Haze Love

I've been putting this final post off for a long time for several reasons. First, I said everything that was most important to me to my teammates after we won the backdoor championships at sectionals. Second, I think that after regionals a part of me needed a break from thinking about Haze Ultimate after a continuous four years of doing so. Third, after spilling my guts out to the guys after sectionals and then regionals, it personally became very difficult to eloquently express to anyone, including myself, what the past four years of my life meant. Lastly another part of me also didn't want to admit it was all over for me.

I knew coming into college that Ultimate would be a big part of my life, I wanted it to be. But I never would have imagined that my experiences with you all were going to define my time in college and also how I define myself. Someone who didn't have the pleasure of being on this team may scoff when I say this, but that's only because they do know how this team means so much more than a bunch of guys going to weekend tournaments, just like they may never understand the weight of the words "Purple Haze" "Haze Love" or "Haze." These words don't mean much to an outsider, nor do they mean much in literal meaning. However when I hear those words, I think about every game I've played with this team, every stair run, every huddle had, every weight lifted, party raged, every s-cut drill, and every time I've rushed the field. Obviously, to me, our tournament results are such a small part of what make us a team. A very smart ultimate player wrote:

"What you see on the field, good Ultimate teams winning, is just the tip of the iceberg. Team identity is everything except what you see on the field when you watch a team play. You build toward something with your teammates. On game day you show off that something to the outside world and see if it wins games. Team identity is the building, not the winning."

What do I think about when I hear the word Haze? Blood, sweat, tears, determination, personal organization and control, communication, self sacrifice, stairs, stairs, and more stairs.

Screaming "HAZE!" at the top of my lungs is not just what we yell when we go super saiyan, nor is it just a cheer to end a workout/huddle, it serves as a reminder of why we're sprinting our hardest, laying out and sacrificing our bodies and personal comfort. We work our hardest for "Haze," for our teammates and we know they are going to do the exact same thing for us. It is truly a beautiful thing to dedicate yourself to another person or team and have complete trust in them to do their very best to work towards the same goal as you.

When a group of friends get together and work hard and dedicate themselves to each other, only good things can happen, and only smiles can be had. I, for one, cannot help but smile when I look back at these photos, which capture the proudest moments of my life.

I cannot thank you enough for this season. I hope you all know how much it meant to me.

It was an honor to share the past four years of my life with this team and I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world. Being on this team has helped me through some tough times in my life and so have the people on it. I've found my best friends by being on this team, had my happiest moments, and I hope that those of you who continue on will experience the same.

Haze on three. One. Two. Three…

Always,

Quinton