With another successful Higgyball in the books, we have a quick follow-up survey for you to take. It’s just one question, so it’ll be quick and painless:

https://www.higgyball.com/awesome-surveys/post-event-survey-2016/

It’s anonymous, so fire away! We take your suggestions and criticisms seriously, and with your help, can make next year’s Higgyball even better.

Please feel free to forward this on to teammates who didn’t register a team, as they may not be on the mailing list.

Thanks!

Another great Higgyball in the books. Congrats to House Team for yet another championship, back-to-back. Can they be stopped?

It was great seeing some new faces in the Final Four, too! Congrats to Brews and Balls, Celtic Thunder, and Absolutely Fabulous. MVPs were Alison Bridge/Lexi Marsh (co-MVP) and Andy Bomholt. The weather held out, the atmosphere was phenomenal, and I think everyone had a great time. I heard several people use the new “kiss” rule, including the deciding points in one of the semifinal games, which was neat. And thanks again to our gracious hosts, Marc and Danielle!

If you missed out on the Higgyball shirts, we’re re-opening orders for one last batch of orders. Go to the Shirt Orders page to get one. Don’t delay: we need your order by end of day on Thursday, June 2, and then they’ll be gone forever.

We need your photos. Please send them to me, and I’ll include them in our galleries. I’ll take them via email, Dropbox, or any other method you may have. I can grab Facebook galleries as well, so feel free to include me on a gallery and I’ll get them added. Thanks!

Finally, look for a survey request coming very soon. We can always make Higgyball better, and that will be your chance to give us feedback. It’s not required, but we would love it if you would help us by filling it out.

Thanks again, everyone! The only bad part is, now is the longest part of the year until the next Higgyball.

We’re just a couple days away. A quick reminder for teams to be on time: 11:00am sharp! If you’re going to be late, let us know now. If you can’t make it at all, let us know that, too. We have some teams waiting in the wings, and it would be better to get things sorted now.

Also, the weather. It’s looking like we may see some rain, but we’re going to play through it (unless there’s nearby lightning). Bring a poncho or some sort of shelter just in case. If it looks like the weather will be really bad, we’ll postpone to Sunday and make the most of it. Stay tuned to your email or text messages; we’ll try to get the word out in advance if we need to go the Sunday route.

Don’t forget your community bags of ice, bocce sets, adult beverages, Food Registry items, sunscreen, chairs, camping gear, and a cheerful attitude. Here’s to another great Higgyball!

A few things to go over before the big day next weekend:

• We’ll use Scoresheet mobile app again! You can see how it works at http://app.higgyball.com. At the event, the app connects to the server on the deck to see live updates for scores, standings, the map, the rules, MVP voting, and photo uploading on your smartphone (we have a Wi-Fi network for the app, but no internet, FYI). Spectators can use it to follow the progress of the event. Teams don’t have to use the app (all match information goes through the Deck Manager anyway), but it’s a fun thing to have available nonetheless. Let Mark know if you have any questions.
• Don’t forget the tent city. We encourage people to camp out after the event (weather permitting). Bring your tent or small camper and we’ll make sure to have a setup break during the day. Leave a comment on this post if you plan to camp out. People that are camping out should also read the next bullet point.
• We need a cleanup crew! You people make a big mess, and our gracious hosts need extra help this year for cleaning up the morning after the event. Please signup for the Cleanup Crew, and we’ll be forever thankful. Campers would be an ideal fit for the Cleanup Crew, since you’re already there.
• We need ice! The Food Registry is mostly claimed–great job–but everyone should count on bringing a small bag of ice or two to contribute to the communal ice bin. It’s usually pretty hot at Higgyball, so please bring what you can.
• Keep your eyes on the weather here.  At the moment, a possible shower or storm is predicted.  We will play through everything we can, so you may want to bring a poncho, rain jacket, or umbrella.
• H13 checklist: chairs, sunscreen, sunglasses, hat, cooler, bocce set, coozie, food, beverage(s).

Update 2016-05-16: Shirt orders have now ended. Better luck next year!

Original: H13 T-Shirts are currently available, however, sales will close at 11:59PM on Sunday, 5/15.  Then, that’s all she wrote for 2016.  And let’s face it, your summer wardrobe would not be complete without one. Order this year’s super-fly Higgyball swag here by Sunday as shirts will not be available at the tournament or any time after.

Higgyball13 is May 28, 2016 at 11:00am SHARP. DON’T BE LATE! We can’t start until all teams are checked in. Please let us know ASAP if you have any issues with the time. If your team is not yet registered, add yourself to the Wait List.

Here’s the field map (unchanged from last year):

Here’s a map to the location for you noobs out there:

Also, keep an eye on the weather. It’ll change a dozen times between now and then. Don’t forget your sunscreen!

Downloadable wallpapers for your phone and computer are also available on the Downloads page!

Finally, don’t forget to order your shirt! Sales will close on May 15, 2016, so don’t delay.

Update 2016-05-02: All spots have been taken, so now we’ll take any additional teams for the Wait List. We almost always have teams drop out, so if you’re still considering it, please add your team. It’s first come, first served, so don’t delay!

