We went to the last game of the Summer League. #1 son is co-captain with the player in the tutu. He chose the hot pink shirts. She wanted their theme to be “fancypants,” so they’re all being fancy with their pants. The other team (maroon shirts and black shorts) won.
We also went to a hat tournament in Crested Butte, where #2 son made the winning point for the final non-championship game.
We don’t completely understand the rules of the game, but in this case they had not just costumes, but also music and dancing. One of the teams also finished up their play with an odd ritual where they pretended to be dogs and fell upon a soccer ball. A spectator asked #2 son what they were doing.
“Their team theme is dogs,” he explained. “They’re just being silly.”
It’s a serious competitive contact sport with a heavy layer of silliness.