Excerpt from Arlington Connection written by Jon Roetman (July 28, 2010) 

Meeting New People

Along with providing a structured environment, 28-year-old Jack Fan said the Arlington Athletic & Social League provides a place to meet new people. Fan, the AASL’s sports and program coordinator, said, with the Washington D.C. metro area being such a transient location, rec sports provide a place to get connected with those who share common interests.

"We cater to a lot of different types of people," he said. "The primary demographic that we try to cater to are the young professionals who are looking for a place where their friends can always meet up. The second type of people this league is for is newcomers."

The AASL offers softball, volleyball, dodgeball, flag football, bowling, basketball, kickball inner tube water polo, cornhole and broomball. Fan said softball is the league’s most popular sport, with 80 teams competing. Kickball and volleyball also see a high turnout. Fan said the league offers competitive and social divisions, with some sports — including softball, kickball, dodgeball and bowling — often acting as precursors to another kind of fun.

"Sports is just kind of an excuse to come and hang out at a bar," Fan said.
Reston native Anne Nichols, 21, plays for a social league softball team despite having no experience. She joked that she plays catcher to avoid being involved in the action.
"It just seemed like a fun opportunity," said Nichols, a student at Wake Forest, "even though I’m really miserable and I’ve never played before."

Nichols’ boyfriend’s sister, Katie Flynn, started the team. Flynn, a 27-year-old Reston native, played softball at South Lakes High School and Seton Hall University. While Nichols is a newcomer along for some fun, the rest of the team has a different approach.

"As a team, we’re outrageously competitive to a point where it’s embarrassing and awkward for everybody," Flynn said. "We run up the score, which is improper. [There is] anger when somebody botches a play, even when we’re up by a considerable amount."

While Nichols and Flynn are on a team because they know the same people, Fan said some of the best friendships are made from teams composed of strangers. Fan, a Dallas native and Washington, D.C. resident, said he met his future roommates after being placed on a random kickball team.

"I always tell people to come check it out," he said. "If you have nothing else better to do, let us know, especially if it’s early in the season. We can help you out."