April 22, 2014 by Shayne Flaherty and Charlie Eisenhood in News with 5 comments
Seattle made it famous. Houston and Chicago have capitalized on it. Now, New York is giving it a shot: the Combine. Slowly, cities are starting to team up during the team formation process, bringing all of the area players together for a combined tryout so every team can get a look at that year’s talent.
This year in the Tri-State area, PoNY, New York City’s top men’s team, and Young Bloods, the city’s newest men’s team starting its second year, will be holding to area’s first combined open tryout. Different from past years, both teams are beginning to focus on the long run, on developing talent a bit more than winning right away.
“The greater NYC area is bursting with hard working and supportive players, and PoNY is keen on cultivating just that type of atmosphere,” said PoNY captain Milo Snyder. “From the weights to the track, and the sidelines to the scrimmages, these two clubs have already benefited from the collective and reinforcing energy of the other. This new ecosystem is huge for the region.”
The politics of team creation can often leave great players off of a city’s most competitive team. New York has struggled in the past to have an environment where every team is on the same page about improving the quality of play across the city. Second teams have flickered in and out of existence.
“We’re excited to team up with PoNY in our sophomore year as an open club,” said Young Bloods captain and founder Stefan Dicker. “By unifying the splintered segments of New York ultimate, we think we’ll be able to provide a unique opportunity to participate in a system that allows us to send a team to Nationals that consistently competes for a championship year after year while supporting a second development team that fosters the growth of future nationals-caliber players for years to come.”
The combined PoNY/Young Bloods tryouts will take place this Sunday, April 27, at 3 PM on Field 91 on Randall’s Island, and then the following Sunday, May 4, at 4 PM on Field 72 on Randall’s Island. Interested players should fill out this Google Doc with their information and preferred tryout.
PoNY Leadership
Milo Snyder
Andrew Wilkes
Chris Mazur
Young Bloods Leadership
Brandon Contarsy
Stefan Dicker
Shayne Flaherty
