Better Understanding: Ulcerative Colitis (Inflammatory Bowel Disease) in Ultimate

Interviewer/Editor: hazard

Let's start with introductions. Who are you, and who do you play for? 

I'm Ryan Harris. I play for and founded Purple Cobras

Other than founding Purple Cobras, what is your proudest moment in Ultimate?

On-field I would say coming second at Mixed Beach Nationals just gone, in Cobras second outing at Mixed Beach Nationals.

Off-field I would say all of the players that we have recruited and how well they're all doing, for example this year we couldn't enter Mixed Indoor nationals because too many of our women were picked by GB in this cycle.

Ryan making a grab at Sunburn. His stoma guard can be seen on his stomach.
Photo Credit: Andy Moss for the ShowGame

How/When did you start playing Ultimate?

I play ultimate at Brunel University because I lost a bet. My brother was the captain/coach of Birmingham University and one of his friends from school happened to go to Brunel. He challenged me to a game of pool and if I lost I had to go to training and if I won I'd get £20. I rattled the black and lost and I then went to Skunks that weekend and won my first frisbee tournament. I was hooked from that moment on. I knew how to throw before I went to university but started officially in September 2010.

How/When did you find out you had Ulcerative Colitis (UC)? 

I was diagnosed just after I started playing ultimate in April of my first season but I had symptoms since December. I was loosely diagnosed on sports tour at Lloret de Mar in Barcelona as I passed out and hadn't been drinking due to loss of blood, and they had a strong inkling that I had Ulcerative Colitis as back in the UK they had repeatedly falsely told me I had IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome). I insisted on a colonoscopy as they had advised me to do in Barcelona and was then told I had severe UC by the doctors in the UK

In layperson's terms, what is Ulcerative Colitis?

Ulcerative Colitis is a chronic condition that causes inflammation and ulceration of the inner lining of the rectum and large intestine, ulcers develop on the surface of the lining and these can bleed profusely and produce mucus. In particular if you are not in remission and having a flare up.

Is that similar to Crohn's disease?

There is a fair amount of overlap between the two as they're both forms of IBD (Inflammatory Bowel Disease). The main differentiation is that with UC the whole intestine can be inflamed but that is only the inner lining whereas with Crohns it can occur in all layers of the bowel walls. My UC became so severe that I ended up requiring surgery and having my large intestine removed.

Is there any sort of treatment or cure to UC?

There are treatments, I ended up having all of them at some point or another. As I am from the Bedford area I started by having the drugs Pentasa and Azathioprine but this proved to be ineffective, and there were no other alternatives for me in that area of the country. I met a lady who had Colitis from the placement office at Brunel and she told me about St Marks which is a specialist Colitis and Crohn's hospital in Northwick Park and I managed to get a referral due to my Brunel Postcode and was then entitled to other more expensive treatments such as Infleximab which is an infusion that you are given every 8 weeks and Humira which was a self injection treatment.

In terms of cure there isn't a cure currently - though extensive funding is going into finding one. The only way to truly "cure" it is to have the surgeries I had. This can now be done in two surgeries (though originally this was three). The first surgery involves taking your large intestine out and forming an internal pouch from your small intestine and leaving you with a stoma. The second surgery involves testing the pouch for leakages and fully connecting your pouch internally. This was all done via keyhole surgery at St Marks.

What effect did both UC and the treatment have on your ability to play in an Ultimate team?

With UC I found things very difficult from when my symptoms first appeared in December before I was first diagnosed and that only worsened as I had severe anaemia and chronic fatigue. I really struggled and decided I would find a niche role for myself as a result which is why I became an endzone player as this required less fitness and I was able to focus on my catching ability, movement and jumping.

The treatment helped my condition but had other ramifications as I was on medicinal steroids for a long time which caused serious issues in my joints and the impact on my knees in particular is something I suffer from still today

The biggest thing with ultimate frisbee to be honest that I struggled from was the travelling as with UC you can need to go to the toilet 10-20 times a day and the urgency is severe. This caused me some serious issues and unfortunately accidents during both my travels and at certain tournaments before they became much better at having portable toilet facilities. I also had to starve myself at tournaments to try and get through it and avoid these complications

How close should the toilet facilities at a tournament venue be to the pitches, in your opinion?

