The first edition of Capital’s That Was The Week That Was is now online. Check it out here.

We have made it through our second week of kickball. And you know what our third week is?

Crossover Week Pt. 1!

We are having 2 crossover weeks this year so that every team plays 9 games without playing the same team twice. Half of the teams will play on the opposite night next week (4/30 and 5/2). The other half of the teams crossover during Week 6 (5/21 and 5/23).

This will be a great chance to meet some new people; you can check out all the hotties that play on the other night or find your new best friend, so make sure to come out to the bar. Also, crossover weeks are a good time to size up your flip cup competition!

Teams Playing on the Opposite Night Next Week (4/30 and 5/2):
Dirty Pirate Hookers
NCAA Appeals Committee
Itchy Crotch Initiative
Kickbrawlers
Derelict These Balls
Axis of Weasel
Ball Hogz
Custard’s Last Stand

Cheers! Sarah

Everybody Scores!
DCKickball Capital Conference
Week One: April 25-26, 2007

Visit www.dckickball.org/capital to stay up to speed on Capital Conference happenings.

Inside this issue:
- The Ten Commandments of the Capital Conference
- QUIRKY RULES for Kickballers Old and New
- Mandatory Umpiring Requirement Details
- The Inside SCOOP on All the TEAMS and GAMES
- Kickball Classifieds and Lots More!

Everybody? ... Huh?
Everybody Scores! is the weekly netletter of DCKickball’s Capital Conference. (Prepare to be insulted, disgusted, offended, harassed and oddly stimulated all at once. Also, don’t believe a damn thing you read in here. It is all mostly made-up.)

Each week during season, Everybody Scores! will bring you all the news and information that you will need to have a fun, successful, safe and memorable time playing kickball and socializing with teammates, rivals, and "civilians."

Why the name "Everybody Scores!"? Well, we like to think that everybody really does score when playing kickball, even if they don’t cross the plate. As you’ll soon discover (if you don’t already know) playing kickball is its own reward, and if you’re truly having fun (whether on the field, at the bar, or wherever you end up afterward), you can say with confidence that you have scored! So Everybody Scores! (Yes, even YOU!) ... Also, the title Juggs was already taken.

Everybody Scores! welcomes your contributions  -  be they guest columns, letters to the editor, kickball haiku, or simply anonymous rumors. Send your stuff to LSTillett@yahoo.com. Also, Everybody Scores! wants your PHOTOS! So set up a website at eteamz.com or somewhere else and then start posting photos so Everybody Scores! can get at them. DCKickball also has a flickr.com account. So don’t be shy about contributing photos for flickr, either.
Look for Everybody Scores! to appear on the Web each Tuesday afternoon during kickball season.

Presidential Welcome
Hello, everyone, and WELCOME to the 2007 season of Capital Conference kickball. This, season brings more new faces, a new bar, and the same old sassy attitude as we roll into the upcoming summer. To all the new teams and new faces, we say WELCOME! To all the returning teams, we say WELCOME BACK and THANK YOU for coming back to continue the adventure. It’s going to be a great season, with thrills, spills, chills, hook-ups and, with a little bit of luck, a lot of glory.

We hope you’ll join in the fun, maybe volunteer to officiate a game or two, maybe check off some names at the door of a party. ... This is YOUR CONFERENCE, and if we all stick together, this will be the bestest kickball season EVER!

See you on the fields!

John "JP" Powers
Co-Captain, Big Kids
2007 DCKickball Capital Conference President

 

The Ten Commandments
- Thou Shalt Remember That It’s Just Kickball. Don’t get all bent out of shape. It’s just a game. In fact, it’s just a CHILDREN’S game. But don’t act like a child. Rough play or bad attitudes are not welcome here. Be kind to your teammates, opponents, and umpires.

- Thou Shalt Not Argue Calls Unless You Are a Captain. This is the toughest commandment to keep. But remember the first commandment ("It’s Just Kickball") and you will have a much easier time keeping your mouth shut. Games go a lot faster when only captains argue calls. If you object to a call, tell one of your captains. And captains, please don’t argue umpires’ ball and strike calls. Limit your challenges to meatier things  -  like misinterpreted rules or the mechanics of base-running.

