(What was going to happen) Until Next Year...

This might be the toughest decision I've ever had to make. Not that I have difficult decisions ever. The hardest choice I ever have to make is deciding which football(s) game to tivo. But this was actually a life decision, one that I didn't want to make, but felt I had no choice.

I will not be competing in the UPA Series this semester.

In the grand scheme of things, this isn't really that big a deal. But I love this sport and the people who are in it so much that to have to say I won't be able to compete until next year hurts me a great deal, especially with all of the work that has already gone into this year.

The main reason is that it's not fiscally possible. In order to compete, I have to be enrolled in class. I'm already done with the coursework I need for my degree. The only reason I was enrolling in school this semester was to play Ultimate. I figured I could scrape by for one more semester and go from there. While there's a slight chance I would be able to pull it off, it creates a lot more problems in the future than it is worth for now. 

By not playing (and not having to pay for school), I can begin saving money for the future. I plan on going back to school next spring and pursuing a graduate degree, which needs to be paid for. I can live somewhat comfortably now with the little money I earn, while still being able to travel with the team and have fun enjoying places like Stanford, North Carolina, and Colorado instead of being holed up with nothing to do because I have no money to do anything with. 

If I were to play, I would be reaching far and wide to make ends meet in order to come up with the money to pay for school, travel, food, etc. 

Hopefully my teammates understand this position and don't get upset with the position I have put them in. However, I don't feel like my absence hinders their ability to play well. As a matter of fact, hopefully it makes them even better. I'm not a great defender in general, and the way I'm built to play offense is the exact opposite of what our offense is designed to do. I have seen us run a very smooth, efficient offense quite often without my presence. As a matter of fact, it runs well when I'm on the field just standing still. 

In moving forward, I am in no way distancing myself from the team. I will still be at every practice, pickup, scrimmage and tournament, doing everything I can to help out the team. Also, I will be using this time to focus, train, and prepare for the club season. I'm excited for the possibilities for the next year and year after that. 

Besides, with all the time I've already spent watching from the sideline this season due to some incredible misfortune for our team, what's another few months?

See you on the field. Kind of.