Co-Captains Jack McGovern ’15 and Jordan Swett ’15 will lead Andover Ultimate Frisbee in its quest to improve on its fourth-place finish at the New England Prep School Ultimate League (NEPSUL) Championship Tournament last year.
In preparation for the season, Swett and McGovern have been running weekly workouts and scrimmages for the Varsity team since the Fall Term. This year, Andover started training early for the season and worked towards improving vital skills before the spring.
In an email to The Phillipian, returning player Darian Bhathena ’16 wrote, “Our captains did an amazing job organizing practices and workouts for returning players, and even pickup games for other kids who were curious about the game and wanted to try it. That preparation is the difference between wins and losses early in the season.”
McGovern wrote in an email to The Phillipian, “Not all of the athletes trying out were able to practice over break and some haven’t even ever played at all! That being said, the Varsity team has some strong candidates for this upcoming season, and we are all very excited for it.”
When asked about the probability of securing the championship this season, Swett was optimistic. “I have a really good feeling about this season. We’ve never had year-long weekly practices before, so our team is heading into the season better than ever with much stronger team chemistry. This means we will be much stronger as a team right off the bat,” he said.
McGovern said, “Our team is looking solid this year. We have ten returning Varsity players and some strong athletes trying out this year. [Andover] can compete with the best ultimate teams out there. We just have to work hard and focus on our game.”
The two Captains are emphasizing accurate passes and building trust between teammates during practices, so that the team can execute on the field. Additionally, they are making all newcomers feel welcome on the team.
Duschia Bodet ’16 wrote in an email to The Phillipian, “Everyone is really supportive; coaches, returning players and new players all seem very kind and just out to have a good time. It should be a really great season.”
Many players are new to the sport, and it often takes many games to get acclimated to the sport. Both Captains have tried to address this during the offseason and will continue to inspire confidence in new players.
Other veterans are making an effort to help newcomers as well. Bhathena added, “At this point last year I was struggling to become familiar with a strange game while worrying about whether I was going to make the team. As a returner, I’m just excited to get on the field and help new players grow to the love the game as much as I have.”
Andover will kick off the season on Wednesday April 1, with a game against one of its rivals, Andover High School. The team hopes that a win will propel it to a quick start this season.
