PHOTO VIA Kyle Dolbow

The Youth Club Championships (YCC) is the largest youth ultimate frisbee tournament in the United States, allowing young players to showcase their skills on a national level. This past summer, four Mounds View students — seniors Kyle Dolbow, Vincent Meyer and Katherine Schaberg and recent graduate Wyatt Mackenthun — represented Minnesota’s ultimate frisbee team, Minnesota Superior, at the Under-20 YCC. There, Schaberg placed second in the mixed division and Dolbow, Meyer and Mackenthun placed 11th in the open division.

The YCC team selection process involved rigorous tryouts and multiple rounds of picks. Athletes participate in two tryout practices, and if all athletes accept their spots on the team, that forms the final roster. If some choose not to accept, the coaching staff will select replacements in subsequent rounds. The combination of high competition and the need for adaptability made the selection process intense and competitive.  

Once they made the teams, the athletes had to learn how to play with new teammates. Schaberg, who usually plays on a girls team, stated that it was especially challenging to adapt to playing on a mixed team. Girls teams are typically more structured in their plays while guys teams tend to improvise more. “Mixed play is often the hardest to perfect because we [are used to] separate guys and girls teams throughout our other seasons,” said Schaberg. 

Preparing for the YCC in Colorado included several steps to adjust to the high elevation. “I thought I’d be fine, but the elevation was much harder than expected,” said Schaberg. “You could definitely feel the air was thinner.” Leading up to the tournament, the athletes focused on cardio training in order to use the maximum amount of oxygen efficiently. They also arrived at the tournament three days earlier to adjust to the elevation. Despite this, a few of Dolbow’s teammates were hospitalized due to heat stroke, caused by the lack of oxygen as well as the high UV index present.

In addition to physical challenges in Colorado, the athletes faced both psychological and technical challenges due to the thinness of the air. This left athletes having to fight a mental battle of pushing through and dealing with the fatigue that came with the high altitude. “It was mostly a mental battle. Even though you couldn’t breathe that well, you just kind of had to push through it. You couldn’t just quit,” said Schaberg. Players also had to adjust their throwing technique, as the disc lacked air resistance in high altitudes, causing throws to go farther.

These athletes’ experiences from the YCC season can enhance the upcoming season for Mounds View’s ultimate team. “I think my Superior season will give me more insight and knowledge into how to help improve not only the team, but myself,” said Schaberg. The athletes learned new drills, skills and techniques that they plan to bring to Mounds View’s team, helping younger players build up their skills. “I can bring my experience from playing summer with such a high level […] and help my teammates level up their game,” said Dolbow.