Don't forget to cover up!

It's party season again in kickball as many of the leagues I play in reach the midway point in the schedule, the parties start to roll out. I don't know if it's me or not, but it seems that the parties are less and less good. That the price seems to be relatively the same for me and my friends to go (anywhere from $5-$20) but the time frames, days of the week, and specials are not so, well, special.

I want to be clear here - I am assessing no blame whatsoever to the volunteers who put these things together. I have done it in the past and know it is no easy task. Basically, you have to go to a bar and promise a certain number of people will show and then beg for an open bar special. Most of them want you to come in when no one's there, but um, that doesn't work. So the price goes up and the volunteer has to haggle. Then, finally, they get a decent price. No help from reps for the leagues or league owners and it sucks. Because these volunteers don't have the time or the savvy in many cases to get the best deal. And if the founders or reps would help, they could throw their weight around. But they don't.

Also, the budgets for three parties in most of my leagues are from $5,000-8,000 (I'm rounding here) which may should like a lot but really isn't. Assuming 200 people will show at a party if you do the math that's about $9 per person the low end and $14 per person on the high end. Most places want to charge at least $20 per person, so the divisions have to charge players. And that sucks.

Here are a few of the parties that have been scheduled recently in the Kash guys league:

**Mid-season Party @ 18th Amendment**When: Saturday, Sept 16th (Time: 8:00 PM -11:00 PM) for $5 (DC Stars) & $15 (guests) All you can drink beer and wine!

Reminder to everyone that the mid-season party is tomorrow night, Friday, September 22 from 6- 11 PM at Adams Mill Bar and Grill.Here's the details....Party specifics: 3 kegs $4.00 Rail Drink Specials $5.00 Kickball Food Specials Specials end at 11pm $5 admission for kickball players and $10 for guests

In addition to these, the ones in California are a total joke as they boast just Happy Hour specials and a small portion of free food as a "party". I mean, a Friday night party with just 3 kegs? Again, I am not blaming the volunteers but it's no wonder that turnout in many division's parties that I have gone to has been around 100 - out of 416 people! In fact Sideshow Bob says that the turnout at one division's party was so bad they didn't even put one picture of it in their GMOT. But I have a solution...

I think that the volunteers on the various division board should just have house parties. Seriously. A keg is not more than $200, so for $1500-2000 for each party you could get 6 or 7 kegs and still have money for chips and stuff. I think this would increase turnout. Finding a place that someone has that can hold 100-200 people shouldn't be that difficult (as long as they rotate out). Put on some music, have a little dance area and people can dance in shifts.

Or if the person has a big house it can be like one of those parties in the 80s movies where everyone had a big house and huge parties with like 1,000 people! Like in Weird Science, Sixteen Candles, or Pretty in Pink. Just make sure no one tp's your trees. Or puts bras on their heads by your computer. That would be cool and fun!



Or you can avoid all of this by trying other leagues, I play in one where the parties are free and no work has to be done. But of course those of you married to your current leagues won't and others will write and tell me I am a schill for NAKID guys - and maybe I am but that doesn't make it any less true. That's fine, just make sure you cover the sofa with plastic before the End of Season parties!

PS Congrats to the DC Kickball guy on finally, after two days, removing the Kash guys ad from his legal defense fund page.