It's just a game. NOT.

My throat was a little sore this morning.

My Thursday night "hat" semi-competitive ultimate team was winless in the first five games of the indoor fall season.

We were playing the late 10:45pm game.  Last time in this timeslot, a teammate had said something to the effect - it's the late game, no pressure, it doesn't really count.

Early in last night's game, we were trading points and keeping pace with the strong opposition.

My feeling with the indoor game is that if you can manage the transition game in the end zone after a point, you can make up a lot of points, i.e. intense defense after we score and organized offense after they score.  Whenever I have a chance, I make this comment pre-game and during timeouts.

So, it's the late game, we're doing okay, but this could easily slip sideways if we don't raise our game and play hard and smart.  So, I pipe up, I'm very vocal encouraging a hard defense after we score and barking mid-field defense intensity and playing smart on offense.

Was it too much?  I didn't hear any thanks of "we needed that", nor "lay off man it's just a game".  But we won our first game of the season.

This is billed as a competitive league and I feel that players come out for a good game, not just a social occasion and run around.  So, I'm ok with it.  I played hard, I yelled loud and often, mostly in positive re-enforcement, and I'm sorry if I laid in too hard on a few poor decisions and fitness management, but I'm very happy with the effort and the result.

From a sport and fitness perspective, I find it easier and more rewarding to play hard and smart in a team sport than to push a few more steps at the gym.  I was knackered after the game, but in a good way.  I stretched a little when I got home, and avoided a big munchie binge.  And slept pretty well.

It's part of my life, I enjoy the intensity, the athleticism, belonging to a team and the high of a win.  Well worth a late night and a sore throat.