At the last media agency I worked at, my co-workers and I joined a kickball league that played once a week at a nearby field on the Lower East Side in Manhattan. It sort of started as a joke and something fun for all of us to do weekly instead of the typical happy hours. But it quickly turned into being quite competitive once we realized we, adults, were actually pretty good at this elementary school recess children's game. Go figure. We ended up being so good that we made the playoffs and lost in the semi-finals. It was honestly so heartbreaking but by that time of year (we played in the winter, very cold outside) we were happy to not stay out that late anymore on Thursday nights.
Maybe I should re-phrase the subtle “it quickly turned into being quite competitive” sentence. It was me. I became uber competitive. Some nights I don’t know what came over me but I felt like an over-aggressive dad at his kids little league game yelling at the children to be better. I just wanted to win. Some call it the competitive spirit, others called it being nuts. Maybe they’re one in the same! So with that said, I became the team captain. And with a title like that I was in charge each week of rallying up the troops and getting a headcount so we had enough players to compete. It was a co-ed league so we needed a minimum of 3 girls to play each week, which rarely was a problem. The girls we had were pretty into it as well.
Now before I continue, let me let you in on a little add-on that was so great about this league. This league was not only a kickball league. The company that it was ran through had set-up weekly rented out space at a bar near the field in which we played. After every game, all the teams would go to said bar and compete in a flip cup tournament. Winners of the flip cup games earn additional points that go towards your standings for kickball. It wasn’t just a fun league, it was the most fun league — ever. We honestly had a blast. After flip cup all the teams hung out at the bar and mingled and just enjoyed the Thursday evening.
Now, the main reason I am typing up this whole story is because I was not only just our teams captain. I was also our press. Every Friday morning as soon as I got to my desk I would take a quick 15–20 minutes and type up in an email a recap of the night before. Not to toot my own horn, but everyone loved them. They were very funny and something everyone looked forward to and luckily I was able to save a few of them. My co-workers would constantly tell me I was in the wrong profession. That I should be a sports reporter or blogger or something more creative (ha) and I would appreciate the niceties and support, but never took it too much to heart. I never thought I could figure out a career to make of this little hobby I had. Funny how the world works, huh?
So, to end this babbling, here are a few of the recap emails I would send out. Enjoy! (sorry they may not be in chronological order)
EXTRA! EXTRA! SPARK AFTER DARK IS BACK!
That’s what we’re talking about! Spark After Dark advances to the second round of the playoffs after a huge win last night. It was a very tumultuous season but the team bounces back and seem to have regained the spirit and energy that had people calling them the Team of Destiny in the beginning of the season. In a loser leaves town game, the playmakers finally showed back up. The beginning of the game was a classic tug of war match. The opposing 6 girls got their engines going catching some momentum when they scored a few runs to keep the game tied up. But it was only a matter of time before the tides turned in the top of the 4th. A high pop that floated over Katie “Slingshot” Pizanni’s head, left fielder Matt Dirlam stormed in, got the ball, and beamed it over to our beloved and ever so handsome Captain Josh Mack at first resuling in the out. GOD DAMN that was hot. Some may say the inspiration came from the rival pitcher who had many unsportsmanlike comments from the bench. Choice words that stirred up some feelings of revenge — and this revenge was a dish best served cold. I mean really cold, the temperature last night was sub 50s. Luckily, it was the heat of the moment that kept everyone from falling to hypothermia.
It can never be a lock down win for the Sparks. That’s just not how they like it. A little drama, a little competition, some blunders; all to keep the game interesting. The biggest blunder had to of been when Slingshot Pizzani forgot the rules of the game. As she was running to second base she ran right into the ball resulting in her being called out. It was a play that no one has seen before, no one thought could even happen! But it’s the Sparks we’re talking about — and it happened.
Some spectacular diving catches were made in the outfield by Flash Nosek. Are We There Yet? Weithorn also showed up, and he showed up by making some great catches and smart plays on the hot corner. BIG style points go out to Matt Dirlam who missed the catch in left, fell down, and did a backflip to get back up. No one knows how he came up unscratched but we may all have spoken too soon. He showed up this morning on the medical report with a bad neck and head. It was all too good to be true. Team doctors say he will be good for round 2 next Thursday though. Quads Moshensky is no longer the Quads as his quad seems to be healed. New nickname pending. The Legs was supposed to show up but in usual fashion he ghosted the team he claims he loves.
