Pod Practice

Coach Charlie Hoppes recently stepped down as coach of the New York Empire after downturns with his bipolar and anxiety. Charlie has long advocated for the importance of mental health awareness. During his 3 years with the team Charlie and Anthony Nuñez led the New York Empire to a 42-3 record, are currently riding a 30 game win streak, and have won back to back AUDL titles. Charlie gives us insight on what the Empire has focused on during their dominant run. We also talk about what players should be focusing on to push the sport forward. Charlie believes that thrower are only scratching the surface of what we can do with a disc. Kikko Socks⁠⁠ Use discount code: POD15 for 15% off your next order. More from Pod Practice: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube

In part 2 of our Chalk Talk series, 2023 AUDL Coach of the Year, Bryce Merrill joins us to overview his philosophy of teaching and developing common language for efficient communication. We were pleasantly surprised to learn that Coach also learned a lot from Bob Krier. Coach Merrill does an amazing job of giving tools to his players to solve problems on their own. He details the importance of focusing on the fundamental parts of the game that occur countless times every single point vs strategies that may occur a handful of times a game. Coach is an incredibly humble and thoughtful family man. Kikko Socks⁠ Use discount code: POD15 for 15% off your next order. More from Pod Practice: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube

In our first Chalk Talk Episode we welcome on Coach Tim Kefalas. We're planning to bring on different coaches to learn as much as we can from the game's brightest minds. In ultimate you force forehand or backhand. Coach TK has broken the mold by finding innovative ways to switch the mark to challenge different spaces in ways that no other coach is doing in the game today. TK walks us through his philosophies as a coach, the challenges of getting buy-in, and the defenses he was most impressed with at Nationals. Kikko Socks Use discount code: POD15 for 15% off your next order. More from Pod Practice: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube (00:00) - Intro (03:00) - TK's journey to Bravo (06:30) - Relationship with Cody Spicer (14:50) - Defensive Philosophies, switching the mark (20:00) - Taking CSU to their first Nationals appearance (25:00) - TK on getting buy-in on new innovation (30:40) - TK rips into young Quinn (36:00) - TK's Coaching Philosophy (51:45) - Balancing Positive and Negative Feedback (56:00) - Balancing Indivdual Needs and Needs of Teammates (58:48) - Kins 4D Chess (01:08:15) - Machine's Will, Experience of Big Games (01:13:30) - Most Challenging Offenses to Plan For (01:20:50) - Most Impressive Defenses we Played against (01:30:00) - What to look for when evaluating players (01:40:00) - Finer Things

Not just another North Carolina Robot, Ben was easily one of the best conversations we've had. Watch Quinn and Ben form a new bromance while commiserating over drawing the opponent's #1 defender game after game, point after point. Sometimes it hurts to be good. A perfect 3/3 in College National Championships, Ben has won gold at every level including one with the U24 Men's National team where he played with Mamabird standouts, Danny Landesman, Calvin Stoughton, and Nathan Buchholz under Mamabird legend, Coach Bob Krier. Still a pup, even now, Ben also talks about how being in big games from such a young age has prepared him to compete against his idols on the biggest stage today. Even with all that success, Ben is a humble guy. We all share a couple of our "Welcome to Club" moments. Kikko Socks Use discount code: POD15 for 15% off your next order. More from Pod Practice: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube

Shoutout to everyone who reached out. Hartley Greenwald and Michal Marek have both played high level ultimate in Europe and gave us some perspective on the differences of self officiation and SOTG in Europe and North America. Lucas asks if Kins talks as much trash at practice as he does in games, asks Quinn to unpack his Nationals performance, and asks about off season goals. To wrap it all up, Kins talks about his approach to returning from injury, and, former Mamabird player, Jakob Rheins asks us about raising the floor of a new ultimate team. Kikko Socks Use discount code: POD15 for 15% off your next order. More from Pod Practice: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube (4:22) Self officiation in North America vs Europe (21:30) Perspective on Pony's Nationals and their abs (28:30) Does Kins talk as much trash at practice? (39:00) Quinn on his Nationals Impact (47:30) Off Season Goals (57:00) Returning from Injury (1:21:45) How to practice as a new team

Congrats to Truckstop, the new Champs! In Episode 30, the first episode of Season 2, we recap our feelings of Bravo's Nationals experience. https://katfishultimate.blogspot.com/2023/10/reflecting-on-3rd-place-finish.html Kikko Socks Use discount code: POD15 for 15% off your next order. More from Pod Practice: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube (2:38) - The post-nationals feels (18:50) - Players that stood out (34:18) - Which team's feeling the worst? (37:35) - The role of observers at the tournament... we're not bitter at all... (56:30) - The electricity of Quarterfinals (57:00) - Stadium quality (1:02:05) - Okay... the Shove from Alex's perspective (1:08:33) - To trash or not to trash (1:22:40) - r/Ultimate (1:23:30) - Being the villains (1:25:25) - Don't take a Semis run for granted... or do (1:29:35) - The Finer Things

