Pod Practice

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

Quinn and Mike jump on talk about losing to Doublewide, again, AUDL Awards, and look ahead to Club Nationals. We are also soft launching a few (hopefully) recurring segments: Coaches Corner, Wecommended Workouts (Working Title), and Finer Things (those small, simple pleasures that we make our days). Kikko Socks Use discount code: POD15 for 15% off your next order. More from Pod Practice: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube

AK aka Akshat Rajan is one of the best videographers in Ultimate, having captured some of the biggest moments in the sport over the last few years. AK also gives great perspective on covering the sport as a media person, the role of USA Ultimate, and how different levels of ultimate (like the legendary MCUDL) are important. Kikko Socks Use discount code: POD15 for 15% off your next order. More from Pod Practice: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube

HAK joins to recap Chain's strong performance at Pro Champs. Full strength Pony and Truckstop have been the top 2 teams all season, but Chain cemented themselves as a contender in a field where the margins are increasingly thin. At Pro Champs they lost on universe to Truck, but notched three universe point wins against Pony, us, and Revolver. They pulled on universe in all 4 games. We love that never-quit, scrappy mentality. After winning ultiworld's D1 Men's Player of the year award in 2021 with Jojah, Hayden has become a main fixture in the Atlanta ultimate scene as a multi-faceted two-way player for Atlanta Hustle, Chain Lighting, and the U24 Mixed team. In final's of Pro Champs, HAK tallied 6 assists and 3 goals. Kikko Socks Use discount code: POD15 for 15% off your next order. More from Pod Practice: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube

Ben and Alex bond over talking shit and playing with a chip on your shoulder. Fresh of back to back AUDL Titles, Ben is one of the winningest and fiercest competitors in the sport today. He's a 2x AUDL MVP, 3x AUDL Champion, Club Champion, World Champion, College Champion, and known to ruffle some feathers on the field. We're here to tell you that competition isn't for the faint of heart and it's silly to judge a person based on what you see between the lines. Kikko Socks Use discount code: POD15 for 15% off your next order. More from Pod Practice: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube

This week we discuss the three things for creating a strong team as outlined in The Culture Code: The Secrets of Highly Successful Groups by Daniel Coyle. Those three things are building safety, sharing vulnerability, and establishing purpose. The best leaders consistently do a great job of centering their teams around all three. Kins also updates us on his role at the AUDL Championship Weekend where he will no doubt be dropping plenty of Kins Bombs on us. Kikko Socks Use discount code: POD15 for 15% off your next order. More from Pod Practice: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube