This page is intended to share some hobbies and interests for which I have a passion. I enjoy movies, music, et cetera, but these are my passions and really just the stuff I live for.
Family
My family is
the most important part of my life. My wife, Emily, and I started to grow
our family when our first son was born in 2010. Now he has a sister and two brothers, the youngest of which was born in 2015.
Disc Golf
Disc Golf is my number one year-round activity. I began playing around 1998 or so, but it took several years before I started taking it a lit bit more seriously. For years I had to travel from Tuscaloosa at least an hour to play Disc Golf at Lake Lowndes near Columbus, MS or at George Ward Park in Birmingham, AL. Eventually, I started a long and arduous effort to build a course in Tuscaloosa. In 2003, I and my good friend Britt got permission to use land at Bowers Park to build a course and we raised the money to pay for about $9000 worth of baskets and equipment. Our pal Mike also helped a lot with the course design and the labor necessary to clear the woods for the course. This little project grew into one of the best courses in the state of Alabama and one of the most exciting disc golf communities in the region. Since the spawning of the course at Bowers Park, the disc golf community has grown exponentially. From the families who come and play the course to the players who have developed exceptional skills, it has been an extremely rewarding experience to watch the evolution of the impact that of initiative.
For the latest on Disc Golf in Tuscaloosa, check out the website for the Tuscaloosa Disc Golf Club (TDGC). In April 2009, I coached the Crimson Tide Disc Golf Team to a 4th place finish at the National Collegiate Disc Golf Championship. That statement really sounds like I deserve credit for this accomplishment, but the players did all the work while I basically just scheduled practices and arranged for travel accommodations. A couple of the guys, Drew and Alex, played great during the doubles championship and won the National Collegiate Disc Golf Doubles Championship.
Ultimate
I started playing Ultimate (Frisbee) in the fall of 1995 as a freshman at the University of Alabama. This is the most intense and competitive sport on the face of the Earth. It is more fun than you can imagine and full participation in the sport is a unique and amazing lifestyle. My involvement with Ultimate has introduced me to some of my favorite people in the world as well as some of the most unique people I have ever met. I even met my darling wife, the love of my life, playing Ultimate.
Meeting my wife was the most significant moment in my Ultimate "career". I have a million stories from my days playing Ultimate, but I guess the other really important stories centered around my Ultimate beginnings and my big successes.
I was first introduced to the idea of playing on the University of Alabama Ultimate Team by 'Big' Mike and Dave M. at an off-campus party. They were throwing the disc around in the street and I joined them. They suggested I come out and play, so I did. I played my first tournament at College Regionals in Mobile, AL in the spring of 1996 and I didn't look back.
In 2000, my final year of collegiate eligibility, I found myself as the captain of the UA team. That year, we won the University of Alabama's first Collegiate Sectional Championship in the history of the team. This team was born in 1977, and the 2000 team was the first to achieve that kind of success. That year we had several key players (Potter, Woodard, and myself) who were injured or cramped during Sectional finals. The most rewarding part of our championship was watching the team rise to the challenge of playing without the "stars" and win the tournament.
I played with my wife-to-be on the Atlanta, GA-based co-ed team, Rival. We played two years with this team and during the first year we went to the National Championship. This was a tenacious team. What made this team so great was the lack of any “star” players. Everyone on the team had a very specific role and everyone played so well together. We were very successful and it was with this team that I achieved the highest level of competitive Ultimate that I will ever reach.
Woodworking
So, I like to mess around with woodworking. I won't pretend I have any talent at this hobby, but it is just one of those activities which I really enjoy. One of the aspects which makes it so rewarding is my wife's appreciation for my projects. Every year since we've been married I have made an ornament out of the trunk of our Christmas tree. I started the first ornament a few months after we were wed, and now its a great excuse to get out in the "shop" at least once a year. I guess I have generated some pretty decent results, but I hope to do even better in the future.
Below are some pictures of some of my woodworking projects. The first picture features Wyatt in the crib that I built during Emily's first pregnancy. This was my first endeavor to build furniture. I think it turned out pretty nice. It is made from cherry that I cut, planed, and shaped from stock. Below that are a couple of the ornaments that I made. The angel with the trumpet was from our 2008 cedar tree. The stork carrying the baby boy is made from some cherry wood that was left over material from the crib project.
Boating
We used to have a little good-for-nothing boat which provided us with some cheap fun and expensive stories. We loved to take her out on the Black Warrior River. She's also made some appearances on Lake Tuscaloosa and Percy Priest Lake. Since we moved to New Mexico in January 2010, we had to sell her because there is not much water out in the high desert area where we live. We are looking forward to the day when we'll be close to water again and we can actually afford a good boat and its proper maintenance.
Alabama Football
So, I was born wearing an Alabama jersey. I was the fourth consecutive Woolley child who attended Alabama. Following in my father's footsteps, I am a second generation Mechanical Engineering graduate from the Capstone. I spent a lot of time at the University of Alabama. These are just a few of the reasons why I'm an Alabama fan.
St. Louis Cardinals
Just about the time I was learning about baseball, my family was living in Chesterfield, MO (just outside of St. Louis). I learned about the game while watching "The Wiz", Ozzie Smith. I'm still a passionate fan and every year is a thrill. I can still recall the (1985) days of Ozzie, Willie McGee, Terry Pendleton, Jack Clark, Joaquin Andujar, Bob Forsch, Danny Cox, John Tudor, Tom Herr, and Darrell Porter. Vince Coleman was the greatest base-stealer ever. He stole over 100 bases in his first three seasons - including 110 stolen bases in his 1985 Rookie of the Year campaign! One of my favorites, though, was Jose Oquendo. He was the kind of guy who just took care of business. He was incredible in his role, and he would be perfect on Tony LaRussa's teams of the late '90's and early 00's. It is no coincidence that Oquendo has been one of LaRussa's coaches for many years. It was easy to get excited about Cardinals baseball during the mid-'80's and its been a lot of fun following the Cardinals since then.
For more on the team history and for statistics, visit the Cardinals page on the Baseball Almanac website. For the latest on what is happening with the team, check the Cardinals page on MLB.com.