Part 4 of our 4 part series where we check-in with a player from the top 4 seeds of the Men's and Women's divisions heading into Club Nationals. We look at Pool D for the final episode of this little series. Thanks to Nhi Nguyen of Molly Brown and Brett Hulsmeyer of Chain Lightning for joining us! Nhi has been playing for Molly Brown since before she was a freshman in college. The only defending National Champ of the series, Nhi has been battle tested through many years of tough losses in semis before Molly Brown was able to breakthrough in 2022. This year's team is heading into Nationals knowing they have a team that can repeat while realizing they can't look passed any team in pool play. Brett has burst onto the scene as a big, big man with big, big throws. Brett also brings a very pragmatic view of Chain's championship window over the next 3-4 years as their young talent enters their prime. That doesn't mean they don't have high expectations heading into this season. At Pro Champs, Chain showed they can beat anyone in the country. Chain also knows that the margins are thin. Kikko Socks Use discount code: POD15 for 15% off your next order. More from Pod Practice: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube

Part 3 of our 4 part series where we check-in with a player from the top 4 seeds of the Men's and Women's divisions heading into Club Nationals. Today from Pool C we have Simon Higgins from Revolver and - not one, but two! - guests from Fury - Magon Liu and Dozer aka Shayla Harris. Since the turn of the century, Revolver and Fury have won more Championships than any other team in their respective divisions. Simon has a unique perspective on Revolver's history. He was a young, rising superstar that overlapped with many of the Revolver legends like Robbie Cahill, Beau Kittredge, Cassidy Rasmussen, Joel Schlachet, and Ashlin Joye just to name a few. It's fair to say that the book has closed on that chapter of Revolver's dynasty, but Simon is still writing his story as another Revolver legend - now helping grow the next generation learn to win. Magon joined us along with Simon. From CLX in the mixed division, to Brute Squad, and then to Fury - Magon has been competing for championships for many years. She describes how she continually finding new ways to love the sport. Instead of focusing outwardly on her opponents, Magon builds relationships wither her teammates and uses those bonds as inspiration to keep competing at the highest level. Simon and Magon, together, also provide a little peak into what it's like to be in a long-term relationship with another elite ultimate player. Dozer is in her third season with Fury. A rare defensive stalwart and coach for the pod, this year Dozer has been fighting through injuries. She provides perspective of what it's like to live and breath ultimate as an elite college coach and an elite club player. She also gives insight on what it's like to deal with injury throughout a season and the mindset she has heading into Nationals. Kikko Socks Use discount code: POD15 for 15% off your next order. More from Pod Practice: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube

Part 2 of our 4 part series where we check-in with a player from the top 4 seeds of the Men's and Women's divisions heading into Club Nationals. Moving onto Pool B - we have Linsday Soo of Phoenix and John Randolph of PoNY. Phoenix is a confluence of rising young stars who have dominated the college division and world class, proven veterans who have won at the highest level. After winning Player of the Year in 2021, Lindsay was sidelined in 2022 from an ACL. Back on the field in 2023, Lindsay is more grateful than ever to be playing ultimate. She credits her ability to slot back into the lineup and Phoenix's rise to their best regular season in program history to the strength of her teammates. PoNY has been the team to beat since 2018, and this year's roster is more talented than ever. The fact that they only have 1 title over that span proves how hard it is to win a championship. Over that time JR has also been a mainstay in semis and finals of both the Club and College division no matter which team he's playing on. The former Callahan award winner gives us some insight into what it's like to always have the target on your back. As his coach, BVH, says, "Pressure builds diamonds." Kikko Socks Use discount code: POD15 for 15% off your next order. More from Pod Practice: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube

Part 1 of our 4 part series where we check-in with a player from the top 4 seeds of the Men's and Women's divisions heading into Club Nationals. We're starting with Pool A where two DC teams sit atop the standings. Christian Boxley from DC Truckstop and Lisi Lohre from DC Scandal share their thoughts heading into Nationals. Truckstop has dominated each of the last 2 regular seasons. Since 2022 they've established themselves as the best offensive team in the country. A line teeming with skill and athleticsm, Box's role in that offense continues to evolve as he has flourished into one of the most dominant players in the country. Scandal's rise has been more recent, but the former back to back champion is no stranger to the big stage, and their roster has plenty of championship pedigree. Captain, Lisi Lohre, spent many years with Molly Brown falling just short of the gold. After a year of seeing her former team finally get over the hump, and her two brothers win one with Johnny Bravo, Lisi is seeking to complete the Lohre Championship Trifecta. Kikko Socks Use discount code: POD15 for 15% off your next order. More from Pod Practice: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube