Intermission

Recently I've read a few stories of Ultimate players facing medical difficulties. One fought cancer and has since returned to the field. Another tore his ACL, decided it was the last straw, and hung up his cleats, after only a few years of competitive play. The former was a story of perseverance and the invincible spirit. The latter was a reminder of the fragility of athleticism, and here, I'll take his advice to heart.

At the end of a recent, grueling, 4-hour practice, we ran a standard huck drill, with a small group throwing and everyone else chasing. Robbie, one of the throwers, joked that he would throw it extra far to make us run as much as possible. I countered that he couldn't overthrow me if he wanted to. It was a ridiculous challenge, given the circumstances. At one of the last throws of the drill I saw that I had lined up to cut for Robbie's huck, and of course he would try to bomb it as far as possible.

I left a second early and ran as hard as I could. At some point I sighted the disc and it didn't have much float to it. I reached out my arms and leaped as the disc dove toward the ground, and barely brushed it with my fingers. It rolled to a stop a few feet away.

Right now, I am as healthy as I can probably ever expect. I'm in shape. I feel fast. I fly as I chase down a disc. At any time I can tear my ACL or break my leg or whatever, but I want to note, on the record, that I do appreciate my health. I know it can crumble at any time. It is worth it.