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School Name: Bowdoin College
Team Name: Chaos Theory
Captains: Gimli (Katie Blizzard), D’Scheisse (Julia Littlefield), Mystique (Liz Leon), Licious (Sadie Nott)
Year Founded: 2002
Jersey Colors: Black and White
Score Reporter
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Tell us a little about yourself. How did you get involved with Ultimate at your school?
Katie: I never played ultimate before coming to Bowdoin. I can’t even remember why I decided to join Chaos Theory freshman year, but the team quickly became one of my favorite parts of life at Bowdoin.
How did your team do last year? What was the highlight of your season?
Katie: Chaos Theory placed 14th last year in Women’s College Regionals, though the highlight of our season was definitely hosting Sectionals at Bowdoin. We had great weather and great support from our friends and the Bowdoin men’s team, Stoned Clown. We were really fired up to win the tournament, but were happy with 2nd place and felt that our team played with great energy and focus throughout the weekend.
Who is your favorite team to play against?
Katie: We always enjoy our games against Middlebury. They seem to have a great attitude as a team and play with a lot of spirit. Plus they have awesome flair. We had a fun game against them this fall at Regionals. A freshman on our team has an identical twin who plays for Middlebury and if it wasn’t for Middlebury’s distinctive flair we probably wouldn’t have been able to tell them apart.
How does your team bring new players up to speed?
Katie: We put a lot of energy and effort into our fall season (September through mid-November). We welcome new players (no cuts) at the beginning of the academic year and dedicate the first month of practices to teaching the rookies, most of whom have never played before, all aspects of the game. We compete in a tournament (many mixed ones with Stoned Clown) or scrimmage almost every weekend in the fall. It’s a great time of the year where we are mostly focused on learning and teambuilding. It’s also very important for the growth and development of our team in the long run as very few students come to Bowdoin with previous ultimate experience.
Has your team set any goals for this season? What are they?
Katie: I would really like for us to be more competitive at Regionals in the spring. In the past this tournament has coincided with a very busy academic time of the year for Bowdoin students and a lot of our players can’t make the trip. Thus, we are usually pretty short on players at Regionals and don’t always play our best.
What has your team been doing this fall to prepare for the spring season?
Katie: Even though our focus is primarily on our rookies, our veteran players do compete in the Women’s Club Championship Series. This year we went to Sectionals and Regionals for the second year in a row. Usually we find ourselves out of our league against the club teams, but it is a great learning opportunity for us and helps us step our game up to the next level.
How do you practice during the harsh Maine winters?
Katie: We practice outside until mid-November and then again starting in April. In the meantime, we try to get time in Bowdoin’s indoor field house or one of the gyms. Unfortunately, varsity teams or intramural leagues usually occupy these spaces so we have to settle for practicing from 7-9pm on weekend nights or holding spontaneous practices whenever we find a free gym. Additionally, we organize carpools down to Portland to play in events such as Portland Ultimate’s Sub Early Sub Often.
What tournaments do you plan to attend in the spring? Which one are you most looking forward to?
Katie: Our team definitely looks forward to High Tide in Savannah, Georgia more than anything else, maybe out of the entire year. We traditionally roadtrip down there with Stoned Clown during our spring break to spend a week playing ultimate and hanging out on the beach. Interest in this tournament has gotten so high that we have to make cuts.
What does your team do to get pumped up for a big game?
Katie: We usually do our favorite drill, log flow. It gets our hearts pumping and helps us get a good energy going.
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