Stop me if you’ve heard this one before. Higgyball is next weekend! To the things:

• We need your tune requests. Visit the Music Registry and give us your favorite songs to fill out the soundtrack of our lives. We won’t judge your poor taste in music.
• Take a peek at the Food Registry and let us know if you can bring anything else (we always need more ice). Or look at the contribution list to remind yourself what you promised to bring.
• We cannot stress this enough: BE ON TIME. We’re going to kick off at 11:00am, and if a registered team isn’t there in full, we’ll have to drop you and pick up the next team on the waitlist. If you do get dropped, you’ll get a full refund, but the Swiss Pairing format requires all teams playing at the same time. Let us know well in advance if a registered team cannot attend.
• Speaking of Swiss Pairing, make sure you understand the rules, especially our newcomers. It’s not hard once we get into the swing of things, and we’ve found it makes the early rounds more competitive. As usual, we’ll run everything through a computer on the deck, and I’ve hopefully fixed a few bugs from years past regarding matchups and field assignments. I’ll have a Wi-Fi network set up (but not connected to the Internet) so that you can use a smartphone with a web browser to follow along as the tournament progresses. This isn’t a requirement, however; you can get score updates and field assignments from the deck.
• H15 checklist: chairs, sunscreen, bug spray, sunglasses, hat, cooler, bocce set (did you pledge your balls?), coozie, food, beverages.

This Sunday at noon is your last chance to order an H15 T-Shirt, so act fast!

A few items remain on the Food Registry, so if you haven’t already, please let us know you’ll bring something.

We’re just about two weeks away, so it’s time to start watching the weather. Currently, it’s showing rain for the big day, but that will likely change a dozen times between now and then. If we do need to call it, we’ll let people know that morning, and re-schedule for the next day. Fingers crossed!

Finally, check out the new field map. Our gracious hosts have reconfigured their green space, so we’re looking forward to spreading out a bit, and avoiding some of the problem areas of past Higgyballs.

A few bookkeeping items as we get closer (Higgyball is only three weeks away!)

• T-Shirt orders close on May 13, so act now to claim a piece of history.
  
• The Food Registry is fixed, so look through the list and let us know what you can bring. We always need ice.
• Here’s the address for Higgyball, in case you’re new this year: 7650 King Rd, Oxford, OH 45056
• Check out the rules. No changes to speak of this year, but noobs will want to brush up on the Swiss Pairing structure of the opening rounds.
• Lastly, we’re short one pledge for your balls. If you have a set of standard bocce balls (get out of here with your small, light balls), please let me know.

That’s it for now. We filled up team registrations in near record time this year, and even have a few teams on the Wait List. If any registered teams cannot make it to the tournament for any reason, let me know ASAP, and you will get a full refund.

Update 1:19pm Aaaand we’re full. For those that missed out, use the Wait List here. Don’t fret; invariably we have people that have to drop out, so make sure to get on there.

H15 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 13) and add to the Food Registry.

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

Sign-Up Sunday: Reminder

Mark your calendars.  Set a reminder on your phone.  Have your mom call to remind you if you have to, but for Pete’s sake, don’t forget to sign up for Higgyball15 on Sunday, April 29th at 12:00 noon!

A few things to remember:

• Higgyball15 will be held on Saturday, May 26, 2018 at 11:00 in the morning.  A “rain day” will be reserved for Sunday the 27th. 
• H15 SIGN-UPS will open at 12:00 noon on Sunday, April 29 at www.higgyball.com.  Be hasty.  If the 28 available slots fill, a waiting list will be provided.
• 1st through 4th place from Higgyball14 have reserved slots, however you still have to register and pay.
• 2 Members per team.  You will need to provide a team name and player names.
•  A $10 registration fee (per team) will be required using PayPal.  Be sure to have a credit card or your PayPal account handy.
• While registering, you will be prompted to add a few of your favorite jams to our music registry.  Help us build this year’s soundtrack!
• Whether you are a guest or participant, everyone loves the food!  Please take a minute to add a few items to the food registry.
• T-shirt orders will open along with team registration, Sunday.  Take home a piece of historical H15 swag!  Sales will close on May 13 in order for shirts to be printed and in your hands on game day! Buy one here!

