Queers Sport Community at Pitch the Baby
Façade of Pitch the Baby
Selena Amor for The Evergreen Echo
For as long as I’ve lived in Seattle there has always been a buzz around women’s sports. Whether it was watching Sue Bird and Breanna Stewart on the court at (the former) Key Arena or going to Starfire to catch the first Seattle Reign games, the city has consistently shown up and shown out for its women’s sports teams.
But now is a moment like none other as women's sports are reaching uncharted levels of popularity in and beyond our fair city. So where does one go to find fellow fans here in Seattle? Allow me to introduce…Pitch The Baby.
Nestled in a quieter corner of Capitol Hill is the neighborhood’s first ever women's sports bar. This is definitely a place to check out. The bar has watch parties for Storm basketball games, Torrent hockey games, and Reign soccer games as well as kickoff and draft events scattered throughout the year. Though the Storm, Torrent, and Reign are Seattle’s Big Three professional teams, PTB hosts many local teams. Seattle’s professional women’s ultimate frisbee team (Tempest) has come through to PTB, as well as folks from Rat City Roller Derby. Right now, however, is the season for Storm games, so I highly recommend coming in to catch a game and enjoy their soft serve on a warm summer day.
Though it is a sports bar, PTB has activities for folks of all different interests. While yes, they have a number of large TVs that consistently play women's sports (and The L Word too sometimes) and their 21+ bar does have a delicious selection of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, that’s just a part of it.
Pitch The Baby is a place where people can come to build community within and beyond being a women's sports fan. When describing the culture at the bar, bartender Mik shared that “the people who come in are really what make the space super special,” adding that “[the bar] is a safe place for women and also just a safe place for Queer people in general.”
Ms. Pac Man table inside PTB
Selena Amor for The Evergreen Echo
Over the past year the bar has hosted author visits, close-up magic nights, and non-sports related trivia events. The author events are a personal favorite as host Georgia Cloepfil has engaged in powerful conversations with authors about their books. These conversations serve to broaden the discussion on sports to include experiences that athletes have off the court and hold space to explore how factors such as race, sexuality, gender, intersectionality, and more are deeply woven into the fabric of any and all athletic experiences.
Truly, you don’t have to be a die-hard women's sports fan to find an event for you. Find them on Instagram to keep up to date on their upcoming activities—there might just be something that peaks your interest. If you want to come with the whole family, there is a dining area in the establishment that welcomes minors to enjoy their full menu as well.
What to do when you arrive:
Grab a bite. My personal favorites are the Salt + Lemon Pepper Wings, the soft serve, and any of the tacos (you can’t go wrong).
Ask for the basketball and shoot a shot on their bedazzled hoop.
Come for a drink and stay for the community. Sit at the bar and spark up a conversation with someone you’ve never met before. With any luck, the conversation will start with a discussion about your favorite athlete and ends with getting a book recommendation and making plans to shoot hoops later that week.
Play a game of Pac-Man or see if they have a coloring sheet available. I promise you, coloring can be fun at all ages.
As I am sure many other athletes and sports fans know, sports can be an entryway into friendships and communities both within and beyond athletics. Pitch The Baby has taken that sentiment and created a space for athletes, fans, and friends to enjoy. Getting to watch women’s sports flourish in the city I grew up in has been an absolute joy, but the cherry on top is to see spaces like PTB highlight just how amazing women’s athletics truly are at building long-lasting communities.
So come with family, come with friends, or come all by yourself. If you’re down to chat with some new people, you might just leave with a new friend or a new favorite sport. Who knows, maybe I’ll be there too; I’ll be the one sitting at the bar cheering the loudest for all the Seattle women's teams.
