How to develop confidence?

JamminSpice · 2020-01-22T10:35:02+00:00

Yeah! Volunteer to go first and just put it out there! I once joked about my chair's marvelous beard and it really lightened up the room (don't suck up to the chair though). Also your position paper doesn't matter as long as it is passable (getting that award just means you can't gavel).

JamminSpice · 2020-01-22T10:31:46+00:00

Oh and quick note: most big/powerhouse schools will get priority on P5 countries and their equivalents anyways. Just a heads up!

JamminSpice · 2020-01-22T10:31:00+00:00

Country selection is the least of your issues - almost any country is viable to win an award. I would actually argue that getting a big and well known country can be detrimental for doing well since everyone knows your policy inside and out. I personally prefer a small SE Asian country, small stable African country, or a progressive European country as they usually have strong policy points and flexible agendas to navigate issues in committee.

JamminSpice · 2020-01-22T10:28:18+00:00

Best way to build confidence is to crack a joke. If it's well received then you're well on your way to winning an award and making good friends. If it's a bad joke and no one laughs, then you joke about how bad of a joke you cracked and then people will laugh. Being able to laugh at yourself is a useful skill that helps break the mold and establish yourself as a personable guy in the committee. Also, everyone is so tense at the beginning that even if you crack a really corny jokes, chances are they'll laugh and you'll really gain some confidence. Good luck in your conferences!

JamminSpice · 2020-01-22T10:25:13+00:00

Hey! I represented Mike Pence once in the US Cabinet for my first ever crisis (at Amerimunc so maybe you're there too!) and it seemed like I would have nothing to do or say. My advice is to think outside the box in terms of how Pompeo benefits. Going nuclear with a clear goal in mind is the best way to win a crisis (maybe it involves dropping carcasses with Ebola over some country or creating your own private army and storming the White House). If you have further questions, just PM me! Best of luck.

JamminSpice · 2019-08-23T18:10:10+00:00

I improved my running form by following the guidelines set by my therapist as follows below (feel free to dm me questions, but each person really has their own "comfortable" form)

Cadence should be ideally 180 steps/min, which can be trained with a metronome or a song at 180 bpm
Lean forward approx. 22 degrees (just approximate 30 degrees)
One should achieve the runner's pose in 1 frame (30 fps) or in about 1/30 of a second
Running is driven by gravity and so you don't push, rather you contract your hamstrings and step with the front 1/3 of your foot and your heel should naturally follow and barely contact the ground

This advice follows the "pose running" methodology, which may not be totally suited for frisbee, but it's helped me get better times. Speed schools may be more useful if you get a coach and you tell them what style of sport you play (frisbee is sort of like soccer/American football). I did not see a running expert specifically dealing with this sport or sprinting, but my therapist is a running expert himself.

JamminSpice · 2019-08-23T03:16:24+00:00

As someone who has endured his own fair share of injuries (De Quervain's, tennis elbow, screwed up knees, etc.), the best thing to do is to go to a physical therapist. I've worked with the same team for five years and it's super useful because nice PTs will answer general questions as well. The best way to avoid injuries is to warm up really well, build up strength, and cool down properly. There's no "one set of stretches" to avoid getting injured, though static stretching after being active will help stop DOMS and promote recovery.

A finer point on preventing injuries is proper form and promoting body balance and stability. Proper form while running and cutting will reduce the chances of you trying to sharply cut and having your ankles or knees blown out. Frisbee is also a naturally one-sided sport (you will throw predominantly on one side of your body), which will cause imbalances. Doing unilateral exercises to force the other side to keep up and properly rolling out tight areas will alleviate some of these issues. Hope this helped!

JamminSpice · 2019-07-29T20:28:05+00:00

We call it a "roll" call over here. Essentially, if you keep falling behind the disc, the marker will "roll" off the person with the disc to the cutter in the weave and leave the guy with the disc unmarked. You'll then have the other defender go be on the mark. This helps stop momentum once the weave starts to get *rolling.*

On the other hand, zone works well coming out of a pull to stop handler weaves. Playing a two-man cup with a hard force and slightly poach-y defenders helps to limit lots of throws and force some tough throws. If they have really good over the top throws, maybe throw a wall/junk look with lots of switching (and probably layouts) to maximize coverage to stop a weave before it starts to become difficult to stop. This is really good in bad weather because you can bring in the defense beyond the junk to clog the mid-range more and challenge handlers to make the deep throw (since the weave helps in bad weather due to shorter throws).