On behalf of the organizers, I’m proud to announce The 15th Annual Higgyball Memorial Bocce Ball Tournament.  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.

Higgyball Alerts

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1. Team registration (2 players per team) will occur at 12:00 noon on Sunday, April 29th.  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 April 29th).  A total of 28 teams will be granted entry into the tournament.
2. 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!
3. H15 will be held on Saturday May 26th, 2018 at 11:00 AM at the Tincher-Mann homestead in Oxford, Ohio.  An address and directions will be provided on the website.  We will reserve Sunday, May 27th as a “rain day”.
4. In an attempt to make the event ever more interactive the food and music registries will be included in the team sign-up process as well as the soundtrack.  In the event that we need more songs, a music registry will be opened to the public.
5. 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 at Higgyball Online.  Also be sure to send us any pics from last year’s tournament.
6. Grab your favorite H15 T-Shirt.  There will be some great designs to choose from this year for both the ladies and gents!  T-shirt sales will open on April 29th and close May 13th in order to have everything printed by the tourney.
7. In an effort to increase public safety, we’d like to encourage participants to stay the night and camp or find alternate transportation if necessary.  
8. 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.
9. Be sure to “Pledge Your Balls” this year if you’d be willing to donate a regulation size set of bocce balls to the day’s cause.  Not to worry, your balls are yours and yours alone.  We don’t want to own them, we just want to play with them for the day.

Polish your stones, spit-shine your medals, and lay out your jerseys.  It’s officially bocce season…as soon as it stops snowing. 

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

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

https://www.higgyball.com/awesome-surveys/post-event-survey-2017/

It’s anonymous, so fire away! We take your suggestions and criticisms seriously. Next year is the 15th annual party, so we want to make it special

Thanks!

Congrats to Flavor Savers for their first Higgyball championship!

A good mix of old guard and new blood in the final four, also including Corner Boys, Charging Rhino, and Pornstache. MVPs this year were Amanda Tharp and Wayne Proffitt (he of the only recorded double baci in Higgyball history). It was great seeing all of the new faces this year, thanks for joining us! A big thanks to Holly, running the deck to make sure everyone got on the right fields. And as always, thank you to our gracious hosts, Danielle and Marc, for the awesome venue.

If you have photos from this year’s event, please send them our way, whether it’s via email, Facebook, flash drive, or Pony Express. A big part of Higgyball is the nostalgia factor, and it’s always great to look back at the photos years later.

Today is the longest you’ll have to wait for more Higgyball. See everyone next year for Higgyball 15!

We made it! Looks like the weather will cooperate after all. Please make sure all those that are playing are at the event no later than 11:00 AM. We’ll go through the opening ceremonies, talk about how the tournament works, and check teams in. If you’ll be significantly late, please let us know ASAP.

Also, 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!

It appears that we have a potentially sketchy day of weather ahead of us for H14.    Saturday morning, please mind your email as we’ll be sending any updates regarding delay or cancellation no later than 10:00 AM.  Be assured that we will do everything in our power to press through as the forecast for Sunday (our reserved rain day) looks even worse.  In the event that we are forced to cancel, any parties that cannot participate on the rescheduled day will be refunded in full.

Currently there are an array of forecasts ranging from an afternoon t-storm to biblical squalls.  The impression that I get is that the current local prediction is to expect a cloudy day that, according to Frank Marzullo, won’t be a “wash out”.  But, he did say to “plan for a storm.”  And, that, we can handle.

So, make sure to include a poncho, rain jacket, or umbrella on your list as we’ll play through everything possible.  See you soon!