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|  | Feature
 Queer Sports
Spring–Summer 2005
Gay Soccer
Contrary to recent weather patterns, spring has finally arrived, along with all that comes with it: short shorts, low carb-fraps, general dissolution of seasonal depression —and the return of the increasingly popular Sunday afternoon event known around town as “gay soccer.”
What began roughly seven years ago as a small get-together between friends has, over the years, developed into a larger affair usually accumulating enough people for standard-regulation-sized teams and an eager crowd of spectators.
Martin Grygar, one of the original “founders” of the group and the long time unofficial captain of the team, is quick to point out that above anything else, the point of the weekly games is really a lot less about skill level or athletic prowess than just showing up and having fun.
“The games are very informal and laid-back pick-up games,” Grygar says. “You don’t have to be good at it, just come out and have a good time.”
And a good time seems to be what keeps bringing people back. Grygar estimates that about three-fourths of the players are weekly players who return year after year. And while the majority of those who show up to play are gay men, there are no restrictions on who can play.
“We have a pretty diverse group age-wise that play,” he says. “While most of the players are in their late teens to mid-fifties, there have been players that have brought their teenage children as well. We even had a seventy year old man play once.”
The games take place every Sunday at Fairmont Park in Sugarhouse and start around 2:30 p.m. This year’s first game will take place on April 3rd, and like previous years, the playing season generally runs spring through fall. While the number of players seems to increase with each playing season, Grgyar also says that given these are outdoor games, weather is a definite factor in actual weekly turnout.
The regularly pleasant springtime weather seems to be the largest motivator in drawing the biggest number of people wanting to play, enough so that there is sometimes an overload of people on the playing field. Although there is typically a decrease in turnout during inclement weather and scorching hot summer days, there are usually enough players to form teams and start up a game.
“Regardless of how many people show up, we’re pretty laid back and generally don’t rotate players on and off the field,” Grygar says. “People show up, and whether they want to play the whole game or come and go off the field as they want to is fine.”
Keeping up with the relaxed nature of the weekly games is the “come as you are” approach for everyone who wants to play, with no official equipment or attire required. In the past, coaches have shown up sporadically, mostly to give out pre-game advice and help where they can. But for the most part there are no coaches or referees present, and team members tally the points scored. Grygar admits that it’s not unusual for a game to end when the general consensus of both teams becomes “next point wins.”
Even with the yearly increases in attendance, Grygar says that because of the long playing season they’ve had to mix it up a bit to keep people interested in showing up week after week. Volleyball games of the same pick-me-up nature have cropped up during soccer games, and towards the end of the season they have begun to alternate weekly games with Ultimate Frisbee, which isn’t so stringent in the number of people needed to play.
And for those less interested in running the field amongst the throng of sweaty people, spectator participation is another welcome element of Sunday sporting events. What could be better than a Sunday afternoon, post-brunch, wind-down in the park, cheering on the hard working players, all while sipping an iced latte and catching up with friends on the latest gossip of “who wore what last night?”
Though Grygar recently and unexpectedly moved out of state, he remains confident that enough people have expressed interest in keeping the event alive, and that despite his absence, the games will continue.
So whether you’re a yearly veteran player, have interest in joining up, or just want to be part of the spectator social, weekly “gay soccer” promises—at the very least—an open invitation for all to come out and, above all, just have a good time.
For more information, email Kirk Paxman at
sportskirk@msn.com
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| Queer Sports
Spring-Summer 2005
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