One good and bad problem the Sparks seem to have is their speed. Speed kills as they say and it was prevalent last night. This team flies around the bases and sometimes almost lapping each other. It lead to easy outs and definitely something they need to figure out. I can’t believe I’m saying this but they need to SLOW DOWN.
With spirits high we were able to once again catch up with our Captain for a comment after the game. With a wide smile on his face he had this to say, “Winning is great, sure, but if you are really going to do something in life, the secret is learning how to lose. Nobody goes undefeated in everything they do. If you can pick back up after a crushing defeat, and go on to win again, you are going to be a champion someday.” Those words rang true as this team seems to be coming alive at the right time. The league has been put on notice and we hope to see our Sparks in the championship game.
See you all on Thursday for round 2!
#FlameOn
Cap
It’s a somber morning here at 375 Hudson Street..
Silence blankets the building as our players search for answers as to what exactly went wrong last night. Spark After Dark’s conquest for a perfect season has come to a close. The Sparks were on the receiving end of a crushing 13–10 defeat, their first loss of the season. Even in a night where team Captain Josh, the heart and soul of the team, the emotional support system, the little engine that keeps this train in motion, BOUGHT 2 runs for $20; they still couldn’t find a way to win (shout out Steve for the $2.50).
As the final out was made, handshakes and good games exchanged, the Spark’s left the field with their heads hung low marching to a different beat than in weeks past. The theme last week was “sacrificing the body”, where players were putting themselves in harm’s way to make the play. The theme still applies to this week, bodies were sacrificed, but as in literally nobody wanted to show up. Saying they were outnumbered is no exaggeration. It was appalling, laughable, and downright embarrassing. Fans of the team say they were due. Some asked if they even practiced this week. There was no way they could keep this undefeated season alive. But the players disagree. With the rag tag last minute team assembled, filled with reserves and with some players making their season debut, they still showed the fire and passion to win. The offense kept them in the game. But the limited bodies on defense was the unquestionable downfall of the team. Passed ball after passed ball. Error after error. It was not the suffocating lock down defense we have come to expect week in and week out. Outfielder Brendan Moshensky pulling his hammy also did not help as he was responsible for 2 errors. The pain blinded him from the prize. Pitiful. Team doctors said he was fine, but Moshensky clearly was not.
Flip cup had a similar outcome. In a night where the team arrived to the bar by an uber driver who ran a red light (that’s a 5 star rating), they once again played an outmatched series. The Sparks designated 3 players to flip not once, but TWICE in a row to be matched up with the opposition. Losing in a 3–2 duel, this was their best outing. But not the outcome they desired.
Spark After Dark expects to have a full roster next week with all their players returning to action. On Halloween night, lets see if they can instill fear back into the league as they believe they are the team to beat.
24 hour rule. You can be upset about it now, but after today we move on and look forward to next week. Put this behind us and get your mind straight.
We got this.
#FlameOn
VICTORY FRIDAY
An absolute dominant performance by the Sparks who delivered a crushing blow to the (insert other teams name), defeating them 13–5 in a game that was over by the 3rd inning. The Sparks jumped on the lead early in the game and displayed a suffocating lock down defense till the very end. Huge plays were made at every position, but the most critical had to be the big catch made in the outfield by Brittany-Lee “The Hands” Goldstein. A high pop that got lost in the lights, The Hands had her sights on it the whole time. She secured it with ease and got the ball to the cut off keeping the runner from advancing. Spark After Dark, for the second week in a row, showed that they have the wheels when running around the bases. They blazed through for an 11 run 3rd inning leaving the umpire bored on the sideline bothering everyone for the score of the Yankees game which turned out to be much more competitive. After the victory, Captain Josh Mack had only this to say “Hungry dogs run faster, and we’re starving”. That guy is a headline machine!
We also tried finding the financier of the team, Kaitlyn Pizzani, for a comment to see how proud she is of this team. But much like her attendance so far this season, she was nowhere to be found!
