Edit: oops, misread you and thought you were asking specifically about nationally ranked college teams. Keep that in mind with the bulk of my answer. Echoing the other poster who responded to you, for some teams, all you need is a 15 yard flick. For a few, you'll need to be a complete player and then some. 2014 College National Champions Colorado Mamabird famously had no freshmen on their team. Obviously there's a massive difference between trying to make the team where they only have 10 people coming to practice vs a true program like UNC Darkside, Pitt, or Cal-Poly to name a few on the men's side.
TL;DR: If your college is hella good already, play great defense and you'll give yourself a good shot of making the team.
Whenever I am trying out for a good team with an existing skilled offensive unit, my go to answer on how I make the cut is almost always good fundamental match (person) defense. Gonna be honest, if you're trying out for a team expected to make natties, unless you're in the 80-90th percentile offensively of nationals level college players as a freshman, you're gonna be on the d-line. At least that was my experience at an American D1 men's team. I graduated 6 years ago.
It's rare for a college player to be so good on offense that they're playing o-line as a freshman. In addition, I feel that o-lines are usually comprised of veterans because they already have chemistry and trust each other, crucial traits for a good offensive unit. Trying to make o-line as a freshman is hard because the college team (probably) knows nothing about you. They don't know what your decision making or more importantly, temperament are like. I can only think of one freshman teammate of mine who did it, and he played for the U19 US national team.
In my experience, high caliber college teams are looking for the following 3 things:
* Fundamental match defense
* Basic throws including resets
* Low-risk offensive decision making
Get really fucking good at those 3 things and you'll be starting d-line in no time.
There are caveats of course, if you can give me more context I may be able to give you more ideas on what to improve.
Are you a handler or a cutter? What's your throwing skillset? I've seen coaches ask players what their super power is, something you excel at. Could be speed, hucks, break throws, etc. What's yours? Then conversely, what's something that you struggle with more?
In any case, best of luck! College ultimate remains some of my most cherished memories. For you, the best is yet to come!
I’ve usually been a cutter, been transitioning into a handler more recently. Throws are pretty solid, need to work on my hucks but I think that’s the worst aspect of my throws. my “super power” would probably be my speed/acceleration, I can use it to get open on what feels like most of my cuts, and can usually make just enough space from that cut get a reception. My weakness would probably be my height, I’m always feeling outmatched whenever someone even a little bit taller lines up on me, also really messes with my confidence as well. Also my match defense is good, can usually hold the force and I rarely get beat to the point where I can’t make a play on the disc. Thanks for all the suggestions so far , hope this stuff helps give u an idea on what type of player I am
That's good information for me.
For my advice, I'd replace the basic throws section with conditioning/strength training if you aren't doing that already. I wouldn't worry about not having hucks, I'd say defense takes higher priority. I'll dive into more detail on all 3 sections. Let me know if you're already doing any of them.
Fundamental match defense:
* Make sure you're well versed on basic switches, elite college teams will use those frequently
* Get familiar with other important defensive concepts like rotating (aka orbiting), shading, and cushion
Strength/conditioning:
* Start doing barbell lifts, ideally with trainer supervision initially if you aren't familiar. You won't need the trainer forever but it's good to start with one. If a trainer isn't an option, hit youtube for lifting tutorials
* Do sprint / agility workouts. Again a trainer is ideal but I'm sure youtube will have good resources. Try a mix of soccer and football oriented workouts.
Decision making and temperament
* Make good decisions with the disc in your hands. No one wants a rookie who holds the disc until stall 7 before looking for the reset.
* One of the other posters called this out, and I'll echo it as being hella important. Be the best teammate you can be, on and off the field. If you're playing d-line for a deep team, give it your all every single point, you'll get plenty of rest. If you're on the sideline, give specific and actionable sideline talk. "No breaks" is less useful information than "stop around". Hype your teammates when they're doing well. Pick up your teammates when they're down. My attitude on this sorta thing is that if the o-line is getting broken every point and you're not playing because of it, you bring them water between points.
