Rich Hims
SU
How old are you?:
Rich:
20
SU:
Which team do you play for?
Rich:
Jedi, Leeds
SU:
What are your credentials?
Rich: First tournament aged 14, Ross 95. Played about 15 points
all weekend for a short-handed Catch 22 when they were still a poor student team. Was invited
to play for Mild Mannered Janitors when they formed a few years back, and was lucky enough to
go to WUCC '99 with them, and
then I went to Germany last year with GB Juniors.
SU:
How long have you been playing Ultimate?
Rich:
6 Years, with a few gaps
SU:
What made you join the Ultimate Club?
Rich:
The question's the wrong way round. I picked Leeds because I wanted to play Student Ultimate
for Jedi. The six teams on my UCAS form were all in the top 8 at this year's Student Nationals.
SU:
What have been your favourite tournaments and why?
Rich: The two Worlds I've been too. Seeing top level play and
meeting international teams is great. In Germany, we had a chance to really strike a rapport
with some of the other teams, particularly we got on really
well with the Canadian juniors team. In fact, I seem to remember at least one person getting
on very well with one of the Swedes...
SU:
What position/ role do you have in your team?
Rich: On pitch, I like to think of myself as a D player, and I've
managed to pull the wool over the beginners eyes enough that they see me as someone to look
up to and learn from! Officially, I'm Club Captain, but I try not to stress that too heavily:
we have a great core of guys that started playing only last year that all have a real influence
on the team dynamic, and that's the way I want it.
SU:
How often do you practice and what do you do?
Rich: Three times a week, four once we get the first team practices going. As a club,
we also try to find time for a separate Womens practice. We do a variety of drills and skills,
we go through plays and strategies in some detail, and try to put that in to practice through
the games we play as the sun sets [short evenings in Leeds right now!]
SU:
Do you enjoy the social side of the club, what are your
main events?
Rich: I delegate all of the social responsibilities to our designated Social Secretary.
We tend to have Club Socials once a fortnight, and
organise at least one major event per semester, whether it be a Club meal, or major pub crawl.
SU:
Any advice to players just starting out?
Rich: Just go out and throw. And throw. And throw.
Like everything, the time you put
into Ultimate will pay you back over the years, so get some mates out on the park and work on
those skills.
SU:
Why should People play Ultimate?
Rich: Because it's simply the best sport in the world. I quit playing rugby because I'd been in
too many games where the ref determined the result. That doesn't happen in Ultimate.
