Ready, Set, Glow: DC Fray Lights Up Social Sports Leagues

From glow-in-the-dark kickball to glow-in-the-dark pickleball, your weeknights just got lit.

Fall is the perfect season for those in the DMV to get out, socialize and get some exercise, but most of all have a night of fun as part of one of DC Fray’s many social sports. 

And this year, the excitement level is off the charts thanks to Fray bringing glow sports into the social sports conversation. That means almost all aspects of the game are lit up in a dazzling glow-in-the-dark experience, including the balls, fields and even the players.

“DC Fray started this a couple of years ago, because they wanted to do something that wasn’t done yet,” Mitchell Kenigsberg, customer experience manager at DC Fray, says. “We wanted our players to have a new experience and bring back more of that nostalgic feeling when they would go cosmic bowling on Friday nights in middle school and high school. That campy, fun opportunity to play sports in the dark and not get hurt.”  

Currently, glow leagues are available for kickball, bocce and pickleball, and volleyball will soon be added to the mix. Past glow sports have included football and soccer and others will be considered in the years ahead. 

“We have players ranging from 21 to 65 on a regular basis across all of our leagues,” Kenigsberg says. “We have very loyal customers who tell their friends and bring them along. It’s a great place to meet new friends.” 

Kickball leagues take place all over the city, from the Smithsonian and the Capitol to Francis Park to the National Mall.

“Kickball is the most popular right now, because kickball in its nature is just a very popular social sport,” says William Dennis, DC Fray’s senior operations manager. “These are all at the National Mall, so that attracts attention from tourists walking by, who see things blinking everywhere and stop to watch.” 

Bocce is held Thursday evenings at Continental Beer Garden in Arlington and at the National Mall.

“These glow sports bring a level of social-ness to our players that sometimes tend to take the sport a little too seriously,” Kenigsberg says. “If you play in the dark and throw a glow stick on it, that level of competiveness is still there, but it’s more about the fun, which is what we stand for here. You get to kick a ball and then look to your right and see the Washington Monument or the Capitol, so it’s cool to look at.” 

Don’t get left home in the dark. Sign up for one of the numerous leagues starting soon. Join with a team, a few friends or as an individual and expect a sports experience second to none.

“People love glow sports because it’s cool and it’s a limited opportunity,” Dennis says. “We only offer it one season a year, and it’s something that you don’t want to miss.” 

For more information or to learn about the various leagues, visit dcfray.com/glow.

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Keith Loria

A theatre buff and huge music fan, Keith Loria is a D.C.-based award-winning journalist who has been writing about the arts for more than 20 years. He started his career with the Associated Press and has written for Soap Opera Digest, Playbill and Music Review. He looks forward to 2021 and the theaters reopening! He’s the proud father of two daughters, who often accompany him on his theater outings. Visit his website at keithloria.contently.com.