For those jonesing for some early Summer fun and bocce, the usual hosts of Higgyball (Danielle and Marc) are hosting a party this weekend. While it’s not the official Higgyball event (full details on our rescheduled event still to come), this is a fun substitute.

Here are the details:

• Saturday, May 29, 2021
• 11:00am until ??
• Miss Jacque to perform 5:00pm to 8:00pm
• Bocce, pool, sun, and fun
• Bring a snack, grillables, drinks
• Kids welcome, too!
• 7650 King Rd, Oxford, OH 45056

Back by popular demand, we have reopened the shirt orders. You have until 11:59 PM on Thursday, June 6, 2019 to make your (wise) decision. Click here to order yours today!

Well that was quite a day, eh? Another Higgyball is in the books, and despite an attempted monsoon, we have another champion on the cup. Congrats to House Team, Patrick Lytle and Andrew Bomholt, for becoming the first ever 3-time Higgyball Champions *

* of the Modern Era

Congrats also to our MVPs, Emily Silberstein and PJ Hile! As always, we’d like to thank our gracious hosts, Danielle Mann and Marc Tincher, for allowing to us to be idiots on their property, Holly and Ken Perander (and Nathan!) for managing the deck, and to all of you, for making this silly backyard tournament one of the best days of the year.

Please make arrangements to claim anything left behind at Higgyball, and help with the cleanup. Also, if you have any photos from the event, please share them with a Council Member, and we can collect them on the website. Now it’s my least favorite time of the year: the wait for next year’s Higgyball. See you all in 363 days!

Happy Higgyball Eve! In addition to the stuff from the last post, a few more things:

• We need ice! Our gracious hosts will have a couple of giant tubs for community beverages, and they need a lot of ice. When you’re buying your ice tomorrow, please get another big bag or two for the tubs.
• It’s gonna be hot! The weather forecasters are now saying some rain in the morning tomorrow, but clear sailing for the main event. The side effect of that morning rain means it’ll be hot and humid throughout the day. The pool is open, so consider bringing a bathing suit and towel for a quick reprieve. In the event that we do get a quick popup storm, we’ll have a rain delay, but then resume once finished, so bring some rain gear just in case. We’ll play through any light precipitation.
• Don’t forget your balls! You can’t spell Higgyballs without balls. If you pledged your set for the tournament, please make sure they come with you tomorrow. Check in with a High Council member to let us know that you’ve brought your set, and which field you’ve placed them on.
• Be on time! I can’t stress this enough. We start at 11:00am, so be there well before that. If something comes up, please let us know ASAP. When you arrive, if you’re a registered team, please check in with us on the back deck, and we’ll let you know what to do.
• Happy Higgyball!

A quick last-minute overview of the next Higgyball (which is this Saturday!):

• BE ON TIME! The event starts at 11:00am, so be there before then, especially the registered teams. Speaking of teams, take a look at the rules. No new rules in there, but newcomers should familarize themselves with how we run things. As usual, we’ll run everything through a computer on the deck, so you can see field assignments and standings on the big screen.
• Keep an eye on the weather. Looks to be hot, as usual, with a possibility for a thunderstorm. We’ve yet to use it, but the rain backup date is Sunday, May 26, 2019. We’ll make the call on Saturday morning if we need to use it this year. If we just have a couple of sprinkles during the event, we’ll have a weather delay, so bring some rain gear just in case. In the event that we do use the backup date, any teams that cannot make it will be refunded.
• Speaking of sun, don’t forget: water, sunscreen, bocce set(s), Food Registry items, lawn chairs, water, bug spray, sunglasses, tape measure, rain gear, and water.
• The Bracket and Wait List have gone through some transformations lately. If you’ve signed up and your plans have changed regarding Higgyball, please let me know, and you’ll get your money back. If someone bows out the day of the event, we’ll take any replacements that are at Higgyball to fill the spot.
• Just like last year, parking is now in the big field to the left of the driveway (rather than on the right as in years past; see the updated map on the previous post). Just park where everyone else is parked.

For the first time ever, team registration filled up in less than 45 minutes. Amazing! If any registered team has to drop out for any reason, let us know as soon as possible and we’ll refund your money. For those that missed the boat, if you haven’t already, please use the Wait List to reserve a potential spot in the field of 28. We’ve had to draw upon that list many times in the past. Also, the Music Registry and Food Registry are still open, so check those out.

I see some new names in the crowd, so you’ll probably need some directions. Higgyball will be held on Saturday, May 25, 2019 at 11:00am (be on time!) at the stately Tincher-Mann estate: 7650 King Rd, Oxford, OH 45056.

Head over to the Higgyball Rules for a refresher on how we play. We’ll be doing Swiss Pairs again for the first five rounds, and then a single elimination tournament to determine the ultimate champion.

Lastly, don’t forget to order your H16 Higgyball T-Shirt. Your last chance to buy one is 11:59pm on Sunday night, so don’t delay!

Update 12:43pm: Aaaand we’re full. Please use the Wait List to add your team. We nearly always have teams drop out, so don’t delay!

H16 Registration is open: Go!

Follow along on the Bracket page. When you register, don’t forget to pledge your balls to Higgyball, and add a few songs to the Music Registry list.

If you don’t have a partner, please add yourself to the Free Agents list. When all team spots have been filled, the Wait List will open up.

While you’re there, don’t forget to buy a Shirt (sales end May 12) and add to the Food Registry.

Please email mark.r.walker@gmail.com if you have any problems or questions. Good luck!

Here’s your reminder that Sign-up Sunday is fast approaching. Mark your calendarios for Sunday, May 5, 2019 at 12:00pm at www.higgyball.com. The cost is $10 per team, paid via PayPal (credit/debit card or PayPal accepted). You must have two team members to register, or you can use the Free Agent list if you don’t yet have a partner. If the 28 slots fill up before the event, we’ll open a Wait List for the slowpokes. During registration, we’ll also ask you to pledge your balls, just like last year, and allow teams to request music for the event playlist. Note: the top four teams from last year will get early registration, so watch your inboxes for that.

Also, H16 T-shirts are now available to order. Act fast; we’ll close T-shirt sales at 11:59pm on May 12, so don’t delay! Some great choices from Paddy this year.

Finally, take some time now or later to sign up on the Food Registry. It takes a village to feed this army, so we ask that you bring some items to share.

Even though the groundhog is a filthy liar, warm weather is right around the corner, which means it’s almost time for Higgyball 16! This year’s event will be on Saturday, May 25, 2019 (with a rain backup date on the next day) at our usual location, the fabulous Tincher-Mann estate on King Rd. Please know that your industrious High Council has been meeting in earnest to make the event as fun as ever!

Write a caption for this photo in the comments on the website, and the winner gets a prize. Many more Higgyball-related details will be forthcoming in the next several weeks.

In the meantime, some local polar bears decided to play some “Snocce” (snow bocce). Try it out during the next snowfall, and let us know the results.

Due to popular demand, we’ve reopened orders for H15 T-shirts. Don’t be the only one in your knitting group without one, act fast. Orders close again on Monday, June 4, forever this time (for reals, we mean it). Click here to order.