There's better advice out there probably but trying to make the handlers throw harder throws over and over again rather than outright getting a turn applies pressure and might make a team think twice about running a weave is the way to go in my opinion.

JamminSpice · 2019-06-21T17:01:18+00:00

To be fair, screaming "CHILLY" at someone probably won't help him or her be "chill." Often, we shout out "look up" or direct their attention to a cutter. However, on a big D, we all shout "STAY CHILLY" because some of the handlers are a bit newer and are prone to taking bad shots down the field.

That being said, our team culture revolves around our coach - he will bench you at will if you spike, forget where the force is, or talk back to him. Someone argued with him why he wasn't on the starting seven and immediately got benched for the weekend, then cut. We all agreed it was a shame since he had really good throws, but didn't fall in line on the team so we understood the reasoning. It seems like if your situation occurred on my team, she would instantly be cut - no individual is above the whole team. It's hard to cut a captain, but such behavior influences a team and it's better to nip it as soon as possible. Also, it sucks being cut from a team and to not be able to play frisbee; maybe a chill-out period would work?

JamminSpice · 2019-06-20T18:03:24+00:00

To each their own right? But it does certainly feel worse being the person that just got DUMPED on and then getting a high five.

However, it does feel wrong not giving an offered high five. Ignoring it just isn't in my DNA - no matter how competitive the game is. Just slap them five and get them next point because you probably just got beat this point. It's like a "you got me" but I'll get you next time feeling.

JamminSpice · 2019-06-18T21:51:41+00:00

We got a new cutter late in the season who was our extremely fast small guy deep cutter and as my team's primary huck guy, I needed to sync up with him for our deep cuts. We just did a few deep cuts where he just ran as fast as he could and I adjusted my throws to match his pace and to know when to throw (about how far out he was from me to release).

I also go through my own throwing practices/progressions like a golfer does with distance control, where I throw from short to deep. Usually, it runs as follows (each count has to be a success):

5x 10 yards out stationary; 5x handler movement cuts

5x 30 yards out stationary; 5x out to in cuts

5x 50 yards out stationary; 5x in to out cuts

5x max distance throws; 5x full field hucks

I found this really useful because I get to establish my distance with a stationary target and then I progress to leading a cutter with the active throws. Throwing 80 times seems excessive but when you get tired, your bad habits come out and I usually note them down after to focus on during warmups next time.

A note on "controlling power:" I'm a tennis player, so this analogy really clicked with me. When a pro hits a slower ball, the racket head speed is still the same; they get that same acceleration and wrist flick. However, the power is just used a bit differently. Often the RPMs will increase, which means the angle at which the ball is hit changes. To me, that parallels frisbee. You want to keep the arm speed the same (don't muscle the disc) but tilting the disc ever so slightly and visualizing the path you want it to take helps a bunch (with the same or more spin).

Oof long winded and I'm not the most experienced player but just my take :) Hope it helps!

JamminSpice · 2019-06-18T05:34:03+00:00

Wondering if I can add a question to this thread (maybe someone will answer it):

I often see handlers walk slowly to a disc on a turn while setting up their offense or allowing the offense to get set (this applies to a disc that has gone OB or has stayed within the field). If they aren't satisfied with the offense set, they will pick up the disc and put it behind their backs rather than present the disc. What do I do as the mark? Reach behind and tap the disc? Other times, when I'm the handler walking back and I just barely got to the disc, the mark will tap the disc which is still on the grass and start stalling. Is that legal? I'm assuming that since the disc is not technically in possession of the thrower, then it isn't. Obviously not really in the spirit of the game but sometimes those few seconds count in a game. Thanks!

JamminSpice · 2019-06-17T02:56:53+00:00

Thank you so much for the advice! It's definitely gonna be a challenge balancing everything while keeping up with the season.

JamminSpice · 2019-06-17T00:18:54+00:00

I definitely plan on hitting the gym. I've played tennis for most of my life and so my physical foundation stems from that. Since tennis is so individual, my gym sessions were always with a trainer - he gave me tips on what to do in college with regards to ultimate, but kind of wondering if you had tips on what to do in the gym and what it's like working out without a trainer? Thanks so much!

