Playing For The Home Team

In this town, when someone lists “jock” on their online profile, it’s most likely because they actually play in a gay sporting league, not just because they want to sound butch. And playing on a gay team isn’t as hard as it might seem, because with 24 LGBT-organized teams and clubs in New York—not to mention two places to celebrate your victories, Boxers and Gym Sportsbar—there is a way to sweat it out at any level. From rugby to scuba diving, these organizations can help you improve your skill, your health and your social life. But don’t just take our word for it; the following six athletes tell you why they love the game—and why you will, too. 

Visit OOBNYC.org for Out of Bounds New York’s complete list of New York sports leagues and clubs. 

Jeremie Knight (top image)
New York City Gay Basketball League 

Growing up in Orlando, Fla., Jeremie Knight was an all-around athlete, but as an adult, he didn’t consider being on a gay sports team until he turned on the TV and saw one in action. “I was unaware that such leagues existed until I saw [Shirts & Skins, which is] about a San Francisco-based team, on Logo,” the 26-year-old Queens resident remembers. Soon after, Knight discovered the New York City Gay Basketball League (NYCGBL), which provided the perfect combination of diversity and camaraderie. “Everyone plays hard, but once [the games] are over everyone really enjoys each other’s company,” he explains. 

Interested players for NYCGBL’s Fall 2010 season must sign up online and attend the Men’s League Evaluations on August 29 at the Field House at Chelsea Piers, the league’s court of choice. “Many people think that being gay means you have to be weak,’ Knight admits. “I think a lot of people would be shocked to see how talented some of the guys in this league are.” (NYCGayBasketball.org) 

Leo Lipsztein
Crux 

For attorney Leo Lipsztein, lifting weights just wasn’t enough, “[In] college I got pretty strong—and pretty bored,” the 30-year-old New York native recalls. “Luckily a good friend took me to a climbing gym one day after work. I was hooked immediately!” 

Lipsztein is a member of Crux, New York’s gay and lesbian rock-climbing club—one of the newest gay sports groups to pop up in the city. Taking to climbing spots at Brooklyn Boulders (where new and old climbers can drop in; see website for upcoming events) and various East Coast locales like the Hudson Valley’s famous Gunks, Crux has grown quickly, something that surprised Lipsztein. “I’ve been amazed at how welcoming Crux’s members are,” he relates. “Climbers can often be very cliquey. Not true about Crux. They welcome people of all levels, including novices who have never climbed before.” 

Having found a great new group of friends and some enthusiastic climbers to take his skills to the next level, Lipsztein’s only problem is overdoing it. He confides, “I’ve recently started doing a fair bit of cross-training to prevent muscle imbalances from climbing too much!” (GayRockClimbing.com) 

Eduardo Osorio
Big Apple Dodgeball 

Anyone who has ever played in Big Apple Dodgeball (BAD) has learned to fear Colombian crusher Eduardo Osorio. His high-speed throw and deadly aim have made him one of the league’s powerhouse players—but that doesn’t mean he’s made enemies. “Before I joined the league I only had one gay friend,” the 32-year-old Long Island City resident explains. “Now a year-and-a-half later, I know over a hundred gays and have developed strong friendships with many of them.” 

Osorio’s is a familiar story with the rabidly popular BAD, which has grown to almost 200 members in only a few short years. “The biggest misconception [is] that’s [BAD’s] ultra competitive, which it can be. But what people don’t know is how highly social it is as well,” Osorio is quick to note. “We play and party just as much—sometimes even more.” 

New player registration opens up on their website at 10am on Wednesday, August 18, and fills up in a matter of minuets—so act quickly if you desire a spot. But don’t worry, Osorio says, BAD has other ways of harnessing your love of forgotten games. “Next winter, during the dodgeball off-season, there are plans to start a bowling league.” (BigAppleDodgeball.com) 

Christopher Oudavanh
Gotham Volleyball 

In New York’s biggest gay sports organization, Gotham Volleyball, it could be easy to get lost, but not so says Gramercy Park brand manager Christopher Oudavanh, who has found the right balance of social and sport. “Volleyball boys are especially fun and cute—and clothes are optional!” the 24-year-old jokes. 

While he never played volleyball before joining the league a year ago, his big Minnesota family—with over 30 cousins—gave Oudavanh plenty of practice on how to hustle on the court and around Gotham’s crowded social scene at Gym Sportsbar, a neighbor to the league’s gym on 18th Street. “The best part of being in this league has been all the great people I’ve met.” 

Registration for the fall season begins August 16 and tryouts start on August 30. And with nine divisions of varying skill levels, each with six to eight teams, there is a place for all athletic—or social—interests. “I was most surprised with how diverse everybody in the league is—age, background, gender,” Oudavanh shares. “Social or competitive, there’s definitely something for everyone.” (GothamVolleyball.org) 

Derrick McBride
New York Ramblers 

For many New Yorkers like Derrick McBride, joining a sports team was another part of living in the Big Apple. “New Yorkers tend to be driven, ambitious people who are used to excelling, professionally or otherwise,” says the 28-year-old music agent originally from Boston. “I had little involvement in any organized sports prior to joining New York’s  LGBT soccer team, the Ramblers. It’s both humbling and exciting to step outside that comfort zone and really push yourself.” 

The Ramblers accept new members on an ongoing basis and, after signing the downloadable member waiver, interested players can just show up to any practice with a pair of shin guards on, ready to play. Don’t worry about your skill level; the Ramblers attract those new to the game and those with a lifetime of experience. “I see this diversity as an asset,” McBride points out. “Though I still have quite a ways to go, I feel that I’ve learned much faster with the Ramblers than I would on an all-beginner team because I’m pushed by and learn from the more advanced players around me.” (NewYorkRamblers.org) 

John MacConnell
Front Runners New York 

John MacConnell’s got great legs. But they aren’t just nice to look at; they’ve taken him to new heights, too. Like this June, when he took first place in Front Runners New York’s 30th Anniversary Pride Run. “I really didn’t expect to find a club that would get me running more,” MacConnell, 25, says about the gay running club he first joined through its Baltimore branch. “I thought FRNY was just going to be a social club that ran sometimes. But I’ve found myself running with the club several nights a week, going to track workouts and racing about once a month. Suddenly, I’ve graduated to the Elite Corral at all the races and it’s pretty cool,” he says. 

Front Runners New York (FRNY) holds fun runs on Tuesday and Wednesday nights at 7pm and Saturdays at 10am and invites new members to drop by and check them out. “As corny as it sounds, FRNY has really become my community here in the city,” declares the Greenpoint graphic designer. “I’ve found friends, boyfriends, a roommate and even a few jobs, all through this club.” (FRNY.org)