From Jason Mattingley
I never really knew James, but I will always remember him. When I look
back at our team photo from 1994, he's sitting right in the centre
with a huge grin on his face. Typical.
I was an occasional member of Strange Blue during my time as a
post-doc in Cambridge (1994 -1997). James was only 13 years old when I
joined, and I remember being amazed that he fitted right in with us
grown-ups. In fact I envied him. Everyone talked to James like he was
an old friend.
I was new to Ultimate, and never really developed an aptitude for
it. I remember attending the Nationals in 1994 as a member of Strange
Blue. I suspect my inclusion in the side was more a gesture of
sympathy than a genuine desire to have me on the team. I remember it
was incredibly cold and windy that day, and I couldn't feel my
fingertips. I dropped every pass that came my way. I missed the
easiest of interceptions. My incompetence made be feel very
conspicuous. James was a star.
Right at the end of the final game of the tournament, and with the
scores level, I found myself with the frisbee. It seemed like every
player on the field was in the endzone - us trying to score and them
defending. I waited an eternity for someone to pass to. Eventually I
just tossed the disk toward a pack of players. It wobbled widly in the
wind, before diving sharply at the ground. A skinny arm flicked out of
nowhere and made the catch. It was James. I don't know whether he saw
the frisbee or just divined its presence. Either way, he scored the
winning point. I was so elated I ran over and gave him an enormous
hug. It felt like a natural thing to do - he was just a boy after all.
Jason Mattingley.