FootNotes

And Kick...And Stretch...And Breath...And Stretch...

Upon receiving my first glorious issue of Footbag World, I noticed that many of the top pros pictured have seemingly unhuman flexibility in their ankles. I try to stretch and strengthen my ankles as much as possible, but with little success. How about letting us in on their secrets?
Cory Widau
Ft. Wayne, Indiana
Member #31346

From the Editor:
Very few people know this, but ALL the top players in the world have visited the same "doctor" in Bolivia where they've had every ligament and tendon in their ankles removed and sold as twist-ties at black market produce stands. Just kidding. The best way to get limber is, say it with me, stretch, stretch, stretch and practice, practice, practice.

What a Tangled Web We Weave

This is one of the very few experiences I have had on the internet. I have spent some time here in the past and was rarely inspired to express an opinion. Nevertheless, I have been inspired to express one right here, right now.
Anyway, it has come to my attention that much of the freestyle discussion and debate here on the net revolves around the definition of moves relative to their add count and how many adds this is worth and how many adds that is worth and how many adds should be allowed per move in certain circles and add ratios and add counts and tilt and quilt and freedom and triplessness and on and on and on. The debate tends to get as tiresome and run-on as that last sentence, so here is my point: FOOTBAG FREESTYLE IS ART. IT'S ABOUT CREATION NOT CALCULATION. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate, respect and strive for Big Addness as I am honored to be a member of the "Big Add Posse". However, I do believe that additions are a means to an end as opposed to an end in themselves. Can you execute a whatever? How big can you make it? How long can you go? What can you do out of it that is unique? How fast can you make your dexterity moves? How slow can you make them? Can you mix several concepts within a combo? While you're at it, try to create with as high a ratio as possible. But please, don't let that add-ratio stifle your creativity.

Eric Wulff
Oakhurst, New Jersey
Member #5109

I Will NOT Make Age an issue

I have never written in FootNotes before, but I like to read this section. I have not been a member of the WFA for very long, but I have been into the sport for a long time. I am thirteen years old. I think age does not matter. If you like footbag but think you're too young to play, just give it a try, you might be good at it. Even older people like footbag. One day I was at my grandma's in the basement in the basement playing footbag and listening to some music. My grandma saw me and asked me what I was doing and I told her and showed her the basic kicks. She took the footbag from me and tried! She did pretty good. My sister (four years old), also gets in my room and tries to kick the footbag. Footbag is a fun sport for all ages.
Jeremy Calascibetta
Hazelwood, Missouri
Member #34756

Divine Inspiration

This summer my family planned our vacation so that we could make it to the last day of the World Footbag Championships in Montréal, Quebec. I was excited about seeing the people in action that I have been reading about in the magazine so often. When I arrived, I saw the Women's Net Finals. I was surprised to see so many people in the stands watching the event. I figured the majority of the people in the park that day had never heard of footbag, or were not interested in the sport. I certainly enjoyed watching the final day of the tournament, and also picked up a new footbag at the souvenir stand.
Before going to see the Championships, I had stopped kicking for about a year. I had done it on and off in school with my friends, but our teacher took ten points off our grades for kicking after class. Since that time, I hadn't picked up my footbag. When I went to the competition I was amazed to see the abilities of the footbag players that were warming up behind the stands. Before seeing them in action I thought I was good, but after watching them I was embarrassed to even ask them to join their circle.
Seeing the astonishing abilities of these footbag players, I began kicking again and practicing my moves. In a week I learned two new moves and also taught three people I met in Montréal the game of footbag. I am very glad I visited the tournament this year, because it got me kicking again, and also made me appreciate the difficulty of the sport and the practice time needed to accomplish such capability in the sport of footbag.
Chris Calamera
Staten Island, New York
Member #23303

FootNotes is a regular feature in Footbag World, and in each issue this space will be reserved for staff editorials and general reader response. This is YOUR space, so if you have any issues you would like to address or letters of feedback, just send them to the WFA offices in care of FootNotes, P.O. Box 775208, Steamboat Springs, Colorado 80477. Or send letters and comments via e-mail to <wfa@worldfootbag.com>. Footbag World reserves the right to edit all letters for clarity and space. Writers whose letters are selected for publication in FootNotes will receive an extended eight-issue subscription to Footbag World. Please include your WFA membership number upon submission.

On-Line Edition by Steven L. Goldberg, January, 1997.