Smile, you’re a winner!
Social sports are a big deal in DC. Since there are so many options, how do you determine which league to join?
The sport you want to play and where you’re willing to play at will impact your decision. Unfortunately, there are no Whirlyball leagues at the Verizon Center quite yet.
Let’s continue to look at three leagues you should try out. See Part 1 here.
Part 2: ZogSports DC
I’ve played sand volleyball (6×6 and 4×4) with ZogSports DC since 2014.
Sand volleyball is a lot of fun. Although the season for league outdoor volleyball is winding down, on weekends, there is usually a big turn-out at the Lincoln Memorial Sand Courts for free pick-up matches.
The sign-up fee for ZogSports DC includes six matches (with playoffs if you qualify), a team t-shirt and the winning team each week gets a free pitcher or bucket of beer at the sponsor bar. The top two teams in each league gets a donation (from ZogSports) sent to the cause/charity of their choice. I also like that the website tracks the standings and archives any past leagues you have played in.
The locations of the different sports are all across the city, so you should have no trouble finding something that is convenient for you.
Kendra Hansen, General Manager of ZogSports DC, chats with Parklife DC:
Parklife: How and when did your league come about?
Kendra: After his close call on September 11, 2001, Robert Herzog was inspired to create an organization which brought like-minded people together to have fun, give back and create community.
He identified a need amongst New York’s young professionals for better organized sports leagues and more natural social interactions outside of the workplace. Plus, he wanted to tap into the charitable spirit which pervaded the city following 9/11.
In 2002, ZogSports kicked off with a 26 team football league and has since grown into the nation’s largest and best-organized, social sports league with over 100,000 people playing every year in six different markets with more than $2,500,000 donated to teams’ charities.
Parklife: Why should someone choose your league over other social sports leagues?
Kendra: ZogSports DC is organized, reliable, has trained referees, great happy hours, great locations and is always looking to put the customer first. We want to make sure this is the highlight of your week. And to top it off, you get to choose a charity of your choice to play for!
Parklife: What sports/activities do you offer?
Kendra: ZogSports DC offers soccer, football, basketball, volleyball, softball, kickball, dodgeball and more to come! We also offer corporate events and field days.
Parklife: What is your most popular sport/activity?
Kendra: Soccer and basketball have been our most popular leagues and are continuing to grow.
Parklife: What sport/activity that you offer are you most proud of?
Kendra: I am most proud of the soccer leagues that we run. We have been able to create relationships with schools and fields in the DC and VA area to host competitive and fun leagues for everyone who wants to play soccer. We have been able to consistently offer competitive divisions and casual divisions.