(Credit: Eric Rowley/Metromix)
Sometimes, a summer league is as much about the beer as the sport. Winning is nice, but for the Diggers and Swiggers volleyball team, having time to relax after work is the best part.
“We make sure the whole point is to have fun,” Shawn Espe says as the team gathers at The Front Row in Windsor Heights for a few preseason pitchers of Budweiser.
Over the last seven summers they’ve played, captain Amy Ballard says the team has swelled to 17 members, necessitating a spinoff: Swigger’s and Digger’s. Both live by the same golden rule: Don’t hit the ball toward the pitchers. “That’s a beer foul,” she says.
Digger’s and Swigger’s were sponsored by The Twisted Parrot (wearing their shirts in exchange for registration fees and drink and food specials) for a time, but this year they decided to strike out as free agents so they could post-game party wherever they want. A loose agreement with The Front Row got them shirts and a discount there.
Booze aside, the team is organized. Ballard reserves a spot in January so they can be sure of an early-evening Thursday court time at Sands, and they always participate in the Maddy’s Classic charity tournament in August. Last summer, one of their teams even took home the trophy. Still, they’re humble about their success: “Just because this is our eighth season doesn’t mean we’re pros,” Ballard says. “It’s just a nice way to unwind.”
Athleticism needed: Moderate.
Commitment level: Low. Subs are bountiful if you’ve got something else going on.
Past injuries: Just the normal shoulder and back strains that come with getting old.
