It's rare that I write to you in any sort of serious fashion. This is one of those rare occasions. I'll be front and forward about what's going on and dabble into the sappy stuff afterwards. I'd hate to waste your time, so thanks for sticking around to the end if you do.

Within the last two months, I aggravated an already existing injury that has been bothering me for quite some time. The ligament that attaches my thumb to the rest of my hand is disconnected from the bone by about a millimeter. I've been visiting the doctor for this issue over the last month and have been hoping for the best. Unfortunately, the worst news possible has come to my ears. I'm going to need surgery and the recovery period has been estimated at about 3 months.

This means a number of things. First, I will be a part of this team more than I ever have been. I will be running with you at every conditioning and leading this team to as much success as physically possible. We are still Booya. We will still play to the best of our abilities. However, it is unlikely that I will be with you on the field every step of the way. 

To those that have put aside prior responsibilities or have gone out of their way to play under me, I can guarantee with every fiber of my being that you will be a better player by the end of the season. That goes without saying. Whether or not we see improvement as a collective, I cannot guarantee that result given my absence. You will see improvement as an individual though. I have no doubt about that.

In any case, I look forward to captaining for my 5th and final year. If you've noticed or not, it's been a personally emotional season for me, positive in every way. There is nothing better than seeing a new player being introduced to ultimate and watching them end up calling themselves an ultimate player after only a year. It's an experience I hope you all can be a part of.

Despite the sappiness of the above spiel, here comes the real sappy shit. Bear with me. Nothing better than an origin story, emirite? Here we go, yo.

I started playing ultimate in high school, a rare opportunity many of you weren't given at the time. To this day, I am thankful in every sense of the word for being lucky enough to be introduced to this sport at such an early age. I had done the whole track and cross country thing for my first three years. It got very boring, very fast. A friend of mine (girl, she was kinda cute...) asked me to come join her at another high school's ultimate practice. I went for the wrong reasons and left with a different perspective. My appreciation for the sport wasn't realized until the club team was introduced at my school. Only then did I see what ultimate could really offer.

Our team was, in no way, a band of all-stars. We were 1/3 track, 1/3 math team, and 1/3 druggies. It was the greatest group of friends I could have ever asked for. These people would have never met or interacted if it weren't for ultimate. This is what the sport you all play has to offer. A connection to individuals you would have never met outside your own ambition to play. We all share it, and we all sacrifice for it. Some more than others, but we are all on the same page. Ultimate is a pretty cool sport.

I still know a majority of these people to this day. Most of them still playing ultimate as well. Experiences may have varied, but there's one thing for certain, we were all blown away by what this sport could offer; the ability to meet and be affected by people we would have never had the opportunity to interact with in any way whatsoever. This experience has still held true, to this day, as I live my life. Whether by chance or my own free will, I know I wouldn't have met even half you without this sport. To be honest, though, I couldn't be happier to know and get to know all of you.

At this point, the only thing I can hope for is that you've all found just as much importance in this sport as I have. That's all I have to offer, displaying priority over other (biased, I know) social outlets. For those that are younger or new, I know you will grow a fond appreciation for the sport and become enveloped in the atmosphere. It's well worth it. For those that are older, I look forward to seeing you develop into a reckoning force. I want to be a part of it; I wouldn't have captained, otherwise.

I'm sorry that I've chosen to take a secondary role in captaining Booya this season, but I need to look after myself. I know you all will understand. If I choose to partake in surgery now as opposed to later, I'm able to avoid early arthritis and the opportunity to play for a nationals-level team is available to me this summer, something I've been looking forward to for the better half of a decade. This decision has been made with the focus on personal improvement; something you all should take into account when you make any decision.

I truly hope you don't look down on me. Every action over the last 5 months has been made with the development of each of you in mind. That stays true over the next 3 months during my recovery. If this team doesn't make regionals, I'll consider my endeavor a waste. Do me a favor, play to the best of your ability because I can't. Kick some ass. I'll be cheering you on.

Thank you,

Clarkson

Contact Info:

Email - booya.ultimate@gmail.com

Phone - 410-300-7306