MANCHESTER, Missouri — The back yard at the Skibbe household in Manchester has a permanent reservation every Memorial Day weekend. For 20 years now, it's been used for wiffleball—and wiffleball only on those four sacred days.
The Skibbe Wiffleball League celebrated its 20-year anniversary this Memorial Day weekend, and it's still one of the most unique leagues in the country.
At two decades, it is also likely the longest-running league in the country.
"It's so hard to even rank it, because it's completely different than every other league in the country. Nobody does it like this where we have this four full days of wiffleball from 7:15 a.m.–8 p.m. plus all the events afterwards, this is unlike anything anybody in the country has," league commissioner Sam Skibbe said.
And longevity isn't the only thing that sets this league apart, as we found in 2021.
RELATED: Wiffleball heaven: St. Louis boasts one of longest-running and most unique leagues in the country
This year saw nine teams with a combined 70 players descend on the Skibbe backyard. There was a regular season, postseason, MVP awards, a home run derby, an all-star game and even some all-decade honors.
When your wiffleball league can give out "all-decade" awards, you know you've been at it a long time.
"The emotions are high. Twenty years of doing this kids' game. ... We started when we were in eighth grade, and now 20 years later we are still playing this kids' game of wiffleball," Skibbe said.
A lot of preparation goes into this sacred weekend every year, but the marriage of wiffleball and Memorial Day weekend in Manchester is an institution worth laboring for.
"This is so much more than just a game we play together. It's almost like a reunion.
"Even when I'm planning this it almost feels like a wedding. Because you're planning food, you're planning the music sometimes and you're getting it all prepped and ready.
"And then everybody comes to the wedding and has a good time and sometimes I feel like the bride because I don't get to say hi to everybody," Skibbe said.
At the end of the day there may be trophies and bragging rights for the winner, but the shared community of a two decades-long tradition is the real prize.
"Everybody comes together just to have a good time. And it's an event that people look forward to more than just the game itself," Skibbe said.