Recent History
A staple of Central region women’s ultimate, Nemesis has their beady eyes set on Sarasota for 2011. In 2010 they were both regional champions and they took home their home town title from the Chicago Heavyweight Championships.
Nemesis finished seventh at the 2010 USA Ultimate Club Championships.
Roster Turnover
It’s all about new growth this year. Nemesis picked up 9 talented rookies this season to replace some long time players and captains Sally Mimms and Jess Hellyer among others. Captain Courtney Keisow said, “We are looking to use our roster to its maximum potential by strategically incorporating each and every player.” Bringing nine new players up to speed is a difficult task for any team, but Nemesis is looking to tighten the screws in the upcoming series.
Nemesis’s two full-time coaches, Phil Broering and Akira Yamaguchi, have their work cut out to prep Chicago to be a national contender.
Strategy, Leadership, and Philosophy
With a significant roster turnover this season, the club is looking early to get . They’ll be spending most of their preseason building team chemistry and piecing together fundamental roles for their.
The Chicago coaches will also be key to fine tuning the Nemesis game.
“Phil stresses fundamentals and work ethic with a no-nonsense approach. His speeches in the huddles are somehow funny, stern, and encouraging at the same time. Akira is a very observant and pensive coach, giving us the right advice at the right time and helping to fine tune our skills.” -Courtney Keisow, Nemesis Captain
Spring Results & Regular Season Schedule
Nemesis is looking to travel more and seek the advanced west cost competition. They headed to Seattle for ECC and have sights set on Santa Cruz’s nearing Labor Day. A trip out East to Virginia Fusion is also on the docket for Chicago.
At ECC they posted notable wins against 2010 Semi-finalist Brute Squad and regional competition Revolution. But, they fell short in big games against Fury, Riot, and Japanese UNO. Labor Day results will prove if Nemesis is growing together like a young team needs to do.
Season Goals
Keisow puts pressure on Nemesis’s pre-season performance stating, “Our road to nationals will clearly depend on our performance at pre-series tournaments.”
There is a clear focus on reaching a comfortable team dynamic early in the season so the latter part of the series can all be minor adjustments instead of huge O and D line chemistry shifts.
2011 Outlook
While they have played well at ECC, Nemesis needs to clamp down and focus on closing games. Their shot at making nationals out of the Central Region seems sure and steady, but with so many new players the Chicago women’s club will have to take nothing for granted.
Stop by Nemesis’s website (http://www.chicagonemesis.com/)
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