- Thou Shalt Not Consume Alcohol on the Mall. It is illegal to consume booze on the Mall. DCKickball does not endorse breaking that law in any way. Your all-volunteer board of directors also does not endorse flouting the law. If you get busted for booze on the Mall, we all look bad. Not only that, but your actions put us in jeopardy of losing the privilege of playing on federal land. That’s right. One booze-guzzling jerk can ruin everything for all of us. We’d likely get bounced permanently. If the Park Police catch you with booze, we all lose. Make that your motto. Put it on a bumper sticker. And then save the drinking for pre-game or post-game. One more time: DO NOT CONSUME ALCOHOL ON THE FIELDS.

- Thou Shalt Not Allow Thy Pets to Wander. Please keep your pets on a leash. We adore animals, but not everyone wants Puddles slobbering all over their cleats. And no matter how well-behaved Puddles is, he’s very likely to get excited when the balls start flying and the calves start
streaking by. No one wants to trip and break his collarbone because of Puddles  -  or get bitten by an over-excited Puddles … and then watch as Puddles is carted away by Animal Control.

- Thou Shalt Remember to Pick Up Thy Trash. The Mall is a national treasure. It’s so valuable that, if sold to local real estate speculators for development as "luxury" condos with a view, it would deliver several trillion dollars into the federal treasury immediately. I mean, do you KNOW how rare and valuable undeveloped land in Northwest is?! Again, this land is a treasure. Treat it well.

- Thou Shalt Go to the Bar After Games. Playing on the field is only half the fun of kickball. A lot of real social magic happens at the sponsor bar. So get in there and mingle. Mix it up! Don’t cling to your team. Make some new friends and expand your social circle. Getting to the bar is easy. Hop on the Metro or just announce to your teammates or even a rival team that you are looking for a ride to the bar. Someone is bound to have room. It’s also not out of the question to grab a couple of buddies and jump into a cab. Also, don’t forget your ID, and don’t forget to tip the wait staff. We’re getting good prices and good service, so don’t be stingy with the gratuity. Our sponsor bar is the 18th Amendment, 613 Pennsylvania Ave., SE. It’s about a block from the Eastern Market Metro station.

- Thou Shalt Honor The Rules of Thy Sponsor Bar. Yes, please go along with the rules and requests of the 18th Amendment  -  even the "unwritten rules." So even though there might not be a sign that says "No Shoes, No Shirt, No Service," please keep your clothes on. Even though there’s not a sign that says "No Peeing in the Sink," please don’t pee in the sink. Don’t stand on the chairs or the tables, either.

- Thou Shalt Not Drink and Drive Drunk. Pace yourself. Know your limits. Buy a personal breathalyzer kit. Bring a designated driver. Take a taxi. Leave your car and hop on the Metro. Go bunk up with a Marine over at the barracks. With all these options, there’s no need for you to get plowed and then hop behind the wheel. It’s like we always say: The more dead players you have on your team, the harder it will be for you to win games.

- Thou Shalt Not Drink to Excess and Puke All Over Us as You Futilely Attempt to Make Your Way to a Bathroom That We All Know You Will Never Reach. Again, check yourself before you wreck our shoes by vomiting all over them. A good evening is often ruined by some jerk who can’t hold his liquor. Let that jerk be someone else … at another bar.

- Thou Shalt Volunteer. Our conference works because WE make it work. The business known as DCKickball gets us all registered and makes sure we have shirts, equipment, and a sponsor bar. But most everything else is left up to us, the PLAYERS. WE, the players ourselves, must provide and coordinate field squatters and umpires. WE the players must come up with our playing schedule and keep track of our equipment. WE the players decide how to spend our social budget. WE the players must find a charity to support. And when we say "WE," we mean "YOU." So please volunteer. We have several committees just waiting for a new member like you! To get involved, e-mail any member of your board of directors. (More information below.)

 

Weather Policy: Rain Schmain
Just because some rain has fallen on the Mall or just because some clouds are rolling in or just because it’s raining in Bethesda, that doesn’t mean the games are off. We will be playing chicken with Mother Nature many weeks during the season. Most of the time, she’s gonna swerve. The rain on the Mall will dry up fast. The threatening clouds will blow north. The rain in Bethesda will come down in buckets while the Mall stays dry as a bone. This is weird weather country. So don’t assume the worst. Assume the best. Show up ready to play kickball. And if you get to the fields and the rain really is bad on the Mall, just go straight to the bar. (We’ll always go to the bar no matter what!)