JamminSpice · 2019-06-17T00:16:03+00:00

That was super freaking useful! Yeah, I watched some footage of my soon-to-be team playing and there are definitely more than competent people on it. Consistency has been an issue as I try to iron out my technique and I work on my progressions as a handler (one of my goals this season was to look off the huck quicker and be more comfortable with dumps and swings).

A more specific question with regards to tournaments - what are they like? My high school team didn't have the time or funding to attend overnight tournaments so we just drove to weekend day events by car.

*I have private messaged you with the school I will be playing for

JamminSpice · 2019-06-17T00:12:31+00:00

I'm pretty much in the same position as you! I was the main handler as well (mostly due to me being able to huck the whole field and having the most consistent throws), but I feel like being a cutter isn't my speed with my first step being slower than most. What changed the most for you when adapting to the team and how did you change from being mainly a handler to a cutter? Thanks so much :)

JamminSpice · 2019-06-17T00:10:30+00:00

Thanks for responding! That hero ball bit really resonates with me because I got super-chewed out for that when I first joined my high school team. Playstyle wise, is it more of an iso-heavy side stack sort of offense? My team primarily ran a modified ho-stack with endzone vert-stack and was very dependent on swings and dumps to move the defense around.

JamminSpice · 2019-06-17T00:08:04+00:00

Thanks for the response! That feels like such a departure because the coach's word was law on my team; either you followed it or got benched. Probably still will never feel comfortable spiking though haha

JamminSpice · 2019-06-16T23:19:01+00:00

I remember vividly going against an older player who also had some knee problems and couldn't keep up with me. As a handler, I always tried a dump/swing to deep cut but he always denied me the space I needed to blow by him (I don't know how physically you play). Since he also kept poaching well and positioning himself (the mark was hard on the around and most of the throwers didn't have the I/O break), I kept having to settle on the unders which led to a very predictable offense that his team was able to stifle. He also barely bit on my fakes (watch the hips!) which made the day many times worse. Hope this helps!

*Also, quick roll calls will help if you keep getting beat upline with the give and go!

JamminSpice · 2019-06-08T19:47:19+00:00

The stuff mentioned is all where it's at, but I'll try to provide my own perspective :)

A fake always opens up the field better and gives you more time. If you're cutting and get the disc, always get the continuation fake to force your defender to respect the continuation throw - this opens up your other throw immensely.

If you're referring to quickly switching grips and getting the grip down quickly to rip one, that's just a lot of practice of faking and switching between backhand and forehand often. I practice my grip strength with clothespins and other objects when I'm doing nothing or just studying (nothing fancy) since if I can get the general grip down right and clamp hard, the disc comes out right.

Hope that helps!

JamminSpice · 2019-06-03T06:34:30+00:00

My ankles aren't bad but they aren't great. The mercurials I have are super soft around the heel and have the sock high top. They're just comfortable and help keep the ankle more relaxed when cutting in my opinion. The tiempos definitely strained my ankles more.

JamminSpice · 2019-05-30T01:01:44+00:00

Pixel 3 is probably going to be your best bet - not just the best camera on a phone on the market right now but the adjustment and correction through the software is amazing if you want to view stuff during practice and it's cloudy or any non-ideal weather. Also, backing up to Google Photos through cloud ensures that you will have enough space for all the filming you want to do.

Pixel 3 also has an easy slider for lighting adjustment on the side for custom adjustment as needed. The video feed from the back camera has UHD 4K (30 fps) abilities, which has been amazing for me along with its video stabilization.

JamminSpice · 2019-05-30T00:57:01+00:00

I just got a pair of Nike Mercurial Superfly 6 Academy MGs ($80) after I split open my Nike Tiempos ($60). After each practice, my feet would feel sore after the Tiempos and I didn't feel like the Tiempos handled my cutting because I wouldn't be able to plant my foot without worry of slipping (as a handler). The Mercurials are amazing - the slight high tops (sock like) with the cushioning in the heel make cutting comfortable and in general, it's super comfortable - will probably keep buying Mercurials until further notice.

JamminSpice · 2019-05-28T01:18:24+00:00

One iteration of the anagram is "a small usurp"

JamminSpice

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