No longer than 5 minutes maximum. I was once at a tournament on the furthest pitches and it was approximately a 10 minute walk back to the main clubhouse and the decision had been made to not provide a portable toilet due to cost. There was approximately 4 people at the tournament (that I know of) who had UC who all found it very difficult to cope. I will add this was not a UKU event

Is there anything else tournament directors need to consider for people with UC (or other IBD conditions) when they are planning a tournament?

I would say at the bigger events portable toilets are a must, giving players a pass that can allow them to bypass what can be substantial queues at tournaments for the toilet would also take a large amount of stress away from people who suffer from colitis/crohns. Due to it being a very embarrassing condition at times I am quietly confident there are more players with colitis who simply suffer in silence.

According to chronesandcolitis.org.uk, there's around 146,000 people in the UK (1 in 420) with UC, so I'm fairly sure it's a decent part of our community.

I am trying to raise awareness of colitis in frisbee currently and form a team for a tournament made up of players who suffer from IBD called "Look at your Dump" so if anyone is interested in playing on this team with me and raising more awareness in the ultimate community please get in touch.

What actions can someone take to support a teammate with UC?

Be understanding if you can see they're struggling, accommodate them the best you can as they will have certain food triggers that can make their condition worse which can be different for each individual person.

I have always been very fortunate with my teammates with my condition that they've all been extremely understanding and accommodated me to the best of their ability constantly and when driving me always checked on me and asked if I ever needed a service station stop.

There are times I have felt extremely unwell and needed to be admitted to hospital at short notice and had to miss a tournament. No one feels worse about missing tournaments and letting my teammates down than I do. If anyone on your team suffers from UC or Crohn's, please be understanding of these situations and reassure them both that you understand and your health comes first.

Are the food triggers unique for each person? Or are they always the same/similar?

There is a certain amount of overlap as fibre tends to have a very detrimental effect which is why I didn't eat fruit and vegetables prior to my surgery and even now I'm advised to have very limited quantities whereas I know other people who struggle with spicy food or milk for example.

The food triggers do tend to be unique to each individual person and there is no known way of knowing what will affect you. I kept a food diary and tracked what made me worse in order to form my diet long term.

Are there any questions you'd prefer teammates not ask you about? Or are there any you wish they'd ask you about but they don't due to awkwardness?

I have always been very open with my teammates about my condition and always explained everything in full to at least 2-3 members of the team so they knew what to do in case something happened to me as I had a period where I passed out at tournaments due to my anaemia.

What advice would you give to someone diagnosed with UC, or something similar?

Always speak to someone close to you and not be embarrassed as there are many people in the same situation and your close friends will always be understanding and supportive and it will feel as though a large weight has been lifted and to go on some of the colitis forums and seek advice as it makes you feel better knowing that you aren't alone and that you can still live your life to the fullest.

Any final words/anything I've missed?

Since I have had my J pouch my health has improved no end and has changed my life for the better. I would also like to thank everyone in the frisbee community who has always been supportive. During my most difficult times with my condition when I was in a dark place the people in the frisbee community were my rock and helped give me the strength to keep going.

If you are interested in joining Ryan's team to raise awareness of Colitis in the UK, you can contact him by email: ryan.d.harris1991@gmail.com

Links to extra resources:

https://www.crohnsandcolitis.org.uk/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ulcerative_colitis
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/ulcerative-colitis/

Tips for live-streaming Ultimate

Editor/Writer: hazard

One of the great changes in Ultimate coverage has been the ability of anyone to start a stream, and film a game. On one side, this is fantastic - it allows us to share our favourite sport, and potentially reach a audience who wouldn't otherwise get to see what Ultimate actually looks like.

But on the other side, it's nerve-wracking. A lot of "am I doing this right" or "is this actually working". This is particularly true if you're doing your first stream, but even if you've been doing it a while, you're still wondering if there's things you could do better.

So, here's an article with a lot of tips/tricks I've picked up over the years. The advice is split into three categories (basic, intermediate, advanced), so that you can chose how much feedback to take without overwhelming yourself. If you have any extra things to add, let us know in the comments! This is still a dialogue, and I hope this article at least helps a lot of people consider streaming in the future.