If we do need to cancel due to rain, your board of directors will post rainout notices on the website by 5 p.m. on game days. If you check the site and there’s no notice of a rainout, that means that the GAMES ARE ON! So head to the fields and weather be damned!

Note: Games in progress will always be called off if lightning is seen or if the fields become to sloppy and unsafe to play on.

Let the sun shine!

The Power of Volunteering: HELP! SQUAT!
Throughout the season, you will hear some names over and over again. You will hear the names JP, Hilary, Carlton, Laura, Rebecca, Marc and Scott. These people are paying players. These people are volunteers. These people are the key "deciders" for the conference; they are your
board of directors. You have their ears. If something is on your mind, just find them and nag them. They will listen. They are players just like you. This conference runs on volunteer-player power. We need your help. If you want to have more involvement in how this conference is run, just find a board member and let them know you are ready to help.

There are many ways to help.

- EACH WEEK, WE WILL NEED SQUATTERS to find patches of grass and camp out and shoo away softballers, kickballers from other leagues, and vultures. It’s very easy. You just show up super-early, spread out with a towel and blanket, and politely refuse to move. Contact Carlton at Carlton@gunney.com if you can squat. Seriously, this is very very important. If you teach or have some job that allows you to be down on the Mall well before 6:30 (like, close to 5 p.m.), please please volunteer to SQUAT.

- We still need people to act as head umpires. The perks are numerous. For example, you get to become almost famous in kickball circles. And you get to tell people what to do. And sometimes people buy you beers. Contact Marc at MrcEngland@aol.com if you want to be a head ump. Seriously, it’s not as hard as it looks. It’s just kickball. (Also, every team will have to provide "volunteer" umpires. More on that later.)

- We have parties to plan. We need a strong and energetic social committee. Contact Hilary at Hilary.Gazzola@accenture.com if you have party or venue ideas.

- It’s just kickball  -  which means that there is more important stuff out there. One of those, uh, stuffs, is charity. Charity begins at home. And right now, home is the Capital Conference. This season our chosen charity is the DCKickball Legal Defense Fund. We’re not just going to be passing a hat. We are going to make the charity process fun. So most of our charity events will be social. We might put together a scavenger hunt, a guest-bartending event, a bachelor(ette) auction, a pie-eating contest. Who knows? If you have ideas and want to help, contact Carlton at Carlton@gunney.com.


Meet Your Board of Directors
JP, aka John P., aka Mr. P, aka the Man in Charge of Kickball, aka MiCoK
JP talks fast. He’s an idea man and the chairman of your board. His mouth and lungs struggle to keep up with the swift stream of brilliant ideas that flow from his big brain. JP will entertain just about any question you can throw at him. If you’re wondering about the weather or ‘80s music or where babies come from, just ask JP. Also, he likes all things British (Newcastle, soccer hooliganism, etc.) and he carries around an old picture of himself from high school. (JP is a Big Kid. His e-mail address is John@ctam.com.)

Carlton, aka Matt M., aka Matt, aka Gunney
Carlton talks loud. If you need to get someone’s attention across a crowded stadium, just ask Carlton to do the shouting for you. You can’t miss this guy, which is why he will be heading up our charity campaigns and helping steer our social committee. When not playing kickball or drinking out of a plastic bone, Carlton can be found on his boat, on a beach, on a snowboard, or in the middle of a drama. (Carlton is on Thick Femur. His e-mail address is Carlton@gunney.com.)

Scott, aka Scott T., aka ScottPockets, aka Scottie the Body, aka Scooter the Pooter
Scott talks a lot. He is the guy who edits and embellishes Everybody Scores!, and who helps conceive and produce other assorted kickball propaganda for the huddled masses in the Capital Conference. He leads the "It’s Just Kickball" caucus on the board, and he takes pride in putting
together kickball teams with little to no interest in winning games. Or maybe that’s just what he wants you to think. (Scott is a Red Rover. His e-mail address is LSTillett@yahoo.com)

Hilary, aka Hili G., aka Hil, aka HilBilly, aka Gazz, aka Gazzolina, aka Slick, aka HardCore
Hilary talks tough. She is the self-proclaimed "budget bitch" of our conference. She is highly organized and avoids drinking beer, which could explain her organizational skills. BUT she craves hard cider, and it craves her right back. Hilary, quite deservedly, will help oversee the amazing social functions of the conference. And she’ll oversee YOU, too, if you’re not careful. (Hilary is a Big Kid. Her e-mail address is Hilary.Gazzola@accenture.com.)

