The Every-Year Club. Sure, it’s not as exclusive as the 700-homerun club or prestigious as the career grand slam club, but it’s ours and the members should be proud. The NWLA Tournament’s inaugural year was in 2012 and there are only a handful of players planning to attend this year that have been to every year prior. The difference between them and me? I’m not a player. However, I still contributed my time, effort, money and passion for the love of the game of Wiffleball. In 2012, it was easy to drive to Ohio for that first year. I just hitched a ride with Carl and Alex Shore. 2013 was also easy, as I still lived in Michigan and got down there from another WSEM league member, in Ryan Bullard. It was the years that followed that would test my mettle. You see, I moved to South Florida in August of 2013, so for the last 4 years I needed to fly either to Michigan, right to Columbus and even Virginia to ultimately get to see WSEM compete in the NWLA Tournament. Looking back, it seems that since I’ve lived in Florida, WSEM has won 3 out of the 4 tournaments they’ve played in. It was only the first two years, when I was a Michigander, that they struggled. Some might give this credit to adding Farkas on the roster, but everyone knows how important a well-traveled third base coach is.
We all know the story of how WSEM came to be. If you don’t, you need to pull up some of my archived articles. I’ve been playing wiffleball and being a part of this league since 2004. The DWL (Downriver Wiffleball League) was our attempt to add the competitiveness to the sport after playing in the London Tournament for a few years. I don’t know how our ‘tournament-only’ DWL model segued into a national juggernaut in WSEM, but I’m happy to have part a part of it. I’d like to break down my memory of every year I’ve attended the NWLA Tournament and add my prediction for this year. This might very well be my last Wiffle-related article written.
2012 – Carl and Gallaway were in talks of creating a National Tournament for NWLA-recognized leagues around the country. Most of us were still really into the London Tournament and the NWLA playtime schedule was based around London’s. It’s silly to think about that now. The fields were across the street from the hotel that we all stayed at and located behind a church. All eight teams were hesitant to break out of their shells and get along with other leagues, so it was basically just hanging out with your own teammates. It was still a great time and fun to reminisce of the humble beginnings. WSEM, known as Big Wood back then, ended up getting 3rd place and OCWA was victorious over Tampa.
2013 – This was the first year that Gallaway spread his financial wings. We added more teams and moved locations. The bells and whistles were front and center and ultimately the selling point for the following years. WSEM lost early on Sunday and finished in 9th place. I got really drunk and missed work the next day. Tampa and OCWA met each other in the championship again, but this time Tampa came out on top.
2014 – After having two successful NWLA Tournaments under our belts, it was easier to recruit more teams. Gallaway added even more to the event and it was truly the talk of the town. We added more teams and I controlled my alcoholism. WSEM, after a dreadful year before, changed management and their name to the Dads. We had a great run and beat Tampa to win it all! I didn’t think it could get any better.
2015 – It got better. There was so much interest in the tournament that we implemented regionals to determine the 16-tournament teams. The drones flew overhead, the beer flowed like wine and the Dads were the first ever back-to-back Champions, beating OCWA. After knowing some of the same group of guys for 4 years, we all developed a mutual respect and friendship amongst each other. It was great to break out of our comfort zones and get to have an awesome weekend with everyone.
2016 – This was the last year of the Gallaway era. 2016 generated about the same buzz as the year before. The glitz and glam of the NWLA Tournament was still a pivotal selling point, but the game was still the same. There were whispers on what would happen after losing Gallaway’s checkbook and after being held in Ohio since its creation, where it would be held moving forward. That’s where Michael Sessions came in to save the day. A new team, SWBL, finally got to play in the Championship game, but OCWA joined WSEM as the only team with two Championships.
2017 – Take everything we knew about the NWLA Tournament in the past and throw it away. That’s pretty much what they did for 2017. It was held in the small town of Morenci, MI and there was much backlash for this decision. Teams have been dropping out over the years and new teams emerged to showcase their talents. Instead of hired help, the townspeople and NWLA Board volunteered their blood (especially from Tomkins), sweat and tears to put on the new NWLA Tournament. It reminded me of 2012, in that many teams didn’t know what to expect, but it turned out to be an amazing time. SWBL made the Championship again, but came up short to the WSEM Dads. We now have 3 Championships!
2018 – We got that awkward, ‘is-it-gonna-work?’ year out of the way. We worked out the kinks and added some additional manpower for this year’s tournament. Morenci is still in the middle of nowhere, but I believe that the tournament will run smoother and be just as much, if not more, fun than last year. Unfortunately, I will not be attending. It’s been weird not texting the WSEM Dads and getting those stupid Facebook group message alerts to update everyone. I don’t have a jersey. I didn’t buy my flight. The hotel room isn’t booked. There is a hole in my Wiffle heart, but I know that my life has bigger and better things around the corner. I’ll still be traveling to Michigan this summer, but it’s for my wedding. Priorities. I predict that SWBL will return to the Championship game for the third year in a row and finally hoist up the trophy. The runner-up? A new team. Finally.
It’s hard to remember the grassroots of the game and where we all started. The NWLA Tournament gave us a chance to feel like big leaguers in our own silly ways. We saw our pictures and stats on the Jumbotron. We played in lights. We fought hard for Championship. We got drunk and played Wiffleball! I never got to physically play in the Tournament, but I still felt like I contributed a lot. There is a lot that goes on behind the scenes and as I said earlier, a solid third base coach is vital to a successful tournament run.
I wish all the teams and players the best of luck. Remember that when you’re in Morenci, there are plenty of people that want to be there, but can’t. Don’t take it for granted. You’re an adult that gets to play wiffleball every summer. How cool is that? And for the guys that have been there every year since the beginning; be proud that you’re continuing to be part of the great ‘Every-Year Club’. I’ll miss the guys that whom I was able to form friendships. I’ll miss the smell of freshly cut grass in the early morning. I’ll miss the sound of the crack of the bat and the ball hitting the board. I’ll miss it all. Have a great NWLA Tournament guys.
