Stepping up to the line, darts in hand, with teammates on one side and opponents on the other can be a daunting challenge. Good natured banter and gentle razzing fill the air at the weekly gatherings of the Brotherhood Dartball League.

Playing baseball on a dartboard is an area tradition dating back to the 1940s. Currently, teams from 15 area churches make up the league. Competitors aim for a variety of targets on the dart board that will advance runners into scoring position and drive runs home, while avoiding the many areas that result in strikes and outs. Three seven inning games make up an evening’s competition for the teams, who play a home and away schedule from December through early March.

Fellowship and food also factor into the competition. After warm-ups, the captain of the home team leads the group in devotions and prayers. Then the real fun begins as the dartballers step to the line, concentrating on the underhand throws, which are the most effective to get the heavy darts to fly straight and true.

Casey Persig was representing his family’s long-standing tradition of dartball competition, representing First Lutheran Church while on Christmas break from his senior year at St. Thomas University. One of the youngest competitors on this night, he said he plays whenever his busy schedule finds him back home on Monday nights.

“It’s always a lot of fun. I like the competition and the fellowship,” Persig said.

Corey Wittmer also upholds a family history of dartball competition. Captain of the First Lutheran team, Wittmer began playing as a boy, accompanying his dad to dartball games at Concordia-Pickerel Lake Lutheran church, where he grew up. He says dartball gives him a chance to visit with people he otherwise might not see.

“It gives me a chance to renew old acquaintances and make new friends. We talk about family and work. This is a great bunch of guys, and I look forward to the friendly competition,” Wittmer said.

Barry Coughlin, a barber by trade, said the eye-hand coordination he needs on the job helps him keep a steady hand while throwing darts. A member of the Zion Lutheran team, Coughlin said he has no problem with the gentle harassment he receives when he steps up to the line.

“I don’t take it personally. You have to keep your emotions under control and make adjustments as you go,” Coughlin said.

Runs are scored on a combination of four total bases earned by a combination of throwers, with home runs rare and plenty of possibilities for making outs. When players miss the board entirely they have to pay a 10-cent fine. More a fundraiser than a punishment, the fines accumulate throughout the season and are eventually given to local food shelves.

One member of the host team is responsible for a post-match luncheon of sandwiches, coffee and cake. On this night, Wayne Hanson did the honors, serving up the food in the Bethany Hall kitchen of First Lutheran Church. A longtime dartballer, Hanson enjoys the camaraderie and competition he finds on a weekly basis throughout the long Minnesota winters.

“I like to think of it as athletics in the slow lane. We try to get into each other’s heads, but always in a friendly way. We have a great time,” Hanson said.

Players will sometimes join the opposing team if one of teams is shorthanded. Bob Bailey, a semi-retired pastor emeritus and a member of Zion Lutheran, filled in for the First Lutheran team on this night and did his best. Having spent much of his pastoral career in South Dakota and Iowa, he has made Albert Lea his retirement home, to be closer to family.

“I love the fellowship. It gives me a chance to get to know fellow Lutherans, and it’s a fun time,” Bailey said.

A postseason banquet in March coincides with a night of playoff competition, as the top-ranked teams from the regular season face off for the league title. On this Monday night Zion won the first two games by shutout scores. As the crestfallen First Lutheran dartballers began to gaze wistfully at the sandwich trays on the kitchen counter, a rally began. Honor was redeemed for the host team as they came out on top by a score of 6-2.

The Rev. Bob Bailey led the dartballers in a musical table blessing as, the competition ended, the food and fellowship rolled into high gear.