Team Bonding: Kickball!

Today I looked down at my watch and realized that it is August 10th. Yes, I know in the back of my mind that the summer days are dwindling here in Jackson and Fall is just around the corner, but SERIOUSLY…where have the last three months gone?! Between the high water in June—17-foot waves in lunch counter equates to high water, right?—and some awesomely over-booked days in July and August, time has flown by for all of us here at Dave Hansen River Trips.
Our guides have tirelessly given fantastic trips day in and day out, and the office staff has put more folks into wetsuits than should really be admitted (the water is FINALLY getting warmer, though…thank goodness!). With full trips for the last month, we have all been so busy that it makes it hard to find time to kick back, relax, and enjoy one another.
No one should fret, though, because we find time to get the whole gang together every once and a while. Oh boy, do we. If there is one thing that everyone at this company shares, it is a love for sports. Whether it’s climbing up in the tetons, playing rec-league soccer (for our washed up college athletes trying to re-live the dream) or watching college football…ahem, *this girl*…there is not one person at this company that doesn’t love athletics in some form. We are a river-rafting company, after all. We are serious about our sports here at DH (ask Bud who his teams are, and he’ll go on for hours about the 49’ers.. and also Golden State Warriors basketball… and also Huskies football. Oh, AND coaching Hyla and Jacie’s soccer team…) This company-wide passion for athletic dominance is what makes Fridays my favorite day of the week.
Not only does Friday kick off the weekend, it also means that we have KICKBALL. Since we have won the whole she-bang the last three summers, there is significant pressure (from ourselves) to win the Jackson kickball championships this year—especially since we are in the newly-formed competitive league. However, even with all the talented athletes on our team, we’ve learned quickly that losing happens to everybody. I mean, we’ve lost FOUR this year, and it’s ALMOST been as fun as winning!
As cliché as it is, dealing with loss and/or adversity on the field will only make you stronger as a team OFF the field, and we’ve grown closer as a company through our days on the diamond at powderhorn this summer. With playoffs beginning in two weeks and a re-match with our arch-rival Cobra Kai on Friday, the next few weeks determine whether or not we have what it takes to four-peat.
What I do know is, though, even if we don’t win kickball championships this year, the time we have together is precious and elusive. Pretty soon the trees will be changing, the snow will start falling, and the boats will be packed away for the long winter. However, until then, we’ll have Friday evenings to drink some sodas, hang in the dugout, catch some fly balls, and kick some homers…and hopefully we’ll bring home a three-foot trophy on September 1st engraved with our company name on it. If not, there’s always next year.