Laura, aka Polly Prissy Pants, aka Polly Pants My Ass, aka LT
Laura was called up from the minors (i.e., the Capital Conference Fall Season) to help run the Summer Season. But she’s more than a fall baller. She’s been a summer kickballer for more years than you can shake a foot at. She knows how things run. Her special powers including cursing, cup-flipping, and knitting. She’s brings a much-needed civilized vibe to your board of directors. (Laura is a Big Kid. Her e-mail address is Laura.Turowski@cushwake.com.)

Marc, aka Marc E., aka Marc with a "C", aka Jesuit, aka The Cardinal
Marc talks when he has to. Marc holds his words like chunks of coal until they turn into diamonds. Maybe that’s because he is sort of from West Virginia. Marc will be coordinating umpire schedules for the Capital Conference and also will be serving as the "voice of the player" on the board. He shares your concerns  -  or your lack of concerns. It’s like he can read your mind. That’s because Marc is also psychic. Oops! We meant psychO. Anyway, e-mail Marc if you can help out as an umpire  -  even if you suck. (Marc is on Your Mom’s Team. His e-mail address is MrcEngland@aol.com.)

Rebecca, aka Notorious, aka Ham Biscuit, aka Tyrone’s Mommy
Those of you who played in the fall might remember Rebecca, who headed up the board of directors for that season. Well, now she’s ready for primetime: summer. Rebecca’s the designated "chimer-inner" this season. If she has an opinion, she’ll share it  -  and she’s not limiting herself to board matters. If she doesn’t like your shorts, she’ll tell you. If you’re flipping the cup wrong, she’ll tell you. If you have a booger hanging out of your nose  -  well, she probably won’t tell you; but she will point it out to everyone else. (Rebecca plays on Team Lush. Her e-mail address is Rebecca@dcpreservation.org.)

 

Flippin’ the night away.

 

Umpiring Requirement for Each Team
The concept is simple: Each team must provide one umpire each week for the game that precedes or follows your team’s game. So if your team plays the early game each week, your team needs to get one of its players to stay behind and help umpire the next game. And if your team plays the late game, you need to designate one of your players to show up to help umpire the early game.

Each team’s umpire-volunteer will act as a side umpire stationed at first base or third base. Each team’s umpire-volunteer will help the head umpire call the game. The work is usually limited to calling people safe or out and calling balls fair or foul. It’s not all that hard, and it shouldn’t be all that stressful. (It’s just kickball, dammit.) BUT side umpires still need to stay focused on the game  -  making sure runners stay on base until the ball is kicked and really paying attention to what’s going on in the game. A little sideline socializing is OK when the ball is not moving. But if a base ump chit-chats excessively and misses calls, he/she likely will be booed. And that’s no fun.

So don’t get caught off-guard. Have your "volunteer" umpires ready to go for Week One. If you don’t supply an umpire for a game each week, your record will be penalized. In other words, one of your wins will count as a forfeit. Or, if you are the Red Rovers, one of your losses will count as a forfeit.
Team umpiring assignments are noted in the This Week’s Games section below.


Quirky Rules: This Stuff Is Fresh!
You can find the official DCKickball rules online at www.dckickball.org, but be advised that the Capital Conference in some cases has tweaked the established DCKickball rules in an effort to clarify the intent of the rules, to address some what-if scenarios, to make sure the games finish on time, and to make sure games are engaging for all players. You can read all of our rules at http://dckickball.org/capital/DCKickball-Rules-Capital.pdf. Here are the major quirks:

Quirk No. 1: Strikes and Fouls
Kickers get three strikes and three fouls. When you reach three strikes, you are out. When you reach three fouls, you are out. Fouls and strikes are not interchangeable, though. A foul is always a foul. Again, three fouls means you are out, though.

Quirk No. 2: The Pitcher:
The pitcher must pitch underhanded. AND he/she must be in contact with the rubber pitching strip at the beginning of a pitch. (So save your running wind-ups for cricket or some other sport, pitchers.) Moreover, he/she has to have both feet behind the pitching strip when the kicker kicks the ball. The pitcher can step over the strip during the release of the pitch, but the pitcher must quickly return both feet behind the strip before the ball is kicked. Otherwise, it’s a ball. These pitching helps make balls more kickable by making sure the pitcher does not take a running overhand wind-up.

