The Santa Fe New Mexican from Santa Fe, New Mexico • Page E005

Sunday, May 14, 2006 THE NEW MEXICAN E-5 COMMUNITY SPORTS By Wes Smalling For The New Mexican he small, restless crowd grows silent. Not even the sound of a crunching potato chip is heard as Sarah Woodward steps up to the line. Her team, the defending champion Las Ballenas, needs only one point to secure a victory in its first match of the season. She steps forward and pitches: a low spinner that twirls through the air and drops, scooting into the dirt inches from the stake. As the saying goes, close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades, and her shot is close enough.

She pumps her fist in triumph and Las Ballenas celebrates an auspicious beginning to its 2006 Shoe-B-Que horseshoe-pitching season. The losers Team Smart groan in disappointment after clutch throw. But win or lose, all can take comfort in the fact that plenty of barbecued grub and cold beer to go around. After all, socializing and having a good time is really what Shoe-B-Que is all about. When the league started 11 years ago, the teams played for money.

But these days just for fun, says the co-founder Dano Woodward, a homebuilder from Santa Fe who hosted a match at his home May 5. got a little rough. With the money involved people changed, especially in the he says. not all about winning during the regular season because even a losing team goes to the A match consists of three doubles games, pitting two of one players against two from the other in each game. The first team to reach 21 points wins the game.

A ringer counts as three points and shoes that are within a horseshoe width from the stake count as one point. Whether a will count as one or two points is up to the home team. Ten Santa Fe teams consisting of four to 10 people per team compete all summer long with matches. Different teams square off every two weeks with one team hosting another team at its backyard court. The matches are, in essence, potluck barbecues with a few horseshoe games taking place on the side.

A big part of the fun is getting to meet people from around town and from all walks of life that you otherwise might not get a chance to know, Dano Woodward says. a social event. It gets people he says. The atmosphere of the matches is relaxed, which is the nature of the sport of horseshoe pitching, although it can get a little intense during a close game. The competition definitely stiffens at the finals in September, which is a round-robin tournament that lasts all day.

But by the time the last shoe of the finals tournament has been pitched, the event has turned into a full-blown party that lasts well into the night. The tournament winner gets a trophy and, of course, bragging rights for an entire year. A little bragging and showboating go on from time to time, and even some light heckling in between throws is not only tolerated, but is more or less encouraged. I came to this town in 1993, I had a pickup truck and four crows Tommy Douglas, the and chief heckler of Team Smart, who, along with his captain, Paul Kelly, has played in the league since its inception 11 years ago. The teams are coed, and although women throw from a foul line a bit closer to the stake than the line, the women tend to be as good or better pitchers than the men.

Team next opponent is the Wild Angels, a team of all women. According to Kelly, Team two female players are a couple of ringers. Team Smart chicks are looking he says, referring to his teammate and wife, Melissa, and Team Smart member Maxine Chelini, who each put up a good fight in the final game, but fell 21-19 in a nail-biter against the reigning champs, Las Ballenas. focused and took another sip of wine. That was pretty Sarah Woodward says of her winning throw that propelled her team to victory.

After the match, the sun sets and the smell of grilled meat wafts into the air among the rising and falling laughter of various conversations on a typical Shoe-B-Que game night of pitching shoes and socializing. A shoe-in for a good time Sometimes the competition gets a little intense, but Santa horseshoe-pitching league is really just about socializing and having fun A beer in the hand beats a shoe in the rough: Chatting, eating and enjoying a few cold ones are as much a part of the Shoe-B-Que horseshoe- pitching league as the final score. Courtesy photos by April Szuch Dano Woodward pitches a horseshoe while his teammates look on during a Shoe-B- Que match May 5 at home. In brief The following activities are at the Genoveva Chavez Community Center. For more information, go to www.gccommunity- center.com.

swim class This class is designed for parents and babies ages 1-3. The class teaches babies enjoyment of the water, development of basic water awareness, socialization to groups while teaching parents basic water safety awareness. Summer camps Youth basketball for 6-12 years, June 5-9. Volleyball for teens 13-17 years, June 19-23. Cheer for youth 6-12 years, June 26-30.

Baseball for youth 6-12 years, July 10-14. Soccer for youth 6-12 years, July 24-28. The cost per camp is $50 (includes T-shirt). Limited space available. For information, call James Rivera at 955-4075.

Swim programs The City of Santa Fe Parks and Recreation Department announces the following Summer Learn to Swim Program at the Salvador Perez Pool. Participants must be at least 5 years old. The fee is $35 per session (10 classes). Session 1, from June 5 to June 16. Registration begins at 8 a.m.

June 2 at Salvador Perez Pool. Level I a.m. Level II, III, IV a.m. Level II, II, (V-VI) a.m. Session 2, from June 19 to June 30.

Registration begins at 8 a.m. June 16 at Salvador Perez Pool. Level I a.m. Level II, III, IV a.m. Level II, II, (V-VI) a.m.

Session 3, from July 10 to July 21. Registration begins at 8 a.m. July 7 at Salvador Perez Pool. Level I a.m. Level II, III, IV a.m.

Level II, II, Guard Start a.m. Session 4, from July 31 to Aug. 11. Registration begins at 8 a.m. July 28 at Salvador Perez Pool.

Level I a.m. Level II, III, IV a.m. Level II, II, (V-VI) a.m. For more information, please call 955-2604. Danny Martinez and the entire Martinez family would like to say thank you to all who have given Danny the family support, love, hope, prayers and generosity this past year.

It has been a year since life changed, but he continues to strive forward with our sincere special thoughts and prayer. Thank you and may God bless you! Bed Bath Beyond Inc.and its subsidiaries. WE WILLNOT BE UNDERSOLD. GUARANTEED! If you find a lower price at any of our competitors, we will meet that price. We gladly accept our for products also available at those competitors.

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