03.02.09
Ultimate Buenos Aires Styles
Ultimate has been in Buenos Aires for the last 10 years. For the first 8 years of its history, the sport barely registered above ‘lightning catching’ on the local sport popularity charts. In the last 2 years, things has taken a sharp turn and Argentina has now proudly sent a representative team to Columbia and to the sands of Remini, Italy. It is at this exciting time that I arrived.
Having succumbed to the addiction of chasing frisbee’s at an early age, on arriving in Buenos Aires I quickly found myself making friends with the people in the local ultimate scene. Having succumbed to enjoying the sound of my own voice, also from a earlier age, I found myself doing a bit of coaching.
Argentina has no shortage of excellent athletes (think Diego Maradona, Puma’s Rugby), passionate individuals and competitive energy. Coaching such people is as rewarding as throwing a shoe at a 2nd-rate president. There are few times in life when all the pieces full together, but in the past six weeks all the energy I’ve put into Ultimate has been truly rewarding and has given much more back to me. Thanks ‘Discor Sur’!
I was honoured, at my last playing day, with the following poem: –
This is an ode to an Ultimate Frisbee master
One who inspires us in practice to run and throw faster
Who day after day his wisdom does impart
Who upon seeing a banana cut his heart does infarct
One who from his hands the Frisbee does not slip
One who is a huge fan of the Super Power Grip
This man hails from New Zealand, land of the kiwi
Is it just coincidence that this rhymes with Frisbee?
Perhaps not, perhaps it ‘tis fate and destiny…
That in the flight of the disc, he would feel his remedy
To boredom, to sadness, to all things melancholy
Perhaps it is the secret behind his countenance so jolly
Today we thank thee Jackson, for giving of yourself
For dusting off the books of knowledge on your frisbee shelf
And opening them up for one and all to see
To help each one of us to in practive be
The best that we can do, and even more
It doesn’t really matter if we’re gonna be sore
Because together we strive for excellence and glory
To be a part of the neverending story
That started way back in ‘68
And since then has carried on a straight
Path through the hearts and souls of many
It has been a sport both joyous and uncanny
It captivated you, it captivated me…
Heck, it even captivated DD
So, Jackson, we wish you a muy buen trip
On our radar screen your presence here has not been a blip
But much much more than that, you have entered our heart
Of Disco Sur history and present you are now a big part…
You may leave now, but your grand presence lingers
We’ll remember you each time as we adjust our fingers
But enough is enough, I’m rambling like a whacko
Buen viaje, adios, hasta pronto Jacko
By Stephen Camilli
Onehunga relatives said,
March 2, 2009 at 7:30 pm
All it needs is some music.
Nana said,
March 2, 2009 at 8:40 pm
Great to read this Jackson- some warm fuzzies are good at the right times.Nana