Falling once again in flip cup, the Sparks really need to figure it out. Like seriously — it’s pretty embarrassing. No one cares at the bar that we won kickball. I was in line at the bathroom and this girl said they were undefeated and I said same and she said no in flip cup so we’re #1 and I was left stunned. She body bagged me in line for the bathroom. Zip me up. Unreal.
Bodies were sacrificed this game and we have some honorable mentions to recognize for their valiant efforts:
Matt — Diving catch in the outfield (nice)
Matt — Getting hit by a laser beam foul ball on the sideline
Jenna — Fell over in absolute shock from said laser beam
Brendan — Big catch in the outfield crashing into the fence (sick)
3–0 on the season let’s keep stacking these dubs!
#FlameOn
PLAYOFF WEEK
Damn! Where has the season gone?! It’s been a tumultuous one for sure filled with ups and downs, raw emotion, 3 inning mercy’s, extremely poor attendance, and alcohol.
First game is tomorrow at 6:15. Let’s show up in numbers and play our hearts out. If we lose that’s it.
Now I want you all to look at yourselves in the mirror. Dig deep inside and re-find that heart, that passion, that desire, the reason why you signed up to wear Spark After Dark across your chest on our hot pink tee’s. You’re not playing for yourself, but playing for one another. Playing for Spark Foundry. We carry the weight of this company on our shoulders week in and week out and we have a lot of people rooting for us.
We’re gonna go out there and fucking dominate. They will be the ones forfeiting. They won’t even score a run on us!
Lets get this dub one game at a time, but we’re coming for that crown baby!
Reply all if you want to be a part of history.
-Cap
Practice your flip cup for pete’s sake
Friday November 8, 2019
On a rainy Thursday night the Spark’s took to the field looking to end their season on a high note before entering the playoffs. But this dream quickly became a nightmare. It was an abysmal outing as they learned a lineup consisting of 6 girls and 2 guys (1 injured) is not a recipe for success. Send that dish back to the kitchen cause watching that performance made my stomach turn. F rating. The game ended after the third inning as the other team 7-run ruled them 3 times jacking up the score to 21–0. This league has a no mercy rule so the Sparks re-wrote the rules. They called the game and headed back to the bar where they started the night with high spirits before being rudely interrupted by this children’s playground game.
Key players in weeks past did not bring their stuff. I mean really just did not bring anything at all! Brittany-Lee “The Hands” Goldstein looked more like “The Feet” as she failed to make a catch. Playing first base, she let a ball roll right by and didn’t even flinch to chase after it as Brendan “Quads” Moshensky hobbled over from right-center to chase it down. Our beloved Captain kept his cool last night as he secured a big out in left field. He bobbled it once, bobbled it twice, but he locked it down. A nice bounce back week for our Cap. A true example of how to control your emotions when it matters most. Big time players make big time plays in big time moments.
The highlight of the night had to come in the second when Katie “Slingshot” Pizzani gunned down a girl at point blank range at second base. She picked the ball up, and with 0 hesitation, cocked back and let that thing rip. I mean she really let that thing rip. My God, I thought we were all supposed to be having fun here?! A fan in the stands said as the play developed he heard Katie say “slingshot, engage” as she got the ball. Scary! It was the Peg Heard Round The World. As Jenna fell to her knees and the infield celebrated, they forgot there was still a runner rounding the bases and ended up scoring. Basically the theme for the night. Whenever the opposition kicked the ball you could hear our very own Spark infielders sing “Go home! Go Home!” in support of the base runner. What has happened to this juggernaut of a team? The heart has been lost and us fans can only hope they find themselves before playoffs or else their season will be cut short.
Flip Cup this week was cool! The other team explained how they’ve never gone to flip cup, they’re only in it for the kickball (hardos). The Sparks felt electrified by this news and were very competitive only losing 4–2. Alright, they almost had them but they still fucking suck. There’s really no rhyme or reason to it — they just stink.
Our captain is calling an all hands on deck next week as they desperately need all team members to show up if they want to keep the season alive and claim the prize.
Great season everyone, this was a lot of fun. Let’s keep doing stuff like this.
See you in the playoffs.
#FlameOn
Cap
