I used to play recreational tournaments like Potlatch or Lei Out exclusively with teams that had the potential to win the event, like playing with Team USA in preparation for Worlds. Then during subsequent years, I’d just play with a reunion version of that team. For me, joining a team that could win it all felt like a fleeting privilege that trumped playing with another team for any other reason. I was upfront and clear about how my competitive nature conflicted with my desire to be a part of a Downtown Brown, and through my (admittedly myopic) lens, I felt like DTB was great at bringing people of color together, but wasn’t really concerned with competing to win.
Many of the top players playing Club or other tourneys were POC, but were dispersed across different teams. Unfortunately, I was part of a pattern that interfered with DTB’s ability to develop a competitive team; I joined the number of elite players who came and played for a game or two to show our support, only to return to our other respective teams. DTB’s open arms policy had an unintended effect: there wasn’t the consistency and critical mass of elite players necessary to build the cohesiveness that develops over the course of a weekend tournament.
But what if we could get those elite players together on the team for the entire tourney? One year, the team’s leaders decided to take that initiative and hand-selected a roster of players for the purpose of doing as well as they could. If DTB could showcase their talent on the biggest stage, the team would gain more visibility and really show the Ultimate community what it was all about. I was in.
I’d never realized how much of my myself I had allowed to be dormant being content to assimilate within the Ultimate community. Playing with DTB opened my eyes to the parts of me that I had not allowed to be free. I witnessed a confluence of likeness. I experienced a deep connection with teammates based on similar experiences, comparable backgrounds, and, in general, a shared perspective of the world. Once I was moved to tears in a huddle speech and really felt I was playing with uninhibited passion and vulnerability. This connection created a powerful bond and feeling of family I will never forget.
We may have lost to Team USA in Semis at Potlatch that year, but DTB made a name for itself and collectively we had one of the most meaningful and memorable experiences I’ve ever had playing our sport.
