20,000 leagues under the G

The Cherry Bombs at the Team D.C. Sportsfest two weeks ago. (Blade photo by Pete Exis)

Earlier this month, 33 local LGBT sports teams gathered at Room & Board on 14th Street for Team D.C.’s sportsfest. In addition to long time mainstays such as the D.C. Frontrunners and the Federal Triangles Soccer Club, there were some newer clubs making their presence known on the LGBT sports scene.

The D.C. Cherry Bombs are a recently formed LGBT friendly women’s flag football team that hopes to compete on a local and national level. The group will compete at a tournament in Maryland next month and is hoping to put a team together for the women’s division of the Gay Super Bowl in Denver in September. Practices are at Garrison Elementary School on Saturdays at 11 a.m. They can be found on Facebook at D.C. Cherry Bombs.

The predominately straight group D.C. Triathlon Club was at Sportsfest to encourage members of the LGBT community to join them in training and competing in triathlons. The group recently hosted a happy hour at MOVA with more planned. The group offers a large variety of workout opportunities and members can get discounts from several local retailers. More information is at dctriclub.org.

Ultimate Out is a LGBT-friendly coed Ultimate Frisbee team that meets twice weekly. One night is reserved for league play in the Washington Area Frisbee Club recreational league. The other meet-up is for pick up play with athletes of all skill levels welcome to join. Write the group at ultimatefrisbee@gmail.com for more information.

The Washington Wetskins water polo team is the longest running, continuously operating LGBT water polo team in the nation. Its members practice on Mondays and Wednesdays at the Tacoma Recreation Center from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. All skill levels are welcome and they can be reached at wetskins.org.

Charm City Volleyball hosts social play on Wednesdays at the Mt. Royal Recreational Center in Baltimore from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Sundays are reserved for competitive play, scrimmages and team practices at the Volleyball House in Elkridge, Md., from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

This weekend, starting on Saturday morning, the group will host the 27^th annual Charm City Invitational at the Volleyball House where 40 teams will be competing in pool play on Saturday and will return for double elimination play on Sunday. Social festivities will run the course of the weekend in Baltimore. Details are at volleybaltimore.org.

Stonewall Kickball is in the middle of its spring season and will break for its All-Stars game on May 5 at Stead Park beginning at 4 p.m. League playoffs and finals will be wrapped up on May 20.^. Stay tuned for fall registration as the team rosters fill up fast. Also coming up for the group is the hilarious Drag Kickball event on June 3 at Stead Park from 3 to 5 p.m. Keep up with the kickballers at stonewallkickball.com.

The Capital Splats racquetball club has begun league play, which is primarily held at the Washington D.C. Jewish Community Center. New players can still be phased into the league which consists of three divisions, each of which has two tiers. Check out their new website at capitalsplats.org.

Rainbow Climbing D.C. can be found climbing on a weekly basis either indoor or outdoor. Indoor climbing sessions are at Earth Treks in Rockville or Sportrock in Alexandria. The group can sometimes be found outdoors at Carderock, just west of Bethesda. Meet up information is on their Facebook page at Rainbow Climbing D.C.