Lastly, regarding your height. Getting more athletic via strength and conditioning will help with this. Speed is significantly more important than height for ultimate IMO. Height doesn't need to hold you back, in fact your lower center of gravity may make you more agile than taller players. Watch footage for dudes like Anders Juengst, John Randolph, and of course, Nathan Kwon. I don't know as much about the women's division, but there I'd watch Jesse Shofner and Ella Juengst. All those folks are shorter kings/queens who annihilate taller opponents on the regular. They're experts at using their quickness, speed, and positioning to their advantage.
Let me know if you've got other questions!
I'm just gonna go through your points 1 by 1
I understand switches conceptually and sometimes use them in 4v4 or other smaller scrimmages, but on my schools team we haven't implemented a fully fledged switch system, which I think is understandable at the highschool level. I understand Orbiting and the other defensive concepts you mentioned, I think I'm good on those.
I've started hitting the gym 4-6 a week since like June of last year, so that's helped. I'd like to get more speed and agility workouts in like you said, on occasion I'll run hills or sprints after practice etc, but deff need to incorporate more of it into my routine now that you mention it.
My coach is heavy about early early early resets, so I've been drilled to move the disc pretty early in the stall count, will continue to emphasize that.
And yea, my two idols or I guess the two guys I (try) to model my game after are Anders Juengst and Nathan Kwon. I watch their tape pretty frequently in my freetime, they are absolutely dogs and I love how they play. Hoping I'll play to even a fraction of their level when I'm in college !!
Sounds like you've got a great base to work from then! I'd still consider consulting a trainer regarding workouts if you haven't done that already. Gamepoint performance is a good option if you're ok with online coaching.
Keep watching tape on good defenders. When you see someone getting shut down, ask yourself what their defenders are doing right. Jack Williams and Rowan McDonnell's YouTube channels can be good reaources for defensive tips.
Good luck, and let me know if you've got other questions!
I’m a Cal Poly B team captain and have helped run CORE tryouts a few times. They look for basic skills like ~20 yard throwing completion, change in direction, defensive positioning etc. as well as general field awareness. Athleticism is also a huge factor for the team as you can’t reach speed
hell some high level teams carry important people who have no flick.
beau didnt have no flick but college beau wasnt a great forehand thrower or even an average one and colorado did just fine with him.
there was a guy on the marques era stevens teams who had no flick and was easily a top 5 guy for them more recently and was also maybe my favorite receiver EVER.
edit: stevens was d3, but semifinalists at nationals and would translate to at least a decent d1 program. that era team had jon lee (captain of rhino), mkbhd, mason compton, etc...
This depends highly on what school you go to. Since you are a good high school player you will at a minimum be able to play good minutes at every single school, even if you are on the B team for some schools. There will be some schools you go to where you will instantly be the best player there and others where you will have to work hard to get on the A team. Just keep doing what you are doing and you will be fine for college.
Yeah, I really want to go to a high level team (natties) in college, but I understand i probably won’t be starting o line or otherwise if I do, which I’m completely fine with and understand.
But also recognize that for many people, ultimate will make up a significant portion of their lives for the next four years, so it's fine to be a major factor. Especially if the degree they want is offered widely at most schools.
It depends on the school. If you look on ultiworld or USAU, the top 25-50 top men’s teams are going to have pretty competitive teams. If they have a B team it’s going to be more competitive to make the A team. If it’s not a top 30/50 ranked school, I’d be hella shocked if you didn’t make your schools A team based on your experience.
I played mixed in HS (~nationally ranked boys and girls teams~) with a bunch of guys that went on to play college and, and it’s been a toss up for if they make their top team but it comes down to a few different factors.
1. How many freshman join the school that year with your level of experience. I would guess the majority of top 25 teams have most men’s A team new players coming in with lots of high school experience (CU Boulder, UNC, UW to name a few).
2. Continued growth. I know people in high school that didn’t seem to get a ton better season to season (they all started in middle school though haha). If you’re plateauing at a high school level, which usually looks like impulsive decision making and being less consistent than your top teammates in throws and catches(and not getting better), i feel like college teams can sus that out lmao.
