I went to George Washington University and have been out of school now for 3 years. In that time frame I have noticed growth in the number of young professionals in DC. It is crazy to see how many people are flocking to DC fresh out of college. You can see huge apartment complexes shooting up all over the place, you see the bars flooded with people from 22-28 and probably the biggest change in the culture of DC is a new scene that is everywhere in DC: Intramural sports. I am going to dissect the DC social scene for you because I assure you every sport is different and you need to know before you join.
Softball
Softball teams have always been prevalent in cities, and even more so in the suburbs. Adults love to play softball and we feel like we are back in our prime cranking out homers and gunning down runners at first. You really can’t miss when signing up for a softball team. Most people just get on a work team. This is because Softball is the most inclusive of all teams and ensures that everyone in the office could play. If you choose to sign up for a softball team on your own, be sure to read all about it. If you are ultra competitive you should really think about joining a league that indicates that to be so. Nothing is worse than playing on a team that is just out there to have fun, when you only find winning fun. Beverages are usually consumed during softball games.
Kickball
I have taken a strong stance against DC kickball leagues but it is probably the biggest rage amongst the 20 somethings in DC. My rational for not liking DC kickball leagues is simple. It is not competitive enough for me. I love the sport and really enjoyed it when I have played, but in DC people will just come to meet people and “have fun”. I am the kind of guy that only has fun when we are winning, I also do not have fun in a lineup that bats 18 people. My recommendation here is join it if you are new to the city, want to meet people, and are not all that athletic/competitive. I have also found that the girls are much more athletic than the guys playing kickball. I think that it is because all of the more athletic guys have opted out.
Flag-Football
In my opinion this is a great staple of intramural sports. Flag football leagues are a lot of fun and extremely competitive. Co-ed leagues, and Men’s leagues are equally competitive. The only difference between the two is that in a men’s league it will be full contact on the line, which tends to mean you will need some bruisers on your team. Games are traditionally only played on the weekends, and only in the fall and spring. If you are a football player I would recommend sleagues.com because I have found it to be the most competitive and just a lot of fun.
Dodgeball
Not too many years ago nerds of the past were trying to kick dodgeball out of school. America responded with an extremely famous movie, and a resurgence amongst adults. There are several DC dodgeball leagues and I assure you this is a sport that you will love. Much different from kickball, you need to be very prepared before joining one of these leagues. The players are extremely good. Teams have strategies, and just about every guy who looks like he can’t throw could take your head off. I would say for this one you should stick to leagues that use rubber balls. Teams are ALL co-ed across the board, so ladies need to be prepared too. I would recommend unitedsocialsports.com
Volleyball
Last and certainly not least is volleyball. There is a strong culture amongst the volleyball leagues and I personally have participated in many. You find that you keep seeing the same people no matter which league you join. I began playing in a league which was very uncompetitive and we ended up leaving it due to that fact. Now we are playing in a league called Zog and we have just been loving it. They offer beach volleyball during the summers (by the Lincoln) and indoor volleyball all other times. It is a lot of fun if you are a competitive volleyball player, and I have found that this is one of the sports that girls will be better than guys at. So WATCH OUT GUYS
