If you survived winter this far and felt that WinterWest was not enough, then migrate to the State Games of Michigan site, where you can choose from a host of activities to watch and participate in (with pre-registration) at their inaugural Winter Games.
And while many of these events are played outside, it is a few of the inside events that truly stretch my definition of a winter sport (bowling, anyone?), I am loving that those who want to challenge this weather as well as give Mother Nature the finger for our harsh winter can still stand at the plate in defiance for the debut of a new sport – the coed winter Snowball Softball competition, where, at press time, five teams have pre-registered to play at Huff Park on Saturday from 11:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
The game rules are posted on their site but the short-hand version is that teams play a 5-inning, 40-minute game and must be balanced with more women than men on each team.
A quick note on how to dress: The city of Grand Rapids would not grant them the right to have a warming station for fear that this snow-covered landscape, with a record 90+ inches of the white stuff so far this winter, would be a fire hazard for the parkland. So dress warm, but look the other way if you see a fan with a grill blazing flames high into the chilly air. He's probably just getting ready to roast some wienies.
This event is organized by the Rusty Warriors Foundation, who host community-building events year-round in our city and support area organizations like Degage, Health Care for Homeless Veterans, and the international group Kenya Matters.
If you are interested in playing in this event, please visit their site for details.
Admission: Free to watch (Softball team registration is here.)
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