The future is mixed

Hello avid reader. If you're going to mixed nationals you'll have received the message below from Piers Truter about the Australian mixed team. If not, have a quick peruse through the email below. In case you're wondering, Piers is the director of the AFDA High Performance program and has put a monumental amount of work over the last few years into Australia's elite and international level teams. It's a tough gig - everyone who's anyone has got an opinion on what they want done but they don't necessarily want or have the time to get involved to make that happen, so they try to live vicariously through Piers. Regardless of whether you agree with the approach of the high performance program over the last few years, you have to respect the people who actually get out there and get things done rather than just being theoretical geniuses after league at the pub.

Here's Piers' email:

"Hi there,

Apologies for the lateness of this message.

There is a meeting on Friday of Mixed nationals (this Friday) for all people interested in the Australian Mixed Team for 2012.

On the table is discussing how to bring more focus to the development of this team into the 2012 World Ultimate Championships, rather than making it a poor cousin of the Open and Women's teams. There have been a few ideas floated on how to do this including;

1) The winning team of 2011 Australian Mixed Ultimate Championships winning the right to represent Australia.

2) Selecting the 2012 Mixed ultimate team in 2011 and this team competing at 2011 AMUC as a team for development.

The aim of the meeting is to explore options, gain opinions and to improve the process of selection and team formation for the 2012 campaign.

If you have a good idea or opinion - please come along to the meeting. You will find information on time and venue at the tournament.

I hope to see you there.

Piers Truter
Dir HP
AFDA"

Because I'm a frisbee nerd who loves punishment, I'll be going to this meeting at mixed nats. If you've got any good ideas or opinions and you won't be able to make it along you can pass them on to me and I'll try to get them to the movers and shakers in the room (if I can work out who they are). Both of these options would be pretty radical departures from the approaches of old but they could pay big dividends at the World Championships in 2012. Post a comment or email me at who dot is dot the dot schmooze at gmail dot com if you want me to be your singing telegram.