Original: Ladies and Gentleman: Start your PayPals! Team Registration is now open.

https://www.higgyball.com/shop/registration/h13-team-registration/

Follow along on the Bracket page.

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 5/15), add to the Food Registry, and add to the Music Registry.

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

This is your reminder about Higgyball sign-ups happening this Sunday, May 1, 2016 at 12:00pm ET. An email will go out with the link for teams to enter their information and pay the $10 registration fee. Spots are limited, so be sure to get in early!

A few other things:

• Keep an eye on the teams that sign up on the Bracket page.
• If you don’t have a partner, don’t register a team! Please add yourself to the Free Agents list instead.
• When all spots have been filled, the Wait List will open up. If you didn’t make it in on Sunday, don’t despair! We almost always have a team drop out and need to fill a slot, and we take first from the Wait List.
• While you’re on the site, don’t forget to look at Shirts (sales end 5/15), add to the Food Registry, and add to the Music Registry (the form is in the sidebar on any page).
• We’ve added a new rule this year! It’s called a “baci”, and you’ll love it. Click here for more information.

Hello Higgyballers!

We are in need of a special someone to step up and fill an important role in the operations of this year’s Higgyball event. Holly, our gracious deck manager from recent years, will not be able to attend this year’s tournament. Therefore, we’re looking for a replacement.

This person will need to do the following the day of the event:

• Be at the event for the duration, including 30 minutes prior to the start of the tournament, until the awards ceremony.
• Be comfortable using a computer, specifically the custom tournament app created to manage the tournament rounds (don’t worry, instructions are included).
• Assist people with connecting to the event Wi-Fi and loading the mobile app.
• Check-in teams prior to the start of the event.
• Assign teams to open fields during the Swiss Pairing rounds, taking care to avoid teams playing on the same field too often.
• Record match scores after the completion of games to keep the rounds moving swiftly.
• Assist with the management of the knockout tournament after the Swiss Pair rounds have completed.
• Record MVP voting from people later in the day.
• Answer or find the answer to any questions people may have.
• Stay (relatively) sober for the duration of the tournament, and yet be able to deal with drunken idiots.
• Be awesome.

It sounds like a lot, but it’s truly a lot of fun. If you’re not playing on a team, this could be a great way to be a part of the event. Please send a resume with three references (just kidding) to mark.r.walker@gmail.com. We hope to hear from you very soon!

Ladies and Gentlemen,

On behalf of the organizers, I’m proud to announce the 13th Annual Higgyball Memorial Bocce Ball Tournament.  This year will mark the 10th anniversary of bocce mayhem at the home of Marc and Danielle Tincher.  Don’t hesitate to pass on your gratitude for their hard work, kindness, and hospitality over the last decade!
By now I would assume that we all know the drill pretty well, but for those who may need it, I’ll be happy to remind you.

1.  In our constant attempt to improve things every year, we’ve done away with the clunky old listserv and created a shiny new post alert system that will be mailed directly to your inbox from www.higgyball.com.  Please spread the word to interested parties; there’s a post on the front page for others to sign up.

2.  Team registration (2 players per team) will occur at 12:00 noon on Sunday, May 1st.  Go to www.higgyball.com to register.  $10 per team will be charged through PayPal as an entry fee to cover expenses.  Last year’s top 4 teams will be granted an automatic spot, BUT STILL NEED TO REGISTER AND PAY (they’ll receive the registration link prior to May 1st).  A total of 28 teams will be granted entry into the tournament.

3.  Registration sometimes fills up quickly.  In the event that our bracket fills up, a waiting list will be opened.  If you are unable to enter your team due to a full bracket, be sure to sign up on the waiting list.  Waiting list teams have won the tourney in the past!

4.  H13 will be held on Saturday May 28th, 2016 at 11:00 AM at the Tincher homestead in Oxford, Ohio.  An address and directions will be provided on the website.  We will reserve Sunday, May 29th as a “rain day”.

5.  Be sure to sign up in the Food Registry!  It takes an awful lot of food to feed everybody twice during the day.

6.  Send us pics of you and/or your loved ones wearing your Higgyball swag throughout the year and tell us where you were.  We’ll add it to our “Where Have Your Balls Been” page on Higgyball Online.  Also be sure to send us any pics from last years tournament.

7.  Grab your favorite H13 souvenir T-shirt.  There are some great designs to choose from this year for both the ladies and gents!  T-shirt sales will close May 15th in order to have it all printed by the tourney.

8.  Once logged in to Higgyball Online, you’ll have the opportunity to be part of this year’s soundtrack! Use the Music Registry form in the right sidebar and supply us with your favorite song!

9.  In an effort to increase public safety, we’d like to encourage participants to stay the night and camp.  This year we’ll be promoting a “tent city” atmosphere which could make for a very fun after party.  This being said, we are also discussing the possibilities of a shuttle system.  If you are planning to be a sober guest at this year’s event and would be interested in running a shuttle, please contact Andy, Mark, Nate, or myself.

10. If you haven’t contacted or found your partner, now is the time to do so. We have a Free Agents page for those needs.

So, polish your balls, spit-shine your medals, and lay out your jerseys.  It’s officially bocce season, folks!

Expect to hear more from your friendly, neighborhood Council members soon!

Sincerely,
Patrick Lytle
Higgyball Council