Wrapping Up the Fall Season and Getting Bundled Up for Winter 2012!

As we’re wrapping up Fall 2011 Sports, everyone on the PSL Staff (Greg Mitrik and Jen Swoyer) are getting geared up for an awesome Winter 2012 Indoor sports season. Although much of the Fall season seemed to mimic the Spring Weather disaster of 2011, we have been able (so far) to finish out playoffs for most sports. It was really coming down to the wire there… being unable to log many office hours, as we were furiously driving around the city to check field conditions, some nights were played in less than favorable conditions. Soggy field? No problem… it’s got to beat snow and ice or even playing into the holiday seasons!

Anyways, regardless of the weather, we’re happy to say that the Fall season is closing on a successful note. One of my personal new favorite things are playoff games, as the real competitive nature of PSLers is unleashed for some of the best game play I’ve ever seen! People are taking dives into pools of mud to catch fly balls, flag footballs, etc. and it’s great. Although of course, we’d prefer to be able to play on beautiful dry nights… hey, if it was that easy all the time, it wouldn’t be interesting and exciting! See below a quick shot of Softball up at Fineview field… you can almost feel how cold and wet the field was that night!!

So the time is coming to bundle up and find shelter inside. This however, does not mean that PSL sports are coming to an end for the winter. We have several indoor sports for everyone to check out and sign up for. Winter 2012 League info and registration dates are now posted on the main PSL website (HERE).

Monday Dec 5 – Bowling and Broomball

Tuesday Dec 6 – Dek Hockey and Dodgeball

Wednesday Dec 7 – Basketball and Tennis Clinic

Thursday Dec 8 – Simulator Golf and Volleyball

Friday Dec 9 – Cornhole, Darts, Shuffleboard

If you have any questions regarding leagues, registration, etc., please feel free to contact me at jswoyer@pump.org. See you this winter!!

 

Get Competitive This Winter!

Whether you’re a current PUMP member or PSLer looking to try a new sport, or even new to the area, I encourage you to check out all that the Pittsburgh Sports League has going on this winter. While we are unfortunately unable to carry on with our outdoorsy sports like kickball and softball, we have other great opportunities to stay fit (and warm) during the frozen months to come.

My suggestion for something new… the much sought after Dodgeball league. Why? To take out some cabin fever aggression? Maybe… To have a good time? Definitely. Dodgeball isn’t just a movie, nor a game that you play in high school P.E., thus something to be forgotten.  Let me give you some “deets” on what PSL Dodgeball is all about:

At the beginning of each round, six players per team take the court for the ultimate faceoff. The stare down, waiting with insufferable anticipation for the first whistle… when players will sprint and dive toward the “deadzone” to retrieve at least one of three sought after dodgeballs. If you are lucky enough to snag one within the first seconds of the game, you must then take your prized possession back to your own team zone before you can start taking out the other team.

This is where it gets even better. If you can’t already tell, this is no game for pansies. You’ve got to be able to multi-task. There are going to be balls zooming past you, or even making contact, but you’ve got to be able to dodge your opposing team’s shots and strategically make your own.

A player is called “out” when he/she :

• Is struck by a ball before the ball hits the ground or walls
• Is outside of the team zone (unless to retrieve a ball from the “deadzone” on their side of the court)
• Has thrown a ball, which is caught by a player of the opposing team.

Once you’re out, you need to leave the court quickly to avoid play interference as well as rogue balls. If you CATCH a ball thrown by the opposing team, before it hits the ground or walls, a player who had been pegged out may return to the game.

Although there are more rules that pertain to specific situations, that’s the basic gist. Regulation match play will consist of 11 rounds or 55 minutes, whichever comes first. Each round has a 5 minute time limit. and the team with the most players remaining on court at the end of the 5 minute period wins.

What does this all look like? Chaos in 5 minutes, but all for fun. So bring your muscle, put on your Sunday best, do whatever you need to do…. just get registered for the Winter 2011 season, as we’re hoping for one of the most competitive Dodgeball seasons in PSL history!

Stay tuned for information on other PSL Winter Sports in the future…

Awesome Upcoming Events

… that you should probably be a part of. Tomorrow (Wednesday October 12) End of Season Party for PSL Spring and Summer sports leagues. Guess where? The Rivers Casino (at the Drum Bar inside the Rivers Casino, to be exact). The party will run “officially” from 7-9pm, but we’ll be there partying and celebrating before and after the “official” times, so make sure to stop by before or after your Wednesday night PSL games!

Even further incentive:

The first 100+ people through the door will receive a ticket for a free drink courtesy of the PSL. We will have giveaways from the Rivers Casino for all attendees as well as raffles for some great PSL prizes. Teams that won their league championships during Spring or Summer seasons can also pick up their prizes if they have not yet done so.

We also have the upcoming Annual Randy Pausch Memorial Flag Football tournament on October 22 at Green Tree park. We still have room for teams and it’s for a great cause, so SIGN UP!! Details HERE.