Streaming is fun! PC: Sam Mouat

Basic 

Quick tips for those who just want to grab a phone and start streaming! 

Commentating:
Regularly update viewers on the score (and scorers if you know them).
Be kind, and remember every player on the field has put in many hours of training.
Try to speak clearly, and don't talk over people.

Filming:
Film landscape - you often have to orientate your camera before you start filming (and turn on autorotate).
Include the name of the two teams, the division, and the tournament in the video description.
Filming should be carried out from the halfway position, and/or from an elevated position.
Have fun, you’re getting to watch Ultimate!

Intermediate

Building on the basic tips, here is advice for those who are a bit more comfortable streaming.

Commentating:
Be informative, but limit jargon.
Think about your audience, and whether you might be streaming to people that don't know Ultimate.
Admit mistakes, don’t dwell on them. No one wants to hear someone constantly apologising, but they do want correct information.
Think about what the audience may not know - sometimes it's hard to identify players, to see the wind direction, or to look up previous results at a tournament.
Avoid repetition of phrases/information.
Providing just basic information (e.g. score and calls on field) is fine. If you do add more, try to add substance.
Try to generate audience engagement*.
*If you are the audience, engage with the commentator! It makes streaming a lot more fun for all involved.

Filming:
Do not film injuries for extended periods. Once you’ve realised a player is injured, neither you, the player, nor the audience will gain anything from dwelling on it. Film another game or interview some fans instead until things are sorted.
Try to find a tripod to place the phone/camera on, or some method of support (particularly for longer games).
Make sure you're not getting in the way of the players, but also not in a place that people are often going to walk in front of you.
Check wifi/mobile data is consistent before you start filming.

Advanced 

Tips designed both for those individuals that want to push their media coverage to the next level, and for small/mid-sized tournament organisers hoping to provide official looking coverage, without breaking the budget.

Commentating:
Avoid swearing, especially if streaming to a public page.
Avoid nicknames, use surnames if possible. 
Seek to obtain a list of full names before the game commences.
If you have two commentators, choose one commentator to be play-by-play (describe what is happening), one to provide colour/additional detail.
Provide advice to potential commentators before filming. Have a game plan of what you are trying to do before the game starts (just scores, full coverage, etc.), in order to provide a more consistent tone.
Help out fellow commentators between streams. Give them feedback, correct any misstatements in a polite manner, and try to give them opportunities to flourish. You are a team, not competing individuals.

Filming:
Try to tag any relevant pages in your description.
Try not to have one person filming for an overly long time - swap round and give people breaks, or quality will deteriorate.
If you can afford a gimbal, feel free to move between plays to provide closer views of the action.
If you can afford an unlimited data sim card, it allows for more consistent streaming. Otherwise, 1GB per outdoor game may be a rough expected data cost.
Get someone to double check your stream so you can identify any issues.



For even higher level streams, you will get what you pay for by hiring camerapeople who know what they are doing, and paying commentators who do research before games start.

Also, I want to thank the various commentators/film crews I've worked with over the years for helping me develop my points of view on streaming to the point I felt I could develop this list. Particular thanks to the guys at the ShowGame (with whom I helped develop a first set of guidelines for their page) and Mike Palmer (for double checking this article and suggesting some filming improvements).

As a final addendum, if you don't have a page to stream from and are want to reach a public audience, there's an Irish and a UK where I know people are keen to see streams of games.

9 Takeaways from: Nottingham Windfarm (Women's/Open UKU Ranking event)

Editor/Writer: Hazard

As said, I wont be doing full coverage for UKU Club Ultimate this year. However, I attended this one, and thought there were some really interesting storylines to point out. If you'd like to write one of these in future, please get in touch!


Schedule

Women's
1. GB Women
2. GB Women's Masters
3. Bristol White
4. Deadly Buzz
5. Iceni
6. SMOG
7. GB U24 Women
8. SCRAM
9. Hydra
10. Reading Women 1
...

Open
1. GB Men
2. Chevron Action Flash
3. Clapham
4. Devon
5. Ranelagh
6. Alba
7. Pelt
8. GB U24 Men
9. Ireland U24 Men
10. SMOG
...

