| Assumption
Alums Victorious in National Flickball Championship
Joe Andrews '02 and Kristine Bergevin '03,
2005 Budweiser National Flickball Champions |
March,
2005—To Joe
Andrews ’02, a premier client manager for Bank of
America, and Kristine Bergevin ’03, an assistant
account executive for Staples Corporate’s advertising agency,
it was supposed to be an average Thursday night out in 2002. They
never realized that two years later, a fun barroom game tournament
at a Worcester nightspot would bring so many spoils.
In February, Andrews and Bergevin beat out heavy competition to
win the Budweiser National Flickball Championship in Honolulu, HI
during Pro Bowl Weekend. Flickball is a bar sport best described
by Andrews as “a glorified version of ‘paper football’
once played in detention or study hall.” After dominating
the Worcester tournament and the regional finals held in Boston,
Andrews and Bergevin joined other regional winners from Denver,
St. Louis, Charlotte, Miami, San Antonio, New York, New Jersey,
Detroit, and New Orleans to compete for the championship and its
resulting $10,000 prize. After four rounds and three overtime periods,
the Assumption alums were victorious.
Far from the low-budget version of the game with a folded paper
ball flicked through hands serving as goalposts, “real”
flickball is played on a stainless steel and glass table with a
referee. The triangular ball hanging over the side of the table
is a touchdown. A successful flick through miniature field goal
posts is worth three points. Teams must be co-ed, players must alternate
turns, and each team receives two possessions per game. In the event
of overtime, the game is decided by a "flick-off" in which
both teams have 60 seconds to flick as many successful field goals
as possible.
In addition to the thrill of victory and the cash award, Andrews
and Bergevin enjoyed the perks of their competitor status. The tournament
sponsors paid for the airfare to Honolulu and lodging in the four-star
Hilton Hawaiian Village Hotel, overlooking Waikiki Beach. The sponsors
also provided tickets to the NFL All-Star game that weekend, which
came on the heels of the "dynasty" win by hometown team
New England Patriots.
The duo plans to donate a portion of their winnings to two national
charities.
Bergevin still can't believe their luck. "I've never been the
best in the nation at anything, much less a game," she said.
"Who knew you could win a free trip to Hawaii and $10,000 for
being good at flicking a
little triangle?"
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