Dart league takes aim at fun, competition

With intensity on their faces and encouragement from their teammates, men and women from Southeast Missouri come together on Monday nights to give their best throw for big points. They concentrate during their varied throwing motions and rack up points to dominate all of the teams in their league.

Dart leagues in Cape Girardeau have steadily grown in size. The Lemon's Coin Machine, or LCM, League in Cape Girardeau is one of the most popular and just finished the spring season. The most recent 17-week season saw 18 teams competing in seven venues. With more than 200 games in a season, even the beginning players get a chance to hone their skills in cricket, 301 and 501 games throughout league play.

"We get some laughs out of it, even though we really are striving to win," said Patrick Bond, member of the Thintimidation team.

Darts requires a certain amount of skill, but with the leagues, it helps to have a sense of humor, he added.

"We take our games seriously, because when it comes down to it, everyone likes to win," Bond said. "But it's a friendly competition."

Bond said the best things about the league nights are getting to see everyone and meeting new teams. Thintimidation won the spring championship Monday.

"When we get to the end of the schedule, we take the top four teams and they'll have a semifinal," said Darrell Foeste, who heads the LCM league. The top two teams from the semis will play for the championship.

The LCM league plays in Broussards, Breakaways, Cue N Brew, Pour House, Rude Dog, Show-Me's and D'Ladiums.

The dart leagues participate as part of the National Dart Association. Players can become ranked nationally through their local leagues. The individual and team statistics are tracked on LCM leagues' website, and players can see where they and their teammates rank every week. Players pay $7 for a year membership.

"That's the only fees we charge players," Foeste said. "There are no league fees outside of the national dues."

The membership makes a player eligible to participate in NDA-sanctioned tournaments.

Becoming a part of the league is easy, Foeste said. Sign-up sheets are available at Lemons Coin Machines or any of the participating bars.

"We use four-man teams, and you can have as many subs as you want," Foeste said.

Sign-ups for the summer season are open now, and league play will begin after Memorial Day. The league plays a spring, summer and fall session locally and some earn the chance to compete on a national level.

"When all three sessions are done, we take the top two teams from each season to the national championship for the NDA in Las Vegas," Foeste said.

He scored second place at the singles event at the last national championship.

"We made a little money while we were out there," he said.