So… just in case you haven’t been keeping up on PUMP and the PSL, we’ve got a lot of awesome things going on. We’re trying to get our members more involved, get PSL more aware of the entire PUMP organization, etc.  From the great PUMPtoberfest party that took place on September 29 to the upcoming End of Season Party at the Rivers Casino, Discover Pittsburgh Works on October 25 and the 40 under 40 event to take place on November 4.

For more information on any of these events, please visit the main PUMP or PSL webpages (HERE)  for dates and registration information.

We hope to see you all come out for more PSL sports with Winter registration in November, in addition to other PUMP events. Feel free to contact me with any questions about events, sports registration, etc. (jswoyer@pump.org)

Oktoberfest + PUMP = PUMPtoberfest!!

It’s the most wonderful time of the year, and who could argue? Well we decided to bring the celebration to Pittsburgh so that PUMP members, PSLers and friends could come together and have a great time with good people at Penn Brewery. Prior to the activities this evening, I thought you might like to know a little bit more about why putting Oktoberfest and PUMP together is so awesome.

Here are some fun facts about Oktoberfest as traditionally celebrated in Germany:

• Oktoberfest is held in Munich Germany and despite the name, begins in September, lasting 16 days and into the first week of October.
• The first Oktoberfest celebration was held on October 12, 1810, organized in commemoration of Crown Prince Ludwig and Princess Terese of Saxe-Hildburghausen. The original festival included a horse race, the tradition which persisted until 1960.
• Approximately 7,000,000 litres of beer, 80,000 litres of wine, 32,000 litres of sparkling wine, 220 litres of tea/coffee and 1,000,000 litres of lemonade/water are consumed throughout the course of the festival.
• Many beer drinkers forget that the beer is on average a 7.5-8% alcohol content and pass out from excessive drinking. Such patrons who have “had their fill” are called “Bierleichen,” which is German for “beer corpses”.
• “O’zapft ist!” means “It’s tapped!”
• “Zweimal Bier, bitte” means “two beers, please” (you should keep this in mind either so you can grab one for a friend or just an extra for your empty hand).

Now here are some fun facts about PUMP:

• PUMP’s mission is to make Pittsburgh a more dynamic and diverse place to live by giving young and young-thinking people a voice and inspiring them to affect change in our community through civic engagement, professional development, recreation and social networking.
• PUMP membership, which is open to Pittsburghers in their 20s, 30s, and 40s, confers a cornucopia of benefits, including access to social-networking events, sports teams, and job listings.
• PUMP provides one on one access to regional leaders, risk takers and buzz makers. Monthly events feature decision makers in
• business, the arts, government and m ore!
• PUMP opens up the ability to shape Pittsburgh’s future. Many PUMP members are asked, if not already serving on civic and government committees, task forces and boards.
  

Put the two together and you get PUMPtoberfest!! This is our way of celebrating and bonding with our PUMP members, family and friends. PUMP has been in action for 16 years, engaging the young Pittsburgh community to make a difference to help Pittsburgh grow and change according to the needs of the city and its inhabitants. Featured at PUMPtoberfest this evening will be:

• Yuengling Oktoberfest, Warsteiner Oktoberfest, Spaten Oktoberfest, Penn Weizen, and Church Pious Monk beer (as much as you can fit into a regulation-size rain boot)
• Scrumptious samples from Penn Brewery’s menu, such as Bratwurst, Sauerkraut and soft pretzels
• Live entertainment from Oberkrainer styled band Gaudi Baum
• Good times with great friends and an opportunity to meet your next teammate, board member, PUMP and PSL Staff, etc.

We’re looking forward to seeing you tonight and at future PUMP events or out on the field with PSL sports! Don’t worry if you weren’t able to get in on the Groupon action for the PUMPtoberfest celebration, you can still attend by paying the $40 fee at the door (you must be 21 or older to attend). As a reminder, tickets for the event include admittance to the celebration as well as a two year PUMP membership for new members, or a 2 year renewal for existing members.

 

Expanding Horizons

You know what really grinds my gears? When people aren’t familiar with a sport, and assume that the sport is played literally as the name suggests. For example, I play water polo and it kills me when I’m having a great conversation with someone, I tell them that I do this, and they say something to the extent of “but how do the horses swim?.” At that point the conversation abruptly ends as I storm off in the opposite direction shaking my head.

Okay, so I have to admit something… I’ve been updating scores, emailing captains and so forth for the PSL Broomball league, and I’m sitting at my desk thinking that Broomball is literally people running around on an ice rink with a house broom and a ball. I understand if you think it’s ridiculous… so do I.

+       ≠     BROOMBALL

So I decided on Monday night that enough was enough. I went out to the Mt. Lebanon Ice Rink for my first Broomball game and to put my ignorance to rest. I couldn’t have been more mistaken about what was going on in our Broomball leagues.  I got a chance to speak with the referee before the game, who gave me

 some “deets” before game time. I was fortunate enough to see two really great teams face off in the first game of the season. The first team being described as “strategic and system-oriented veterans,” and the other team known to be “quick, hard hitters.” I was in for a good game.

