Moxie Manglers: A True Underdog Story

This past winter when we were trying to pull together our inaugural dodgeball team for the Casco Bay Sports' Tuesday Scorcher League, Kyle was trying to do some recruiting around the office. One of the more athletic guys he knows had an arm in a sling from a shoulder injury, but that didn't stop Kyle from at least asking if he was interested. The guy said no, but suggested his wife was very athletic and would definitely be into giving the team a try. So Kyle excitedly email her all the details only to get a reply "Umm... sounds fun but apparently my husband forgot to mention I am six months pregnant."

Yes, he certainly did, and when Kyle queried him on the omission, he replied "Well, she can still throw pretty hard."

Luckily, Kyle did pick up one player from his work, a spazzzztastic addition to the team named Jon who is one of the nine players (of the 10 we had) from last season who returned for this season's sequel to the Moxie Manglers: A True Underdog Story. Last season we were abysmal- easily the worst team in the league- but this season, I am happy to report we have finally achieved mediocrity (this seems to be a theme in Kyle and my's social sport participation). Victory is ours!!!

We picked up three new players- including one woman who played Division 1 soccer and another who played dodgeball in a league in Baltimore (street style) and they have contributed to the success story us Moxie Manglers are writing this season thanks to our new-found strategies and ability to harness our anger for evil, and not good. We're halfway through the season, and though after the second week of play (when we lost all of our games save for a single tie that I was involved with) we'd fallen to last out of the 13 teams, over the past two weeks, we've been on an uphill trajectory and are now ranked 9th with an asterik that notes we are "climbing the ladder".

I think a big part of our ascent is that the team was featured in the league's newsletter (see above), which proclaimed "Moxie...you are what makes dodgeball great." They even featured my sweet custom trophies!

Ever since, we've been on a mission to fulfill that destiny and so far, so good. The day that came out, we went 7-5, our highest win percentage yet and this past Tuesday (though half of the team was out including Ky and me), the Manglers went an impressive 5-7, despite facing the league's second and third place teams. I wasn't there to witness it, but apparently our newfound game so frustrated the other team that a verbal minor scuffle ensued and our MVP was pegged square in the face even after he'd already been ruled out in a call that was suspect at best.

It's unknown what the future will hold for the Moxie Manglers. Summer tempts us with a kickball league and sunny beaches, but in vowing to return after such embarrassment last season, the Moxie Manglers have reminded us all of a very important life lesson- if at first you don't succeed, try, try, try again. And of course, if your wife is pregnant, give careful consideration before signing her up for a full-contact sport league.

The team appreciates your support. What are your words of encouragement for the Moxie Manglers? Leave them in the comments section. Pretty please.