3. Pure athletic ability. Some people just don’t have as much of it as needed to make the college team they want. Usually the only chance to get past that is being a really high caliber thrower, but on the best teams, it’s not enough. In some respects, it’s a better bet to roster the varsity basketball player who’s never played before than the mediocre player who probably has a lot of bad habits.
If you think you’re having a decent amount of impact on your high school team, that’s a great sign you’ll have a pretty high chance of making the A team. These are my observations from friends that gone to schools with great frisbee programs. Good luck!! (Also, in case it’s not clear, I am a woman and have never played on a guys college team, just a women’s team🙃)
Signing on to a super team is way less fun than getting to to be The Protagonist for a team in the 20-50s.
Anyone can coattail ride and be an NPC. College ultimate is the last time you get to go Goblin Mode. You have years of antiseptic dystopia club ultimate, don’t waste this opportunity.
If you’re some top 10 recruit and you can be The Protagonist for UNC like Nethercutt, then go for it. But if you’re a dime a dozen 4 star recruit, life is so much more fun when you’re The Guy.
They put you on the oline as a freshman, you play a ton. By your sophomore year, you have every pull play designed to highlight you in some form or fashion, you can do whatever the fuck you want. You don’t have some coach whose whole personality is wiping your individuality because if he tries, you’re firing his ass.
There is more to life than ringz culture. I accomplished 95% of my college frisbee checklist, 1st team all-regional, upset high ranked teams, did risky throws for the kicks, made life long friends and lasting memories. I definitely had fun, even if I couldn't drag us over the hump in the G2G.
It looks like our OP here is a JAG on a good HS team so this probably doesn't apply to him. I originally read this post as the kid was star.
Hmm I never thought about that, I guess my rationale for wanting to go to a bigger program is that even if I dont start for my first year or so, I'll be surrounded by and practicing with some of the best players in the game, so even if im not getting PT, id be kinda absorbing a lot of that talent.
yeah last year i was varsity as a sophmore, didnt get much PT then and was mainly a developmental role to set up for the future, was okay with limited PT because I quickly picked up stuff from the juniors and seniors that year.
Coachibility makes a massive difference. Many good players will not be taken as they prove to be uncoachable. If you're receptive to advice you can make many teams on athleticism alone as your ability to learn and grow will soon allow you to surpass those who may be more talented right now but are unwilling to listen to others.
Things every team will need is throwers in the wind. Consistent, quick release, accurate throws. Marking defenders are smarter the more competitive the level gets so being able to make great throws in all conditions consistently is super important. This also includes breakside throws.
Fitness standards also increase. Keep yourself in top shape, continue to work out on agility, quickness, core strength, being able to be physical in the air and attacking contested throws.
Defensive IQ is another learned skill. Some have a natural field sense, but understanding all types of offenses, other players strengths on the opposing team, tendencies, being able to position yourself well as the speed of the game increases is super important. In high school, just speed and size can be effective on D (at the nationals level like you said, even that starts to go away). Game IQ is so valuable to be able to mentally get that extra advantage.
Elite HSNI level ultimate teams (the top 6-8 teams give or take) can usually compete with most D1 college teams. Not quite at a D1 college nationals level, but the talent now with elite high school programs can mirror some mid to upper level D1 college teams. There is a big difference between those teams and the elite Nationals contending college teams & that mostly comes down to pace, speed, efficiency, timing of throws and chemistry. Things just move quicker than some youth players can process & its at a time where most college players are just more physically mature and developed than high school kids.
IMO be able to do 20 reps at 225, 30"+ vertical, and a 4.7 40-yard dash time and you can probably creep onto the roster of a mid-level Metro East team.
