many DQs.

I'm really tired and I need to get some work done.

Chuck Yu out.

Long time no see

So Kudzu was two weeks ago, but I don't have any pictures of my own (yeah...kind of hard to play and snap pictures at the same time).

CHUF went 3-4 (really, 3-3, but we lost at roshambo for the last game). I got to play on the same team with Josh Torell again, which hasn't happened since senior year of high school before I went to NCSU and he went to UNC. Our alumni also included Lucas, Zach, Aaron, Mike, and Ben on the guys side, and Robin, Janna (fresh off of College Nationals, where, apparently, she won the pulling contest), and Sarah on the women's side. The current players have a lot of potential. I think maybe they could use a handler or two because they're mostly pretty fast, but the best deeps are also some of the better throwers. At any rate, they're pretty damn good.

Willowhaven (now known as Umstead Pines) had our intrasquad meet last weekend and head coach Melissa and I sat down after practice tonight to figure out events for our first real meet this weekend. Overall, I'm really excited. The kids have already shown some great improvement early in the season, although there's quite a bit more to do. Not all of the kids can do all four strokes legally and some of them aren't diving off the blocks yet, but I'm going to have everyone diving off the blocks and swimming four strokes legally by the championship meet.

On a final note, the Chicago Cubs are hot. Keep it up. I believe.

Chuck Yu out for now.

Summer summer summer league

So of the 20-ish people on my Summer League team, about 5 of them showed up today (all of the ECU dudes were at some 5-on-5 tournament, and a couple of our women play for Wake Forest, and they're at UPA College Nationals. We should be a pretty solid team when it comes together. Apparently, the captains also got a major steal in the draft by picking Darryl with their last pick. He's super fast and athletic and, apparently, the best-kept secret around here.

We picked up a few mercenary players, and we ended up losing 17-14. Not a bad game overall, but I really need to work on my hucks. I threw away a couple of flick hucks today, and my backhand from the front corner of the end zone went about 69 yards (when I needed it to go about 70). Seems like a recurring theme for me...no matter where I am on the field, my hucks are always one or two yards short of the end zone. The handler cuts were working well in the first 3/4 of the game, but I probably should have taken a few more points off so that I could keep them fresh, but that shouldn't be a problem later.

Overall, I'm really excited about the season, and I really want to see what this team can put together.

Also...Kudzu. It's coming. One week.

Can't I be a victim for just a few minutes???

So the Spring 2008 semester is over, and the results are in. Laziness caught up with me and for the first time, I need to take a class again. It's online and over the summer, so it shouldn't throw any monkey wrenches into my schedule. Other than that, not bad grades...just ones that I can improve. It should be a pretty busy summer anyhow, where classes, ultimate, and coaching will be the predominant activities. Note that chess seems to be out of the picture. I'll find time for it, but it's generally not a huge priority for now, and I'm OK with that.

On the note of coaching, and jobs in general, Dad is pretty unhappy about my lack of a "real job." He's been dogging me about this since freshman year, after which I lifeguarded for a summer. My work history since then has been as follows:

Sophomore: TA with the CSC department (unemployed for summer)
Junior: Co-op with Sony Ericsson, TA with CSC dept., Community Assistant @ Lee Hall (unemployed for summer)
Senior: Co-op with Sony Ericsson (swim coach during summer)

I've wanted his approval for so long, and I haven't really gotten it at any point...at least not visibly. I didn't hear a word when I worked the "realest" job of the above, the one with Sony Ericsson. Not until my term was over, when he (almost) immediately started pressing me to get another job, with a different company just to get a feel for the field, and, to him, I was closed-minded for going back to Sony Ericsson to work a second term. Overall, I had a pretty good experience at Sony Ericsson, but something tells me that I'm going to hate working in a cubicle farm environment for a more extended period of time.

For awhile, I've aspired to be a teacher, but I put that on the back burner (probably for approval reasons) after Dad decided that it wasn't good enough (more on that later). Same reason why I majored in Aerospace Engineering and then in Computer Science (although I'm actually enjoying the CSC curriculum). I've been a lab instructor for several semesters (and will be again this coming fall), and a community assistant for two semesters. I've enjoyed both of those jobs, and I enjoy the coaching job I have right now. Interacting with people is something that I really love, and, for me, it's important that I have a positive impact on them, which, along with the example set for me by the extraordinary math teacher Bud Stuart, who made me better at something at which I was already pretty good and enjoyed; swim coaches Rusty, Chris, and Eric, who caused me to become good at and enjoy something that I initially hated; and my first Ultimate coach, Herndon, who made me good at something at which I sucked but still enjoyed, was what drew me to teaching and, more recently, coaching.

Dad says that he knows that I hate him every time he talks about wanting me to get a "real job," and that's not exactly the truth...I don't hate him for saying it...I know he means well, but I just hate being in the situation where my choices are

1. to silently listen to it and know that I'm not going to actually follow through and do what he says and eventually end up hearing it again,
   
2. to listen to him and get a job that I won't enjoy, or
   
3. to tell him what I really want to do and weather the violent reaction.

Concerning number 3, the thing is, Dad was OK with my wanting to teach for a little while. His tune changed after watching the news one evening and seeing a report on starting salaries, and noted that teachers were underpaid. The next time I walked into the room, without any warning, I heard it from him and it went on for the rest of the night, and I told him that it was what I really wanted to do, and violence ensued...I ended up with a swollen ear and at some point, I was dragged on the ground and threatened with a knife.

So I'll end the victim rant there. It's my future and I appreciate advice, but I shouldn't have to follow all of it for the sake of approval.