Photo By Heather Johnson | Mike Enciso, a player with Ultimate Frisbee Okinawa, maneuvers around his opponent to...... read more read more
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OKINAWA, Japan - Colored disks sliced through the air as six teams competed in the Camp Courtney Ultimate Frisbee Tournament, March 5.
The tournament, hosted by Marine Corps Community Services Okinawa, was conducted in a double-elimination style, with teams competing until they lost twice.
The teams competing for the championship title were: Ultimate Frisbee Gods, Ultimate Frisbee Okinawa, T’Da Sinca, Orca Dragons, The Other Guys and Tango Delta, and were compiled of service members, family members, Okinawans and Status of Forces Agreement personnel.
After a long day of tough matches and landslide victories, UFO faced off against T’Da Sinca in the championship game, barely holding the lead following the first half with a score of 8-7.
“We came into the second half confident that we were on the verge of putting all the pieces together,” said Shawn Green, a player with UFO. “We talked about a change in defensive strategy and taking our time on offense.”
Each team consisted of seven players and each match ended when one team reached 15 goals or the one-hour time limit expired.
UFO took control of the second half and won the game with a score of 14-8.
UFO won the tournament undefeated, despite that they only had three on the bench compared to T’Da Sinca’s seven. UFO has been together for five years and consists of Department of Defense teachers, service members and SOFA personnel. Together, they have dominated all six tournaments in which they have participated.
“Our defense frustrated T’Da Sinca and we were able to capitalize on turnovers,” added Green. “We also did an excellent job of maintaining possession when we had the disc. It was extremely satisfying to win the tournament, especially because of the manner in which we did it.”
Graham Hill, a player with T’Da Sinca and a previous player for UFO participated alongside local ultimate frisbee players and has participated in nine tournaments since he joined the team more than a year ago. T’Da Sinca is an all-Okinawan team with the exception of Hill.
“The game is fun and exciting, and the service members handled themselves very well,” said Hill. “The Okinawan players love to come out and play with the American teams.”
According to Taylor, ultimate frisbee is a valuable tool for both physical fitness and socializing with those who share a love of the game.
“One of the things I like best about playing is the spirit that is out on the field,” commented Kevin Taylor, a player with UFO. “There are fine athletes and marvelous people to befriend. It’s energizing, and I love being a part of it.”
To get involved in a sport or for more information on recreational events and activities MCCS offers personnel on Okinawa, visit www.mccsokinawa.com.
| Date Taken: | 03.05.2011 |
| Date Posted: | 03.10.2011 02:54 |
| Story ID: | 66763 |
| Location: | OKINAWA, JP |
| Web Views: | 101 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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