As a member of the Boston Rude Boys in 1982 and 1983, Jim Herrick is a
former National and World Ultimate champion. Along with Mark Ide and The
Wellesley Ultimate Frisbee club he is credited with inventing Goaltimate.
On Christmas day 1978 there was over a foot of old snow
on the Wellesley High School Football field. This was the home of W.U.F. –Wellesley
Ultimate Frisbee—and the traditional Christmas afternoon game was severely
compromised that day by the foot and a half and a nice crust, which one could
walk on top of if one were Fred Astaire. Running, on the other hand,
(foot?) involved a complicated stomp devoid of speed.
Enlightened use of the elements dictated we revert to the traditional Black
Master model Frisbee rather than our new 165’s. Similarly, the "H"
style football goalposts proved a natural solution to our "inability to
run" dilemma. A spontaneous game of "Goaltimate" erupted.
As the
snow around the goal got mashed down the rules evolved in a torrent of epithets
that never deterred the action. "Make it, take it" yelled Mark Ide as
he laid it out in the endzone, snagged the disc, skidded, rolled and sprang up
throwing to my sister Lynn. "No clearing through the goal" she
screeched at Mark thus averting the sport’s first turnover. "Gotta clear
past the twenty" the defense roared. "No boundaries," "stall
counts 5" and "boxing out’s legal" were demanded and
unchallenged. In the finest WUF tradition, discussion on rule interpretations
and evolutionary changes never happened at the expense of play.
Three years later Mark and I showed up at a 6am Boston Rude Boy practice in a
frigid October rain. Only 6 players showed, but the "H" goalposts were
there, so as was the WUF custom with fewer than 9, we goaltimated.
Posting up and boxing out were some of the new elements that Goaltimate
brought to Ultimate. Also welcome were the divergent strategies within any team
which facilitate the coexistence between "rabbits" (who contest every
clear with infinite stamina) and "goalies" who conserve their efforts
for offense, the big block, or postgame. Perhaps the greatest enhancement
relates to what Goaltimate is not burdened with: STOPAGES IN PLAY.
Civility reigns in Goaltimate simply because there is no opportunity to stop
and scream at your teammates or opponents. And civility, my friends, in
combination with skill, speed, finesse, stamina, strategy, flight, laying it
out, and a dash of panache makes for a truly beautiful sport.