1. GB Men are dominant
Five games, five wins. No team scored more than 6 points against them (Ka-Pow!, Clapham and Chevron). Sure, Clapham and Chevron may have been weakened by some of their best players being on GB Men, but that's still an emphatic performance. 

2. GB Women are mentally dominant
Sadly, the Women's team did not go undefeated, despite taking the title. A sudden death loss (10-11) to GB Women's Masters means that they had to fight through the brackets the hard way, before winning the rematch 13-7. It's not a great sign to see the senior team lose (although it is nice to see the Masters team are still very strong). What is great to see is the response after the loss. GB Women are going to face a lot of tough games at EUC, so this experience will only have strengthened them.

3. GB U24 < Ireland U24, for now
Last year, the Ireland U24 team had some fierce match-ups with the GB side in the Open division. While they didn't meet this time, they did end up with similar results and only separated by a single seed. An unfortunate match up against Ranelagh means that Ireland were unable to come higher than 9th. But it looks like this is a game to watch out for at WU24UC. On the Women's side, I believe this will be Ireland's first U24 team, at least for a while. Despite that, they managed to top a bracket and finish 11th. It was more GB U24's impressive performance (7th, with some impressive victories) that kept a distance between the two sides.

4.  Bristol are shaking up Women's Ultimate
After taking Gold at Spring Break Vienna (a European tournament with some very impressive teams), it was interesting to see how they'd do here. The answer is that they'd have a very dominant performance for a split team, finishing as the highest club team in 3rd. And also tumble down the seeds a bit, lose in sudden death to GB U24s and Red, and finish 13th. Ah, the beauty of split squads. It would've been interesting to see a full strength (minus national players) Bristol team take on GB Women, but we'll have to wait for another time for that.

5. The Irish refuse to give up, or be consistent
Post-pools, the top Irish teams (Ranelagh/Pelt) seemed to be in the most commanding position in the event, with wins against Chevron/Clapham respectively. Sadly (for them), they then both lost their crossovers, against Clapham/Chevron respectively. Yup, that took me a while to get my head around too.

6. Any Irish women's team you haven't heard of is to be feared
This might be my personal unfamiliarity with the Irish team, but it seems like Ireland keeps sending over a team with a different name to UK tournaments. And, each time, no matter what they're called or where they come from, they seem to do very well. Deadly Buzz fairly comfortably beat every non-National team in every game they played, although they left early before a rematch against a now-gelled Bristol Red. 

7. Alba are good now
Rising 14 seeds this weekend (20th -> 6th), you could say Alba had a good time. They've been threatening it for a while, but the lads from Scotland finally entered a focussed open team into a tournament. Scotland has been focussing on mixed for a while, but with the emergence of SCRAM (7th in Women's) and the reinvigoration of Alba, it looks as if they're looking at other divisions again. As the season progresses, this could well be a team that has its eyes on an EUCF qualification spot. 

8. Thundering Herd know how to name a Women's team, but not a Men's one.
Thundering Herd - Mixed
Thundering Her - Women's
Thundering He - Open. Wait, nope, they went for Thundering Him instead. No, I don't regret spending one of my points on this.

9. Ranking Events are starting to take on a new structure
This was my first time at a ranking event, and it is still taking a while to capture people's minds. There were a lot of references to "Tour", with the similar competition structure not helping matters. However, it seems as if that is finally starting to change.  A Mixed Ranking Event has just been announced (Highfield Mixer) will be taking place after the third round of Open/Women's events. I wouldn't be surprised to see this continue, with local Tier 2 weekends being more flexible for venue availability. With that said, Ranking Event is a mouthful. Not that I have an easy answer. Also, as much as the flexibility of teams moving around was very nice and ensured competitive games, I did miss not having a C Tour trophy to fight for. 

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Absolute scenes at Nottingham Windfarm last weekend... Here's Jenna Thomson #11 (GB Women's Masters) getting a huge block in their semi final against Bristol Women's Ultimate. 📷 @andymoss461 for The Show Game #ultimate #frisbee #GB #vertical

A post shared by the ShowGame (@showgameulti) on Jun 3, 2019 at 1:27pm PDT