When I started playing in high school, I was that kid who could run fast and had "potential" - whatever that meant. It wasn't until after my senior year, though, that I played for Impulse. There, I learned what the sport was really about and my coaches helped me reach that potential. I'm almost 5 years removed from my playing days with Impulse, but the skills, strategy and attitude I gained playing for the team have carried over into my college career. Playing Impulse is an experience every player, who desires to be better, should do. The coaches train you in a way that you can succeed that season, while also instilling a mentality of the way you play the sport that sticks with you throughout the rest of your ultimate career.
-Jay Huerbin (University of Pittsburgh, 5th Year)
Standout Defensive Player, National Qualifier (2010, 2011)
YCC's every year was an unbelievable journey in and of itself. It really is the most fun tournament there is at a high school level. All the other tournaments are also awesome, and beating a club team as a youth team is one of the best feelings in the world.
As a player, Impulse was by far my biggest growing experience. Playing with the rest of the best players in high school all summer really is the best thing you can do. I learned so much from the coaches and fellow players every year. For any player who can play more than one year of the team, it is really amazing to look back at the year before. Every year I played, I would look back on the year before and think, "wow I can't believe how bad I was. I'm gonna be so much better this year."
As a person, it is also a great experience. Any team sport is, but this is really the most rewarding. You and your team are working toward a NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP. It doesn't get any bigger than that. Working all summer to help the team achieve that goal is an unbelievable thing on and off the field. You really learn to be a teammate and a friend.
-Alex Thorne (University of Pittsburgh)
World Champion (2008), Callahan Nominee (2011), National Qualifier (2009, 2010, 2011)
Looking back, my one summer on Impulse completely changed the way that I approach the game of Ultimate. For the first time it felt like Ultimate could really be a “sport,” not just something I enjoyed playing with my friends. This was only possible because of my teammates on Impulse. Every single practice there was someone pushing you to become the best you can be. This motivated me to work as hard as I can to become faster, stronger, etc., which was a huge step for me. However, the most important thing Impulse did for me was to give me the transition from high school ultimate to college ultimate. On elite college teams, no one plays nearly as much as they would in high school. Learning how to give it your all for those points you are in, and then going to support your teammates while you are on the sideline will help you when taking the next step to college or club.
-Ryan Smith (University of Illinois)
Illinois Captain, All-Region (2010), National Qualifier (2010, 2011)
Quite simply, playing on Impulse is what made me a serious frisbee player. I had almost no experience before my first season of youth club, but the coaches taught me everything I needed to know about playing ultimate frisbee. They teach all the fundamentals, but I actually looked forward to every practice because it was always fun. The skills I learned helped me win a PHUL championship and play on Pitt's A team as a freshman. Also, the friends I have made while playing were just as valuable as the skills I gained from practicing.
-Aaron Watson (University of Pittsburgh)
National Qualifier (2011)
We love our summers here, the drama, the intensity, adrenaline, bonding. Impulse has been the center of all that and more for our family for the last six years and we anxiously await the next one. Impulse isn't just a team, nor is it a program, it's a journey, complete with twists and turns ending with a grand finale. We're a lucky family that we happen to be in Pittsburgh where Nick Kaczmarek and Ben Banyas had the initiative to not only put together a great program, but to craft it so well that it became the mainstay of our summer life. From the tryouts and selection process, through the grueling training regimen and expert one on one and team coaching, into the tournaments and culminating in the Youth Club Championship this is one great experience and one of the gems of Pittsburgh.
-Henry Thorne (North Hills Parent)
To me, Impulse was a way to play for something bigger than my high school team. I was an okay player when I started, but at tryouts I saw a whole other level of play that I wanted to reach. Playing with a lot of the guys I normally played against helped me take my game to the next level, as well as make some friends across the city. Over the course of the summer it was just 20 or so of us pushing each other and ourselves to become better. To work harder, run faster, jump higher, play even when we had been doing sprints and crazy plyos for hours beforehand. Each of us became part of something bigger than ourselves, and we all wanted the same thing; represent our city on the National level. Playing on Impulse solidified my love for Ultimate, and has allowed me to become the player that I am today.
-Cody McInnis (University of New Hampshire)
All-Region (2010, 2011)
My favorite memories were learning all I could about how to improve myself as a player and where I fit into the team's philosophy. Everything I learned in my first season of Impulse was more than I learned in my two years of playing for my high school. There is so much I had to learn in a short summer, and every opportunity to learn something new I relished. As a person, I found a place with people that I did not believe I would ever like. Petty rivalries and grudges were lifted as the Impulse season came into full swing. Everyone came together toward a common goal, and some of the friendships I made in impulse I still have today. Impulse also showed me how to be a leader. I learned from my captain's my first year, Nathan Hess and Colin Hite, what it took to lead a team not just with words, but by example.
-Marcus Ranii-Dropcho (University of Pittsburgh)
Freshman of the Year Nominee (2011), National Qualifier (2011)
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