JBA YLS Sports League Co-Commissioner Matt Havice
As the NFL and NBA are embroiled in labor disputes and the current MLB collective bargaining agreement expires in December, we are once again reminded of the integral part sports play in so many lives across the globe.
While we can certainly agree that there are many more significant and important issues facing the country and the world at this time, one cannot help but see the positive effect that sports have in bringing people together.
Take, for instance, the recent U.S. Women’s Soccer Team’s exhilarating win over Brazil in the quarter finals of the 2011 Women’s World Cup.
Friends and family alike, who have never watched even one minute of a soccer game, couldn’t wait to ask me if I had seen the finish, and where I would rank the game and the win.
While I won’t bore anyone with my top 10 sports moments of the past 30 years (though Cal Ripken Jr.’s lap around Camden Yards during his record-breaking consecutive game streak is definitely high on the list), I will use this as a segue into the reason for this article: the beginning of the 2011-12 JBA/YLS Sports League season.
James Gonzalez and I, acting as co-commissioners of the JBA YLS Sports League, appointed by current YLS President Elizabeth Howard, along with YLS board of governors’ member Christian George, acting as the sports liaison, are planning a sports league season that will have something for everyone.
Whether you were a Division I college athlete, a high school All-American or the person picked last for coed dodgeball during gym class in third grade, we will have a league that will allow you to join your local Bar members in the time-honored tradition of competitive athletics.
Or, if you prefer something on the lighter side, devoid of gym class heroes, the first annual JBA Putt-Putt League will be starting in August.
The league will consist of teams of four players and will take place every Wednesday night for six weeks, the last two weeks being the playoffs.
“Playoffs, don’t talk about playoffs, are you kidding me?” That’s right Jim Mora Sr., we are talking about the Putt-Putt League playoffs, which judging by the early responses will be highly entertaining, if nothing else.
In addition to the Putt-Putt League, we are also organizing the Fall Softball League, to be followed by the Winter Bowling League.
The Kickball League will get things started in 2012 and will be followed by the annual Spring Basketball League. Rules and start times for each league will be provided in the monthly Sports League update email.
At this time the leagues are open to all members of The JBA, their spouses and blood relatives, employees of law firms and one “ringer” (defined as anyone who does not fit into one of the categories listed above) per team per league.
In another first for the JBA YLS Sports League, we will be hosting a charity beach volleyball tournament. The tournament will take place over two Saturdays beginning in late August and will be held for the benefit of the Pancreatic Cancer Foundation.
We encourage all members to participate in at least one league during this upcoming sports year. This is an opportunity for attorneys, their families and staff members to join together in a fun and friendly atmosphere while enjoying a release from the daily stresses associated with the profession we have chosen.
Get out of the office chair for one night a week, join us for any one of the numerous leagues planned for this year and create some great stories for the next firm lunch.
Finally, in addition to participants in the upcoming seasons, we need eager volunteers to help with setup and monitoring of the leagues. Anyone who wants to be more involved, please contact me or James Gonzalez.
Whether it is going from first to third on a sharp single, draining a match-winning 16-foot hole-in-one or eclipsing 200 on the lanes, we hope to see all of you out there this year.
My contact information is [email protected] or 493-3756. James M. Gonzalez can be reached at [email protected] or 358-4211.