Quirk No. 3: The Catcher:
He or she may stand anywhere he/she likes behind (the front edge of) home plate, so long as he/she remains out of the strike zone. In other words, the catcher does not have to play right behind the kicker. Since bunting is allowed in kickball and since a kickball bunt is still way more challenging to field than a softball bunt, this quirk levels the playing field by allowing the catcher to position him/herself to field an expected bunt. So a catcher can stand right next to the kicker  -  perpendicular to the kicker. But again, the catcher has to stay clear of the strike zone until the ball is kicked. Don’t get all up in the kicker’s grill.
 

This Week’s Games: The Battles Begin!
NOTE: We plan to play near the intersection of 17th and Constitution, NW  -  on the Washington Monument side of the street. As you might expect, we will be setting up two fields each night. One will be called Field A. The other will be called Field B. Each week, just head toward Constitution and 17th (or where 16th Street would be if it were there) and look for your fellow DCKickballers to find out exactly where you will be playing.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 25
1.4 Miles vs. Thick Femur
6:30 p.m.
Field A
Umps: Freqs, BNB
1.4 Miles say they chose the name so they would be first alphabetically among all the teams. Well, we’ve got some news for them: 1.4 is not a letter in the alphabet. Still, somehow, they are at the top of the list alphabetically. Hmm. This could be a paradox.
Questions remain about the origins of the name, however. Is it the distance the team will have run around the bases by the end of the season? Is it the distance that girls had to travel during their walk of shame from the home of 1.4 Miler "Handsome Pat"? Is it the distance that player B-Hump can walk before he needs his mobility scooter? Is it the distance player Karena has projectile-vomited over the last three years of kickball? No matter. Our source on the team tells us that you can easily get one of the team’s players drunk and pry out the information. Now it’s just a matter of determining which player is the weak link. Might as well try them all! The name mystery notwithstanding, this could be a shocking game for returning summer champs Thick Femur  -  who probably expect to cruise through Game One this season. Don’t get us wrong. Thick Femur is a team with serious kickball skills. But once the jocks and brainiacs on 1.4 Miles determine TF’s kick-kick-manbunt-kick pattern, all bets are off. Oh, and here’s something else about Thick Femur: They are even sneakier this year. Case in point: TFer Eric L. resigned from the board of directors last year, claiming he was moving out of state. Well, guess what. He’s baaAAaack. Sneaky sneaky. Just when you thought it was safe to go back onto the kickball field …

AA-Team vs. Here for the Beer
6:30 p.m.
Field B
Umps: ‘Sinos, DCD
AA-Team and Here for the Beer both return for another summer season of trying to get their sheeit straight. Seriously, "AA" and "Beer"? Who in hell put these two teams on the field together? We’re just asking for a trouble and/or a bad reputation. If aliens from another planet came down to Earth and watched just one game this week  -  and if this was this game that they watched  -  they would think that the entire planet was populated with uncoordinated, booze-loving hooligans. And then they would enslave us all, and put fences and armed guards all around us and make us erect giant stone phalluses on our fields and  -  oh wait. We already have all that.

The Freqs vs. Bad News Barristers
7:15 p.m.
Field A
Umps: 1.4M, Femur
The Bad News Barristers had decided not to play this season, but then Sanjaya was eliminated and their Wednesday nights were suddenly free again, so here they are again  -  as green as ever (literally and figuratively). With a record last summer of 2-5-1, this 2006 rookie team was almost as bad as their name implies. So what do they have in store for us this year? More of the same? We doubt it. All kidding aside, this team made great strides last year and learned a lot about kickball  -  and a lot about what it truly means to be a member of Taylor Hicks’ Soul Patrol. And then along come The Freqs  -  fresh meat for the summer season. Right? Well, not so fast. The Freqs played in the fall and were known throughout the conference as a fun team that could actually play kickball and flip-cup  -  just not at the same time. But what’s up with the name. Well, it actually comes from the word "Frequency"  -  which I think has to do with some marketing or direct-mail lingo that is especially endearing to some members of the team. Or something like that. The fall refugees claim that will continue to be the most "Freq’nt drinkers," that they will "Freq’n pants anyone trying to take second base," and that they plan to score "twice as many Freq’n runs" as they did in the fall. (... Huh? Are you feckin’ kidding us?)

