Last night was the Longmont ultimate league tournament, and the end of many years running that league. Despite the fact that it’s the end of May, we’d had snow earlier in the week and it rained the entire day before. The forecast called for rain the day of the tournament as well, and I fully expected that we wouldn’t play because the city would close the fields. But the weather held, and we took the field in a 40-degree chill.
My team beat our first opponent handily, and started off strong in the second game, but then sort of imploded and lost the semi-finals. That team went on to take a dramatic victory in the championship game. Several of the players, including the captain, had never won a GRU league before, so it was cool to see them finally make it happen. One of them told me she’s been playing in GRU for 18 years and never won, so I was happy for all of them.
Despite the unseasonably cold weather, it was a fun evening. During a brief bout of rain, as the sun was setting over the mountains, we were treated to an amazing double rainbow. The pictures definitely don’t do it justice.
Since I’ll be gone in the fall, I won’t get to play in Longmont league again. I was touched when, just before the championship game, a big group of people gathered around me to present me with some t-shirts they’d all autographed. A few of my friends had taken the shirts around to all the teams that night, asking people to sign them. Even though I’ll play in the summer league, it’s sad to leave behind Longmont league. This one has been dear to my heart for a long time, and I love the spirit in the league and the camaraderie of the hundred or so people who play in it.