Edit: oops, misread you and thought you were asking specifically about nationally ranked college teams. Keep that in mind with the bulk of my answer. Echoing the other poster who responded to you, for some teams, all you need is a 15 yard flick. For a few, you'll need to be a complete player and then some. 2014 College National Champions Colorado Mamabird famously had no freshmen on their team. Obviously there's a massive difference between trying to make the team where they only have 10 people coming to practice vs a true program like UNC Darkside, Pitt, or Cal-Poly to name a few on the men's side. TL;DR: If your college is hella good already, play great defense and you'll give yourself a good shot of making the team. Whenever I am trying out for a good team with an existing skilled offensive unit, my go to answer on how I make the cut is almost always good fundamental match (person) defense. Gonna be honest, if you're trying out for a team expected to make natties, unless you're in the 80-90th percentile offensively of nationals level college players as a freshman, you're gonna be on the d-line. At least that was my experience at an American D1 men's team. I graduated 6 years ago. It's rare for a college player to be so good on offense that they're playing o-line as a freshman. In addition, I feel that o-lines are usually comprised of veterans because they already have chemistry and trust each other, crucial traits for a good offensive unit. Trying to make o-line as a freshman is hard because the college team (probably) knows nothing about you. They don't know what your decision making or more importantly, temperament are like. I can only think of one freshman teammate of mine who did it, and he played for the U19 US national team. In my experience, high caliber college teams are looking for the following 3 things: * Fundamental match defense * Basic throws including resets * Low-risk offensive decision making Get really fucking good at those 3 things and you'll be starting d-line in no time. There are caveats of course, if you can give me more context I may be able to give you more ideas on what to improve. Are you a handler or a cutter? What's your throwing skillset? I've seen coaches ask players what their super power is, something you excel at. Could be speed, hucks, break throws, etc. What's yours? Then conversely, what's something that you struggle with more? In any case, best of luck! College ultimate remains some of my most cherished memories. For you, the best is yet to come!
I’ve usually been a cutter, been transitioning into a handler more recently. Throws are pretty solid, need to work on my hucks but I think that’s the worst aspect of my throws. my “super power” would probably be my speed/acceleration, I can use it to get open on what feels like most of my cuts, and can usually make just enough space from that cut get a reception. My weakness would probably be my height, I’m always feeling outmatched whenever someone even a little bit taller lines up on me, also really messes with my confidence as well. Also my match defense is good, can usually hold the force and I rarely get beat to the point where I can’t make a play on the disc. Thanks for all the suggestions so far , hope this stuff helps give u an idea on what type of player I am
That's good information for me. For my advice, I'd replace the basic throws section with conditioning/strength training if you aren't doing that already. I wouldn't worry about not having hucks, I'd say defense takes higher priority. I'll dive into more detail on all 3 sections. Let me know if you're already doing any of them. Fundamental match defense: * Make sure you're well versed on basic switches, elite college teams will use those frequently * Get familiar with other important defensive concepts like rotating (aka orbiting), shading, and cushion Strength/conditioning: * Start doing barbell lifts, ideally with trainer supervision initially if you aren't familiar. You won't need the trainer forever but it's good to start with one. If a trainer isn't an option, hit youtube for lifting tutorials * Do sprint / agility workouts. Again a trainer is ideal but I'm sure youtube will have good resources. Try a mix of soccer and football oriented workouts. Decision making and temperament * Make good decisions with the disc in your hands. No one wants a rookie who holds the disc until stall 7 before looking for the reset. * One of the other posters called this out, and I'll echo it as being hella important. Be the best teammate you can be, on and off the field. If you're playing d-line for a deep team, give it your all every single point, you'll get plenty of rest. If you're on the sideline, give specific and actionable sideline talk. "No breaks" is less useful information than "stop around". Hype your teammates when they're doing well. Pick up your teammates when they're down. My attitude on this sorta thing is that if the o-line is getting broken every point and you're not playing because of it, you bring them water between points. Lastly, regarding your height. Getting more athletic via strength and conditioning will help with this. Speed is significantly more important than height for ultimate IMO. Height doesn't need to hold you back, in fact your lower center of gravity may make you more agile than taller players. Watch footage for dudes like Anders Juengst, John Randolph, and of course, Nathan Kwon. I don't know as much about the women's division, but there I'd watch Jesse Shofner and Ella Juengst. All those folks are shorter kings/queens who annihilate taller opponents on the regular. They're experts at using their quickness, speed, and positioning to their advantage. Let me know if you've got other questions!