Campesinos vs. DC Detention
7:15 p.m.
Field B
Umps: AA-T, HftB
"Look at me! Look at me! I’m DynaMike! I’m the big buff captain of DC Detention! I’m awesome! I have a scary dog and a tattoo!" ... Only the dog is a long-haired wiener dog and the tattoo is temporary. That’s right. Temporary. And, if you are cool, you could have one, too. DCD already is leading the conference in the coolness-of-props category. They have temporary tattoos. And they’ll give you one if you look like you’‘ll actually put it on your body. There are other things DCD wants you to put on your body, but we’ll discuss those in a future issue. (Meanwhile, check out the youtube.com video from DCD. You can find it on the Capital Conference’s website.) ... So what’s up with this Campesinos team? A one-word team name? Not so much as an article in front of it? That’s pretty brazen. But we hear that Campesinos are currently fighting over their name. This rookie team has rebel members who want it changed. We also hear that many of the players work together as teachers. (Aha! Looks like we found our squatters for the season!) BUT they don’t want to represent their employer on the field. (Hear that, All Stars?) Why don’t they want to represent their school? Because "that would mean behaving too much," according to one Campesino (which, in Spanish, means "farmer" or something like that).
A typical scene from a Wednesday.

THURSDAY, APRIL 26

Sloppy Seconds vs. Balls Optional
6:30 p.m.
Field A
Umps: YTBD, RR
Word on the street is that Sloppy Seconds includes a bunch of refugees from another kickball league  -  players who used to play under the name "Rusty Trombones." We’re not sure which name is classier  -  the old one or the new one. Our unbiased source on the team also tell us that the team includes some "hot girls" and a  -  can this be right?  -  a scooter? We’ll just have to wait and see what that’s all about. Balls Optional, meanwhile, is another team with a classy name. The team is mostly the result of the merger of two teams from last summer  -  Got Balls and Recess Appointments. Combined, those two teams had a record of 1-14-2. We’re sure the change to the color pink this year will help them boost their stats, their reps, and their estrogen levels.

Big Kids vs. APCO All Stars
6:30 p.m.
Field B
Umps: YMT, TL
In Japan, the names of baseball teams include the names of corporate sponsor-owners. Example: The Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters. APCO All Stars are kind of the same way. They are being sponsored by some company called APCO. (We have no idea what APCO is all about. We think the players might work at service stations.) But unlike their Japanese corporate-sponsored brethren, the APCO All Stars do not practice for seven hours a day. They don’t need to. Their roster includes 8 guys and about 20 women. And that top-heavy ratio is all they will need to distract and discombobulate the hyperhormonal Big Boys on the Big Kids this week  -  ensuring an easy victory for the All Stars. Shocked at that prediction, are you  -  given that last year the Big Kids coasted undefeated until almost the end of the regular season? Shocked at that prediction, are you? Well, if the Rovers can beat the Big Kids, why not the All Stars, too?

YTBD vs. Red Rovers
7:15 p.m.
Field A
Umps: SS, BO
Another summer season has arrived and still we are not sure what "YTBD" stands for. "You Talk Big, Dude"? "Your Team Be Dope"? "Young Thangs Bringin’ Deliciousness"? Who knows? We suppose that the team’s name is simply yet to be deter – oh! NOW we get it! A warning to the rookie teams: YTBD flies under the radar. They’re not attention-hoes like some teams. ... Just a sec. We’re being told we can’t use "hoes" in this newsletter because another kickball league has copyrighted it. Moving on. ... The Rovers, meanwhile, have been known to be attention-prostitutes. So don’t be surprised to see some sports-bra-flashing or some fieldside flag-waving this year. And booing. Always booing. Rovers boo their own. They boo nuns and babies and puppies, too. Don’t take it personally.

Your Mom’s Team vs. Team Lush
7:15 p.m.
Field B
Umps: BK, APCO
This game ought to be a rivalry game, but we don’t think the bitterness is there this season. Once upon a time, some players from Team Lush broke away and took the remnants of a team called Gang Green (which was a reincarnation of a team called Backlash) and formed this new team, which is now called Your Mom’s Team. Want more history? Well, in the fall, a team made up predominantly of YMT players (playing as Big Blue Mamas on a Plane) won the fall Capital Conference Championship. So these guys are good. Not scary-good. Just good. And the good news for Lush is … is … is … that our sponsor bar will be serving delicious beer again this year. So drink up! ... We’re not underestimating Lush’s abilities. True, during a pre-season unofficial mini-tournament this month, Lush failed to score any runs. But we suspect they are sandbagging. They have some solid players. They’re just waiting for the right moment to strike  -  and it will probably be in Week 14. Too bad our whole season lasts only 12 weeks.

