Fourth Annual FBA Kickball Tournament: History in the Making
On a gorgeous Saturday afternoon in October, the Young Lawyers Committee hosted its fourth annual FBA v. EDVA Kickball Tournament at Joseph Hensley Park in Alexandria. With drinks and snacks flowing and the youngest attendees occupied in play by Coach Seth, former FBA president Charles “Chip” Molster began his colorful play-by-play commentary as Judge Brinkema opened the game with an honorary first roll and each team sought to make history.
2019 Kickball Champions: EDVA Team
“What’s past is prologue.” So wrote some guy named Bill a while back, not knowing it would become an adage befitting yet another come-from-behind kickball victory from the prior year’s loser. Under the guidance of Honorable Coaches Nachmanoff and O’Grady, a ragtag band of (physically underqualified) law clerks, (physically overqualified) deputy U.S. Marshals, and the rest of the EDVA courthouse family wrested the trophy back from the overconfident FBA team, futilely helmed by Honorable Coaches Hilton and Anderson, one of whom was seen crying into his bowl of barbecue after the game (we refuse to name and shame).
Over the first few innings, the FBA team scored several runs and was feeling good about its chances behind solid pitching from United States Attorney Zach Terwilliger and sharp base-running by Federal Public Defender Geremy “Not One Knee Brace, But Two” Kamens, both co-captains of the FBA team. Undeterred, the EDVA team methodically climbed back into it and eventually pulled ahead with the deceptively difficult pitching of Stormin’ Norman Linnell and the fleet-footed co-captains Villiere Nazaire and Kurt Bubenhofer and their cadre of ringers. As in years past, this nail-biter of a game finished in dramatic fashion when, in the bottom of the final frame, what would have been the tying run for the FBA team was thrown out mere feet from home plate.
In the end, a great time was had by all, perhaps by none more than Honorable Umpire Alston, who refused to put up with any guff from aggrieved litigants players and relished not having to see any of his close calls second-guessed on appeal. Welcome to the show, Judge.
Hungry both in victory and in defeat, both teams were joined by family, friends, and pets to celebrate a perfect fall day with BBQ from Rocklands.
FBA Team
Many thanks to the sponsors who made this event possible: Baker Botts, Ballard Spahr LLP, Blankingship & Keith, Charlson Bredehoft Cohen & Brown P.C., Covington & Burling, DiMuro Ginsberg, Gordon Rees, Fish & Richardson, Harvey & Binnall PLLC, Hirschler Fleischer, Hogan Lovells, Holland & Knight, Holmes Costin Marcus PLLC, McGuireWoods, Molster Law, Troutman Sanders, Vinson & Elkins, Webster Book LLP, Wiley Rein, and Wilkinson Walsh + Eskovitz.
Special thanks to the Young Lawyers Committee, led by Robert Farlow (Holland & Knight) and Laurie Kirkland (Blankingship & Keith), FBA President Tara Zurawski, and Gul Gharbieh for organizing a great event.
by YLC Members Meghan Loftus and Alexander Blanchard (U.S. Attorney's Office)
