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Using The Best Part Of Each Player
by Miranda Roth
The best example of a role player on Riot is Michelle Bowlen. Michelle is very tall (5'11"), well-trained in fundamentals and particularly smart (Fulbright Scholar!). She doesn't have the best break-mark throws in the game and can't guard every quick little handler. However, she is the scariest mark I've ever seen in a 1-3-3. Luckily, we play in bad weather conditions at Sectionals, Regionals and Nationals (usually) so we can run a lot of zone. We will often put Michelle in just to run the 1 in the 1-3-3 for one point and then do it again the next time we're on defense.
I believe that the best players all start with a superpower. Michelle's is her zone mark. Surge is really fast. Vivian can throw anywhere on the field at anytime. This is a great starting point for each player, but that doesn't mean that they shouldn't all also continue to work on reading the disc, downfield defense or dump cuts. In a game, we will always use a player's specialty, but the more well-rounded they are around that, the better they will be able to perform in multiple situations.
In the next 5 years at the level of elite women's ultimate, I see the most use for the combination of two roles within one player. For example, someone who can throw anywhere at will, but is also a very athletic defender. Right now there are lots of athletes and lots of throwers, but rarely are these combined (Deb Cussen is the prototype). I think that there will always be roles for all-around players. I would still suggest that all-around players work on something that they want to be their superpower—playing defense on the other teams tallest player, winning every disc in the air, or being able to make 10 cuts at top speed during one point—but then also developing other parts of their game to make themselves the best all-around defender as possible and to be as difficult to guard as possible.
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Tuesday, March 17th, 2009 |
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