 

Other Essential Info
If you have not tired of reading about your new kickball league and your new season, don’t worry. We have plenty more information for you. There’s a lot to learn and a lot to know  -  no matter whether this is your first time playing kickball or whether you’ve been playing for years. Go to www.dckickball.org/capital to read up on key kickball rules, safety tips, and procedural matters. If you have a question, there’s likely an answer waiting for you somewhere on the website. Just start poking around!

Kickball Classifieds
Got something to sell? Need a roommate? Want to confess a secret crush? Everybody Scores! welcomes your announcements in the Kickball Classifieds. DCKickballers may submit noncommercial announcements at no charge. Send announcements to LSTillett@yahoo.com.

Etc.
If you do not want to receive e-mail messages and important reminders from DCKickball and the Capital Conference, you are very very foolish and will be left in the dark on a lot of important matters. Regardless, you may log in to your account at www.dckickball.org and change your e-mail preferences. Still, we strongly advise against it.
Everybody Scores!

Knee Deep (of the Constitution Division) was the Last Team Standing at Hamilton’s on Sunday. As such, they will be getting their first pitcher of Bud Light on the house when they show up after their games next week.

We’re still trying to figure out at what time they vacated the premises, but once we do, we’ll post it here. It’s always good to have something for the next team to shoot for. :)

Check out the rest!

Here’s a cool chance to make a difference:

By now you must have heard of Greater DC Cares’ Servathon 2007 coming up on Saturday, May 5. Well, have you registered yet?

If not, NOW is the time to do!

Servathon is the largest day of service in the DC area, as well as Greater DC Cares’ largest fundraiser of the year! Pick from nearly 45 different projects such as painting a DC public school, landscaping on the National Mall or building a playground. Projects will run from 9 am – 1 pm followed by an after party featuring FREE FOOD and FREE SAM ADAMS BEER!

Registration is $20 per person and includes an event t-shirt, snacks, water and the after party. All you have to do is bring your team!

Visit www.servathon.org and register TODAY! Registration ends on Friday, April 27.

Hey DCKickballers, on this great day of sadness down in Blacksburg, I want to send out the prayers and thoughts of everyone in the league to all of the Virginia Tech Alumni among us, including and especially those with friends and family attending school down there.

It’s our sincere hope that everyone at the school who holds a place in the heart of any kickballer is safe and sound this evening.

We all stand with you.

John “JP” Powers President, Capital Conference Penn State 1995

Not a great way to start the season, but we have to cancel games tonight on account of probable rain and definite high winds.

It’s a bummer, but to help lift your spirits, come out to Grand Central tonight at 7 pm for some beers. DCKickball will be opening a tab and all paid Adams Morgan players are welcome.

Tonight’s games will be rescheduled for the end of the season.

Cheers!

Sarah

2nd Ref Clinic

Thanks to those of you who attended the Ref Clinic on Wednesday. It was probably our best turnout in league history. 9 teams met or exceeded the goal of providing 4 refs, so a special thanks to the following teams: A-Team, Ball Hogz, Derelict These Balls, Just For Kicks, Logans Heroes, NCAA Appeals Committee, Team 16, Team Chuck Norris, The Pink Team, Unbridled Arrogance

If your team is not listed above, however, we still need you to provide a total of 4 refs. Thus, we’re holding a 2nd Ref Clinic on Wednesday, April 18th at 6:30pm. Once again, it will take place in the small grass area between the playground and swing sets, at Walter Pierce Park. (Fortunately, none of the teams that still need to provide more refs are playing at this time.

This season, captains are responsible for designating team members (players who attended one of the two ref clinics) to ref the game in the opposite time slot each week. If your team fails to provide a ref, your team forfeits its game. It’s that simple.

Make sure to give your players advanced notice of when they will ref. If a situation arises in which none of your designated refs can ref the opposite game, contact Mike Carlton as soon as possible, and we will try to sort something out to avoid your forfeit.

As for Week One, especially Monday teams that did not provide enough refs, you are still required to provide a ref for the game in the opposite time slot. We will pair him or her up with a ref that attended the Ref Clinic.

