Bill Barnett shoots at Al’s Airport Inn on Friday, September 13.
League president John Lewandowski lines up a shot at McManimon’s Pub on Thursday, September 12.
Greater Trenton Dart League members compete in bars around Mercer County
Back in the 1970s when there was a bar on every street corner, Trenton became a major darts destination. It is situated between New York City and Philadelphia, cities that Greater Trenton Dart League special events coordinator Gary Yourman calls “Meccas” for the sport; it was a convenient place for players from those two areas to meet up and shoot.
It wasn’t just the big city players, though. Mercer County residents kept the sport thriving in the area. The GTDL was at one time home to nearly 1,000 players on more than 100 teams from all over the county, though that number dipped down to fewer than 10 teams at points during the 1980s and 1990s. Its numbers have increased steadily over the last decade. This year’s lineup includes more than 180 players on 21 teams from 15 different bars and organizations.
Yourman, a Ewing resident who shoots for one of two Firkin Tavern teams, attributes the growth to the addition of a full board rather than just one presiding officer who oversaw all of the league’s activities. Yourman has previously served as an officer and secretary.
“I’ve been on the board now 13 years since the board as we know it came to fruition,” he said. “We were transitioning from one person running everything and decided to add some more structured roles. We had about seven or eight teams that year. I think with a board, we’re able to bring in players, bring in bars, do different events.”
The successful transition laid the groundwork for the why the GTDL continues to thrive as other leagues suffer and even fold. It floats around 20 teams each season and hasn’t had a major dip in numbers in several years.
“It’s had its ups and downs,” said Thomas Hoffer of Firkin Tavern. “It’s had its ups and downs, and it grew gradually. More people get involved. I’m not on the board or anything, but I try to help out with anything I can. It’s been interesting, seeing people come and go, seeing people get better every year. There are always a lot of new faces. It’s been fun.”
The season lasts from September to April, but the league started sponsoring summer tours five years ago. They host singles tournaments at area establishments as a way to recruit new players and teams.
“We try every year to improve and reach out to local bars,” former president Bill Cobb said. “It allows their patrons to participate and see if they liked the idea of the game, maybe pick them up for next season. We didn’t get everybody in, but they were all interested at the end of the night.”
Ron Rowley, a Hamilton resident and the league’s treasurer, has been a part of the league for 20 years. He’s seen a lot of new faces.
“It’s great,” he said. “I’ve seen so many people go in, come out. There’s only about 20 players still in it since I joined. We’ve gotten a lot of people in who know other people.”
During the season, teams are split into three groups with a random mix of teams, playing round robin-style tournaments. At the end, teams are placed in divisions by skill level and competitiveness: A, B and C. Teams play once a week.
“The very competitve player to the casual player and the very good player to somebody who wants to come out for a night of fun, shoot darts, have a good time,” he said. “You get very good players who are very casual. You get very fun players who are very competitive, and any combination thereof.”
Top shooters are generally drawn towards the A division, whose winners are named the overall league champions at the end of the season. The C level tends to be more social, but not every A-level player is a top shooter.
In addition to weekly team matches, the league hosts luck of the draw tournaments at Tir na nOg, open to anybody who wants to participate.
New president John Lewandowski of Hamilton said the skill level varies in the luck of the draw tournaments and in the league itself.
“It’s funny how there are a lot of different skill sets,” he said. “We have three different divisions. This past summer, these individual leagues that we do, we normally get A division shooters. This time around, it was mostly B and C division shooters. You see a lot of those guys wants to improve their game, so they’ll do the summer leagues. They just very well.”
Lewandowski said around 28 individuals participated in the summer league, many of whom have some sort of association to the league. The more the shooters improve, the steeper the competition. It’s all friendly, though.
“I like the competition,” Yourman said. “I think we’ve developed over the last five or 10 years a group of very good players. Some of the events that we do, we get a pretty equal caliber amongst out top players. It’s very competitive. You can be competitive without being a jerk about it. There’s quite a bit of trash talking, particularly in the second half when you’re playing your equals. It’s your best and their best. It’s bragging rights.”
It truly is about bragging rights. The only prize at the end of the season is a trophy, no cash, and Cobb said it couldn’t be a better plan.
“You really can’t beat it,” he said. “If there was a fair amount of money involved, it would just cause problems. It’s one thing to lost, but if you’re losing money, that creates more problems. It’s a really good league. Everybody pretty much gets along.”
It’s not all about shooting darts, though. Eight years ago, Yourman helped the league partner with the Make-A-Wish Foundation to hold an annual fundraiser for a Mercer County family in need.
A player and Yourman’s father had passed away, and members of the league started talking about holding some kind of charitable event. They settled on something that would benefit children.
“The first year, we raised just over $5,000,” Yourman said. “Last year, we raised $28,000.”
The foundation chooses a family from the area, and league members and non-members come out and shoot darts. They pay to shoot 50, and every hour, the league hands out prizes to top scorers. Yourman said this tactic keeps players around all day, from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Other league members say the event is Yourman’s “baby.”
“It’s been interesting to see how much that has grown,” Thomas Hoffer of Ewing said. “Each year, it seems to get just a little bit better. We see other people from other leagues come to our event. Gary puts 110 percent into it, and it’s very beneficial to a great charity.”
The league usually holds the event after the season ends. Next year’s fundraiser is scheduled for May 3, 2014.
The league is always looking for new members, and Ewing resident Bill Barnett said he and the other members are glad to see new faces.
“There are a lot of nice people in the league,” he said. “I’ve made some good friends over the years. It’s a nice night to come out. You meet new people. Every week it’s somebody else, but you get to know these guys better. Some guys are accountants, they’re truck drivers, they’re mechanics. They come from all walks of like, but it’s a common bond.”
For more information, visit trentondarts.com.