In order for the Devils’ Brigade to stand the test of time we need to get to the root of what has gone wrong up to this point and avoid it from happening again. I’ve done a lot of thinking on this topic as of late and I’ve come up with what I believe are the main reasons for a drop in attendance.
The first thing we all notice is the atmosphere getting quiet and less fun on Wednesday. Part of this is the difference in dedication to pitching between different people. Some people see horseshoes as a total leisure sport in which they blow off steam and have a few beers. This group doesn’t care if they win or lose and don’t like to be pressured by the more dedicated pitchers. The hard-nosed pitchers that practice several hours a week come to win and that competitive edge is intimidating. We all have fun in our own ways no matter which group we belong to but the two philosophies sometimes collide in a negative way. We had the same problem at the Firelite many years ago and never addressed it. It cost us many pitchers that have never come back. I believe the “A New twist on the same old game” suggestions will rectify this problem for the most part. Beyond that we still have one more issue that I have tried to address in the past and will attempt to put to rest here and now.
The difference I notice most from back in the day til now is the lack of communication between different groups of people. In the old days people didn’t hold back with telling each other face to face if they had problems because we were all a much more tight knit group. Now that we have broken into smaller clicks it seems that gossip and rumors float around more often.
People from one click hear through the grapevine about something someone from another click said and then the drama begins. Of course instead of talking to the other person about what was said they bottle it up and talk behind the other person’s back and perpetuate the problem. This unhealthy behavior has got to end. If you feel tension with someone you have wronged just go apologize. If someone apologizes to you, accept it and give that person another chance. If you hear something about someone else don’t spread it around, just remember the old saying: Believe none of what you hear and half of what you see.
In the early days the main reason we all got along is the fact that we were all f*#k ups. It is hard to judge the others for screwing up and getting drunk and naked or into a fight when you were guilty of the same behavior. Nobody mumbled behind your back about how much of a dumb ass you were, they laughed at you and made you feel 2″ tall to your face. By the end of the night however, it was all good and you got to watch someone else get stupid.
We need to remember that we are all human. We all have feelings and the same God given right to be as crazy as we want to be. Before you all start to talk about how much of an idiot or a bitch so and so was for doing whatever or screwing whoever… remember a time in your past when you did something you weren’t proud of. Let he who is without sin cast the first stone. Have fun and let others have fun. Remember what the name means: Devils’ Brigade is plural possessive… we are not owned by the Devil… we are the devils and it is our Brigade. Now let’s appreciate the good in one another and unite in the goal of being the most fun, non-judgemental and desired club to belong to in horseshoe history. A true bulletproof Brigade.
Brigade For Life!
Clontarf
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