gooseberryhigh | (no subject)

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Really great game everyone. Nice catch, North. ~~I mean the celebrating was a little unspor~~. Sad we lost but it was a good fight!

[Ribbonfin Quidditch]

Thinking over how the game went, I suggest we focus on chaser synergy. When you three get into a groove, it's great. We scored goals every three to five minutes after the eighty-minute mark, so when we're hot we're definitely hot - you guys fly together beautifully when we get on it. We just need to get there faster. Their chaser formation and beater's broke you up too easily and made it hard for you to get back together and regroup. We need to work on how you bounce back.

With that in mind, I think some drills with Ramon and Calvin purposefully trying to break up your formations with all they got will be useful. Do you guys agree? I think if we can get you three to bounce back from a bludger or an opposing chaser breaking you up quicker you'll get into a groove better.

Lastly - I want your opinions, and yes I want them even if you think I don't - Which strategy did you think worked best for the team? Chasers, were you able to focus better and take better shots when Calvin and Ramon were keeping the bludgers away from you? Or did you think it was better when they tried to take out Webb? I want your honest opinions, and whatever they are you will all hear each other out.

And, we're doing a bonding activity this Thursday night. Saturday before breakfast we will go for a run together, and obviously Saturday we'll practice as normal.

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Sorry to hear about the loss, duckling. I'm sure you all played your hearts out.

Thanks, love. We did our best.

♥ ♥ ♥

♥ thank you, beautiful.

It worked better when they were keeping the bludgers from us, for me. But maybe if they'd taken out Webb it would've slowed their score count faster. Their synergy evaporated quick as fuck when he was down. I don't think the idea is that their chasers are better, they're better together n us. They got a lotta time on us, so working on our synergy would be brill.

You bounced back from that bludger right quick though, Rush. Like a fucking bull.

That's true. Individually I don't think any of them are better than any of you, but as a team they outflew you because - like you said - they have better synergy. Anyone else want to chime in on that?

Also, definitely agreed. Tobias took that hit like a champ and came back really well.

Edited 2017-11-06 19:42 (UTC)

As individuals they're not better, but they know each other's quirks better.

As strategies go, I think starting with Chaser synergy and moving on to defensive beater moves would be good? Cos you know, I'm not going to take a bludger unless I absolutely have to, but scattering is a real pain in the ass.

Thing is, we're always focusing on keeping the Bludgers off all of you and out of the other team's hands. There are four Beaters and two Bludgers, most of our time is spent competing with them for control. The question's just a matter of where we're aiming the Bludgers once we have them. Interfering with their Chasers should give ours an upper hand and keep them off your back while everyone's finding their footing.

Of course, but I think the difference I was getting at which I'm not sure I really explained well, was that when you were focusing on disrupting their beaters it let our chasers focus on scoring a bit more ~~not that they did~~ and made it harder for Ebonhide to get across the field. They scored the slowest at that point. When you switched up your aim and starting targeting Solo, it meant they played more defensively and changed their positioning. We scored more then, but they also scored just as much.

I don't think EITHER of our strategies were going to be very effective against a chaser team like theirs if we can't provide a consistently similar performance from our chasers. So what do all think we could do to off set that in the future?

Edited 2017-11-06 19:53 (UTC)

Before we took down an enemy Chaser, we'd only scored 3 times. Afterwards, sure they got in 4 more goals, but we got in 6. It did help with defence. Ramon and I can't just play keepaway with the other Beaters all game. We need targets. Use us.

Still, you're right, once our Chasers are in a better spot this'll get easier. Took months playing in the sophomore games with Ramon to really learn to work together... So maybe arrange some skirmishes? Drills are all good and well, but they already know the game, they just don't know one another. More time spent actually playing against a team with all the unpredictable bits might help.

And when you didn't keep the bludgers away from them, Tobias got smacked and Ryder almost got knocked off her broom several times. It's a matter of balance. Both aggressively breaking up their formations and keeping control of the bludger as well as using the bludgers to attack a chaser have their merits. It just won't matter if we can't back any of those types of plays up.

Hm, do you think skirmishes would help the other teams too much? Should we employ some trustworthy non-Quidditch players to do skirmishes? That would ALSO help with unpredictability. Maybe some of the juniors who played in the unofficial league last year with you and Ramon?

Edited 2017-11-06 20:24 (UTC)

We can go round about there if we keep going on about it. The beaters job is playing keep away with the bludgers and our job is playing keep away with the quaffle. The beaters performed a fair bit better n we did. If we expect Evercreech and Delgado to keep overexerting themselves to cover for us, they're gonna get gassed out the longer this goes on. A team is about reliance on individual parts and if we don't figure out how to pull our own slack, we're not gonna be winning much of anything.

