Benilde-St. Margaret’s Math teacher, John Groess is most known for his high energy and love for ultimate frisbee. When he isn’t recruiting players for the school team in the BSM hallways, he is playing himself. Most know him as the girls’ team coach, but few know that he and his Minneapolis Drag’n Thrust 2023 adult team are preparing for the national championships. Coming off a strong performance at the TCT Pro Championship tournament, Groess and his Drag’n Thrust team are ready for Nationals.
Groess has been playing for over 20 years and started when he was 14. He coaches the BSM girls’ ultimate team to give back and have others experience the joy that the game has brought him. He describes coaching as a new way to enjoy the game and help the students he loves, “I think the way I see the field is different now, and It’s helped my own decision-making when I have the disk and when I play offense and defense,” Groess said.
There are three major Ultimate Frisbee Tournaments and his team plays in the Co-ed division. Their latest tournament, the TCT Pro Championships 2023, was on Labor Day in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The tournament was set up with the top ten teams in the country. They faced teams from California, New York, Wisconsin, and Colorado. The three-day tournament involved pool play, bracket play, and championship brackets, ultimately leading to a number two seed for nationals. “It’s nice… that we have success … against the top ten teams in the country points to knowing that we have a chance to do well [at Nationals],” Groess said.
The format for the National Championships will be similar to the TCT Pro Championships. On Thursday of MEA, they will have three pool play games, two bracket play games, and finally the championship. The tournament will be held in San Diego, California where they will face club teams in the mixed division from all over the country. They are looking for a sweep and the title but will face fierce competition such as Fort Collins Shame, Philadelphia AMP, and Seattle BFG. Groess feels confident going into the national championships. “I think we’re excited. Early on in the Pro Championships, we were struggling and we had to learn some lessons and now we’ve done better,” Groess said.