The PSL Broomball league does not disappoint. There are people taking hits against the side boards (although not allowed), sliding on knees and elbows to make a save or to get to the ball faster, etc.  Somehow these teams are able to put on an awesome display of finesse during competition that I certainly would not have expected from a group of adults running back and forth on the ice rink, fighting one another for possession of the ball.

For those of you who remain unaware of Broomball, I would most easily describe it as hockey, with lacrosse stick looking brooms, as seen below:

It really was an interesting game to watch, and I can only imagine how fun it would be to play! So my recommendation to ANYONE looking to have some fun, would be to try out a new sport, like Broomball or any other sport offered

 within the PSL. Look into something new that you’ve never played, or maybe even heard of before. Expand your horizons, you might just find something awesome for you. After all, if you’re bored, then you’re boring.  If you aren’t already playing a PSL sport or attending a PUMP event, get involved!! 

I apologize for the quality of the pictures taken on my phone, but below are just some shots from my first Broomball experience. I invite anyone interested in checking out a new sport to stop by and watch a game, just check out our schedules to see when we’re playing. Who knows, maybe you’ll even see the PSL staff there!

Don’t forget upcoming PUMP events like PUMPtoberfest on September 29, it’s going to be a great time! For more info, please visit the PUMPtoberfest page on Facebook!

Do Ya Feel That?

… no, not another earthquake, calm down. There’s a fall-time crisp settling in the air, which means many things for PUMP members and PSL participants: fall sports leagues (flag football is back in season, heck yes!), PUMPtoberfest, Scotch Tastings, etc.  There are all of these great things going on in Pittsburgh, and we hope that you are taking advantage of them as best as you can!

This evening marked the opening of the Fall PSL Sports season, which will last through the beginning of November. PSL staff couldn’t be more excited for the season which, hopefully, will be a bit drier than the Spring and Summer.  Although the leaves may start to die and fall from the trees, the PSL will be keeping Pittsburgh active and alive with sports ranging from Basketball to Flag Football and even Shuffleboard!

If you were part of the unfortunate crowd who missed out on Fall sports registration, we DO still have room in our PSL bowling league, but not for long! Even if bowling may not be your “speed,” I still encourage you to stop by a gym or field to check out what PSL sports are all about. You may just find out what you’ve been missing on those cold… lonely, fall evenings. You can also thus better prepare yourself for winter registration when it comes around in the next couple months!

In addition to PSL sports for the fall season, we hope that PSLers are taking advantage of our PUMP membership incentives and are able to participate in the various events that we’re a part of… which leads me to my next point:

Have you heard of Groupon.com? If not, you should probably check it out. Groupon is a daily coupon that is emailed to you for your favorite restaurants, spas, bars, etc…. something new and spectacular every day.  Well wouldn’t you know that PUMP is going to be promoted in one of those awesome daily Groupons in the next couple of weeks.  Promotion that day?: PUMPtoberfest.

 

 

What IS PUMPtoberfest, you might say? Well here are some of the deets:

If you so choose to partake in the aforementioned Groupon-ing, for $20 you will get entrance to the PUMPtoberfest event on September 29, a 1 year PUMP membership, free beer donated by Yuengling, and you can partake in the music, dancing and mingling of the event. Who would want to miss out on that? Who knows, maybe we can even get the PSL staff to get into some Lederhosen and Dirndls. That in itself might be worth your attendance. For more details and information on PUMPtoberfest, visit the Facebook page.

Stay warm and healthy as the weather changes!

Staying Hydrated This Summer

Since most PSL sports take place in the evening hours (with the exception of weekend leagues), it can be easy to forget that constant hydration–of the H2O sort– is still extremely important. Not to say that you can’t still support your adult varietals, but you still need to be replenishing water and electrolytes lost during league play. So, make sure to play it safe—stay hydrated this summer, and have a blast with PSL Summer League Sports!!

Some signs that you may be dehydrated are:

• dry lips/mouth
• headache, weakness, dizziness or extreme fatigue
• nausea
• darker than normal “output”– if you know what I mean.

Here are some easy suggestions to stay hydrated in the summer heat:

• eat your water: snacking on melons, peaches, celery etc
• drink sparkling water in place of soda: still fizzy… just better for you
• hydrate BEFORE exercising/competition
• stay hydrated at work
• add lemon or cucumber slices to change things up a bit if the glorious taste of water doesn’t appeal to your particular palate
• keep a reusable bottle with you: you can always secure a PSL water bottle by ordering one here

One last thing to keep you cool on these hot summer nights is a reminder that Fall sports are coming soon! Registration dates have been posted for all fall league sports on the Upcoming Leagues page, which you can view by clicking here. Make sure to register your team early, as many leagues sell out within minutes! We look forward to seeing you out there with the PSL this fall!