If you have any questions about the rules, providing/ scheduling refs, how many refs your team still needs to provide, etc., please shoot me an e-mail.

T-Shirts

Unfortunately, we might not have our T-shirts on Monday, and it’s possible they won’t arrive in time for Wednesday, so for Week One if you’re the Home Team, please ask your team to wear white or light colored tees, and if you’re the Away Team, please wear dark colored tees. (Home v. Away designations are posted on the web site.) We apologize for the inconvenience.

Have a great weekend!

Mike Carlton, Ref Guy/Sanctioned Rule Interpreter

The moment we’ve all been waiting for has finally arrived. It’s time to dust off those cleats and work the tendons on that flipping finger (no pun intended). It’s time for the DCK Adams Morgan pre-season party and what better way to start the season than kicking 4 kegs at our new sponsor bar, Grand Central?

WHEN: Wednesday, April 11, 2007 @ 7:30 (immediately following Ref Clinic)

WHERE: Grand Central located @ 2447 18st N.W (located in Adams Morgan a few doors down from Subway)

THE COST: Entry is free for registered players (or $10 for friends of players) and will get you free beer until the kegs are tapped. This is a free event but don’t forget to bring the bills (big and small!) for tomorrow night!

Not only will you want to tip your hard working bartenders so they’ll speedily serve you for the rest of the season, but chip in a few dollars for our division’s sponsored charity which is a teen learning center (http://www.goodshepherddc.org/). Remember, this season’s standings tiebreaker will be based on teams’ charitable givings, so start the season on a high note. There will be opportunities throughout the season to give your time or money, so stay tuned.

REMINDER: We will be holding a ref clinic prior to the pre-season party at Walter Pierce Park, now starting at 6:45 pm. We highly recommend that captains and co-captains attend, but every team MUST send at least FOUR players to the clinic. Anything more than four would be great and encouraged.

As always, should you have any questions feel free to contact me or any other member of the board.

Sincerely, your party liaison

The Weezy

Capital Conference Preseason Party

18th Amendment
613 Pennsylvania SE, Washington DC Come visit old friends, and make some new ones, as we celebrate the second year of DCKickball on the Washington Monument Grounds. Hope to see you there!

Spring is in the air! Baby chicks are hatching and shaking the icicles off their tail feathers. Flowers are blooming… freezing, wilting and blooming. Bunny rabbits are putting on their warmest fur coats. All signs point to kickball being just around the corner!

And it is! Check it out, the Schedule has been posted. http://dckickball.org/adamsmorgan

Take special note of Weeks 3 & 6. These are the two cross-over weeks. Your team will be playing on the opposite night of the week on one of these two weeks. (e.g.,The Kickbrawlers are a Wednesday night team, but they play one game this season on Monday during Week 3).

Ref Clinic

As each team expects their games to be officiated by competent refs, it’s important that each team provide competent refs. Hence, a ref clinic.

Date & Time: 6:30 pm on April 11th (an hour before the Pre-Season Party kicks-off at Grand Central)

Location: Walter Pierce Park – The circular patch of grass overlooking the fields (next to the basketball courts)

Each team must have at least 4 refs attend the Ref Clinic. Captains, please coordinate with your team members. If 4 of the designated refs on your team cannot make it to the ref clinic, please e-mail me and and I’ll provide you with details for a 2nd (make-up) ref clinic. Even if you have reffed in DCK before, it’s important that you attend, as a couple of rules have changed. The attendance of captains and co-captains is highly encouraged.

Get ahead of the curve and check out the rules before the Ref Clinic at http://www.dckickball.org/rules

E-mail me with any questions. Now get out there and enjoy this warm and sunny Spring weather!

Mike Carlton

DCK Adams Morgan Ref Guy/Rules Nazi

mojovianvd@hotmail.com

“The Microsoft of Kickball” Has Arrived
by Huan Hsu of Seattle Weekly

Depending on whom you talk to, adult kickball is either cool, lame, a reason to drink, an excuse to act like a kid, welcoming of all, frighteningly homogenous, or a waste of a perfectly good softball diamond. But one thing is undeniable: It’s really, really popular. To wit, no fewer than four different kickball leagues will stage games on Seattle-area fields in 2007, including a new entry that’s giving extant local leagues pause: the World Adult Kickball Association (WAKA), which will begin play here in April after years of unsuccessfully attempting to secure fields.

read on…