Pike Double Practice

Drove DB's manual car down to Philly for practice without too much trouble. The BBQ on Saturday night was awesome, but I don't think I played well enough this weekend. Not enough energy, I kept realizing too late in a point that I had more in the tank. I was really angry today, and overall I think my attitude sucked at different times.

I realized today that I have only ever played containment defense [when I played defense at all, I ruefully think to myself]. I want to take the disc away from my matchup, to dominate him like I see my teammates dominating their matchup. I can tell when my teammates are thinking to themselves that I let them down, by the voices on the sideline and the reactions of the players on the field--that I failed, again, to make the great athletic play, failed to make the defensive effort, played without energy or heart, gave up. Today I allowed myself to get boxed out and skied three times in the endzone by the same player. I'm angry. If I had played perfect offense, I wouldn't be as upset, but I remember the bad choices, bad vision, the trying-to-do-too-much that I've fought to overcome. I'm also frustrated by teammates who show the same weaknesses, and I know that all I can do is support and push them--and I know that first I have to push myself.

So I have two weeks to do it.

Granted, I do believe I had good moments, good plays, periods--however brief--where I played good defense, attacked on offense. I just expect more of myself than I felt able to give these past two days. It doesn't help, of course, that my feet are killing me.