Open Stars
SU:
What is your name?
TARA: Tara Jewell
SU:
How old are you?
TARA: 32
SU:
What team do you play for?
TARA: Bliss, Druids
SU:
Who have you played for?
TARA: Sharks, Stan, Suntans, Twin Peaks, Violently
Happy, Shotgun, Red Lights, Bliss, Catch 22, OW!, Druids.
SU:
What have you won?
TARA: Outdoor Nationals - Stan
Women's Indoor Nationals (4 times) - Bliss
Womens Outdoor Nationals - Twin Peaks (1) and Bliss (2)
Paganello Beach Tournament (3 Times) - Bliss
Copenhagen (Twice) - Bliss
Student Indoor Regionals (3 Times) - OW!
SU:
GB/ Worlds experience?
TARA: 1991 Europeans - Colchester, England
1993 Europeans - Netherlands
1995 - World Clubs - England
1996 - Worlds - Sweden
1997 - World Clubs - Vancouver, Canada
1999 - World Clubs - Scotland
2000 - Worlds - Germany
SU:
When did you start playing Ultimate?
TARA: 1991
SU:
Who got you started and how?
TARA: Toby Green - thank you!
I used to teach sport. I met Toby at a circuit training class and he invited
me along to an indoor frisbee session when he started the sharks team in Oxford.
With players such as Wayne Davey, Mark Dickinson and Connor Davies to watch
and learn from, together with their infinite encouragement and patience, I
stayed.
SU:
Who were your role models, if any?
TARA: When I started it was definitely only the
men in this country who played hard, threw themselves around, and had the
extra something that makes you wish for a moment you could be them. From my
novice viewpoint teams such as Audrey Hepburn, Bad Company and Regulators
were exciting to watch with players managing to catch, D and throw discs as
I would never have thought possible. Among my hero's were Olly Watson, Connor
Davies, Harry Golby, and Rob Philips.
SU:
Did you play student Ultimate?
TARA: Yes, with OW!, Oxford University.
SU:
What was your first non-student team?
TARA: Oxford Sharks
SU:
What did you like about student Ultimate?
TARA: Relaxed atmosphere, less pressure to win.
A higher ratio of female players to male, than is generally seen at open tournaments.
Hearing the words “I'll take the girl!!”.
SU:
Was the social life good? What were the main events?
TARA: Fantastic. As for the main events they
all seem to just merge into a haze of crawling out of student unions at some
unknown hour of the morning, which ever part of the country we were playing
in.
SU:
Why would you recommend Ultimate to a student?
TARA: A great place to learn. People are generally
encouraging and tolerant of mistakes. Most teams appear to be mixed gender
making for a great social life!
SU:
What was your big break?
TARA: Playing with Stan in 1993. They taught
me that women could play alongside men at the top, and that a team could be
both competitive and spirited.
SU:
What position/ role do you have in your team?
TARA: Bliss - Captain, Organiser! Recruitment
officer!!
Druids - To wear the purple with pride!
SU:
What advice do you have for new players?
TARA: Throw a lot.
SU:
How often do you practice?
TARA: Every weekend, and generally twice a week.
SU:
What was your favourite tournament?
TARA: World clubs, Vancouver in 1997. It was
the first time I had played with a women's team (Red Lights, Netherlands)
who had the mental strength and determination to do well, and the belief that
a European team could compete with those from the States and Japan. We finished
4th out of 30. Also the organisation for this tournament was the best I've
ever seen, including hot tubs next to the pitchs!
SU:
What was your favourite moment?
TARA: Laying out to catch the sudden death point
in an epic game against Australia at Worlds 1996. I felt I had arrived as
a player.
SU:
And your worst?
TARA: At the end of the co-ed final last year
(Wage v Chevy). Despite trying to find extra players the 3 women played iron,
with the team playing 6 on 7 for virtually the whole weekend. By the end of
the final, and despite a 2 point lead we literally ran out of legs. I've never
been so physically and mentally exhausted. The experience was only redeemed
by the fantastic team spirit.
SU:
Any parting words?
TARA: Enjoy. When you stop enjoying, stop playing.
