Arlington — The same day that the 2012 Summer Olympics comes to an end, Aug. 12 is also the start of another international sports event, the World Flying Disc Federation’s World Junior Ultimate Championships in Dublin, Ireland. Ultimate Frisbee teams from all over the world will be competing. Two Arlington residents will be a part of the U.S. team: Jojo Emerson and Jay Boyle.
Emerson and Boyle are graduates of H-B Woodlawn Secondary School and Yorktown High School, respectively. Both played on the joint Frisbee team between the two schools, known as YHB where they developed an interest in trying out for the champsionships after seeing members of other high school teams make the U.S. team.
According to USA Ultimate, the non-profit organization that acts as the governing body for Ultimate Frisbee in the United States, 271 people applied to try out and 156 were invited. Two separate tryouts were held in the east and west coast — in Georgia and another in Washington state, respectively. 79 people, including Emerson and Boyle, attended the one in Georgia.
The tryouts for the girls and boys teams lasted one weekend and consisted of fitness testing, drilling, and scrimmaging.
Boyle said that he was “confident” that he could make the team. “I would’ve been pretty surprised if I hadn’t at least made an alternate, but there’s always that little voice in the back of my head that’s like, ‘Of course you didn’t make it.’”
“I went in with no expectations, which is really surprising for me” said Emerson, contrary to Boyle. “I went in looking to have a good experience at tryouts without too much of a further goal.”
When the two of them found out they had made the team this April, they were both full of excitement.
“It was crazy. After walking into school after I had tweeted that I had made the team and having my entire varsity girls’ [Frisbee] squad come attack me it was the greatest feeling in the world,” said Emerson. However, she later realized that having made the team, the real work was about to begin. “Sitting in class after that” she said to herself “‘This is going to be a lot work.’”
Boyle was also in a state of euphoria the day he heard the news.
“Honestly, I spent the rest of the day on cloud nine. I told everyone that I saw. I think I cried a little a bit when I first saw the email,” said Boyle. He said that he cried more than when he found out that he got accepted into tryouts, having originally been wait-listed. “It was definitely one of the happiest moments of in my life. Having that kind of a goal, having that kind of a drive, and having it come through was amazing.”
In the days leading up to the championship, the boys’ and girls’ teams will both attend training camp in Boston from Aug. 5-11, then to Dublin, where the championship will be from Aug. 12-19.