HANCOCK — For several months now, members of local GUTS Frisbee teams, Shottle Bop and Monte Carlo, have been practicing at Hancock High School on Saturday mornings throughout the winter. The practice sessions were aimed at continuing to hone skills for the next Bill Beckman; “Under the Dome” With Frisbee tournaments being held in Marquette starting on St. Patrick's Day, this session will allow players to share their love of tossing plastic discs at high speed with others interested in the sport. It also served as an opportunity to share.
“Well, that's a good excuse for us to come to the gym.” Shottle Bop's Will Blau said on a recent Saturday morning. “Especially in a winter like today. And especially we have to adjust to be able to maintain our skills over the winter. The last time we actually played a tournament was in late September 2023. , it was just fine. We've been practicing every week. We do this every Saturday at noon.
Blau said a nice little group usually meets every Saturday for activities.
“We usually get about 10 on average.” He said. “So today I was a little below average. But it's a little difficult to really dive into a sport unless you play it consistently.”
As the Bill Beckman Tournament approaches in Marquette, Blau and his friends and teammates are preparing.
“So practice as much as you can here, keep moving your hands, keep improving your shot accuracy, that's good.” He said. “Speaking of the tournament coming up. We have a dome tournament. It's actually at Marquette in the Superior Dome. So let's do it on St. Patrick's Day.”
Monte Carlo team members will also be heading to Hancock Gym, creating a bit of friendly competition in practice.
“Most of the Shottle Bop team is here. A lot of the guys from Monte Carlo are playing. So it's been good.” Blau said. “Competition is always good. There's always Kevin at the market and he travels every week. So it's good, it's just an excuse to hang out with the guys.”
Brough and teammates such as Kyle Svant, Al Nettel, Carter Nettel and Scott Brooks have had a consistent rivalry with Monte Carlo over the past few years, which also includes Tyler Turcotte, Tyler Brunette and Cameron Murray. Ta. That led them all to improve.
“It's gotten better every year in terms of the competition we play against.” Blau said. “When I started, my dad (Ron) was one of the better players. Now he wouldn't even play on the line with us, because there's a wave of young people coming in. That's what has really grown this sport. So it's been really fun.”
Blau admits that he, too, is starting to get a little older. That's why he enjoys helping teach Michigan Tech students who are interested in learning about the sport while continuing his own training.
“Now I'm not even a young man anymore.” he said with a laugh. “We have some guys at Tech that are just starting out, but they can throw and catch just like us. We need to get out here and practice and keep up with the younger players. . It's crazy that we're only 25 years old, but I mean, the competition every year is crazy, and now everyone's coming for us, and it's fun.”
Michigan Technological University students who come to learn the game have experience with disc golf and ultimate frisbee, so they can pick up the guts quickly.
“Most of them are disc golfers or ultimate players, so a lot of it is seamless.” Blau said. “So a lot of them are familiar with disc sports. The hardest part is getting over the learning curve of catching. Everyone can throw a Frisbee, everyone can play catch, and everyone can make a two-handed grab. But when you have to use one hand to catch a disc coming at you at 70 or 80 miles per hour, it's a different story.
“If you can get over the little learning curve of catching, if you have a competitive bone in your body, this is a good sport for you.”
Shottle Bop won the International GUTS Frisbee Tournament in Hancock this summer. They have finished either first or second in several other tournaments in recent years and know they are now the team other teams are chasing.
“The target is on our backs.” Blau said. “Everyone wants to beat us and catch our shot, but it's not going to happen. So, that's fine. As they say, you gotta keep the young kids humble. Well, that’s fun.”
Connor Stair and Luke Watten of Michigan Technological University's Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity spearheaded the influx of students to GUTS on Saturday.
“They have brought in a lot of players and have had great results so far.” Blau said. “They brought in a lot of teams that played in tournaments and stuff. So it was great.”
The challenge of competing against new faces keeps Blau and his teammates back in the gym every week.
“When it comes to points, it's a little bit humbling because when you lose, there's a big doubt that goes, 'Oh, Shottle Bop lost, Shottle Bop lost.' But in some ways, as a team, we're a little bit more humble. I think it's only gotten better because it forces me to practice harder.
“We can't take the game lightly like we used to. Every team has players that can single-handedly beat us. So having that target on our backs makes us like the big guys in the game. That's fine because our sport is so small and we want to make it as big as possible.”
Blau and his teammates are enjoying the moment while being ambassadors for the sport.
“So someone has to be the face of the game.” He said. “We know we're young, we know we're going to be honest, we know we're going to talk to other teams, we're going to be grumpy, and that's okay because that's part of the sport.”