Higgyball Online

…but not quite.

Your friendly neighborhood Higgyball Council continues to be committed to the safety of our Higgy-family. And, while many of us are taking measures to protect ourselves, there are still members of our community that need our protection. Namely, our kids.

There is some good news, however. According to the powers that be, children’s trials are already in progress and vaccines for our mini-ballers COULD be expected as early as this summer.

At this point I think we can roughly forecast a Labor Day tournament on Saturday, Sept 4, 2021. So, take the opportunity to get with/find your/a partner and start training. Rest assured that your Higgyball Council members are communicating, and that you can expect more updates and details as we continue to make progress regarding safety measures.

H17 is so close I can smell the sausage. On behalf of the fellas, we look forward to seeing you all on the field very soon.

It is with great sadness that I share the news that, as most of you have already suspected, Higgyball17 is postponed indefinitely. “I WANT MY H17” never sounded more accurate. Rest assured that your organizers and Council members have been in regular contact and are committed to hosting the event as soon as we feel that we can hold a mass gathering safely. Higgyball17 will continue to circle in a holding pattern until such a time becomes practical. We here at H17 headquarters will continue to keep you informed as new information becomes available. In the meantime, keep up your chops at home in the event that there is…an event.

We would like to wish all of our participants, spectators, and their families a safe spring and summer and hope to see you all again soon. Stay healthy and don’t drink bleach!

Sincerely,

Your friendly neighborhood Higgyball Council

Football season’s end can mean only one thing. ONE. THING. No more. No less. Sunshine and bocce season are right around the corner. Wait. Is that two things or just one combined?

Behind the scenes, your friendly, neighborhood, Higgyball Council has been preparing tirelessly to bring you the same fun and surprises you’ve come to expect. Higgyball17 will be held on Saturday, May 23rd with a rain day on the 24th at our usual location, the fabulous Tincher-Mann estate on King Rd.

Stay tuned as Many more Higgyball-related details unfold in the coming weeks.

Is a 4th of July get down in your future? Need some jams for ‘da beach? Hosting a pool party and/or grill out? Not to worry! The H16 soundrack is ready to work for you in all conditions. When you choose to play H16, you’ll have ten fluid hours of variety at your beck and call. Enjoy!

Can’t get enough? Search Spotify to find all of the Higgyball soundtracks dating back to H9!

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!

If your experience was anything like mine on Sunday, you probably had to register like a Russian race horse and didn’t have an opportunity to even consider donating your teams musical flava to the cause. As it turns out, the music registry is still open and will be until Monday. The secret to Higgyball’s best soundtracks is its diverse recipe. Add what gets your team jazzed and we’ll do our best to include it.

Sunday will also be your last opportunity to purchase an iconic H16 tee shirt in order to fill orders and have them in your hands by the day of the dance. Choose to celebrate our location and host emblazoned in all his glory, or commemorate one of our most popular lunchtime institutions…the wiener. All shirts will be printed on super-soft and comfortable Tultex products.

Expect to hear more from your friendly, neighborhood council in the coming weeks!