All Australian Camp

The selection process for the Australian National Teams is underway. The next World Championships is in August next year (the venue hasn't been announced yet) and the top players from around the nation are vying for the chance to represent Australia when the tournament arrives.

Club level ultimate in Canberra has changed a lot since the last selection process for Worlds in 2008. We've seen a huge improvement in the calibre of our club teams at nationals and Canberra clubs have travelled and competed internationally with the best in the world. It's really exciting to see this development has paid off in the number of players from the ACT who attended All Australia training camp last weekend.

The All Australia camp gives the selectors for the Open (the Dingos), Womens (the Firetails), and Mixed teams (the Barramundis) a chance to see the 60 best men and 60 best women duke it out without the advantages or impediments of their normal club teams. From this initial camp, 30-something men and 30-something women will be drafted into the Open and Women's squads, and once those teams have narrowed down their rosters a bit the Mixed team will announce its training squad.

The players from the ACT who attended the All Australian camp were:

Matthew Dowle
Asher Gentle
Jonathan Holmes
Andrew Jackson
James Ley
Adam Mortimer
Warwick Shepherd
Thomas Watson
Max Wheeler
Mica Hartley
Keah Molomby
Vickie Saye
Lucy Stevenson
Heather Tolly
Erin Wallis

Special mention should also go to Pete Hemphill, who has been given the opportunity to coach the Dingos. This is great recognition for the excellent work Pete has done over the last few years with FU and Kaboom.

Congratulations to everyone who was selected for the AA camp and good luck with the rest of the campaigns.

Stay tuned for more details on the process, including the chance to see some of Australia's finest playing and training in Canberra.

Interested in Playing More Ultimate? Play SOMA!

Hey Canberra Ultimate players!

Are you interested in playing more ultimate on a fun, social team? Would you like to keep developing your Ultimate skills, play in weekend tournaments, and get involved in a welcoming club that organises events inside and outside of frisbee? Then we want you for Soma!

The Soma mixed club started last year and took a group of players from a range of experience levels to various tournaments around Australia on our way to Australia Mixed Nationals, where we played some competitive fun ultimate, and totally won the party.

We’re about to start a new season, with a new group of players and some of the old mob. Soma is a development team, we welcome keen players of all levels of experience to come along and train with us and see some tournament ultimate. The club will aim to get a competitive team to Mixed Nationals in Melbourne in October, seeing a few other tournaments on the way.

Training sessions will be held on Saturday afternoons each week, starting next weekend. Details for introductory sessions are:

Saturday 21 May, Saturday 28 May and Saturday 4 June.

Fellows Oval, ANU (Fellows Road, Acton)

3 – 5 pm

We’ll be there from 2:30, feel free to come around a bit earlier for a throw around.

If you’re interested but can’t make Saturday afternoons please drop us an email.

We look forward to a challenging, productive and fun season with you all!

Cheers,

Soma Leadership Team

Congratulations Erik jan Lindeboon

For those who are unaware. AFDA has a new "Volunteer of the Month" program which recognizes the efforts of Ultimate players across Australia. As far as I am aware, no ACT player has been award since it was establishsed around two years ago, so huge congratulations go to Erik, Canberra's very own water boy and very first Canberra "AFDA Volunteer of the Month". To bad we didn't get someone nominated earlier, I think previous Volunteers were awarded $50 Rebel Sport vouchers, so that they could buy, like, a pair of sports socks! (note, this is not a dig at afda, I think the vouchers are/ were great and wouldn't turn my nose up at one, I'm just depressed after attempting- and failing-to buy a new pair of skins. Why is it that when you put the word "sport" in front of something, it automatically costs like 10 times as much?)

I quote from the afda trashtalk article, which I assume is quoting from whoever nomiated Erik:

"Erik Lindeboom took time off his PhD to come and support Fyshwick United and Factory Ultimate run regionals and BCI. Erik worked tirelessly over both weekends to ensure that fields always had water, that shade tents were put up and put down and all the other tasks that the TDs gave him. He also billeted a number of interstate travelers. While doing all that he still managed to find time to support Fyshwick in his great get-up including Fyshwick shirt, cape and hat."

You can check out the full write-up on http://www.afda.com/trashtalk/showarticle.php?articleid=843

I have to say, refilling my water bottle at both of the touraments became a one of each day's highlights: I could look forward to a hilariously mis-spelt, gramatically incorrect, but very touching message advising players to drink up, play hard, and call a certain mobile number for refills (and good times).

Thanks for your efforts Erik, I've got your number on speed-dial now.