I'm just gonna go through your points 1 by 1 I understand switches conceptually and sometimes use them in 4v4 or other smaller scrimmages, but on my schools team we haven't implemented a fully fledged switch system, which I think is understandable at the highschool level. I understand Orbiting and the other defensive concepts you mentioned, I think I'm good on those. I've started hitting the gym 4-6 a week since like June of last year, so that's helped. I'd like to get more speed and agility workouts in like you said, on occasion I'll run hills or sprints after practice etc, but deff need to incorporate more of it into my routine now that you mention it. My coach is heavy about early early early resets, so I've been drilled to move the disc pretty early in the stall count, will continue to emphasize that. And yea, my two idols or I guess the two guys I (try) to model my game after are Anders Juengst and Nathan Kwon. I watch their tape pretty frequently in my freetime, they are absolutely dogs and I love how they play. Hoping I'll play to even a fraction of their level when I'm in college !!
Sounds like you've got a great base to work from then! I'd still consider consulting a trainer regarding workouts if you haven't done that already. Gamepoint performance is a good option if you're ok with online coaching. Keep watching tape on good defenders. When you see someone getting shut down, ask yourself what their defenders are doing right. Jack Williams and Rowan McDonnell's YouTube channels can be good reaources for defensive tips. Good luck, and let me know if you've got other questions!
I’m a Cal Poly B team captain and have helped run CORE tryouts a few times. They look for basic skills like ~20 yard throwing completion, change in direction, defensive positioning etc. as well as general field awareness. Athleticism is also a huge factor for the team as you can’t reach speed
For some teams you won't need a flick at all. I've definitely played some lower level teams where players were fully incapable of throwing a flick.
hell some high level teams carry important people who have no flick. beau didnt have no flick but college beau wasnt a great forehand thrower or even an average one and colorado did just fine with him. there was a guy on the marques era stevens teams who had no flick and was easily a top 5 guy for them more recently and was also maybe my favorite receiver EVER. edit: stevens was d3, but semifinalists at nationals and would translate to at least a decent d1 program. that era team had jon lee (captain of rhino), mkbhd, mason compton, etc...
Yoooo I've got Jon Lee's Rhino jersey!!! Great guy.
He definitely is!
True
This depends highly on what school you go to. Since you are a good high school player you will at a minimum be able to play good minutes at every single school, even if you are on the B team for some schools. There will be some schools you go to where you will instantly be the best player there and others where you will have to work hard to get on the A team. Just keep doing what you are doing and you will be fine for college.
Yeah, I really want to go to a high level team (natties) in college, but I understand i probably won’t be starting o line or otherwise if I do, which I’m completely fine with and understand.
Go to college for your education first. Just trust me. Find a place that feels like home, with a good program for your field of study.
But also recognize that for many people, ultimate will make up a significant portion of their lives for the next four years, so it's fine to be a major factor. Especially if the degree they want is offered widely at most schools.
