Washington is bustling with die-hard sports (and social sports) fans.

With teams like the Washington Nationals, Capitals, Redskins, Wizards, Mystics, Kastles, DC United, and even some minor league baseball teams, it’s easy to fall in love with not only these teams as a fan, but with the sport itself.

DC is a city that is continuously growing and becoming more diverse, even in the sports scene. Expand your athletic compass, and check these five sports out!

Cricket

Cricket is a very popular sport in countries like India, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan. Cricket is the fastest growing sport in America, according to ESPN cricket journalist, Peter Della Penna. The game is played with a bat and a ball on a large field (ground), with two teams made up of 11 players. The goal is similar to baseball – score runs at bat, and to dismiss opposing players at bat. In Washington, the cricket scene has grown quickly over the years and is very active. The Washington Cricket League is the premier cricket league in the D.C. area, with 40 active teams and 1,471 members.

#FrayLife Tip: If you’re an avid cricket player and not on a team, you can register for the league here!

Pickleball

Different elements from tennis, badminton, racquet ball and ping-pong, make up another fast growing sport in the D.C. area – pickleball. Similar to other paddle sports, two or four players hit a ball with paddles over a net. Pickleball is offered at three DC recreation centers. From 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Tuesdays, King Greenleaf Recreation Center offers the sport. On Wednesdays and Fridays from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., Emery Recreation Center has pickleball. and Sherwood Recreation Center on Thursdays from 1 to 3 p.m.

#FrayLife Tip: At all three of these recreation centers, you must be 25+ to participate in drop-in play.

Ping-pong

Who didn’t know a friend with a ping-pong table in their basement growing up? Ping-pong is such a fun sport to play no matter what age you are. On Tuesday nights, the bar breadsoda sets up two tables for ping-pong from 5 p.m. to 2 a.m. Munch on some yummy tacos while you play!

#FrayLifeTip: bread-soda also offers many other free games every day such as darts, checkers, chess, Yahtzee, Backgammon, and Cards Against Humanity.

Quidditch

Avid Harry Potter fans are very familiar with the game, Quidditch. In real life, there is no flying in the game of Quidditch, but there is a Quaffle (volleyball), three Bludgers (dodgeballs), and the Snitch (tennis ball). If you think you have have the athletic talent to play Quidditch in DC, there is actually a District of Columbia Quidditch Club. They are a non-profit organization that works to establish a quidditch-positive community in the DC area. The club has held past events like a Harry Potter Night, and a tournament at the Chestertown Festival.

#FrayLifeTip:  Keep up with the DCQC Facebook page to learn about upcoming events and open practices. If you’re interested in joining the team, contact Greg Astolfi at  [email protected]

Disc Golf

Take frisbee and golf (miniature, pitch and putt, or 18 holes on a normal course) and you get a sport called disc golf. The purpose of the game is to accurately throw a disc in a disc golf basket. It is very similar to how golf is played, in the sense that you typically play on an 18-hole course or 9-hole course, and want to play each hole the least amount of strokes possible. There are 10 disc golf courses in the DC area including Calvert Road Park, Maryland National Capital Park, Pohick Bay Regional Park, Bluemont Park, and Burke Lake Park. So grab a disk and a friend, and have fun outdoors!

#FrayLifeTip: Interested in other frisbee sports like ultimate frisbee? Find out where there’s a league near you here!

What is your favorite lesser-known sport that more people should play? Tag us at your next game using #FrayLife #DCFray

Speaking of sports, did you know social sports are a DC institution? Here are 10 reasons why!

View More Articles By Briana Florez

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