Wednesday nights in Pensacola are all fun and games. These nights, teams get together in different bars throughout Pensacola to laugh, joke, drink, and throw darts. Currently there are about 10 teams in the dart league, and they all play out of different bars in the area all throughout Pensacola. The Ticket 2 location is currently the “home” bar for the team named FTK, and they are as unique a group as their name.

 While speaking with the bar manager, Justin, at the Ticket 2 location, he had nothing but good things to say about hosting the dart league. He said sponsoring a dart team was beneficial for the bar “financially and with a crowd. People see a busy bar and want to stop to see why and think this place is popping!” He was asked if he thought that interest in darts had grown, to which he enthusiastically said, “I do! People ask who is that group playing darts? They sure look like they’re having fun!” League night brings in new bar patrons and that is a great way to raise sales.

I was able to talk to Amanda, one of the members of the team that uses Ticket 2 as a home bar. 

We spoke about how shooting darts has affected her on an interpersonal level, to which she said it has had an impact on how she talks with those she does not interact with on a daily basis. She has “definitely met some new people and created friendships that I would not have otherwise. I really don’t go out much, and I certainly don’t openly converse with strangers. Being around other people who share a common interest makes that easier for me.” 

Amanda said that she would definitely encourage those interested in shooting darts to give it a shot. She said that “joining a league has significantly improved my game. I regularly bring it up in conversation with people now to see if they have any interest in possibly joining. I most certainly would recommend joining a league to anyone that wants to improve their game.”

Playing darts in a league is a great way to meet new people in the community. The members of dart teams come from all different walks of life and backgrounds. You never know who you are going to meet as all are welcome. Even while playing a competitive sport each team holds true sportsmanship and always cheers everyone on regardless of their team and ranking. It can be said that true bonds are formed.

The Pensacola dart league not only is a community of their own, they work to leave a positive impression on the community and people around them. The dart league has held charity tournaments in which half of the money goes to help support military veterans, and the military legions have graciously hosted the dart leagues, such as Post 12, as a way of giving back.  

I started playing in a dart league after only throwing darts for a short time. It is not something that I would have thought I had an interest in doing. My boyfriend and I went to hang out with some friends and discovered they also had an interest in darts. I was not sure about it at first, however. The first time I threw darts, you could say it was game over! I figured out rather quickly that I was really good. This piqued my interest in a new hobby. 

That night we heard about the Pensacola dart league. My boyfriend contacted them to see how we could get involved. Turns out that they were looking for new teams, so we decided to give it a shot. Thus, team FTK was born! 

We had a private meeting with the vice president of the league and learned the ropes. Our first season went well, and we finished in third place out of six teams. Two members of our team were awarded most improved for the season. We were all very excited to sign up for the next season to see if we could do even better. We are currently eleven weeks into the new season and holding onto first place out of ten teams. We have quite a way to go in this season, but we are throwing our hearts out and plan to continue for more seasons to come.