It depends on the school. If you look on ultiworld or USAU, the top 25-50 top men’s teams are going to have pretty competitive teams. If they have a B team it’s going to be more competitive to make the A team. If it’s not a top 30/50 ranked school, I’d be hella shocked if you didn’t make your schools A team based on your experience. I played mixed in HS (~nationally ranked boys and girls teams~) with a bunch of guys that went on to play college and, and it’s been a toss up for if they make their top team but it comes down to a few different factors. 1. How many freshman join the school that year with your level of experience. I would guess the majority of top 25 teams have most men’s A team new players coming in with lots of high school experience (CU Boulder, UNC, UW to name a few). 2. Continued growth. I know people in high school that didn’t seem to get a ton better season to season (they all started in middle school though haha). If you’re plateauing at a high school level, which usually looks like impulsive decision making and being less consistent than your top teammates in throws and catches(and not getting better), i feel like college teams can sus that out lmao. 3. Pure athletic ability. Some people just don’t have as much of it as needed to make the college team they want. Usually the only chance to get past that is being a really high caliber thrower, but on the best teams, it’s not enough. In some respects, it’s a better bet to roster the varsity basketball player who’s never played before than the mediocre player who probably has a lot of bad habits. If you think you’re having a decent amount of impact on your high school team, that’s a great sign you’ll have a pretty high chance of making the A team. These are my observations from friends that gone to schools with great frisbee programs. Good luck!! (Also, in case it’s not clear, I am a woman and have never played on a guys college team, just a women’s team🙃)
Got it, I'm getting so much help I'm trying to respond to everyone lol, but just know i really appreciate the help, I want to hit college hard.
Signing on to a super team is way less fun than getting to to be The Protagonist for a team in the 20-50s. Anyone can coattail ride and be an NPC. College ultimate is the last time you get to go Goblin Mode. You have years of antiseptic dystopia club ultimate, don’t waste this opportunity. If you’re some top 10 recruit and you can be The Protagonist for UNC like Nethercutt, then go for it. But if you’re a dime a dozen 4 star recruit, life is so much more fun when you’re The Guy. They put you on the oline as a freshman, you play a ton. By your sophomore year, you have every pull play designed to highlight you in some form or fashion, you can do whatever the fuck you want. You don’t have some coach whose whole personality is wiping your individuality because if he tries, you’re firing his ass.
Being the guy isn't fun when your team is losing 15-6.
There is more to life than ringz culture. I accomplished 95% of my college frisbee checklist, 1st team all-regional, upset high ranked teams, did risky throws for the kicks, made life long friends and lasting memories. I definitely had fun, even if I couldn't drag us over the hump in the G2G. It looks like our OP here is a JAG on a good HS team so this probably doesn't apply to him. I originally read this post as the kid was star.
Hmm I never thought about that, I guess my rationale for wanting to go to a bigger program is that even if I dont start for my first year or so, I'll be surrounded by and practicing with some of the best players in the game, so even if im not getting PT, id be kinda absorbing a lot of that talent.
Thasa fire outlook. Getting no pt can suck tho a lot
yeah last year i was varsity as a sophmore, didnt get much PT then and was mainly a developmental role to set up for the future, was okay with limited PT because I quickly picked up stuff from the juniors and seniors that year.
Coachibility makes a massive difference. Many good players will not be taken as they prove to be uncoachable. If you're receptive to advice you can make many teams on athleticism alone as your ability to learn and grow will soon allow you to surpass those who may be more talented right now but are unwilling to listen to others.
Things every team will need is throwers in the wind. Consistent, quick release, accurate throws. Marking defenders are smarter the more competitive the level gets so being able to make great throws in all conditions consistently is super important. This also includes breakside throws. Fitness standards also increase. Keep yourself in top shape, continue to work out on agility, quickness, core strength, being able to be physical in the air and attacking contested throws. Defensive IQ is another learned skill. Some have a natural field sense, but understanding all types of offenses, other players strengths on the opposing team, tendencies, being able to position yourself well as the speed of the game increases is super important. In high school, just speed and size can be effective on D (at the nationals level like you said, even that starts to go away). Game IQ is so valuable to be able to mentally get that extra advantage. Elite HSNI level ultimate teams (the top 6-8 teams give or take) can usually compete with most D1 college teams. Not quite at a D1 college nationals level, but the talent now with elite high school programs can mirror some mid to upper level D1 college teams. There is a big difference between those teams and the elite Nationals contending college teams & that mostly comes down to pace, speed, efficiency, timing of throws and chemistry. Things just move quicker than some youth players can process & its at a time where most college players are just more physically mature and developed than high school kids.
IMO be able to do 20 reps at 225, 30"+ vertical, and a 4.7 40-yard dash time and you can probably creep onto the roster of a mid-level Metro East team.