Skirmishes sound like a good idea. Not sure if it'd tip any other team off since we don't have much of a plan, but I doubt other teams will be eager to help us perform better. A pick up game might not be too bad though.

I agree with you on that. We need to rely on our Beaters but not to the point where if they aren't playing at 200% we can't do anything. They already are performing at full speed and effort, we need to figure out another tactic to give them a break.

Yeah, I don't want them to benefit from this either. We've got a lot of time before the next game, so we have plenty of chances to get our rhythm down and find good people to do pick up matches with.

Myself (and Ramon) are willing to do what we have to for the team, but either way I know it's only a matter of time before we're all on the same level.

If you're that concerned about spies, just ward the house. There must be at least seven Ribbonfins who'd be willing to play. Then we can sort of [...] shuffle elements between the two teams? The Chasers on one, Beaters on the other, etc. That way we're still challenged and they aren't overwhelmed.

Edited 2017-11-06 23:20 (UTC)

I know you two are, but just like Tobias is willing to take bludgers I don't want you playing so hard you end up exhausting yourselves or damaging your health in some way. I love to win as much as the next person but this should be, above all, fun and rewarding personally.

That's a really great idea. I know everyone is booking the pitch a ton, I'll see if I can get some time on Friday nights to do pick up games in addition to our Thursday bonding and Saturday practices.

Edited 2017-11-06 23:23 (UTC)

I'd be game for, if we're doing skirmishes, to off the balance occasionally depending on what to practice. Bludger avoidance? Make the other team beater heavy. Chaser synergy? Other team's chaser heavy so there's more people to work around.

Okay, so... hear me out. What if instead of trying to outfly the bludgers, I just let them hit me.

Friendo

No

I'm way better at that than I am at going fast.

[...]

~~Then you need to learn how to~~
~~No winning isn't worth~~

Winning isn't worth risking your well being that blatantly.

Haha, it's cool. I have a really hard head. My grandma says I fell out of like three different trees when I was a kid, and I'm fine.

~~Well that kind of ex~~

Toby, no.

Although we could ALL use some training on how to protect yourself and take a bludger safely, I suppose?

Your endurance is admirable, Rush, but letting you get hurt is absolutely not how Ramon and I want the team to help us.

Let's all just note we need to help you improve your dodging.

Thanks! I mean, ok. Whatever you say.

I'll try anything once.

Appreciated. Try and get out of the way of Bludgers if you can.

Excellent. Maybe sometime next week we can take an hour to work on your evasion.

Awesome. Like... dodge or die. [...] Except not literally, duh. ~~Unless you wanted t~~

I agree we should work on your evasion. ~~You don't have the brain cells to spare.~~ You getting taken out of the game isn't terribly helpful.

Trying anything once isn't meant to be anything that might actually harm your head, you loveable ass.

They could also hit my body.

Which is part of your body. Also breakable. Also preferable in one piece.

Do you want to practice dodging with me and Ramon and Calvin and stuff? You're already pretty good at it, but I bet it'll be fun.

Are you seriously asking that? YEAH I'm there.

There's more to chasing than going fast. This ain't bloody American football, mate, we don't need linebackers.

Or running backs.

The blokes that do the tackling.

The tackle.

I overestimated the naming creativity of a sport that stole another sport's name when it ain't got a lick to do with feet.

Either way, there ain't no tackling in quidditch, mate.

What we need to do is start up a game of tag. Test how fast you can really get by making you have to fly away from something chasing you.

There's a kicker too.

[...] I'll do my best.

I did not realize I could be more disappointed and yet here we are. At least the bloke gets to use his foot in football.

No, mate, I'll kick your arse. That's what you say when some wanker challenges you to a game of tag. Go on, you can say it.

When I was in the third grade, a kid in my class made me say some really rude stuff in Chinese, and now I kind of try not to repeat words I don't understand.

[...]

What word didn't you understand in that?

I mean that's a bloody great rule of thumb.

Just like [...] ~~most of it? Most of what you say, yeah.~~ a couple of things. Hey, do I really have to kick your ass?

Uh preferably not physically, no. I'm very small and I might tip over like a bloody teapot.

Sick, because I actually don't love hitting.

You're a giant so I imagine loads of people don't love you hitting neither.

[...]

Yanks play tag, right?

Yes, we do.

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